"Jacob: Part Two"

THE CELEBRATION OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD
eighth sunday after pentecost
july 23, 2023

• In Person Sunday, July 23, 11 a.m. This Sunday, Pastor Matt Lang's sermon is "Jacob: Part Two"  
• Worship Live Music Streaming at 11 a.m.  Click here for July 23 streaming of live service.   (If it is NOT blue "refresh" your page.)  
• The Complete Bulletin is available below.
•  Please join us for fellowship via Zoom immediately after worship from 12:00-12:45 p.m.  We look forward to seeing you there!
  
  

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  gIVE -- electronically
  to contribute (ACTIVE link: a monetary offering) to first presbyterian church of homewood or you may also contribute by mail to:

  First Presbyterian Church of Homewood
  P.O. BOX 1519
  Homewood IL 60430 

• Click on this Blue Link to Ask a Question or Leave a Comment

WE GATHER IN GOD’S NAME

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF HOMEWOOD
MISSION STATEMENT

Through the grace of God, faith in Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit, we prayerfully seek to discern God’s will for this congregation and to reach beyond ourselves to feed the hungry, body and soul. Adopted by Session 7/31/17

PRAYER FOR PEACE

Peace Prayer of Saint Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

PRELUDE

*CALL TO CONTINUING WORSHIP
We come. We wait.
We long. We hope.
We suffer. We pray.
We rejoice. We sing.
We know we are children of God.
We wait for Christ to set all things right.

*HYMN 403 ||| Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty ||| Unser Herrscher

CALL TO CONFESSION
There is goodness within us that grows like fresh wheat. There is also sin within us that chokes that wheat like weeds. Let us bring all of who we are to God, who can separate out what is good, so that we are not overcome with evil.

*PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Ever-present God, there is no place where you are not with us. You see us at our worst and at our best. There is much we would hide from you—the ways we harm your creation, the ways we mistreat others, the ways we turn away when we should turn toward. Even as you know us, forgive us. Guide our thoughts, our words, our actions, that you may delight in us as we delight in you.
(silent prayer)
Amen.

*DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS
Beloved, hear the good news: God knows us and forgives us and leads us in the way of everlasting life.
Thanks be to God!

*THE GLORIA 581

MOMENT WITH OUR CHILDREN ||| Rev. Matt Lang

WELCOME AND CHURCH COMMUNICATIONS
 
WE HEAR GOD’S WORD

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

FIRST SCRIPTURE READING ||| Genesis 28:10-19a
10Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. 11He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. 12And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 And the LORD stood beside him and said, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; 14and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. 15Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place — and I did not know it!” 17And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” 18So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. 19aHe called that place Bethel;

SPECIAL MUSIC

 
SECOND SCRIPTURE READING ||| Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
24He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; 25but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. 26So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 27And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ 28He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” 36Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!”
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God!

SERMON ||| Jacob: Part Two ||| Rev. Matt Lang

WE RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD

*HYMN 346 ||| For the Healing of the Nations ||| St. Thomas (Wade)

*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH ||| The Brief Statement of Faith 1983
In life and in death we belong to God. Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel, whom alone we worship and serve.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE LORD’S PRAYER
…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.

OFFERING OF OUR GIFTS

INVITATION TO THE OFFERING
We sing our praises to the Lord, for God is good and worthy! We give our whole selves — our talents and material possessions — to the Church with the expectation that they be used to further God’s dream for our world. Please commit yourself and give as you’re able.

OFFERTORY
*DOXOLOGY ||| 606 Old Hundredth
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.

*PRAYER OF DEDICATION
We promise to use these gifts for good. We promise to use these gifts in furthering God’s realm. We commit to using these gifts in love and mercy for others. Amen.

WE GO IN GOD’S NAME

*HYMN 714 ||| God of the Fertile Fields ||| Italian Hymn

BLESSING & CHARGE
The blessing of the holy, triune God, who was and is and is to come—first and last, beginning and end, Alpha and Omega—be with you now and always.
Alleluia!
Go in peace to love the Lord your God with heart and soul and mind and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself.
Amen.

POSTLUDE

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord! Thanks be to God!

Rev. Matt Lang, Pastor
Mrs. Mary Ann Wenzelman, Interim Organist/Pianist

Worship Liturgist: Char Hansen
Usher: Laura Dillman
Web Techs: Shirley Armistead, Nancy Beaudoin, Phil Dillman, Kathie Hazlett, Scott Senffner 
WELCOME – “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:2). We greet you in the words and spirit of the apostle Paul. We look forward to meeting you after the service, during the coffee hour.

SCRIPTURES IN WORSHIP – Next Sunday we will be reading Genesis 29:15-28 and Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52.

PRAYER CHAIN – If you want prayer requests included on the prayer chain, contact Shirley Armistead at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..