Welcome
Prelude
"Adagio" (Bablon)
Hymn
#
328
"Surely the Presence of the Lord Is in This Place"
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place;
I can feel his mighty power and his grace.
I can hear the brush of angel’s wings,
I see glory on each face;
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.
Welcome of All & Call to Worship
We praise God
Opening Hymn
#
"All Are Welcome"
All verses
1. Let us build a house where love can dwell
and all can safely live,
A place where saints and children tell
How hearts learn to forgive
Built of hopes and dreams and visions,
Rock of faith and vault of grace;
Here the love of Christ shall end divisions:
Refrain:
All are welcome, all are welcome,
all are welcome in this place
2. Let us build a house where prophets speak,
and words are strong and true,
Where all God's children dare to seek
To dream God's reign anew.
Here the cross shall stand as witness
And as symbol of God's grace;
Here as one we claim the faith of Jesus:
[Refrain]
3. Let us build a house where love is found
In water, wine and wheat:
A banquet hall on holy ground,
Where peace and justice meet.
Here the love of God, through Jesus,
Is revealed in time and space;
As we share in Christ the feast that frees us:
[Refrain]
4. Let us build a house where hands will reach
Beyond the wood and stone
To heal and strengthen, serve and teach,
And live the Word they've known.
Here the outcast and the stranger
Bear the image of God's face;
Let us bring an end to fear and danger:
[Refrain]
5. Let us build a house where all are named,
their songs and visions heard
And loved and treasured, taught and claimed
As words within the Word.
Built of tears and cries and laughter,
Prayers of faith and songs of grace,
Let this house proclaim from floor to rafter:
[Refrain]
Opening Prayer
Loving living God, be among us now. Show us your ways. Guide our steps. Live in us, that we may be people of steadfast hope and powerful giving. Help us hear your words, challenging us to give you all the things that are yours. Help us remember that all we are and all we have are gifts from you, gifts to be shared in service and love. Holy One, among us, help us to be a holy people who receive your word with joy and live your message with love. Amen.
Hymn
#
72
"Gloria, Gloria"
Gloria, Gloria, in Excelsis Deo!
Gloria! Gloria! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Greeting One Another with the Sign of Peace
Leader: Peace be with you.
People: And also with you.
Leader: Let us share the Peace of Christ with great joy.
We hear God's word
Scripture
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Click the button below to read today's scripture on Bible Gateway (external site):
Hymn
#
408
"The Gift of Love"
All verses
1. Though I may speak with bravest fire,
and have the gift to all inspire,
and have not love, my words are vain,
as sounding brass, and hopeless gain.
2. Though I may give all I possess,
and striving so my love profess,
but not be given by love within,
the profit soon turns strangely thin.
3. Come, Spirit, come, our hearts control,
our spirits long to be made whole.
Let inward love guide every deed;
by this we worship, and are freed.
Today's Message
We celebrate community
Joys and Concerns
You may end your prayer with “This is my prayer.”
We all respond with “This is our prayer.”
Pastoral Prayer & Lord's Prayer
Our Father-Mother, 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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
We celebrate tithing & offering
Offertory Hymn
“Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)” (Woody Guthrie)
Doxology
#
95
"Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow"
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow,
Praise God, ye creatures here below,
Praise God, ye hosts in heaven above,
Praise God, the Trinity of Love. Amen.
Offertory/Commitment Prayer
Gracious God, you choose ordinary people and weave them into a community that shines with your love. We thank you for the gift of belonging--for the call to live our faith in ways that ripple outward into the lives of others. Receive these gifts as signs of our gratitude and our willingness to be witnesses to your grace. Use what we offer to encourage the weary, welcome the searching, and strengthen your church as a living example of hope. May our shared life together always point to Christ, whose love calls and sends us. Amen.
Closing
Closing Hymn
#
2223
"They'll Know We Are Christians by Our Love"
All verses
1. We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord,
we are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord,
and we pray that all unity will one day be restored:
Refrain:
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love;
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.
2. We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand,
we will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand,
and together we’ll spread the news that God is in our land:
[Refrain]
3. We will work with each other, we will work side by side,
we will work with each other, we will work side by side,
and we’ll guard human dignity and save human pride:
[Refrain]
4. All praise to the Father, from whom all things come,
and all praise to Christ Jesus, God’s only Son,
and all praise to the Spirit, who makes us one:
[Refrain]