"It’s Not You!"

The seventeenth sunday after pentecost
Sunday September 19

Worship

In Person Sunday, September 19, 11 a.m. (Mask required for all) This Sunday, our sermon is "It's Not You!" Mike Welf, Moderator of the Presbytery of Chicago, Elder at First Presbyterian Chicago Heights and Chaplain for the Chicago Heights Fire Department, will be our preacher.
Worship Live Streaming at 11 a.m. Click here for the September 19 streaming of live service. (refresh if necessary)
Note to viewers of Live Streaming: These services, as you may have noticed, are a work in progress. Thank you for your patience. Contact Kathie Hazlett if you are having issues.

(BULLETIN BELOW)

virtual heavenly perks will be from 12 noon to 2 pm (use picture link below)

gIVE -- electronically
to contribute (link:: a monetary offering) to first presbyterian church of homewood or
you may also contribute by mail to:

First Presbyterian Church of Homewood
P.O. BOX 1519
Homewood IL 60430

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bulletin for September 19 2021

PRAYER FOR PEACE

Scottish Blessing
If there is righteousness in the heart,
there will be beauty in the character.
If there is beauty in the character,
there will be harmony in the home.
If there is harmony in the home,
there will be order in the nation.
If there is order in the nation,
there will be peace in the world.
So let it be.

PRELUDE | | He Leadeth Me | | Terry Kirkland

*CALL TO CONTINUING WORSHIP | | based on Psalm 100
Shout triumphantly to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with celebration!
Come before him with shouts of joy!
Know that the Lord is God—
he made us; we belong to him.
We are his people,
the sheep of his own pasture.
Enter his gates with thanks;
enter his courtyards with praise!
Thank him! Bless his name!
Because the Lord is good,
his loyal love lasts forever;
his faithfulness lasts generation after generation.

*HYMN 722 | | Lord, Speak to Me That I May Speak | | Canonbury

*PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Gracious God, we admit that we take your grace for granted. Too often, like children at Christmas, we ask for a pony, that which we want and may not need. We know that you have consistently provided for the needs of your people and the earth. We become so focused on our wants that we fail to see how you work to meet our needs. Help us to see beyond our wants and needs to see your provision presence and promise.
(time of silent confession)
Amen.

*DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS
The good news in Christ is that when we face ourselves and God with the awareness of our need, we are given grace to grow, and courage to continue the journey.
Friends, believe the good news of the gospel.
In Jesus Christ we are forgiven! Thanks be to God!

*THE GLORIA

WELCOME AND CHURCH COMMUNICATIONS
(Instead of passing a pad, we ask that you sign the register in the Narthex as you leave, if you haven’t done so already.)

WE HEAR GOD’S WORD

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

FIRST SCRIPTURE READING | | James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a NRSV
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. 15 Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. 16 For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace. 4 Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? 2 You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet[b] something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

SPECIAL MUSIC | | Open My Eyes That I May See | | Michael Wilson

GOSPEL SCRIPTURE READING | | Mark 9:30-37 | | NRSV
30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” 32 But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him. 33 Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” 34 But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. 35 He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God!

SERMON | | " It’s Not You!" | | Chaplain Mike Welf

WE RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD

*HYMN 188 | | Jesus Loves Me! Jesus Loves Me

*AFFIRMATION | | The Confession of 1967
9.15 God’s sovereign love is a mystery beyond the reach of the human mind. Human thought ascribes to God superlatives of power, wisdom, and goodness. But God reveals divine love in Jesus Christ by showing power in the form of a servant, wisdom in the folly of the cross, and goodness in receiving sinful men and women. The power of God’s love in Christ to transform the world discloses that the Redeemer is the Lord and Creator who made all things to serve the purpose of God’s love.
9.16 God has created the world of space and time to be the sphere of God’s dealings with humankind. In its beauty and vastness, sublimity and awfulness, order and disorder, the world reflects to the eye of faith the majesty and mystery of its Creator.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND 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 and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

OFFERING OF OUR GIFTS

OFFERTORY | | Children's Song Medley | | Mark Hayes

*DOXOLOGY | | 606 Old Hundredth
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.

*PRAYER OF DEDICATION
God who calls us in perfect love, we respond in our imperfect ways as we offer not only our wealth but also our energy and imagination. Take them and use them to further your kingdom on earth. Amen.
WE GO IN GOD’S NAME

*HYMN 839 | | Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine | | Assurance

*PRAYER OF BLESSING | | from St. Patrick
We arise today through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun, Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning, Swiftness of the wind,
Depth of the sea, Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock.

We arise today through God's strength to pilot us;
God's might to uphold us, God's wisdom to guide us,
God's eye to look before us, God's ear to hear us,
God's word to speak for us, God's hand to guard us,
God's way to lie before us, God's shield to protect us,
God's hosts to save us afar and anear,
Alone or in a multitude.

Christ shield me today against wounding
Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ in me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,

Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me, Christ in the ear that hears me.

We arise today
Through the mighty strength of the Lord of creation. Amen.

POSTLUDE | | Psalm 19 | | Benedetto Marcello

Some people choose to be seated to listen to the postlude. If you need to leave,
the pastor and worship leader are glad to greet you at the entrance of the sanctuary.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord! Thanks be to God!

Rev. Dudley J. Elvery II, Interim Pastor
Mrs. Mary Ann Wenzelman, Interim Organist/Pianist

Worship Liturgist: Rod Dunlap
Usher: Laura Dillman

NEXT TIME: Readings for next week: TBD

Next ...

Calendar of Upcoming Virtual Meetings in September 2021

First Monday: "Stamped From the Beginning" | Book Study | Kathleen O'Hanlon & Joyce Anders
Zoom Link: 7 pm-8:30 September 27 2021 (first Monday of the month)
Tuesdays: 10:30 a.m. every Tuesday Morning New Study Psalms. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information (we formerly met at Panera and may meet at Panera again)
Tuesdays: | "On Guard" | Tuesday Adult Education Class 7:00 pm Central Time | Tim VanNasdale
Zoom Link for meeting: Tuesdays, (no class on 9/14/21) next class 9/21/21
We had another great discussion this week wrapping up the material from Session 1 - What difference does it make if God exists? and began work on Session 2 - Why does anything at all exist? You can see the suggested videos by
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Sundays: | SundayWorship Service We are now worshiping only in the church building at 11 am on Sunday morning,
The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost (9/12/21), is entitled, "Who'd Have Thought It", 17929 Gottschalk Avenue, Homewood IL, Pastor Dudley Elvery's sermon.
Next Sunday, (9/19/21) Mike Welf, Moderator of the Presbytery of Chicago, Elder at First Presbyterian Chicago Heights and Chaplain for the Chicago Heights Fire Department, will be our preacher.
Live Streaming Service can be found on the Worship Page" | Post Sunday Virtual Worship Meet-up is continuing on Zoom 12 noon. - 2 p.m. Sunday
The most recent Healing & Wholeness Service date was: Labor Day 7 p.m. Virtual Prayer is always available for individuals' needs | Please email sarmist@aol for prayer needs request

Looking forward | scripture readings for sunday's september 12 worship
Proverbs 1:20-33 and Mark 8:27-38 ceb

Proverbs 1:20-33 Common English Bible

Listen to “Woman Wisdom”
20 Wisdom shouts in the street; in the public square she raises her voice. 21 Above the noisy crowd, she calls out. At the entrances of the city gates, she has her say: 22 “How long will you clueless people love your naïveté, mockers hold their mocking dear, and fools hate knowledge? 23 You should respond when I correct you. Look, I’ll pour out my spirit on you. I’ll reveal my words to you. 24 I invited you, but you rejected me; I stretched out my hand to you, but you paid no attention. 25 You ignored all my advice, and you didn’t want me to correct you. 26 So I’ll laugh at your disaster; I’ll make fun of you when dread comes over you, 27 when terror hits you like a hurricane,
and your disaster comes in like a tornado, when distress and oppression overcome you. 28 Then they will call me, but I won’t answer;
they will seek me, but won’t find me 29 because they hated knowledge and didn’t choose the fear of the Lord. 30 They didn’t want my advice; they rejected all my corrections. 31 They will eat from the fruit of their way, and they’ll be full of their own schemes. 32 The immature will die because they turn away; smugness will destroy fools. 33 Those who obey me will dwell securely, untroubled by the dread of harm.”

Mark 8:27-38 Common English Bible

Jesus predicts his death
27 Jesus and his disciples went into the villages near Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 They told him, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others one of the prophets.” 29 He asked them, “And what about you? Who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.” 30 Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone about him. 31 Then Jesus began to teach his disciples: “The Human One[a] must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and the legal experts, and be killed, and then, after three days, rise from the dead.” 32 He said this plainly. But Peter took hold of Jesus and, scolding him, began to correct him. 33 Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, then sternly corrected Peter: “Get behind me, Satan. You are not thinking God’s thoughts but human thoughts.” 34 After calling the crowd together with his disciples, Jesus said to them, “All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me. 35 All who want to save their lives will lose them. But all who lose their lives because of me and because of the good news will save them. 36 Why would people gain the whole world but lose their lives? 37 What will people give in exchange for their lives? 38 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this unfaithful and sinful generation, the Human One[b] will be ashamed of that person when he comes in the Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

Worship Service