Order of Service / Pentecost 23 / Novemeber 16, 2025

 *Gathering Hymn Morning Has Broken (VU #409)

Welcome & Land Acknowledgement

Lighting the Christ Candle

Call to Worship

One: Surely God is our salvation.

All: We will trust and will not be afraid.

One: God is our strength and our might.

  All: God has become our salvation.

One: Sing praises to God.

  All: God has done gloriously. Let this be known in all the Earth!

*Seasons of the Spirit. Pentecost 2, 2019. p. 162.

Opening Prayer

*Opening Hymn God, Reveal Your Presence (#391 VU)

Prayer of Confessional and Renewal (Unison)

God of peace, we confess that we hold on to what is comfortable and resist the changes you desire. You call us to hope, but we cling to fear. You speak through unexpected people, yet we often fail to listen. Forgive us. Renew us. Open us to your Spirit’s work in us and in the world. In this quiet moment, receive the prayers we offer in silence… (a time of silent confession) Amen.

Words of Assurance

One: God made us;

All: we are creatures made in the image of the Divine.

One: Christ has redeemed us;

All: we are a people forgiven and blessed,

One: The Holy Spirit sustains us;

All: be open to the future with confidence and hope.

One: Be assured that whenever we confess in the name of Christ,

All: God is there to bless and guide you. Thanks be to God.

* Celebrate God’s Presence. p. 129

Announcements and Minute for Mission

Time for God’s Children (Hymn – Like a Rock, #92 MV)

Like a rock, like a rock, God is under our feet

Like the starry night sky, God is over our head

Like the sun on the horizon, God is ever before

Like the river runs to ocean, our home is in God evermore.

Proclaiming the Scriptures

Isaiah 65:17‒25 God shall create joy and delight; the wolf and the lamb together.

Isaiah 12 (VU p. 880) Make God’s deeds known to the nations.

1 Thessalonians 3:6‒13 Do not weary in doing what is right.

This is the Good News from the Bible.

  Thanks be to God.

Anthem

Sermon

*Hymn I See a New Heaven (#713 VU)

*Offering

*Offertory Hymn (#542 VU, We Give You But Your Own)

We give you but your own, whate’er the gift may be,

all that we have is yours alone, we give it gratefully.

*Offertory Prayer (Unison)
In the blessing we have received, you have given us the responsibility to be a blessing to others, Gracious God. Use these gifts and the offerings of hearts and lives to be that blessing in the world you love so much. Amen.

*Beth W. Johnston. Gathering Pentecost 2 2025. Page 40.

Prayers of the People and Lord’s Prayer

*Closing Hymn To Show by Touch and Word (#427 VU)

*Commissioning

One: Go from this place with hearts open to the new.

  All: God works through people we never thought possible.

One: Go ready to be surprised by grace.

All: God works through us in ways we never see coming.

One: Go willing to let God reshape the church and the world.

  All: Let us go open to God’s transforming work in us and in all people. Amen.

*Commissioning Song Peace Be with You (#215 MV)

Peace be with you, peace forever, peace be with you my friends.

Till we meet again, may God be with you. Peace, peace, peace.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Message: Dance of the Wind / Acts 2:1-21

Today is Pentecost Sunday. This is the day we remember when the earliest followers of Jesus were filled with the Holy Spirit and the Church came into being. It is the day when a new community of faith was born through the breath of God. It is a day full of mystery, courage, and hope. According to the book of Acts, on the 40th day after the resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven. Before he left, he told his followers not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of God. He said, “This is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:4–5). So they stayed. About 120 people remained in Jerusalem. They waited and prayed. They did not know what would happen, but they trusted what Jesus had told them. Several days later, it was the day of Pentecost. This was a Jewish festival when people from many different places came together in Jerusalem to worship and celebrate. The city was filled wit...
Read more

Message: Fragrance of Love / John 12:1-8

Have you ever smelled something and, all of a sudden, it reminded you of a special memory? Maybe it was the smell of cookies baking, and it made you think of your grandmother’s kitchen. Or maybe the smell of grass after it was cut reminded you of summertime when you played outside as a child. Or perhaps the smell of fresh coffee made you feel calm, like a slow and peaceful morning. Smell is powerful. It does not just enter our nose; it reaches into our heart. This happens because, unlike our other senses, smells go directly to the part of the brain that stores emotions and important memories. In this way, a scent can take us back to moments we have experienced before. This is known as the Proust Phenomenon. The term comes from the French writer Marcel Proust and his novel In Search of Lost Time. In one scene, the main character, Marcel, dips a small madeleine cookie into warm tea and takes a bite. At that moment, a vivid memory of his childhood at his grandmother’s house suddenly retur...
Read more

Message: Rooted in Love / Psalm 23 & John 10:22-30

Today, we gather to celebrate Christian Family Sunday and Mother's Day. It is a time to give thanks for mothers and all who care for others with a mother’s love. It is also a time to reflect on the truth that we belong to one big family, rooted in the love of Christ. We remember the gentle hands that helped us, the warm words that encouraged us, and the compassionate actions that taught us how to love. More than a hundred years ago, the writer Lew Wallace said in his book Ben-Hur, “God could not be everywhere, and therefore, he made mothers.” Later, a newspaper in the States added with a smile, “God could not be everywhere so he created grandmothers.” Of course, we know that God is everywhere, but these words still hold deep wisdom: God shows love through people, especially those who care for others with patience, tenderness, and courage. Many of you may have seen a large spider sculpture in front of the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. It is called Maman, which means "Mo...
Read more