Mersea United Church
God is our Purpose, our Passion, our Plan.
Telephone: (519) 825-4157
Pastor: Rev. Derek Parry
Musical Ministry: Norma Lott
Sunday February 5th, 2012 9:30 a.m.
Please note that an * invites those who can to stand
(We Gather to Worship)
Musical Prelude Norma Lott
Welcome and Announcements
*The hymn: “Immortal, invisible, God only wise”
vu 264
Call to Worship:
One: Sometimes we need God to have control over the natural
disasters and catastrophes of life. We don't have control
over them and they frighten us and destroy our crops and our
buildings and sometimes our lives.
All: O God, ruler over nature, bring peace to the waters, water to the
land, bounty to the crops and all life that we might see your
power and give you praise.
One: Sometimes we need God to have control over disease and death.
All: O God who creates, heals and preserves life, heal the
sick among us, strengthen the weak, comfort the dying with
the assurance of life everlasting, then, in heartfelt trust we
will praise you.
One: Sometimes we want God to govern society, family and
business life.
All: O God, you who are always just, bring justice to this land. Grant
that your laws may be known and your ways honoured in public
and in secret: then seeing your righteous judgments we will
honour and praise you.
One: Sometimes we want God to erase our foolish errors and forgive our intentional sins: the burden of righteous judgment is too heavy for us. We need God to save us from ourselves.
All: O God whose nature is love and whose desire is always to have mercy, have mercy upon us. Holy one, have mercy on us. Perfect one, have mercy on us: that we might rise again to serve and praise you.
One: Sometimes God doesn't want to serve us but calls us to
be God's friends; calls us to become the family of God; joint heirs;
mature, responsible members of the divine community on earth.
All: Oh.
A prayer for communion with God in worship
*The hymn: “Great is thy faithfulness” vu 288
(We Listen for the Word of God)
Readings:
The Hebrew Scripture: 1 King 19:8-14
The Epistle:
Colossians 1:15-19 (to be read responsively)
All: Christ is exactly like God, who cannot be seen. He is the first-
born Son, superior to all creation.
One: All things were created by God's Son, and everything was made
for him.
All: God's Son was before all else, and by him everything is held
together.
One: He is the head of his body, which is the church. He is the very
beginning, the first to be raised from death, so that he would be
above all others.
All: God himself was pleased to live fully in his Son.
The Gospel: John 14:6-11
*The hymn: “Open my eyes, that I may see” vu 371
Message: “God of our needs; God more than our needs”
*The hymn: “Open our ears,O faithful people” vu 272
(We Present Our Tithes and Offerings)
*Offertory Hymn: vu 217 (printed)
(tune Lasst Uns Erfreuen)
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures here below;
Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise God, the source of all our gifts!
Praise Jesus Christ, whose power up-lifts!
Praise the Spirit, Holy Spirit!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
* An offertory prayer
A pastoral Prayer
(We Go Forth in Peace and Love)
* The commissioning hymn:
“You shall go out with Joy” vu 884
*Commissioning and Benediction
*The Choral Response: “Go now in Peace” (printed)
Go now in peace. Never be afraid.
God will go with you each hour of ev'ry day.
Go now in faith, steadfast strong and true.
Know He will guide you in all you do.
Go now in love, and show you believe.
Reach out to others so all the world can see.
God will be there watching from above.
Go now in peace, in faith, and in love.
Amen…Amen…Amen
Copyright Authors B Don Besig & Nancy Price 1988 Harold Flammer Music (a div. of Shawnee Press, Inc.) CCLI song #274763 – reproduces with permission under license #2677882.
