November 15 Worship
33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Download the Worship Bulletin Here
Worship will be live streamed on Grace's YouTube channel (above), and the video recording uploaded here afterward.
We Gather
CENTERING WORDS
Use the talents you possess; for silent would the forest be, if the only birds that sang were those who sang the best.
PRELUDE
WELCOME and CALL TO WORSHIP
We lift our eyes to you, O God; we lift our spirits in worship.
We look to you, seeking guidance and comfort.
We look to you seeking healing and renewal.
We look to you, seeking mercy and grace;
for we have had our fill of struggles and stress.
We have had more than our fill of worrying and
wondering.
To you, O God, we lift our eyes and spirits, with hope and confidence in your love.
Be known to us as we worship and help us find rest.
OPENING HYMN No.612
We Praise You, O God
(Because the singing of hymns is discouraged during this period of pandemic, you are invited to meditate on the hymn below.)
We praise you, O God, our Redeemer, Creator;
in grateful devotion our tribute we bring.
We lay it before you; we kneel and adore you;
we bless your holy name; glad praises we sing.
We worship you, God of our fathers and mothers;
through trial and tempest our guide you have been.
When perils o’ertake us, you will not forsake us,
and with your help, O Lord, our struggles we win.
With voices united our praises we offer
and gladly our songs of thanksgiving we raise.
With you, Lord, beside us, your strong arm will guide us.
To you, our great Redeemer, forever be praise!
CALL TO PRAYERS
We try to hide our brokenness and our mistakes from others and ourselves. But God, who created us, knows us and loves us anyway. We come to confession in worship because God wants us to live into the life for which we are created. Let us pray in humility and trust:
PRAYERS OF CONFESSION & INTERCESSION
You have given us each many talents, Gracious Creator, and we give thanks to you for such generosity and kindness.
You have given us, as a community, many opportunities to reflect your beauty, wisdom, and love, and for this, we give thanks.
You have bestowed upon us opportunities to invest the gifts you have given us – to reach out in faithful joy and to share from our abundance.
And you have called us together in worship and invite us to be accountable to you for our lives and our love.
Be with us as we gather and help us to boldly proclaim the ways we have shared your love, through the gifts you have given us.
Hear our songs, prayers, and silences as testimony of our stewardship. And bless us as we worship – increase our strength and courage through this time, we pray. Amen.
Silence
Faithful Steward, you bless us with gifts that are uniquely our own.
We long to use the talents you bestow upon us
to build your kingdom.
We yearn to live with gratitude for all that you have done for us and the opportunities you place before us.
Clear our vision, Holy One, and help us see
the good we can do with the gifts and talents
we have received. Amen.
Silence
ASSURANCE OF GOD WITH US
God offers us abundant life. Let us embrace it, celebrate it, multiply it, and rejoice. For God’s investment in us never ends. Amen.
SHARING THE PEACE OF CHRIST
Called to live as children of light, let us build one another up as we share signs of peace, and words of love. The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!
And also with you.
We Reflect
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Shine your light on your Word, O Lord; by your Spirit let us see your wonder. For your justice outruns our sense of fairness; your love overwhelms our deepest affections. Open our eyes, unstop our ears, and show us your most excellent way; for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
SCRIPTURE LESSON
Judges 4:1-7
SCRIPTURE LESSON
Matthew 25:14-30
SERMON Entrusted with the Kingdom
Rev. Kathryn R. Mustaro
We Respond
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Cue: Lord, in your mercy,
Response: Hear our prayer.
Who are those on your hearts and in your minds for whom we can pray? Please share a name and one or two words that describe the request.
In two or three words, what prayers do we have for our larger community and our world?
In one word, what prayers of thanks do we have this morning?
Let us pray together as Jesus taught us, saying, 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.
CELEBRATION OF STEWARDSHIP
(As we prepare to dedicate our pledges and gifts,
you are invited to contemplate the lyrics of the hymn below.)
Musical Meditation No. 710
We Lift Our Voices
We lift our voices; we lift our hands;
we lift our lives up to you: we are an offering.
Lord, use our voices; Lord, use our hands;
Lord, use our lives; they are yours: we are an offering.
All that we have, all that we are,
all that we hope to be, we give to you, we give to you.
We lift our voices; we lift our hands;
we lift our lives up to you: we are an offering;
we are an offering.
Prayer of Dedication
Gracious God, you have made a world for us and given us incomparable gifts: air and water, family and friends, your steadfast love and forgiveness, and your son Jesus the Christ. For all the gifts and wonders you have bestowed on us,
we thank you and worship you with renewed gratitude.
O God, you created us to love one another as Christ has loved us. We are concerned about all your children, those who live near us, and those who live far away. We are eager to participate in the work of the whole church and to further the ministry and service of this congregation.
We are called to be your stewards. We thoughtfully shoulder our personal share of responsibility, and we pledge to bear witness to the good news of Christ with our hearts and hands and voices.
We are confident in your love and care for us.
We gladly give back to our Gracious God our whole lives, our time, our talents, and our financial resources.
O God, throughout the ages you have challenged your people to step out in faith and follow you. You have put purpose and direction in the lives of your people.
We have set our feet on the pathway. Be our guide.
Whisper in our ears when we need to make decisions.
Hold us up if we start to stumble.
May your Holy Spirit lead us in joyful song and fill us with eager anticipation. You are our vision, O God; lead us on our journey. Amen.
We Are Sent
CLOSING HYMN No.716
God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending
(You are invited to meditate on verses 1 & 2 below.)
God, whose giving knows no ending,
from your rich and endless store,
nature's wonder, Jesus' wisdom,
costly cross, grave's shattered door:
gifted by you, we turn to you,
offering up ourselves in praise;
thankful song shall rise forever,
gracious donor of our days.
Skills and time are ours for pressing
toward the goals of Christ, your Son:
all at peace in health and freedom,
races joined, the church made one.
Now direct our daily labor,
lest we strive for self alone.
Born with talents, make us servants
fit to answer at your throne.
BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE
Please join us for prayers and fellowship on ZOOM at 10:30 a.m..
All songs not in the public domain are used by permission of CCLI #1124594.