"Why Do You Stand Looking Up Toward Heaven?"

  •  After  the service, feel free to meet via Zoom for Heavenly Perks from 12-12:45 p.m., where we can see each other and visit just like we did at our Heavenly Perks coffee time (except you provide your own cuppa tea/coffee).
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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 

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  •  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
    Clap your hands, all people!
    Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
    For God rules over earth and heaven.
    Sing our psalms of praise!
    God has gone up with a shout;
    let us make a joyful noise to God!

    *HYMN UMH 312 ||| Hail the Day That Sees Him Rise ||| Llanfair

    CALL TO CONFESSION
    Despite our best attempts to have faith in Christ, to love our siblings in faith, and to reflect God’s glory to this world, we know we have not always lived up to who we have been called to be. But we are children of the Most High, and we are invited to bring these confessions before God, that we might find peace and forgiveness.

    *PRAYER OF CONFESSION
    Christ who was and is and is to come, we stand looking up at the heavens, looking for you there. Forgive us for believing that you have left us. Forgive us for failing to recognize you in the world around us. Forgive us for waiting idly for your return, instead of doing the work you have called us to do. You are above us, around us, before us, and within us; help us to embody you in our time and place, today, tomorrow, and forevermore.
    (silent prayer)
    Amen.


    *DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS
    Hear this astounding truth: Christ is the one who reigns on high, Christ is the one with the power to judge us, and Christ is the one who offers us eternal love, forgiveness, and mercy.
    All praise to Christ who lived, died, and lives again! Alleluia!

    *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 ||| Acts 1:1-11
    1In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning 2until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; 5for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

    SPECIAL MUSIC

    SECOND SCRIPTURE READING ||| Luke 24:44-53
    44Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you — that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” 45Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things. 49And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” 50Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. 51While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. 52And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; 53and they were continually in the temple blessing God.
    The Word of the Lord
    Thanks be to God!


    SERMON ||| "Why Do You Stand Looking Up Toward Heaven?" ||| Rev. Matt Lang

    WE RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD

    *HYMN 263 ||| All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name! ||| Coronation

    *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
    As God gave us Christ, the first fruit of creation, let us humbly offer the substance of our lives in thanksgiving to our God.

    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
    Holy God, by the gift of your Spirit you have blessed us and filled us. Now send us out to share the vision of new creation you have begun; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    WE GO IN GOD’S NAME

    *HYMN 268 ||| Crown Him with Many Crowns |||Diademata

    BLESSING & CHARGE
    May the love of the holy triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—abide with you forever.
    Alleluia!
    Now go forth in Jesus’ name, remembering his new commandment to love one another, just as he has loved us.
    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: Charlene Hansen
    Usher: Phil Dillman

    Web Techs: Shirley Armistead, Nancy Beaudoin, Phil Dillman, Kathie Hazlett, Scott Senfner

    CHRIST IS RISEN – HE IS RISEN INDEED! We greet those who are visiting with us today in the name of our risen Savior. We are gathered as a community of Christians. Our center is Jesus Christ. We are here to know again the touch of his forgiving and healing hand.

    SCRIPTURES IN WORSHIP – Next Sunday, May 28th (Pentecost Sunday), we will be reading Numbers 11:24-30 and Acts 2:1-21. Note: Worship will start at 10:00 a.m. versus 11:00 a.m.

    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..

    HEAVENLY PERKS – Please join us for fellowship via Zoom immediately after worship from 12:00-12:45 p.m. We look forward to seeing you there!

    The combined choirs of Calvary and FPCHW-Homewood will perform on Pentecost Sunday, May 28th, 10:00 a.m. here at FPCHW. The rehearsal dates/timeframes are as follows:

    Sunday, May 28 (Pentecost Sunday)—9:00 a.m. (FPCHW’s Sanctuary)

     

    PENTECOST OFFERING – We look forward to your participating in the denominational Pentecost offering next Sunday, May 28th. An insert about that offering is in today's bulletin. Forty percent (40%) is retained by our congregation to support a local mission.

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