Order of Service – Sunday 17 September 2023 – PENTECOST 16
Click the link below to download the Oredr of Service.
CALL TO WORSHIP
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing. God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before Him in love. Let us worship God!
INVOCATION
Our heavenly Father, as we enter this worship service, we ask for Your divine guidance and presence to fall upon us. We need You every hour, and never more than now. Grant our request we pray. Amen!
HYMN: 216 “Rejoice, the Lord Is King” (Tune 371)
RESPONSIVE READING
To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. In You I trust, O my God.
Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.
No one whose hope is in You will ever be put to shame, but You will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse.
Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths; guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Saviour, and my hope is in You all day long.
Remember, O Lord, Your great mercy and love, for they are from the old.
Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to Your love remember me, for You are good, O Lord.
O God, we trust totally in You as we trust in no other. You are the creator of all things, and our life depends on You moment by moment. You give us breath and we respond with songs of praise and hymns of adoration. You give us truth, and we teach others Your word and try to model Your ways. You give us eternal life, and we share the gospel of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, with all who will listen. You fill us with Your Holy Spirit, and we love others as You have loved us. You call us Your friends, and we seek to be friends with the friendless. In all things we completely depend upon You and do not rest secure in our own strength or wisdom. Draw us closer to You and enable us to live more faithfully as followers of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray:
“Our Father. . .”
HYMN: 741 “O Lord Hear My Prayer”
A PRAYER OF SAINT CHRYSOSTOM
Almighty God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto Thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered in Thy Name thou wilt grant their requests; Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of Thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of Thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen!
CONFESSION
O Holy One, we call to You and name You as eternal, ever-present, and boundless in love. Yet there are times, O God, when we fail to recognize You in our lives. Sometimes shame clenches tightly around our hearts, and we hide our true feelings. Sometimes fear makes us small, and we miss the chance to speak from our strength and doubt invades our hopefulness, and we degrade our own wisdom.
Holy God, remind us of Your holy presence hovering near us and in us. Free us from shame and self-doubt. Help us to live honestly, to act courageously, and to speak from our wisdom. Amen!
WORDS OF ASSURANCE
“For God so loved the world.” What could be said in our midst that would mean more? God loves us, and there is nothing we can ever do to change his love for us. May we never forget God’s love. Amen!
PRAYER
Our God, You are King of kings and Lord of lords. We thank You for the gift of eternal life that is available through the blood of Jesus. May the world know Your great love and may we be the ones who tell it. Amen!
HYMN: 342 “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”
A PRAYER BEFORE READING THE SCRIPTURES
O Lord our God, Your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Give us grace to receive Your truth in faith and love, that we may be obedient to Your will and live always for Your glory; through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen!
BIBLE READINGS – Brian Cartwright
Exodus 14:13-31 and 15:1-11, 20-21 (Pages 68-69)
MUSICAL REFLECTION
MESSAGE: “Hope Amidst Despair” Krikor Youmshajekian
HYMN: 462 “Now We Come, Our Heavenly Father”
NOTICES –
- Movie/Pizza Night – Tuesday 3 October 6:30 pm.
- Elders’ and Council Meeting – Wednesday 4 Oct 12:30 pm.
- Krikor will be on leave 11th to the 25th of October 2023 – to attend the AMAA’s Annual Meeting in San Francisco. Lane Cove Chaplain Liam McKenna will take the service on Sunday 15 October and Bob Minton on Sunday 22 October. Thanks to Liam and Bob in advance.
- Lane Cove Music – Tuesday 10 Oct at 7:30 pm – Pollard Memorial Instrumental Awards for Excellence, featuring 10 Prize-winning solo instrumentalists aged 13-15 years from the 2023 Sydney Eisteddfod.
- John Flynn Service – Sunday 29 October 9:30 am. Guest speaker Rob Floyd, National Director of Frontier Services.
- St. Andrew’s Day Luncheon – Sunday 26 November 12:00 noon. Please reserve the date and your ticket.
Please remember in your Prayers:
– The sick, those who are in recovery, the poor and the needy.
– The victims of the Morocco Earthquake and the Libyan floods.
– For the Referendum on 14 October and to cast the right vote.
– Our church and our future plans as we seek God’s guidance.
OFFERING – “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
HYMN: 106 (i) “Now Thank We All Our God”
BLESSING
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To contact Krikor call 9453 0787 or 0418 417 411
Church Website: http://www.longueville.unitingchurch.org.au
Church email: standrewsunite@tpg.com.au
Church Office phone: 9427 4740