Worship for November 22, 2020

Congregation Stewardship

Commitment Sunday

Welcome - Jeff Foels

PC(USA) Worship for Reign of Christ Sunday:

Leadership from: The Rev. Dr. Diane Moffett, executive director, Presbyterian Mission Agency; the Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson II, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.); Elona Street-Stewart and the Rev. Gregory Bentley, co-moderators of the 224th General Assembly.

In addition, the service includes liturgical leaders: Princeton Abaraoha (Igbo), Rafael Viana (Portuguese), Denise Anderson, Moongil Cho (Korean), David Gambrell, Laurie Kraus, William McConnell, Amy Mendez, Rosa Miranda (Spanish), Jihyun Oh, Ralph Su (Mandarin)

And musical leaders: Carter Anderson II, Marissa Galván-Valle, David Gambrell, So Jung Kim, William McConnell, Phillip Morgan

Sermon: Seeing Jesus; The Rev. Dr. Diane Moffett

Opening Sentences

Jesus says: Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kindom of heaven.
And blessed is the church
that serves with the love of God

to eradicate systemic poverty.

Jesus says: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst

for righteousness, for they will be filled.
And blessed is the church
that trusts in the grace of Christ
to build congregational vitality.

Jesus says: Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
And blessed is the church
that seeks by the power of the Spirit
to dismantle structural racism.

Blessed are you, O holy, triune God,

and blessed is your holy realm forever.

Gathering Prayer

And then all that has divided us will merge
And then compassion will be wedded to power
And then softness will come to a world that is harsh and unkind
And then both men and women will be gentle
And then both women and men will be strong
And then no person will be subject to another’s will
And then all will be rich and free and varied
And then the greed of some will give way to the needs of many
And then all will share equally in the Earth’s abundance
And then all will care for the sick and the weak and the old
And then all will nourish the young
And then all will cherish life’s creatures
And then all will live in harmony with each other and the Earth
And then everywhere will be called Eden once again
—Judy Chicago

Hymn: Soon and Very Soon Hymn #384

Confession and Pardon

A voice is crying out in the wilderness:

Prepare the way of the Lord.

Trusting in God’s grace, let us confess our sin.

Merciful God, we confess that we have wandered

from your way of truth and life.

You call us to share all that we have
and work together for the common good,

but we hoard up treasures for ourselves

and deny others their daily bread.

You call us to set the captives free

and seek justice for the oppressed,

but we live in fear of our neighbors

and hide ourselves from our own kin.

You call us to walk in newness of life

and to be witnesses to the resurrection,

but we dwell in the valley of dry bones

and keep silent about your saving love.

Forgive us, God of grace.
Set us free from sin, death and fear
so that we may serve you with gladness;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Hymn: Change My Heart, O God Hymn #695

Sung in Spanish, Korean, and English

Hear the good news:

God’s love has been poured into our hearts

through the gift of the Holy Spirit.

I declare to you in the name of Jesus Christ,

we are forgiven. Thanks be to God

Prayer for Illumination

Speak to us, O God, with the voice of your Holy Spirit,

that we may know the way of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Scripture: Matthew 25:31–46

Litany of Commitment

Hymn: Come Now, O Prince of Peace Hymn # 103

Sung in Korean

Jesus says: Repent, Matt. 4:17
for the realm of heaven has come near.

I invite you, in the name of Christ,
to turn from what is evil and turn to what is good,

rejecting all that is contrary to the gospel
and embracing the vision of the Matthew 25 church.

Do you renounce
the evils of systemic poverty and economic exploitation?

We renounce them!

Will you devote yourself
to doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with your God?

We will, with God’s help.

Do you renounce
the sins of structural racism and white supremacy?

We renounce them!

Will you devote yourself
to breaking down the walls of hostility

that separate us from one another?
We will, with God’s help.

Do you renounce
the ways of fear, isolation and scarcity in the church?

We renounce them!

Will you devote yourself
to the church’s teaching and fellowship,

to the breaking of bread and the prayers?

We will, with God’s help.

Affirmation of Faith: A Brief Statement of Faith (excerpts)

We trust in Jesus Christ,
fully human, fully God.
Jesus proclaimed the reign of God: Systemic Poverty

preaching good news to the poor

and release to the captives.

We trust in God,
whom Jesus called Abba, Father.
In sovereign love God created the world good Structural Racism

and makes everyone equally in God’s image

to live as one community.

We trust in God the Holy Spirit,
everywhere the giver and renewer of life.
The Spirit justifies us by grace through faith Congregational Vitality

and binds us together with all believers
in the one body of Christ, the Church.

With believers in every time and place,

we rejoice that nothing in life or in death

can separate us from the love of God
in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Offering

Jesus says: The realm of heaven has come near. Matt. 10:7–8

Freely you have received; therefore, freely give. Let us offer our lives to the Lord.

Anthem: Jesus, Be with Us

Prayer of Thanksgiving

We give you thanks and praise, O Lord:
You have created us in your own image.
You have claimed us as your beloved people.

You have called us to be a blessing for others.

Use the gifts of your good creation

and the works of our hands
to lift up the oppressed,
break down dividing walls,

and build up your church;
all in the name and for the sake

of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

Hymn: When the Lord Redeems the Very Least Hymn #852

Blessing and Charge

The God who was and is and is to come Matt. 1:23; 28:20

is with us in Christ Jesus.
The blessing of the triune God
be with you all. Alleluia!

Jesus says: Remember, I am with you always,

to the end of the age. Thanks be to God.

God bless you while you stay steadfast in His Love!

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