"Mercy, Not Sacrifice"

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 say we come to worship to be with God, but the beautiful truth is: God is already with us. God is always with us.
So in this time together, let us lift our voices in praise of this loving, ever-present God!

*HYMN 157 ||| I Danced in the Morning ||| Lord of the Dance

CALL TO CONFESSION
Christ came for us in the midst of our sins. Knowing that Jesus meets us where we are, let us offer our prayers of confession.

*PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Merciful God, we acknowledge our guilt, and seek your face and your forgiveness. For we have not offered steadfast love to you or each other. We have not moved forward in faith, but have allowed ourselves to be stifled by fear. Revive us, raise us up, that we might live before you, rejoicing in the knowledge of your love.
(silent prayer)
Amen.

*DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS
People of God, hear and believe the good news: Christ came to bring healing, forgiveness, and new life to all who sin and suffer.
In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!

*THE GLORIA 581

MOMENT WITH OUR CHILDREN ||| Rev. Matt Lang

WELCOME AND CHURCH COMMUNICATIONS

WE HEAR GOD’S WORD

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

FIRST SCRIPTURE READIN ||| Genesis 12:1-9
1Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." 4So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother's son Lot, and all the possessions that they had gathered, and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan, 6Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7Then the LORD appeared to Abram, and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. 8From there he moved on to the hill country on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the LORD and invoked the name of the LORD. 9And Abram journeyed on by stages toward the Negeb.

SPECIAL MUSIC

 
SECOND SCRIPTURE READING ||| Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26
9As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. 10And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" 12But when he heard this, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners." 18While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, "My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live." 19And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. 20Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, 21for she said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well." 22Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well." And instantly the woman was made well. 23When Jesus came to the leader's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24he said, "Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him. 25But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. 26And the report of this spread throughout that district.
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God!

SERMON ||| "Mercy, Not Sacrifice" ||| Rev. Matt Lang

WE RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD

*HYMN 796 ||| We Come to You for Healing, Lord ||| Land of Rest

*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 OFFERING
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to present yourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. Let us offer our lives to the Lord.

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 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 339 ||| Lift Every Voice and Sing ||| Lift Every Voice

BLESSING & CHARGE
May the blessing of the Trinity—holy, holy, holy Lord—be with you now and always.
Alleluia!

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here I am; send me!”
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: Laura Dillman
Ushers: Charlene Hansen, Bob James, Eleanor Steiner

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 18:1-15 and Matthew 9:35-10:8.

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..