The Celebration of the Gospel
Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
August 10, 2014
“Christ bid Peter ‘Come’, not only that he might walk upon the water,
and so know Christ’s power, but that he sink, and so know his own weakness…”
(Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Matthew 14:22-33)
______________ We Gather as The Body of Christ
GREETING
PRELUDE My Faith, It Is An Oaken Staff
Lani Smith
* CALL TO WORSHIP (Adapted from UMH #179, “O Sing a Song of Bethlehem, verse 3)
Leader: O Sing A Song of Galilee, of lake and woods and hill,
All: of him who walked upon the sea, and bade the waves be still.
For though like waves on Galilee, dark seas of trouble roll,
when faith has heard the master’s word, falls peace upon the soul.
This day, let us hear the master’s voice, and let it calm our troubled souls.
* SONG Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore
Blue hymnal #344
CHILDREN’S TIME The Ancient Boat Rev. Rick Whitefleet-Smith
______________________ We Attend to the Word
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
SILENT PRAYER … THE WORD OF GRACE
SUNG RESPONSE On Eagle’s Wings
Blue hymnal # 143
PRAYER OF THE DAY (taken from “Bread For the Journey” by Ruth Duck)
O God of love and power, we have seen your mighty works in the world and in our own lives. Yet like the disciples who witnessed the feeding of the multitude, but were afraid when they saw Jesus walking on the sea, our faith must be renewed day by day, hour by hour. Renew us with your Holy Spirit, that we may trust you, and that we may act in trust, even as Peter walked out to meet Christ on the water. Amen.
OLD TESTAMENT Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28
RESPONSE: The Word of life. All: Thanks be to God.
* PSALTER Psalm 105:1-11
Blue hymnal # 828
GOSPEL Matthew 14:22-33
RESPONSE: This is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. All: Thanks be to God.
SERMON “Faith and Falling” Rev. Rick Whitefleet-Smith
SONG Precious Lord, Take My Hand
Blue hymnal # 474
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (The Apostles Creed-Ecumenical Version) Blue hymnal # 882
SONG I Have Decided to Follow Jesus
Black hymnal # 2129
THE WORD IN SONG The Lord’s Prayer
arr: Albert Hay Malotte (Beth Bennett, Soloist)
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
RESPONSE: This is my prayer. All: This is our prayer.
PASSING THE PEACE
___________ We Are Sent in Ministry to the World
OFFERING OUR GIFTS Blessed Assurance
P. Knapp, arr: Mark Hayes
* OFFERING SONG Doxology
Blue hymnal # 94
* PRAYER
Gracious God, we give you these gifts as symbols of our lives. Receive them with love, bless them with grace and use them according to your will. By your Spirit in us, help us to work with you, for the sake of the healing of the world, in the name of Christ. Amen.
THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD
* SONG The Summonstitlel
Black hymnal #2130
* THE BLESSING AND SENDING FORTH
RESPONSE Please stand and sing to your neighbors:
May the grace and peace of Christ be with you my friends.
Go and share the love of God, love that never ends.
POSTLUDE You Shall Go Out With Joy!
Douglas Wagner