"But We Had To Celebrate and Rejoice"

BULLETIN FOR STREAMING SERVICE

WE GATHER IN GOD’S NAME

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF HOMEWOOD
MISSION STATEMENT

Through the grace of God, faith in Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit, we prayerfully seek to discern God’s will for this congregation and to reach beyond ourselves to feed the hungry, body and soul. Adopted by Session 7/31/17

PRAYER FOR PEACE ||| Peace Prayer of Saint Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

PRELUDE ||| Softly and Tenderly ||| Mark Hayes

 
*CALL TO CONTINUING WORSHIP
We are ambassadors for Christ.
God has entrusted to us the message of reconciliation.
We gather as God’s beloved family
to worship God and offer our praise.
Let us join our hearts in song and in prayer.

*HYMN 509 ||| All Who Hunger, Gather Gladly ||| Holy Manna

CALL TO CONFESSION
If we keep silent, our sin will flourish, and we will groan all day long. Therefore, let all who are faithful acknowledge our sin and hide our transgression no more. In faith and with courage let us confess our sin to God.

*PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Holy God, we confess that we keep silent when we should speak. We see iniquity and the injustices of the world, yet are content not to call them out. We withhold kind words, yet are quick to speak in judgment. Forgive us, O God. Direct the way we should go and help us to use our voices to spread your grace and truth.
(silent prayer)
Amen.

*DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS
Happy are those whose sin is forgiven. Be glad and rejoice, for in Christ, we are a new creation.
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

FIRST SCRIPTURE READING ||| Joshua 5:9-12 ||| CEB
9The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt.” And so that place is called Gilgal to this day. 10While the Israelites were camped in Gilgal they kept the passover in the evening on the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. 11On the day after the passover, on that very day, they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. 12The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land, and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate the crops of the land of Canaan that year.

SPECIAL MUSIC ||| I Will Arise and Go To Jesus ||| Cindy Berry

SECOND SCRIPTURE READING ||| Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 ||| CEB
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 2And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3So he told them this parable:
11Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. 13A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. 14When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. 16He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. 17But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! 18I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ 20So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. 21Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate. 25“Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. 27He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ 28Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. 29But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ 31Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’”
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God!

SERMON ||| But We Had To Celebrate and Rejoice ||| Rev. Matt Lang

WE RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD

*HYMN 771 ||| What Is the World Like? ||| New World

*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH ||| The Brief Statement of Faith 1983
In life and in death we belong to God. Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel, whom alone we worship and serve.

*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 ||| Oh, That I Had a Thousand Voices ||| Michael Burkhardt

 
*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
Through the grace of God, we have gifts in abundance and pour them out like perfume from a flask, not for our sakes, but to worship the One who lavishes love on the world. May these gifts be used for the good of many. Amen.

WE GO IN GOD’S NAME

*HYMN 649 ||| Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound ||| Amazing Grace

CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

*BENEDICTION RESPONSE - Sung

*BENEDICTION / HYMN 542 ||| God Be With You Till We Meet Again
(verse one 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 ||| Do Lord, Remember Me ||| Dr. Andre' J. Thomas

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

Worship Liturgist: Rod Dunlap
Usher: Phil Dillman
Web Techs: Phil Dillman, Kathie Hazlett, Susan Zorns

SCRIPTURES IN WORSHIP – Next Sunday we will be reading Isaiah 43:16-21 and Philippians 3:4b-14.

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..