The Celebration of the Gospel

November 1, 2015 —All Saints Day

Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength,
and love your neighbor as yourself
— Mark 12.29, 31

_______ We Gather as the Body of Christ_______

GREETING
PRELUDE   Adagio   César Franck
[As we listen to the music we quiet our minds and bodies,
listen for our hearts’ deepest desires,
and become present to the Holy One who is lovingly present for us.]

* CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: God of love, you are the Love that gives us life.
All:    You shower us with love, and we worship you.
Loving Christ, you give us the love with which we love God.
You fill us with love, and we thank you.
Holy Spirit, you are the Love with which we love others.
You fill us with love, and we serve you with joy. Alleluia!

* SONG   The Gift of Love   Blue hymnal # 408

___________ We Attend to the Word___________

(10:30) CHILDREN’S TIME

(10:30) THE WORD IN SONG  In Bright Mansions Above  arr. Roland M. Carter.

PRAYER OF THE DAY
God of love, you who create us in love and call us to love: we earnestly desire to love you with our whole hearts, our whole souls, our whole minds, and all our strength. Help us to love you and to love our neighbor, not by our own will but by your grace, your infinite love in us. We pray in the name of our Teacher, our Beloved, Jesus. Amen.

GOSPEL           Mark 12.28-34
[Of the hundreds of questions Jesus was asked, he answered all but three indirectly, with parables or another question. When asked, “ What is the most important commandment? He responded plainly” To love God. And it has a twin: to love your neighbor. ]

One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘God is one, and besides God there is no other’; and ‘to love God with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’ —this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the Realm of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.
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SERMON

SONG  Ubi Caritas      Black hymnal # 2179
[ Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est:
Where there is love and compassion, there is God.]

OLD TESTAMENT       Isaiah 25.6-9
[The prophet Isaiah foresees the coming war, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the dominance of ruthless people. But he also sees beyond that to a great feast symbolizing God’s establishment of a new reality that will “swallow up” death and destruction — not just for Israel but for all the world, as one community. On All Saints Day we remember those who have died. Having moved beyond the curtain of death, they already taste the Realm to come, and celebrate.]

On this mountain the Holy One
will make for all peoples a feast of rich food,
a feast of well-aged wines,
of rich food filled with marrow,
of well-aged wines strained clear.
On this mountain God will remove
the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
the mourning pall that is spread over all nations;
God will swallow up death forever.
Then the Lord God will wipe away
the tears from every cheek,
and take away the shame of God’s people
wherever they are on the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.

It will be said on that day,
Lo, this is our God;
this is the one whose liberation we have awaited.
This is the One in whom we have hoped;
we rejoice with gladness for our salvation.
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REMEMBERING THE SAINTS
[In thanksgiving we pray for all those dear to us who have died in the past year.]
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
PASSING THE PEACE

___________We Share at Christ’s Table_________

OFFERING OUR GIFTS   O How He Loves You And Me   Kurt Kaiser, arr: Fred Bock

* COMMUNION SONG     Maker, I Adore You
1. Maker, I adore you, lay my life before you. How I love you.
2.   Jesus….     3. Spirit…   4. Three-In One…

THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is good to give God thanks and praise.

God of love, we thank you, for in love and for love
you create us in the image of your love.
You claim us as your people and set us free from all that oppresses.
You redeem us and empower us to join you
in creating a world of mercy and justice.
Therefore with all Creation we sing your praise:

Holy One, all creation shines with your glorious presence.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed are they who come in your love.
Blessed is Jesus, who embodied your love for us,
and showed us how to love one another.

[The Blessing and Covenant….]

With praise and thanksgiving we remember your loving acts in Jesus Christ;
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us;
and we proclaim the mystery at the heart of our faith:
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

[Of the gifts for the food pantry:]Pour out your Spirit on these gifts,
that for those who receive them they may embody your love.
[Of the bread and cup:]Pour out your Spirit on these gifts,
that they may be for us the Body and Blood of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that as the Body of Christ we may embody your love.
In this meal, in your Word alive among us
and in your Spirit within us, perfect your love in us. Amen.

THE PRAYER OF JESUS
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 trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

SHARING THE HOLY MEAL          [Everyone is welcome at the table of Christ’s self-giving love.
The bread is wheat-, soy- and dairy free. We dip the bread in the juice.]

PRAYER OF BLESSING
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. You have fed us with love. Send us into the world to love you by loving one another, loving all people, loving all Creation in the name and Spirit of Christ. Amen.

_____ We Are Sent in Ministry to the World______

THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD

* SONG       Lord, I Want To Be a Christian   Blue hymnal #402

* THE BLESSING AND SENDING FORTH
RESPONSE We 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   Postlude On “Sine Nomine”   Ralph Vaughn Williams, arr: Dale G. Rider

[During the postlude there are people ready to pray with you at the candles in the corners.]