Call to Worship and Gathering

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

Come, let us bow down in worship, Psalm 95:6-7
let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care. 

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all.

Amen.

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Prayer of Invocation

As we continue on the journey,
show us the way to fullness of life, Lord Jesus;
that our hearts might be filled with joy, hope, and peace;
that we might respond to opportunities along the way;
that we might be strengthened to face challenges;
that we might become the persons we are called to be;
that we might learn to respect our fellow travelers;
that we might see the needs of others and care for them.
As we worship you today, show us the way to fullness of life, we pray. Amen. 

Psalm 125

A Song of Ascents

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
    which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
    so the Lord surrounds his people,
    from this time on and forevermore.
For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
    on the land allotted to the righteous,
so that the righteous might not stretch out
    their hands to do wrong.
Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
    and to those who are upright in their hearts.
But those who turn aside to their own crooked ways
    the Lord will lead away with evildoers.
    Peace be upon Israel!

Service of Confession & Assurance

Call to Holy Living

As God’s beloved and forgiven children, here is the call God has placed on our life:

Do you not know that your body
is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you,
which you have from God?
You are not your own;
you were bought at a price.
Therefore honor God
with your body. 
—1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Song

Prayer of Illumination

Our Lord and our God, we need you,
we need your guidance,
we need you beside us in our pilgrim journey,
lest we lose our way,
and wander from the paths of righteousness,
which Jesus walked.
Guide us, direct us, as we open your holy word. 
In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Scripture Reading

Psalm 84

A Song of Ascents

1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
    Lord Almighty!
2 My soul yearns, even faints,
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
    for the living God.
3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
    and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
    Lord Almighty, my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
    they are ever praising you.

5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
    whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
    they make it a place of springs;
    the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
7 They go from strength to strength,
    till each appears before God in Zion.

8 Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty;
    listen to me, God of Jacob.
9 Look on our shield, O God;
    look with favor on your anointed one.

10 Better is one day in your courts
    than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
    than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
    the Lord bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
    from those whose walk is blameless.

12 Lord Almighty,
    blessed is the one who trusts in you.

This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Sermon

Strength for the Journey

Our Sermon today is brought to us by Rev. Norm Steen.

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Spiritual Communion

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35).

For those worshiping with us online, and not able to partake of the sacrament, we invite you to pray the following prayer of Spiritual Communion and listen to the song below, knowing that God himself is with you, that Jesus himself feeds you, and that your union with Christ remains unbroken.

O Christ, we love you above all things,
and we desire, at all times and in all ways, to be fed by you.
And since we cannot now come to your Table,
we ask you to come by your Spirit into our hearts.
Unite us to you, together with all your faithful people,
and help us to embrace you with all our affections, body and soul.
Never permit us to be separated from you.
By your goodness we pray, Amen.

Song

Praise

Praise the Lord, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion.
—Psalm 103:1-4

Offering

In addition to our various funds (General, Building, Mission, Benevolence, Christian Education), online giving is also now available for today’s special offerings (Audio Scripture Ministries, World Renew, Partners Worldwide) through the Give button below.

Blessing

May God go before you to lead you;
May God go behind you to guard you;
May God go beneath you to support you;
May God go beside you to befriend you.
Do not be afraid.
Let the blessing of God come upon you today.
Do not be afraid.
Go in peace, continuing the pilgrim journey,
to love and serve the Lord.

May the grace of God,
freely given through Christ, our Lord,
and sufficient for all our needs,
and may the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
who testifies with our spirit
that we are God’s children,
guide and sustain us this day
and forever. Amen. 

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