Prelude Celebrate with Gladness Trad. Hungarian/Susan E Geschke
Welcome & Announcements
Opening Prayer
Gathering Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying
Lord, listen to your children praying,
Lord, send your Spirit in this place;
Lord, listen to your children praying,
Send us love, send us pow'r, send us grace.
Call to Worship
Lord, you have been our dwelling place;
we come today to rest in you.
You have been the voice that guides us;
we come today to listen.
You have been the host who feeds us;
we come today to be filled.
You have been our joy and crown;
we come today to sing your praise!
Opening Hymn #551 Come, Ye Thankful People, Come
Prayer of Confession
Merciful God, we confess that once again,
we have done what is evil in your sight.
We’ve made mistakes.
We’ve made missteps.
We have hurt people,
by action and inaction.
We have wounded creation,
by action and inaction.
We have chosen our ways over yours,
by action and inaction.
And if the sum total of what we have done
and what we have not done
adds up to evil in your sight,
then in your sight we ask you
to turn us towards goodness.
Forgive our past, and shape our future
that we might build your kingdom here.
In the strong name of Christ, we pray. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
Gloria Patri
Children's Sermon
Children are invited to go to Children’s Worship with our Children’s Worship Leader. Children will return to their parents during the final hymn.
Call to Offering
Offertory Foundation Rebecca Groom te Velde
Doxology
Prayer of Dedication
Hymn #507 I Come with Joy
Tribute to Veterans
Scripture Reading: Psalm 123
Anthem Autumn Carol of Thanks English Carol/themes from JS Bach/arr. Nancy Gundahl
The autumn days have come again, once more the glad earth yields.
The golden wealth of ripened grain is waving in the fields.
And deepening shade of autumn woods, and glow of autumn air,
and winging thoughts and happy moods of love and joy and prayer.
The autumn days have come again, the birds are on the wing.
God's praises, in their loving strains, unconsciously they sing.
We lift our song for all the good that doth our cup o'erflow,
for autumn joy in field and wood, who giveth all, we know.
Each wonder of God's hand still makes our gladness fresh and strong.
The glory of our God still wakes the glory of my song,
Our voices lift we now in praise, our joy and thanks we bring,
For autumn's blessing through our days, with grateful hearts we sing.
Scripture Reading: Matthew 25:14-30
Sermon: “It’s All in How You Play the Game”
Celebration of the Lord’s Supper
Join with me in the Great 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,
Great is the mystery of faith,
Christ has died,
Christ has risen,
Christ will come again.
Pastoral Prayer and Lord’s Prayer
Affirmation of Faith- (adapted from the Confession of 1967)
God’s redeeming work in Jesus Christ
embraces the whole of our life.
It is the will of God that God’s purpose for human life
shall be fulfilled under the rule of Christ
and all evil be banished from creation.
Already God’s reign is present as a ferment in the world,
stirring hope in people and preparing the world
to receive its ultimate judgment and redemption.
With an urgency born of this hope,
the church applies itself to present tasks
and strives for a better world.
It does not identify limited progress
with the kingdom of God on earth,
nor does it despair in the face of disappointment and defeat.
In steadfast hope, the church looks beyond all partial achievement
to the final triumph of God.
Closing Hymn Battle Hymn of the Republic Julia Ward Howe/ William Steffe
Benediction
Postlude Now Thank We All Our God Sigfrid Karg-Elert
