Third Sunday after Pentecost
June 9, 2024 | 10:00am
Rev. Jeremy Campbell, Temporary Pastor | Larry J. Carey, Director of Music
Rev. Scott Nowack, Guest Preacher
Thought for Worship: “Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope. Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore we must be saved by faith. Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore we must be saved by love. No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as it is from our standpoint. Therefore we must be saved by the final form of love which is forgiveness.” | Reinhold Niebuhr
GATHERING
Welcome
Prelude Sunrise | Hegarty
Call to Worship
Votum
Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Amen
Opening Sentences
We wait for you, O God,
more than those who watch for the morning.
We wait for your steadfast love,
more than those who watch for the morning.
We wait for you to lift the lowly,
more than those who watch for the morning.
We wait for your unexpected grace,
more than those who watch for the morning.
Let us sing of God’s holy ways,
the glory of the one for whom we wait.
Salutation
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
Amen.
Prayer of the Day
Steadfast God,
you constantly surprise us
with unprecedented grace
and unexpected redemption,
forgiving us when we least deserve it,
showing love to those we most despise.
Enliven us to keep watch
for your love at work in those we demonize,
for your power in those we look down upon,
and for your deliverance from all the ways
that we try to make you conform
to the structures and systems we have built.
All this we pray through Jesus Christ,
who called us to a new way of being. Amen.
*Hymn of Praise God of Grace and God of Glory
Call to Confession
It is only by the power of God
that we are able to stand against evil.
Trusting in God’s grace, let us confess our sin.
Prayer of Confession
You have called us blessed, O God,
and washed us in the waters of grace.
You have called us a family, O God,
and bound us by the presence of your Spirit.
Forgive us, O Holy One,
when we try to forget that we belong to you:
when we bind ourselves to the illusion of independence,
the myth of supremacy,
or the fear of what might happen
if we placed our trust in something beyond ourselves.
Forgive us, O Holy One, and by your forgiveness,
free us from all that keeps us bound.
Assurance of Pardon
Now stand firm in your faith,
covered by the saving grace of God
and ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.
In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!
Thanks be to God.
The Law of God:
*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.
Arntz Scholarship Recognition and Blessing
THE WORD OF GOD
Prayer for Illumination
Holy, Holy, Holy One, guide us by the Spirit of truth to hear the Word of life you speak, and to give all glory, honor, and praise to your threefold name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. Listen to the word of the Lord. Deuteronomy 6:6
First Reading: Romans 5:1-8
Keep these words in your heart.
The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
Thanks be to God.
*Hymn: This is My Father’s World
The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. Listen to the word of the Lord. Deuteronomy 6:6
Second Reading: Matthew 9:35 – 10:23
Keep these words in your heart.
The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
Thanks be to God..
Sermon: “Going Someplace Where There's No Going Back” | Rev. Nowack
Silent Reflection
THE RESPONSE TO GOD
*Affirmation of Faith
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; He descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Offering Song of the Redeemed | Rogers
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!
Prayer of Dedication
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 Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us With Your Love
Benediction
Congregational Response
Go to the world! Go into every place. Go live the word of God’s redeeming grace
Go seek God’s presence in each time and space. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Go to the world! Go as the ones I send, for I am with you till the age shall end,
when all the hosts of glory cry “Amen!” Alleluia. Alleluia.
Postlude Rejoice Ye Pure In Heart | Wagner
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, June 9 - eggs
Sunday, June 16 - gallon(s) whole milk
Sunday, June 23 - 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