"If You Say So"

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    P.O. BOX 1519
    Homewood IL 60430

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    BULLETIN FOR STREAMING SERVICE

    PRAYER FOR PEACE
    Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone’s face? Did I offer words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love? These are the real questions. I must trust that the little bit of love that I sow now will bear many fruits, here in this world and the life to come. ~Henri Nouwen

    PRELUDE ||| Fantasy on “Holy Manna” ||| Hugh Livinston Jr.

    *CALL TO CONTINUING WORSHIP
    God asks, “Whom shall I send?”
    Here I am.
    Jesus says, “Follow me and share in my work.”
    Here I am.
    The Holy Spirit gathers each one of us for worship.
    Here we are to worship God.

    *HYMN 4 ||| Holy God, We Praise Your Name  ||| Grosser Gott, Wir Loben Dich

    CALL TO CONFESSION
    I am handing on to you as of first importance what I in turn have received: that Christ died for our sins. Trusting in the promise of the gospel, let us make our confession.

    *PRAYER OF CONFESSION
    Merciful God, you call, but we seldom hear. You beckon, yet we turn away. Sin keeps us from responding to you, thwarting even our best efforts. Forgive our lack of attention to things that matter and restore our sense of your priorities. Focus us on your call to worship and service as we seek to follow after Jesus Christ.
    (silent prayer)
    Amen.

    *DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS
    Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. Not even death can separate us from God’s love. This is good news!
    In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Thanks be to God!

    *THE GLORIA 581

    MOMENT WITH OUR CHILDREN ||| Rev. Matt Lang

    WELCOME AND CHURCH COMMUNICATIONS

    WE HEAR GOD’S WORD

    PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION ||| Kim Hamilton


    FIRST SCRIPTURE READING ||| Isaiah 6:1-13 ||| RCL
    1In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory." 4The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. 5And I said: "Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" 6Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: "Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out." 8Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I; send me!" 9And he said, "Go and say to this people: 'Keep listening, but do not comprehend; keep looking, but do not understand.' 10Make the mind of this people dull, and stop their ears, and shut their eyes, so that they may not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and comprehend with their minds, and turn and be healed." 11Then I said, "How long, O Lord?" And he said: "Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is utterly desolate; 12until the LORD sends everyone far away, and vast is the emptiness in the midst of the land. 13Even if a tenth part remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak whose stump remains standing when it is felled." The holy seed is its stump.

    SPECIAL MUSIC ||| I Have Decided to Follow Jesus ||| Mark Hayes

    SECOND SCRIPTURE READING ||| Luke 5:1-11 ||| RCL
    1Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." 5Simon answered, "Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets." 6When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. 7So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. 8But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" 9For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; 10and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." 11When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.
    The Word of the Lord
    Thanks be to God!

    SERMON ||| "If You Say So" ||| Rev. Matt Lang

    WE RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD

    *HYMN 721 ||| Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore ||| Pescador De Hombres

    *AFFIRMATION OF FAITH ||| The Apostles’ Creed
    I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

    PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

    OFFERING OF OUR GIFTS

    OFFERTORY ||| Every Time I Feel the Spirit ||| Lloyd Larson ||| (African American Spiritual)

    *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
    See in our gifts our loyalty to you. We commit ourselves to both show forth and work for your kingdom to come in our midst and around the world. Amen.

    SEALING OF THE WORD

    INVITATION TO THE LORD’S TABLE

    GREAT PRAYER OF 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.

    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.

    WORDS OF INSTITUTION
    SHARING OF THE MEAL
    All who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord, regardless of age or denomination, are invited to partake in the Sacrament of Communion. Please come forward down the side aisle. Take a piece of the bread and a cup and eat. Please dispose of the cups in the waste baskets by the table. We have gluten free bread available. Return to your seat by the center aisle.

    PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
    God of grace, you renew us at your table with the bread of life. May this food strengthen us in love and help us to serve you in each other. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.

    WE GO IN GOD’S NAME

    *HYMN 700 ||| I'm Gonna Live So God Can Use Me ||| I’m Gonna Live 

    CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
    Beloved children of God, receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, the grace of Jesus Christ, and the blessing of the Lord forever.
    Alleluia!
    As Jesus called the first disciples, so he calls to us this day: Follow me. Amen.

    *BENEDICTION RESPONSE - Sung

    *BENEDICTION / HYMN 542 ||| God Be With You Till We Meet Again
    (verse 1 only) God Be With You
    God be with you till we meet again; loving counsels guide, uphold you, with a shepherd’s care enfold you: God be with you till we meet again.

    POSTLUDE ||| Go Out In Joy ||| Mary Mc Donald

    Rev. Matt Lang, Guest Worship Leader
    Mrs. Mary Ann Wenzelman, Interim Organist/Pianist

    Worship Liturgist: Kim Hamilton
    Ushers: Earl Anker, Laura Dillman, Ray Nielsen, Wanda Nielsen
    Live Streaming Techs: Kathie Hazlett, Phil Dillman

    SCRIPTURES IN WORSHIP – Next Sunday we will be reading Jeremiah 17:5-10 and Luke 6:17-26.

    PRAYER CHAIN – If you want prayer requests included on the prayer chain, contact Shirley Armistead at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

    ANNUAL MEETING OF THE CONGREGATION AND CORPORATION – The Annual Meeting of the Congregation and Corporation is Sunday, February 20th immediately after worship and available via Zoom at 12 noon. We will review the 2021 Annual Report and financial information, present the 2022 budget, nominate and elect members for the 2022 Nominating Committee, hear a report from the Trustees, and attend to any additional business coming from Session and/or members. If you have specific questions or items for discussion please let the Clerk of Session, Ed Wahl, know in advance so that we plan our time appropriately.

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