Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 1, 2024 | 10:00am
Rev. Dr. LL DuBreuil, Guest Preacher| Larry J. Carey, Director of Music
Thought for Worship: Compassion Is Being With - “Let us not underestimate how hard it is to be compassionate. Compassion is hard because it requires the inner disposition to go with others to the place where they are weak, vulnerable, lonely, and broken.” | Henri J. M. Nouwen
GATHERING
Welcome
Prelude Be Thou My Vision | arr. Hayes
Call to Worship
Votum
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving!
How good it is to sing praises to our God.
For God is gracious, healing the brokenhearted, binding up their wounds.
God’s understanding is beyond measure. Praise the Lord!
Opening Sentences
The Lord be with you.
And also with you!
We gather to worship God in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
who breathes into us inspirations of justice and peace.
who binds us together with love and grace.
We gather to hear the stories of Jesus, the risen son of God,
who shows us the way of God
and calls us to be his disciples.
Salutation
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
Amen.
Prayer of the Day
Righteous God,
you lead us by example
through your generous love
and remind us that there is always more to learn
about what it means to live a life of righteousness.
Help us to keep our faith nimble,
growing with each new neighbor we meet
and each experience we live.
May we be doers of a word that is deep and wide,
letting our lives reflect the love we have received. Amen.
*Hymn of Praise I Sing the Mighty Power of God
Call to Confession
It is only by the power of God
that we are able to stand against evil.
Prayer of Confession
Trusting in God’s grace, let us confess our sin.
Savior, we seek shelter from the storms of life.
We long for the comfort of your care.
We confess we have not met every danger with faith.
Forgive us, we pray.
Embrace us as we follow new paths you set before us.
Embolden us to live as disciples of the Prince of Peace.
Assurance of Pardon
God, our God, will hear the cries of our hearts,
will grant us the mercy of forgiveness, and
will lead us in paths of grace and peace.
Thanks be to God! We are forgiven.
The Law of God: Matthew 22: 37-40
*Gloria Patri | #579
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.
*Commitment to Peace Keeping and Peace Seeking
One: May the peace of Christ be with you!
All: And also with you!
Share a sign of peace with one another. After sharing the peace, let us all sing together:
Together, by grace, we witness and work, remembering Jesus, in whom we grow strong. Together we serve in Spirit and truth, remembering love is the strength of our song.
THE WORD OF GOD
Prayer for Illumination
Holy One, we open our ears to hear in new ways. We open our minds to consider new ideas. We open our hearts to believe with renewed faith. Amen
The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. Listen to the word of the Lord. Deuteronomy 6:6
First Reading: Psalm 65: 1-8 as a responsive reading
Praise is due to you,
O God, in Zion,
And to you shall vows be performed,
O you who answer prayer
To you all flesh shall come.
When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us,
you forgive our transgressions.
Happy are those whom you choose and bring near
to live in your courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
your holy temple.
By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance,
O God of our salvation;
You are the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas.
By your strength you established the mountains;
you are girded with might.
You silence the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
the tumult of the peoples.
Those who live at earth’s farthest bounds
are awed by your signs;
You make the gateways of the morning
and the evening shout for joy.
Keep these words in your heart.
The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
Thanks be to God.
*Hymn: Lord Be Glorified
The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. Listen to the word of the Lord. Deuteronomy 6:6
Second Reading: Mark 7: 24-30
Keep these words in your heart.
The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
Thanks be to God..
Sermon: “Tired in Tyre” | Rev. Dr. LL DuBreuil
Silent Reflection
THE RESPONSE TO GOD
*Affirmation of Faith (Nicene Creed)
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.
Offering What a Friend We Have in Jesus | arr. Vogt
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise him all creatures here below;
Praise him above ye heavenly hosts;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen!
Celebration of the Lord’s Supper
*Communion Hymn Jesus, Thy Boundless Love to Me
Prayer of Great Thanksgiving
One: The Lord be with you.
All: And also with you.
One: Lift up your hearts.
All: We lift them up to the Lord.
One: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
All: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
One: Holy and right it is and our joyful duty to give thanks to you at all times and in all places, O Lord our Creator, almighty and everlasting God...
With your whole Church on earth and with all the company of heaven we worship and adore your glorious name.
*Sanctus Holy, Holy, Holy Lord #581
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!
Remembering the Work of Christ
One: Most righteous God, we remember in this Supper the perfect sacrifice offered once on the cross by our Lord Jesus Christ for the sin of the whole world. Together we proclaim the mystery of faith:
Memorial Acclamation
All: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
Invocation of the Spirit
One: So send your Holy Spirit upon us we pray… Even so, come Lord Jesus we pray.
All: Amen
Holy Communion
Words of Institution and Invitation
One: The body of Christ is broken for you.
One: The blood of Christ is shed for you.
Prayer after Communion
Brothers and sisters,
since the Lord has now fed us at his Table,
let us praise God’s holy name with heartfelt thanksgiving!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and do not forget all his benefits—
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the Pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion for his children,
so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him,
who did not spare his own Son,
but gave him up for us all,
and will also give us all things with him.
Therefore shall my mouth and heart show forth the praise of the Lord,
from this time forth forevermore. Amen.
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession (ending with the Lord’s Prayer)
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, the Power, and the Glory forever. Amen.
SENDING
*Hymn Go Ye, Go Ye Into the World
Benediction
Congregational Response
Christ is alive! Let Christians sing. The cross stands empty to the sky.
Let streets and homes with praises ring. Love drowned in death, shall never die.
Christ is alive, and comes to bring, Good news to this and every age,
Till earth and sky and ocean ring. With joy, with justice, love and praise.
Postlude Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee |arr. Kraus
DEAR FRIENDS
Welcome to worship here at Peapack Reformed Church! If you are visiting with us, welcome! If you are a member, welcome back! Our mission is to be a congregation called by God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and committed to being the very presence of Jesus Christ in the world. This mission is the catalyst for all that we do, and is our aim for who we want to be.
If you are visiting with us via Facebook Live and would like more information about our church, send us a message on Facebook or email office@peapackreformed.org and we will be in touch with you. Even under these odd and anxious circumstances, we would love to be your church home. Our virtual doors are always open wide and our hearts are always ready to welcome new faces into our fellowship.
FOOD PANTRY NEWS
Many thanks for all those who have shared their abundance with neighbors in need.
Our church refrigerators have plenty of space to hold even more!
Mark your calendars now to pick up these important items
and bring to church by the dates listed:
Sunday, September 1 - eggs
Sunday, September 8 - gallon(s) whole milk
Sunday, September 15 - eggs
Peapack Reformed Church is a congregation called by God, empowered by the Holy Spirit and committed to being the very presence of Jesus Christ in the world.
CALLED • EMPOWERED • COMMITTED