Virtual Worship – Sunday, August 23, 2020

First Presbyterian Church

Delavan, Illinois

Service for the Lord’s Day

August 23, 2020

12th Sunday after Pentecost

Prelude “Blessed Assurance”    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDjQbV2K0SQ

Welcome and Announcements

Good morning everyone. We continue to do a new thing in this time of social distancing. We are still a community of faith, even though we are separated for the safety of ourselves, our families, our congregation, and our communities. We will continue to meet like this for the foreseeable future. 

In this bulletin, you will find links to the hymns which also show the lyrics (or are shown below). If you get an ad (and you likely will) you can skip it by clicking the SKIP AD usually found in the lower right corner of the video. There are also links to the Gospel reading and the sermon.

For inclusion in next week’s service, please email or phone the church or Pastor Jean (who can also receive texts) with any prayer requests.

Please note that we have begun having LIMITED in-person worship services. Please read the guidelines below.

We offer praise and prayer to God

^Call to Worship 

Jesus is the Christ,

the Son of the living God.

I am the way, and the truth, and the life, says the Lord.

No one comes to the Father, except through me.

^Opening Prayer

O God, fount of all wisdom, in the humble witness of the apostle Peter you have shown the foundation of our faith. Give us the light of your Spirit, that, recognizing in Jesus of Nazareth the Son of the living God, we may be living stones for the building up of your holy church; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

^Hymn     “Lead On, O King Eternal”  # 632    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzlponYvF30

Call to Confession

The proof of God’s amazing love is this: While we were sinners Christ died for us. Because we have faith in him, we dare to approach God with confidence. In faith and penitence, let us confess our sin before God and one another.  

Confession of Sin

Almighty God, you love us, but we have not loved you. You call, but we have not listened. We walk away from neighbors in need, wrapped in our own concerns. We condone evil, prejudice, warfare, and greed. God of grace, help us to admit our sin, so that as you come to us in mercy, we may repent, turn to you, and receive forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Redeemer.

Time of Silent Confession

(Lord, have mercy on us) #300

Assurance of Pardon

The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting. I declare to you, in the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. May the God of mercy, who forgives you all your sins, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.

^Gloria Patri (Glory be to the Father) #35

^Passing the Peace

Since God has forgiven us in Christ, let us forgive one another. The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

And also with you.

We listen to God’s Word

Prayer for Illumination

God of mercy, you promised never to break your covenant with us. Amid all the changing words of our generation, speak your eternal Word that does not change. Then may we respond to your gracious promises with faithful and obedient lives; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

First Reading               Exodus 1:8-2:10

(Joseph is forgotten and the people are oppressed)

⁸Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. ⁹He said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we. ¹⁰Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” ¹¹Therefore they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor. They built supply cities, Pithom and Rameses, for Pharaoh. ¹²But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. ¹³The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, ¹⁴and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labor. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed on them.

¹⁵The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, ¹⁶“When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she shall live.” ¹⁷But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live. ¹⁸So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and allowed the boys to live?” ¹⁹The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” ²⁰So God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong. ²¹And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. ²²Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every boy that is born to the Hebrews you shall throw into the Nile, but you shall let every girl live.”

¹Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. ²The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three months. ³When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. ⁴His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him.

⁵The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it. ⁶When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him. “This must be one of the Hebrews’ children,” she said. ⁷Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” ⁸Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Yes.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. ⁹Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed it. ¹⁰When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, “because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”

The Word of The LORD.  Thanks be to God.

Psalm 124 (Thanksgiving for Israel’s deliverance by the LORD) Responsive

If it had not been the LORD who was on our side —let Israel now say—

if it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when our enemies attacked us,

then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us;

then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us;

then over us would have gone the raging waters.

Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as prey to their teeth.

We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped.

Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Second Reading                Romans 12:1-8

(Transformed by grace into a new life)

¹I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ²Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

³For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. ⁴For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, ⁵so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. ⁶We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ⁷ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; ⁸the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

The Word of The LORD.  Thanks be to God.

Gospel Reading           Matthew 16:13-20  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL1j8SEXGXo

(Jesus asks the disciples the critical question)

¹³Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. ¹⁸And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. ¹⁹I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” ²⁰Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

The Word of The LORD.  Thanks be to God.

Sermon “Who Do YOU Say Jesus Is?”  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQFbAyJvejU

^Affirmation of Faith  Apostle’s 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 again 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.

^Hymn “I Love Your Church, O God”      (1, 2, 4)  #274  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KFj0x5GSR4

Prayers of the People

As God’s people, called to love one another, let us pray for the needs of the church, the whole human family, and all the world, saying: Hear our prayer.

That churches of all traditions, may discover their unity in Christ and exercise their gifts in service of all, we pray to you, O God:

Hear our prayer.

That the earth may be freed from war, famine, and disease, and the air, soil, and waters cleansed of poison, we pray to you, O God:

Hear our prayer.

That those who govern and maintain peace in every land may exercise their powers in obedience to your commands, we pray to you, O God:

Hear our prayer.

That you will strengthen this nation to pursue just priorities so that the races may be reconciled; the young, educated; and the old, cared for; the hungry, filled; and the homeless, housed; and the sick, comforted and healed. We continue to remember teachers and all those who are involved in the educational process including students and their families. We pray to you, O God:

Hear our prayer.

That you will preserve all who live and work in this community in peace and safety, we pray to you, O God:

Hear our prayer.

That you will comfort and empower those who face any difficulty or trial: those working against the Covid pandemic to find a cure or treatment, the sick (especially __________), the disabled, the poor, the oppressed, those who grieve and those in prison, we pray to you, O God:

Hear our prayer.

That you will grant the miracle of growth in this congregation, the revitalization of the main street, and your blessing on this community and its schools, we pray to you, O God:

Hear our prayer.

That you will accept our thanksgiving for all faithful servants of Christ now at rest, who, with us, await a new heaven and a new earth, your everlasting kingdom, we pray to you, O God:

Hear our prayer.

Merciful God, as a potter fashions a vessel from humble clay, you form us into a new creation. Shape us, day by day, through the cross of Christ your Son, until we pray as continually as we breathe and all our acts are prayer; through Jesus Christ and in the mystery of the Holy Spirit, we pray. Amen.

Offering Invitation

It might seem a bit strange to see an invitation to offering in this time of social distancing and virtual worship. Some of you may be financially affected as well. I would like to remind you that offering of ourselves is always a three-part process – our time, our talent and our treasure. So I invite you to offer yourself in whatever way(s) are most appropriate to our heavenly Father.

Offertory “Be Thou My Vision”   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVBaLqWvPS8

^Doxology (Praise God from Whom all blessings flow)     #46

^Prayer of Thanksgiving

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to offer thanks and praise.

God of all mercies, we give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all people. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your boundless love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. Give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Redeemer, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be all honor and glory now and forever. Amen.

^Lord’s Prayer

We depart to serve Christ in the world

^Hymn        “I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me”  (1-3) #614 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1RaD9nqpxg

^Charge

Go forth in the name of the Lord. This is God’s charge: to give our allegiance to Jesus Christ and to love one another as he commanded.

^Benediction

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Alleluia! Amen.

Please remember in your prayers: 

Marian Allen, Marge Donley, Helen Hopkins, Barb Day, Verbie Hoffman, Susan (Sinn) Funke, Glenn and Loretta Holmes (falls, broken shoulder Hopedale Nursing Home), Meryl (Pastor Jean’s cousin) and Dick Place, Diane Schlosser, Joyce Culbertson, Mardelle Neumann (Apostolic Christian Skylines), Donna Diekhoff, Dick Temple, Myrna and Don Brose, Margaret Altine, Fran (Alzheimer’s), Val (cancer diagnosis), Alex Rich and Roland Rich (due to a fall) and their family, Blake Renner (Diane Allen Renner’s son), Joy Heaton, Lyndee Lewis’ niece, Jeremy Warner, Rose Goeken, Richard Hopkins (cancer), Dick Watts, and the congregation of Sangamon Valley Presbyterian Church (Covid-19)

The families and friends of Diane Jackman (Cindy Sinn’s sister), Susan Koonce, and Steve Higdon

All affected by the Covid-19 virus, those caring for them in any way, and those working to find a cure

WORSHIP RESUMES – I’m sure many of you are overjoyed to see these words but they come with some precautions. Please wear a mask, to protect others as it is astonishing to see the number of people who are ill but asymptomatic. (Masks will be available if you don’t have your own.) When you enter please use the provided hand sanitizer then pick up a bulletin. We will practice social distancing inside the sanctuary, asking that those who live in the same household sit together and to space yourselves out if you do not. Please keep your mask on throughout the service, especially when singing. We will not move around during the Passing of the Peace, instead wave, bow, or give air hugs. The offering plates will not be passed. Instead, they will be located at the rear of the sanctuary so you may make your offering as you leave. Some may feel these restrictions are too much, others may feel they are not enough. Your Session has considered all the available information before resuming in-person worship. If you are uncomfortable in attending worship please know we are continuing the virtual services. PLEASE, IF YOU FEEL AT ALL ILL, STAY AT HOME and use the virtual option.

Calendar:

NO Bible Study until at least September

Threads of Love—Resuming in September

Prayer Group will resume at church in September

Sun., 8/23:  Worship, 10:30 a.m., 12th Sunday after Pentecost; Virtual Worship, Pastor Jean Sparks preaching 

Mon., 8/24:  4th Monday Free Meal, 5:30 p.m.; watch newspaper for instructions; Compass deadline

Wed., 8/26:  Cro-Knits, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon, Historical Society, with social distancing and masks, bring your own snacks and beverages. Contact Mary Ruth Lowry or Pastor Jean Sparks for details

Sun., 8/30:  Worship, 10:30 a.m., 13th Sunday after Pentecost; Virtual Worship, Pastor Jean Sparks preaching

First Presbyterian Church

P.O. Box 602, 201 W. Fourth Street, Delavan, IL 61734

(309) 244-7105

E-mail: firstpresdelavan@gmail.com

www.firstpresdelavan.org

Rev. Jean Sparks, Pastor

Linda Clauser, Organist