The Celebration of the Gospel
August 21, 2016 —14th Sunday after Pentecost
“We have this treasure in earthen vessels so that the surpassing greatness
of the power will be of God and not from ourselves…”
2 Corinthians 4:7
We Gather as the Body of Christ
GREETING
PRELUDE Father, I Adore You
Terry Coelho, arr: Fred Bock
[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 calls us away from the tumult of the world, that we may focus our
thoughts on things that are lasting.
All: In God’s presence we see our lives more clearly, the broken pieces
are put back together.
Leader: God calls us out of loneliness and into a life of community.
All: Worshipping together, caring about one another, we find out what it
means to be truly human.
Leader: But God will send us back into the world’s confusion and busyness,
it’s brokenness and isolation.
All: We will go with serenity and joy, strengthened to be God’s servants,
the bearers of peace.
* SONG All Things Bright and Beautiful
Blue hymnal # 147
CHILDREN’S TIME
[We invite you to sign and pass the red attendance pads down the row and across the aisle—
and back again, so you can learn your neighbor’s names.]
We Attend to the Word
THE WORD IN SONG The Road Home
Michael Dennis Browne
PRAYER OF THE DAY (taken from Bread For the Journey by Ruth Duck)
Tender and compassionate God, whose strength is made perfect in our weakness, help us to believe that you receive us as we are. More than this, help us, imperfect
though we are, to be carriers of the message of your love, like earthen vessels that carry treasures, and may we worship in spirit and in truth, through the grace of Jesus Christ. Amen.
OLD TESTAMENT Isaiah 45:1-7
God’s Message to his anointed, to Cyrus, whom he took by the hand to give the task of taming the nations, of terrifying their kings – He gave him free rein, no restrictions:
“I’ll go ahead of you, clearing and paving the road. I’ll break down bronze city gates, smash padlocks, kick down barred entrances.
I’ll lead you to buried treasures, secret caches of valuables – Confirmations that it is, in fact, I, God, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.
It’s because of my dear servant Jacob, Israel my chosen, that I’ve singled you out, called you by name, and given you this privileged work. And you don’t even know me!
I am God, the only God there is. Besides me there are no real gods. I’m the one who armed you for this work, though you don’t even know me,so that everyone, from east to west, will know that I have no god-rivals. I am God, the only God there is.
I form light and create darkness, I make harmonies and create discords. I, God, do all these things.
RESPONSE: The Word of life. All: Thanks be to God.
* PSALTER Psalm 19:1-14
Blue hymnal, page #751
If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us.
As it is, there’s not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at. We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do,but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken.
What they did to Jesus, they do to us – trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us – he lives!
NEW TESTAMENT 2 Corinthians 4:7-10
RESPONSE: The Word of God for the people of God. All: Thanks be to God.
GOSPEL Matthew 6:19-21
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
RESPONSE: The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. All: Thanks be to God.
SERMON “Hidden In Plain Sight” Rev. Rick Whitefleet-Smith
SONG Something Beautiful
Blue hymnal # 394
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
[Anyone who wishes may share a prayer concern at the microphone.]
RESPONSE: This is my prayer. All: This is our prayer.
THE PRAYER OF JESUS
Our Mother, 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.
PASSING THE PEACE
We Are Sent in Ministry to the World
OFFERING OUR GIFTS Andante Cantabile
Theodore DuBois, arr: Paul Hamill
* OFFERING SONG What Gift Can We Bring
Blue hymnal # 87
* PRAYER
All we have is a trust from you, O Lord. We return to you just a fraction of the blessings we have received. Bless these tithes and offerings for the work of your church in this community and the world. Amen.
THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD
* SONG Take My Life, and Let It Be
Blue hymnal # 399
* THE BLESSING AND SENDING FORTH
* BENEDICTION You Are the Light
Tom Fettke
POSTLUDE Heavenly Sunlight
George Harrison Cook, arr: Mark Hayes