PRELUDE: God’s Time is the Best, Johann Sebastian Bach

SALUTATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
* PASSING OF THE PEACE
* SANCTUS (pew card)

* CALL TO WORSHIP, Emerson Chen

Leader:   Come, let us return to the LORD.
People:   For it is God who will lift us up and heal us.
Leader:   Let us press on to know the LORD
People:   For God’s Word is as sure as the dawn.
Leader:   God will come to us like showers
People:   And we shall be like the earth watered by the spring rain.

* HYMN No. 52: I Sing the Mighty Power of God

* PRAYER OF CONFESSION(unison)

Compassionate God, you have loved us with unfailing, self-giving mercy, but we have not loved you. You constantly call us, but we do not listen. You ask us to love, but we walk away from neighbors in need, wrapped in our own concerns. We ignore and condone evil, prejudice, and greed that surrounds us. God of grace, as you come to us in mercy, we repent in spirit and in truth, admit our sin, and gratefully receive your forgiveness through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. Amen.

* KYRIE (pew card)
* ASSURANCE OF PARDON
* SUMMARY OF THE LAW
Leader: Herein is wisdom.
People: Glory be to God.
* Gloria Patri(pew card)

THE ACT OF PRAISE, Maureen Saepia-Chen, soprano and Emerson Chen, baritone

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Lord’s Prayer (pew card)
Prayer Response

* HYMN No. 555: More Love to Thee, O Christ

SCRIPTURE READINGS

Hosea 11:1-11, Pew Bible, page 737

When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. The more I called them, the more they went from me; they kept sacrificing to the Baals, and offering incense to idols. Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, I took them up in my arms; but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with bands of love. I was to them like those who lift infants to their cheeks. I bent down to them and fed them. They shall return to the land of Egypt, and Assyria shall be their king, because they have refused to return to me. The sword rages in their cities, it consumes their oracle-priests, and devours because of their schemes. My people are bent on turning away from me. To the Most High they call, but he does not raise them up at all.

How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender. I will not execute my fierce anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and no mortal, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath. They shall go after the Lord, who roars like a lion; when he roars, his children shall come trembling from the west. They shall come trembling like birds from Egypt, and like doves from the land of Assyria; and I will return them to their homes, says the Lord.

Luke 12:13-21, Pew Bible, page 847

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”

This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

SERMON: God of Wrath?, Rev. Blaine Crawford

* CONFESSION OF FAITH: Adapted from Heidelberg Catechism

Q&A 26

The eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who out of nothing created heaven and earth and everything in them, who still upholds and rules them by his eternal counsel and providence, is my God and Father because of Christ the Son. I trust God so much that I do not doubt God will provide whatever I need for body and soul, and will turn to my good whatever adversity I experience in this world. God is able to do this because he is almighty God and desires to do this because he is a faithful Father.

OFFERING OURSELVES AND OUR GIFTS
        Offertory:
   * The Doxology(pew card)
   * Prayer of Dedication

* HYMN No. 669: God of Grace and God of Glory

* BENEDICTION
* Response

POSTLUDE: Trumpet Tune, Henry Purcell

ANNOUNCEMENTS

APPRECIATIONS: We thank Maureen and Emerson Chen for sharing their musical talents to enhance our worship service.

OUR WORSHIP HOURS will continue at the 10:00 AM hour through Labor Day Sunday, September 4. We hope you will give our worship your support through prayer and attendance.

BIBLE STUDY – Wednesdays, 7:30-9:00 PM, Folensbee Lounge

Women’s Homeless Shelter

Our church provides shelter every Friday night, year round, for up to 10 grateful women. This ministry needs your assistance to provide dinner, stay for a few hours or sleepover. The work is easy and fulfilling. Seasonal professional clothes, socks and underwear donations are appreciated as well. Please contact Maureen Saepia-Chen at 917-797-3031 or email msaepia@gmail.com

YEAR-ROUND COLLECTIONS –

Donations for the Food for Kids Ministry should be brought to the Church office. During the school year, this food will be given to families in need in Jamaica, New York.
Donations for pets brought to the church office will be given to Worthy Pause to be distributed to local animal shelters.
Christmas cards (with Forever Stamps on the envelopes) are collected in a basket at the back of the sanctuary. These cards will enable inmates at the Nassau County Correction Center to correspond with their loved ones.

PRAYER REQUESTS: Jorel Andaluz, Bermudez Family, Helga Brenner-Khan, Donald Calfa, Marilyn Cooney, Jaynie d’Agostino, Allegra DeMelo, Dombrowski Family, Jim D’Oria, Jolie Dunham, Jenny Hampton, Richard Holm, Lynne Johnson, Robert Keller, Karen Krieg, Fritz Kunisch, Marie Mark, Ann McCaffrey-Amalfitano, James McCreary, Claudia Mellett, John Molino, Denise Moran, Eva Munoz, Joan Pearson, Keith Pearson, Dorothy Rama, Dorothy Reid, Josephine Rivera, Isabelita Rueda, Peter Schumacher, Carmela Stocchia, Lynne Sullivan, Emily Testut, Joan Wagner, Joan Werbel