Author: Melissa Palacios

Gathering in God’s Name
* Please Stand in the body or in spirit
Welcome and Announcements Julie Bessemer
Prelude Maryton arr. Kevin McChesney
O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee
Call to Worship (responsively) Rick McDowell
Let us sing the wondrous love of Jesus;
Let us sing his mercy and his grace.
Let us be true and faithful, trusting, serving every day.
Just one glimpse of him in glory will the toils of life repay.
When we all get to heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all get to heaven,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!
Hymn of Praise 111 When Morning Gilds The Skies
Call to Confession
Let us remember that our Lord Jesus can sympathize with us in our weaknesses, since in every respect he was tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with boldness approach the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in our time of need. Let us confess our sins as we pray together.
Prayer of Confession (unison)
Lord God Almighty, we come before you today confessing how hard it is for us to understand the concept of the first being last. For the fact is, we always want to be the one at the head of the line – the one with the best, the biggest, the most expensive. Remind us, O God, that your ways are not our ways. Remind us that everything we have – food, home, companions – life itself – comes to us as a gift from your hand and not because we somehow deserve it. Help us to remember those in need – especially the children, the sick, the elderly – and remind us to give as freely to them as you have given to us. Hear us, we pray, both in our spoken words and in our silent thoughts.
Assurance of Pardon The Rev. Robert Reno
My friends, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. This is God’s gospel promise: to forgive our sins and give us eternal life by grace alone because of Christ’s one sacrifice finished on the cross. Hear this good news:
In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!
Thanks be to God.
The peace of God be with you all. And also with you!
Let us offer signs of peace and reconciliation.
Pass the Peace
Gloria (Paul Vasile, used with permission; 2nd verse by Karen Copple)
Glory to God, whose goodness shines on me,
and to the Son, whose grace has pardoned me,
and to the Spirit, whose love has set me free.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. Amen.
(all are invited to clap with the choir on verse 2)
One God in three, the holy Trinity,
great God my Lord, your love has set me free,
freed me from sin to life eternally. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. Amen
Proclaiming God’s Word
Prayer for Illumination (unison)
O gracious and merciful God, you have given us the precious jewel of your holy Word. Assist us with your Spirit, that it may be written in our hearts to our everlasting comfort, to reform us, to renew us according to your own image, and to increase us in all heavenly virtues. Grant this, O heavenly Father, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
First Lesson Jeremiah 11: 18-20
Second Lesson Mark 9: 30-37
Sermon Childlike Rev. Robert Reno
Choral Meditation With a Pure Heart John Purifoy
Responding to God’s Word
Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed
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, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended into hell. On the third day he rose again; he ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he will come to judge the quick 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.
Pastoral Prayer
Choral Response Elaine Hagenberg
I Will Be a Child of Peace
Giving Thanks to God
Come to the table as an offering of yourself, a re-commitment to faith. You may also bring your tithes and other offerings. Take a piece of bread, dip it in the juice and consume both at once. Gluten free option available. All are welcome.
Call to Communion
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 right to give our thanks and praise.
It is truly right and our greatest joy
to give you thanks and praise,
O Lord our God, creator and ruler of the universe.
In your wisdom, you made all things
and sustain them by your power.
You formed us in your image,
setting us in this world to love and to serve you,
and to live in peace with your whole creation.
When we rebelled against you
refusing to trust and obey you,
you did not reject us,
but still claimed us as your own.
You sent prophets to call us back to your way.
Then in the fullness of time,
out of your great love for the world,
you sent your only Son to be one of us,
to redeem and heal our brokenness.
Therefore, we praise you,
joining our voices with choirs of angels,
with prophets, apostles, and martyrs,
and with all the faithful of every time and place,
who forever sing to the glory of your name:
738 Holy, Holy, Holy Lord (all sing)
Remembering your gracious acts in Jesus Christ,
we take from your creation this bread and this wine
and joyfully celebrate his dying and rising,
as we await the day of his coming.
With thanksgiving, we offer our very selves to you
to be a living and holy sacrifice,
dedicated to your service.
Keep us faithful in your service
until Christ comes in final victory,
and we shall feast with all your saints
in the joy of your eternal realm.
Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honor are yours, Almighty Father,
now and forever.
The Lord’s Prayer (unison)
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 and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
Blessing, Serving, and Receiving the Bread
and Cup at the Open Table
Music During Communion Jesus Loves Me Bradbury, arr. Wagner
Great is Thy Faithfulness with Liszt’s Liebestraum Cindy Berry
Prayer after All have Communed (unison)
We thank you, O God, that through Word and sacrament you have given us your Son, who is the true bread from heaven and food of eternal life. So strengthen us in your service that our daily living may show our thanks, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Sending forth to be God’s People
Hymn of Commitment 525 When We All Get to Heaven
Charge & Benediction
Choral Benediction (all Sing Twice)
Go now in peace; go now in peace!
May the love of God surround you everywhere,
everywhere you may go!

First Presbyterian Prays For:
Prayers for our members: Tom Copple Family, Garry Grau, Peggy Burger, Brenda & Robert Long.
Prayers for Family & Friends : Tina Zarate friend of Pam Davidson. Friends of Vicki Ball, Tom & Jenny Hines. Isaac Palacios, son of Melissa. Joan Helgeland, mother of Alexa Brown, who continues in hospice care. FPC Nursery teacher, Lupe Yanez. Friends of Aislinn King, Carol. FPC Scholar Singer Gaby Jaime's grandparents, Yolanda & Joe Garcia. Paul Vega, a friend of Yolanda Garcia’s son. Laura Nurse, daughter of Mary Massingill. Stephanie, a friend of Karen Copple.
Prayers for this church in transition.
Many thanks to the congregational care team for their ministries of care, including updating prayer concerns.

Calendar of Events

Monday, 9/23
1:00 pm Canasta Group—DH
Wednesday, 9/25
7:00 pm Choir—CR
8:15 pm Handbell Practice—S
Thursday, 9/26
6:30 pm Bible Study—DH
Friday, 9/27
9:00 am Bible Study—DH
Sunday 9/29
8:30 am United Methodist Worship Service —S
9:50 am Choir Rehearsal—S
9:30 am Morning Bible Study
10:30 am Worship—S
Wednesday, 10/2
7:00 pm Choir—CR
8:15 pm Handbell Practice—S

Order of Worship
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 22, 2024 10:30 am

As a church family, we strive to connect people to God
and to one another as we follow Christ.

Christ and the Young Child, by Carl Bloch (1873),
Oil on canvas, Skt. Nikolai Kirke, Holbæk, Denmark

Worship Leaders today:

Minister of Word and Sacrament: Rev. Dr. Robert P. Reno, MDiv, Ph.D.
Liturgist: Rick McDowell Director of Music: Alexa Brown
Pianist: Duo Zhang Handbells: Brianna Brady, Yiru Chen, Madison Hanson, Gavin Perez, Madilyn Sallee, Katie Stokes, Karen Wood

First Presbyterian Church
3814 130th St, Lubbock TX 79423
Mail: 10303 Indiana Ave STE 400-325, Lubbock, TX 79423
Phone: 806-763-0401 † Email: fpclubbock130@gmail.com
Website: www.fpclubbock.org

Today’s flowers are given to the Glory of God by Mary Margaret Ramsey in memory of Oliver Ramsey.

Announcements

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