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Reflection on “God the Sculptor of the Mountains”

The banqueting table is prepared and God calls us to the feast.

We have come from east and west, from north and south, to sit at Christ’s table.

Here compassion, love, and grace pour out like fine wine.

Here we taste the bread of life, bread for our journey.

There are gifts of God for all the people of God.

Let us taste and see that the Lord is good!

God the Sculptor of the Mountains (see songsheets)

Steadfast God, as the seasons change, we know you to be ever-constant and see that you are still at work in the world, transforming hearts and situations. You have shown us the true face of love in Jesus Christ, reaching out with healing and hope to touch desperate lives. We praise you for your love that works for reconciliation among neighbors and nations in this divided world. May we see the face of Jesus as we break bread at his table. Renew our hope by the gift of your Spirit at work among us, so that we can live to praise you as one God now and always with the whole Church that bears Christ’s name.

Confident of your grace and forgiveness, we confess our sin to you:

Almighty God,
You love us, but we have not loved you wholeheartedly.
You call, but we have not listened.
We walk away from neighbors in need,
wrapped up in our own concerns.
Too often, we fail to call out evil, prejudice, warfare, and greed.
God of grace,
Forgive who we have been, amend who we are,
and direct who we shall become;
through Jesus Christ our Redeemer.

Hear us now as we continue to pray silently…

Hear the good news! Who is in a position to condemn? Only Christ - and Christ died for us; Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us. Believe the good news of the gospel. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven by God’s renewing grace.

Glory to God, whose goodness shines on me, and to the Son, whose grace has pardoned me, and to the Spirit, whose love has set me free. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. Amen.

The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

And also with you!

Following the Passing of the Peace, everyone is invited to sing the first verse of “Jesus Loves Me.”

Send us your Spirit of wisdom, O God, so that we may hear your Word speaking through the Scriptures with ears that understand and hearts that respond in love. Amen.

Isaiah 5:1–7

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Matthew 21:33–46

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

“Fruit of the Kingdom”

How will you apply this message in your life? What is the Holy Spirit saying to you this morning?

I Come With Joy (see songsheets)

Table of Plenty by Dan Schutte

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.

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.

As you feel led, please come forward to the stations and receive the bread and the cup.

If you are not able to come forward but wish to receive Communion, one of our servers will attend to you.

Communion servers are Sandie Wilkes, Yvonne Bazinet, and Chuck Curtis.

My Lighthouse (see songsheets)

God’s Love Will Lead Me

James Bennett preaches next Sunday, October 11.

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World Communion Sunday originated in 1936 in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). From the beginning, it was planned so that other denominations could make use of it, and after a few years, the idea spread beyond the Presbyterian Church. The Department of Evangelism of the Federal Council of Churches (a predecessor body of the National Council of Churches) was first associated with World Wide Communion Sunday in 1940 when the department’s executive secretary, Jesse Bader, led in its extension to a number of churches throughout the world. Today, efforts to promote World Communion Sunday are carried out by participating denominations, and several produce materials geared toward this observance.

Please join us in the Anderson Lounge at 11:00 am this morning to meet Erica Huff, the local artist who created our new banners.

The Garden Lawn — all animals & lovers welcome.

Each year around the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, we bring our loved ones for a blessing of health and happiness. Bring a dog, a cat, a bird, etc., or a photo if they’d rather stay home. Then invite your neighbors, friends and family along too.

The Mission Team invites you to the Anderson Lounge. Our church is a supporter of Haiti Healthcare Partners, a medical clinic in Cherident, Haiti, co-founded by Bob Sears and two friends in 2005. Dr. Mackey Quinlan, HHP’s Board Chair and a private practice physician in Shreveport, Louisiana, will give an update on the clinic’s work, including the women’s health initiatives we support, and overall conditions in Haiti. More at haitihealthcarepartners.org.

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