Sunday Worship Bulletin - Fourth Church

Bulletins are posted on the day prior.

Sunday, August 10
10:00 a.m. Worship Service

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PRELUDE
Sonata II (Peace)
Paul Hindemith
The Lord Is My Shepherd
Malcolm Archer

INTROIT
Praise Ye the Lord
Donald Cashmore
Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord. Praise the name of the Lord.

DOXOLOGY
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; praise God, all creatures here below; praise God above, ye heavenly host; Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

CALL TO WORSHIP

One: We come to appear before God in worship. And what is it that the Lord desires of us here? Sacrifice and offering and ceremony?
All: “Learn to do good,” says the Lord. “Seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.”
One: Let us worship God together.

HYMN

“I Sing the Mighty Power of God”

I sing the mighty power of God that made the mountains rise, that spread the flowing seas abroad and built the lofty skies. I sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day. The moon shines full at God’s command, and all the stars obey.

I sing the goodness of the Lord who filled the earth with food. God formed the creatures through the Word, and then pronounced them good. Lord, how thy wonders are displayed, where’er I turn my eye, if I survey the ground I tread, or gaze upon the sky!

There’s not a plant or flower below but makes thy glories known. And clouds arise, and tempests blow, by order from thy throne, while all that borrows life from thee is ever in thy care, and everywhere that we can be, thou, God, art present there.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Holy and merciful God, in your presence we confess our failure to be what you created us to be. You alone know how often we have sinned in wandering from your ways, in wasting your gifts, in forgetting your love. By your loving mercy, help us to live in your light and abide in your ways, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

DECLARATION OF PARDON
One: Friends, believe the good news.
All: In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.

SHARING THE PEACE OF CHRIST
Leader: The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
People: And also with you.

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WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM

SOLO
Simple Song
Leonard Bernstein

Sing God a simple song: Lauda, Laude. Make it up as you go along: Lauda, Laude. Sing like you like to sing. God loves all simple things, for God is the simplest of all. I will sing the Lord a new song to praise him, to bless him, to bless the Lord. I will sing his praises while I live all of my days. I will lift up my eyes to the hills from whence comes my help. I will lift up my voice to the Lord singing Lauda, Laude.

FIRST LESSON
Psalm 50:1–8, 22–23

The mighty one, God the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. Our God comes and does not keep silence, before him is a devouring fire, and a mighty tempest all around him. He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people: ‘Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!’ The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge. ‘Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God. Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt-offerings are continually before me. ‘Mark this, then, you who forget God, or I will tear you apart, and there will be no one to deliver. Those who bring thanksgiving as their sacrifice honour me; to those who go the right way I will show the salvation of God.’

One: The Word of God for the people of God.
All: Thanks be to God.

GLORIA PATRI
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost: as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Amen.

SECOND LESSON
Isaiah 1:1, 10–20

The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Listen to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah! What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt-offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. When you come to appear before me, who asked this from your hand? Trample my courts no more;
bringing offerings is futile; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and sabbath and calling of convocation—I cannot endure solemn assemblies with iniquity. Your new moons and your appointed festivals my soul hates; they have become a burden to me, I am weary of bearing them. When you stretch out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. Come now, let us argue it out, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

One: Lord, your Word is a lamp unto my feet,
All: and a light unto our path.

SERMON
Rocky Supinger

HYMN

“The Church of Christ Cannot Be Bound”

The church of Christ cannot be bound by walls of wood or stone. Where charity and love are found there can the church be known.

True faith will open up the door and step into the street. True service will seek out the poor and ask to wash their feet.

True love will not sit idly by when justice is denied. True mercy hears the homeless cry and welcomes them inside.

If what we have we freely share to meet our neighbor’s need, then we extend the Spirit’s care through every selfless deed.

The church of Christ cannot be bound by walls of wood or stone. Where charity and love are found, there can the church be known.

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

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

Gifts supporting the ministry and mission of Fourth Church can be made online

OFFERTORY ANTHEM

“Canticle of the Turning”
Irish traditional/arr. John Ferguson

My soul cries out with a joyful shout that the God of my heart is great, and my spirit sings of the wondrous things that you bring to the ones who wait. You fixed your sight on your servant’s plight, and my weakness you did not spurn, so from east to west shall my name be blest. Could the world be about to turn? My heart shall sing of the day you bring. Let the fires of your justice burn.

OFFERTORY RESPONSE
A grateful heart is what I bring, a song of praise, my offering. Among the saints I lift my voice: in you, O God, I will rejoice.

PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Merciful God, we offer our gifts and our selves gladly, that through them good may be done, justice sought, the oppressed rescued, and the vulnerable defended. Amen.

HYMN
“The Mighty God with Power Speaks”

The Mighty God with power speaks, and all the world obeys; from dawn until the setting sun, God’s wonder earth displays. The perfect beauty all around from Zion’s height shines forth; and stars across the firmament so brightly beam their worth.

God comes not with a silent form, but riding on the winds; before God’s face, the raging storm its blast of thunder sends. All hail the Judge, in bold array, whose promise is to bless; who sees our sins, yet also feels our thirst for righteousness.

The heavens declare your justice, Lord, as endless as the sky; against the taunts of disbelief, our God will testify. Receive my heartfelt gift of thanks, as honor to your might; refresh my faith with each new day; protect me through the night.

CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

POSTLUDE
Fugue in C Major
Johann Sebastian Bach

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