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Order of Service - 27th October 2002 - 325th Anniversary Communion Celebration |
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Proper 25We welcome you to New Utrecht and invite you to maintain a spirit of silence as the prelude begins our service. Our ushers and greeters this morning are members of Troop & Pack 20 Boy Scouts of America, the oldest continuous boy scout troop in the U.S. OUR APPROACH
TO GOD Welcome: Elder Susan Hanyen, Vice President of Consistory *Call to Worship (Please stand): Deacon Rose
Lood, Chair, 325th Anniversary Committee *Hymn (remain standing) "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" Please be seated. Let us be before our God in silence. UNISON PRAYER: by John Calvin OUR GOD, FATHER AND PRESERVER, WHO IN YOUR GOODNESS HAS WATCHED OVER US THIS PAST NIGHT AND BROUGHT US TO THIS DAY, GRANT THAT WE MAY SPEND THE DAY WHOLLY IN YOUR SERVICE. LET US NOT THINK OR SAY OR DO A SINGLE THING THAT IS NOT IN OBEDIENCE TO YOUR WILL; BUT RATHER LET ALL OUR ACTIONS BE DIRECTED TO YOUR GLORY AND THE SALVATION OF OF OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS. LET US ATTEMPT NOTHING THAT IS NOT PLEASING TO YOU; BUT RATHER LET US SEE HAPPINESS ONLY IN YOUR GRACE AND GOODNESS. MAKE US CONSTANTLY AWARE THAT OUR EFFORTS ARE WORTHLESS UNLESS GUIDED BY YOUR LIGHT AND STRENGTHENED BY YOUR HAND. MAKE US FAITHFUL TO YOUR TASK. GIVE US A GOOD HEART TO SUPPLY THE NEEDS OF THE POOR, SAVING US FROM ANY DESIRE TO EXALT OURSELVES OVER THOSE WHO RECEIVE OUR BOUNTY. AND IF YOU SHOULD CALL US INTO GREATER POVERTY THAT WE HUMANLY DESIRE, LET US GRACIOUSLY AND HUMBLY RECEIVE THE BOUNTY OF OTHERS. ABOVE ALL, MAY EVERY TEMPORAL GRACE BE MATCHED BY SPIRITUAL GRACE, THAT IN BOTH BODY AND SOUL WE MAY LIVE TO YOUR GLORY. Kyrie (sung) LORD, HAVE MERCY ON US. CHRIST, HAVE MERCY ON US. LORD, HAVE MERCY ON US. A Word of Assurance: Isaiah 25: 6-10 The Summary of the Law (Mk 12: 29-31) This is the first commandment: Anthem "Thy Church, O God" Eric Thiman Greetings from the Reverend Jon Norton, Executive Minister, Regional Synod of New York THE WORD OF
GOD Bless the Lord, O my soul, all my being, Bless
God's holy name! Who pardons all your sins, heals all your
ills, Who fills your days with good things; your
youth is renewed like the eagle's. God's ways were revealed to Moses, and God's
mighty deeds to Israel. God does not always rebuke, God nurses no
lasting anger, As the heavens tower over the earth, so does
God's love tower over the faithful. As a parent has compassion on his children, so
the Lord has compassion on the faithful. Our days are like the grass; like flowers of
the field we blossom But the Lord's kindness is forever, toward the
faithful from age to age. Bless the Lord, all you hosts, ministers who do
God's will. *Gloria Patri (Hymn No. 623) The Greeting of Peace The Word of God Jewish Scriptures: Exodus 22: 21-27 Epistle: 1 Thessalonians 1: 5-10 Alleluia! ALLELUIA! Reflection OUR RESPONSE
TO GOD *The Offering Doxology (625) Offertory Prayer: The Reverend Sandy Damhof, Delmar Reformed Church, Albany, NY The Meaning of the Sacrament Beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ, the holy supper which we are about to celebrate is a feast of remembrance, of communion and hope. WE REMEMBER THAT OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST WAS SENT OF THE FATHER TO ASSUME OUR FLESH AND BLOOD. We come to have communion with this same Christ who has promised to be with us always, even to the end of the world. WE COME IN HOPE, BELIEVING THAT THIS BREAD AND THIS CUP ARE A PLEDGE AND FORETASTE OF THE FEAST OF LOVE WHICH WE SHALL PARTAKE WHEN HIS KINGDOM HAS FULLY COME, WHEN WITH UNVEILED FACE WE SHALL BEHOLD HIM, MADE LIKE UNTO HIM IN HIS GLORY. The Invitation to the Table I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I WAS A STRANGER AND YOU WELCOMED ME, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. HERE IS THE BREAD OF LIFE, FOOD FOR THE
SPIRIT. Here is the fruit of the vine, pressed and poured out for
us. WE COME TO BREAK BREAD. WE COME TO DRINK OF THE FRIUT OF THE VINE. WE COME TO MAKE PEACE. May we never praise God with our mouths while denying in our hearts or by our acts the love that is our common speech. WE COME TO BE RESTORED IN THE LOVE OF GOD AND TO BE MADE NEW AS AN INSTRUMENT OF THAT LOVE. ALL ARE WORTHY. All are welcome. Come into the embrace and remembrance of this communion. The Table Prayer: Elders Pam Ander, Louise Fabiszak, Susan
Hanyen Blessed are you Lord God, creator of the
universe. The Lord be with you. In the beginning, Your spirit moved over the face of the earth, giving birth to the fullness of creation, earth and sky, mountain and river, tall grain and good fruit, all creatures great and small. YOU FASHIONED US FROM THE EARTH AS A POTTER MOLDS HIS CLAY. YOU GAVE US PARADISE AND WHEN WE WALKED AWAY, YOU PURSUED US, WITH YOUR PROPHETS AND TEACHERS THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL. WHEN WE WERE ENSLAVED OR ENSLAVED OURSELVES, YOU BROKE FREE OUR FETTERS, YOU LED US OUT OF BONDAGE. WHEN WE HUNGERED IN OUR JOURNEY, YOU FED US MANNA IN THE WILDERNESS, A PORTION SUFFICIENT FOR GENERATIONS TO FOLLOW, OF WHICH WE PARTAKE IN TODAY. You sealed a covenant to bind us together. You commanded the people to feed the poor, to welcome the stranger, to care for the widow and orphan. You came to us as Elijah the prophet to herald the coming of the Messiah. Elijah came as a stranger who hungered for bread. IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME, GOD SENT THE ONE WHOM WE CALL JESUS. SON OF MARY AND SON OF JOSEPH: ALSO CALLED SON OF GOD. A CARPENTER BY TRADE, HE WAS BAPTIZED IN HIS ADULT YEARS AT THE RIVER JORDAN BY THE ONE NAMED JOHN. The spirit of the Lord came upon Jesus because he was chosen by God to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim liberation to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind; to set free the oppressed and to announce a year of favor of the Lord. JESUS TAUGHT IN THE SYNAGOGUE. HE PREACHED TO THE PEOPLE. HE PROCLAIMED THE COMING OF GOD'S REIGN. JESUS HEALED THE SICK. JESUS FED THE HUNGRY AND SHARED TABLE FELLOWSHIP WITH PROSTITUTES AND TAX COLLECTORS AND OTHER OUTCASTS: A GROUP OF WOMEN FOLLOWED HIM. JESUS CONFRONTED EVIL AND WAS ARRESTED FOR TREASON BY THE ROMAN OCCUPIERS. HE WAS BEATEN, HUMILIATED, RECEIVED A MOCKERY OF A TRIAL AND WAS EXECUTED BY CRUCIFIXION ON A CROSS. We acknowledge our trust in a God who so loved Jesus, that God raised Jesus from the dead. We wait in joyful hope for his return and for the fullness of the reign of righteousness which Jesus proclaimed. Strengthened by Jesus' mission and message, united with Christ in his suffering and death, and trusting in the power of God to triumph over all evil, we proclaim the mystery of our faith: Refrain: Marty Haugen We remember how you loved us to your death, Send your Holy Spirit upon us, we pray, that the bread which we break and the cup which we bless may be for us the communion of the body and blood of Christ. Grant that, being joined together in Christ, we may be the gift of Christ for one another, light for the darkness of this world, manna in the wilderness, bread for the journey of our lives. AND AS THIS GRAIN HAS BEEN GATHERED FROM MANY FIELDS INTO ONE BREAD AND THIS FRUIT FROM MANY HILLS INTO ONE CUP, GRANT, O LORD, THAT ALL YOUR PEOPLE MAY SOON BE GATHERED AS ONE FROM THE ENDS OF THE EARTH. The Breaking of the Bread Communion Hymn "One Bread, One Body" Grain for the fields, scattered and grown, gathered to
one, for all...One bread, one body... The Thanksgiving Prayer And so we remember, this Jesus, born homeless, in a stable, a poor peasant and itinerant preacher who proclaimed God's reign, who raised up the poor and outcast and who suffered and was executed by being nailed to a cross. By whose great love, God raised up on the third day. WE WORK TODAY IN PREPARATION FOR HIS RETURN, WHEN WE WILL GREET CHRIST FACE TO FACE, WHEN JUSTICE WILL FLOW LIKE WATER FROM THE MOUNTAIN; WHEN NO ONE WILL GO HUNGRY, WHEN ALL PEOPLE WILL BE GATHERED AROUND THE TABLE AND GOD'S HOUSE MADE FULL. UNTIL THAT DAY, GIVE US GRACE, LORD, THAT IN EVERYTHING WE YIELD OURSELVES, OUR WILL AND OUR WORK AS A THANKS OFFERING TO YOU. The minister raises the prayers of the people now, followed by 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 AND EVER. AMEN. *Hymn "The Church's One Foundation"
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