MINUTE FOR MISSION Peace and Global Witness

ADORATION 

CALL TO WORSHIP    

ONE: We gather from the west to the east, from the south to the north,

MANY: to celebrate the God of peace who accompanies us in our acts of peace.

ONE: This God of peace accompanies us in each and every circumstance around us.

MANY: We praise God’s name! Amen!

PRAYER OF THE DAY 

God of deliverance, you called Moses to be your hands, feet, and voice in a troubled world. Teach us how to work, walk, and speak your word in a troubled world. Amen.

HYMN OF THE MONTH [BLUE#330] [GTG #50] 

“Deep in the Shadows of the Past”

1 Deep in the shadows of the past, far out from settled lands,

some nomads traveled with their God across the desert sands.

The dawning hope of humankind by them was sensed and shown:

a promise calling them ahead, a future yet unknown.

2 While others bowed to changeless gods, they met a mystery,

invisible, without a name: “I AM WHAT I WILL BE”;

and by their tents, around their fires in story, song, and law,

they praised, remembered, handed on a past that promised more.

3 From Exodus to Pentecost the promise changed and grew,

while some, remembering the past, recorded what they knew,

or with their letters and laments, their prophecy and praise,

recovered, kindled, and expressed new hope for changing days.

4 For all the writings that survived, for leaders, long ago,

who sifted, copied, and preserved the Bible that we know,

give thanks, and find its story yet our promise, strength, and call,

the model of emerging faith, alive with hope for all.

MESSAGE FOR THE CHILDREN             

RESPONSE HYMN [GTG #530] “One Bread, One Body”

One bread, one body, one Lord of all

One cup of blessing which we bless

And we, though many, throughout the Earth

We are one body in this one Lord

REPENTANCE

CALL TO CONFESSION                                                                  

SILENT CONFESSION

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

O Lord our God, you call us to proclaim your gospel, but we remain silent in the presence of evil. You call us to be reconciled to you and one another, but we are content to live in separation. You call us to seek the good of all, but we fail to resist the powers of oppression. You call us to bring liberty for the oppressed, but we do not insist on freedom for all. You call us to fight pretensions and injustice, but we sit idly by, endangering the lives of people far and near. 

Forgive us, Lord. Reconcile us to you by your Spirit, and give us the courage and strength to be reconciled to others; through Jesus Christ. Amen

ASSURANCE OF PARDON                     

GLORIA PATRI [BLUE#579] [GTG#581] 

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, 

world without end, Amen, Amen.

THE WORD READ AND PROCLAIMED

SCRIPTURE  

[Pew Bible OT 47 or 48] Exodus 1:8-14

Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. He said to his people, ‘Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.’ Therefore they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor. They built supply cities, Pithom and Rameses, for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labor. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed on them.

ONE: The Word of the Lord

MANY: Thanks be to God

MEDITATION:               “Bread of Freedom”                Rev. Aaron Ochart

SCRIPTURE  [Pew Bible NT 48 or 51]             Mark 14:22-25

While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

ONE: The Word of the Lord

MANY: Thanks be to God

MEDITATION: “Partaking Together!”               Rev. Susan Lassalle

 RESPONSE     

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH             Nicene Creed (Eccumenical) 

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. 

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father (and the Son), who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

RECEIVING OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS

OFFERTORY Follow the Drinking Gourd        arr. Victor Johnson

DOXOLOGY [*BLUE#592] [GTG#606]

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;

Praise God, all creatures here below;

Praise God above, ye heavenly hosts;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. 

THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION

THE GREAT PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

ONE: The Lord be with you.

MANY: And also with you.

ONE: Lift up your hearts.

MANY: We lift them to the Lord.

ONE: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

MANY: It is right to give our thanks and praise.

ONE: …Therefore with all creation we sing your praise:

MANY: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

ONE: … Praise to you, Lord Jesus:

MANY: Dying you destroyed our death, rising you restored our life. Lord Jesus, come in glory…

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever.  Amen

ONE: … The gifts of God for the people of God.

MANY: Thanks be to God.

HYMN [BLUE#563] [GTG#339] “Lift Every Voice and Sing”  

1 Lift every voice and sing till earth and heaven ring,

ring with the harmonies of liberty.

Let our rejoicing rise high as the listening skies;

let it resound loud as the rolling sea.

Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us;

sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us.

Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,

let us march on, till victory is won.

2 Stony the road we trod, bitter the chastening rod,

felt in the days when hope unborn had died.

Yet, with a steady beat, have not our weary feet

come to the place for which our parents sighed?

We have come over a way that with tears has been watered;

we have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,

out from the gloomy past, till now we stand at last

where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

3 God of our weary years, God of our silent tears,

thou who hast brought us thus far on the way;

thou who hast by thy might led us into the light,

keep us forever in the path, we pray.

Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee;

lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee;

shadowed beneath thy hand may we forever stand,

true to our God, true to our native land.

PARTING PRAYER 

Gracious God, we offer our thanks, for the whole communion of saint’s witness to this feast, and for the ministry of churches around the world who gather with us today. By this broken bread may we each be restored for the work yet to come. By this shared cup may we each be claimed for the proclamation of your Kindom. At this shared table may we be united as children of your promise, children of your word, dying and made new again, sent boldly together into the world as servants of your peace. Amen.

CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

RESPONSE [GTG#406] “We Are Standing On Holy Ground”

We are standing on holy ground

And I know there are angels all around 

Let us praise Jesus now

We are standing in his presence On holy ground

POSTLUDE Lift Every Voice and Sing by J. Rosamond Johnson

*Note: the hymn lyrics in the bulletin and on the projection screen are from the Glory To God Hymnal (© 2013 Westminster John Knox Press), which we are transitioning to. Words in the “Blue” Presbyterian Hymnal (© 1990) in your pew may differ slightly.

Participating in today’s service are Rev. Aaron Ochart, Pastor John Calvin Presbyterian; Rev. Susan Lassalle, Pastor Little Farms UCC Louise Ochart, CE Leader; Kelly Cuppett, Music Director. Appreciation to Dennis Lauland, Mike Fortin, Cam and Bri Mayfield, and David Garland for the video production of today’s service. 

The Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by Permission. All Rights Reserved. 

STAFF