PRELUDE: Gothic Suite Leon Boellmann

SALUTATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

* PASSING OF THE PEACE

* SANCTUS (pew card)

* CALL TO WORSHIP Dorien Day

Leader: Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty!

People: Just and true are your ways, King of the ages.

Leader: Who will not praise you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name?

People: For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you!

* HYMN No. 50 Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above

* PRAYER OF CONFESSION (unison)

Lord God, we have given more weight to our happiness than to your will. We have eaten without a thought for the hungry. We have spoken without an effort to understand others. We have kept silence instead of telling the truth. We have lived without actions for justice. Within your church we have been slow to practice love of our neighbors. And in the world we have not been your faithful servants. Forgive us and help us to live as disciples of Jesus Christ, your Son, our Savior. Amen.

* KYRIE (pew card)

* ASSURANCE OF PARDON

* SUMMARY OF THE LAW

Leader: Herein is wisdom.

People: Glory be to God.

* Gloria Patri (pew card)

ANTHEM Variants on an Irish Hymn arr. John Ness Beck

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art. 0 Thou my best thought, by day or by night, Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom and Thou my true Word; I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord; Thou my great Father and I Thy true son; Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

High King of Heaven, my victory won, May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heaven's Sun! Heart of my own heart, whatever befall; Still be my vision, O Ruler of all. Amen.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

The Lord’s Prayer Albert Hay Malotte

Glenn D. Alamilla, tenor

* HYMN No. 43 A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

SCRIPTURE READINGS Isaiah 58:6-14 Pew Bible, pg. 601

Luke 13:10-17 Page 848

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

SERMON Drawing Near to God Rev. Blaine Crawford

* CONFESSION OF FAITH Belhar Confession, Article 4

We believe that God has revealed himself as the one who wishes to bring about justice and true peace among people. We believe that God calls the church to follow him in this, for God brings justice to the oppressed and gives bread to the hungry. We believe that the church must stand by people in any form of suffering and need, which implies that the church must witness against and strive against any form of injustice, so that justice may roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

OFFERING OURSELVES AND OUR GIFTS

Offertory: My Eternal King Jane Marshall

My God, I love Thee; not because I hope for heaven thereby, Nor yet because who love Thee not must die eternally. Thou, O my Jesus, Thou didst me Upon the cross embrace; For me didst bear the nails, the nails and spear, And manifold disgrace. Why, then why, O blessed Jesus Christ, Should I not love thee well? Not for the hope of winning heaven, Or of escaping hell. Not with the hope of gaining aught, Not seeking a reward; But as Thyself hast loved me, O everlasting Lord! E'en so I love Thee, and will love, And in Thy praise will sing; Solely because Thou art my God, And my Eternal King.

* The Doxology(pew card)

* Prayer of Dedication

* HYMN No. 517 The Solid Rock

* BENEDICTION

* Response Peter C. Lutkin

The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord lift his countenance upon you, and give you peace. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. Amen.

POSTLUDE: Toccata Leon Boellmann

ANNOUNCEMENTS

OUR FLOWERS are given in loving memory of Matthew Good by his family.

WORSHIP HOUR will continue at 10:00 AM next Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016.

LOOKING AHEAD – Mark your calendars!

Sun. Sept. 11 11:00 AM Worship Service

6:00 PM Retirement Celebration for Andrew Andela

Tues. Sept. 13 7:30 PM Bible Study
Thurs. Sept. 15 10:00 AM Bargain Boutique re-opens

7:30 PM Choir Rehearsal

Sat. Sept. 17 10:00 AM Ecumenical Women’s Fall Brunch
Sun. Sept. 18 9:30 AM Sunday School Classes begin

11:00 AM Worship Service

12:00 PM Church BBQ

COFFEE HOUR VOLUNTEERS NEEDED – Please pick a date on the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in Gessner Hall or speak with Rhoda Jabbour.

BULLETIN CHANGE – In September, a new Sunday bulletin with minor changes will be used. The prayer list in the bulletin will be started anew. If you would like the church to continue to pray for someone currently on the list, please let Barbara know so that the name will be included in the new bulletin.

YEAR-ROUND FOOD COLLECTIONS - Donations for the Food for Kids Ministry should be brought to the Church office. This food will be given to families in need in Jamaica, New York.

PRAYER REQUESTS: Jorel Andaluz, Bermudez Family, Dora Bramble, 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, Jean Mendler, John Molino, Denise Moran, Eva Munoz, Joan Pearson, Keith Pearson, Dorothy Rama, Dorothy Reid, Josephine Rivera, Isabelita Rueda, Carmela Stocchia, Lynne Sullivan, Mary Ann Sullivan, Emily Testut, Joan Wagner, Joan Werbel