ORDER FOR THE C ELEBRATION & W ORSHIP OF G OD 23rd Sunday After Pentecost; November 17, 2019, 10:30 A.M. The sounding of the bells is the call for meditation and prayer as we prepare to worship our holy God. Nursery is provided for children aged three and under. The Cry Room located off the foyer is available at any time during worship for nursing mothers and moms with young children. A simultaneous broadcast of the service is provided in the room. Children aged four through first grade will be dismissed to Children’s Church following the Gloria. Welcome Please silence your phones and other electronic devices. ENTERING GOD’S PRESENCE Instrumental Prelude Call to Worship From Psalm 113 Minister: Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord! People: Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore! Minister: Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth? People: He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people. Minister: Praise the Lord! *Hymn of Praise #311 “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed” AURELIA *Prayer of Adoration Minister and People: Almighty God, You have built your Church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone: Grant us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their teaching, that we may be made a holy temple acceptable to You; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. *Old Testament Reading Pew Bible, page 619 Isaiah 60:1-7 Minister: The Word of the Lord! People: Thanks be to God! Prayer of Confession The congregation is invited to kneel through the Pronouncement of Forgiveness. Minister and People: O God, beyond all praising, who so loved the world that You gave your only Son, we confess how ungrateful our hearts are before You. You have spared nothing for our salvation. You have welcomed us into your Kingdom and called us your children. But we have forgotten your mighty acts of deliverance, treating your grace and glory with indifference. Forgive us, Lord, and have mercy. Pardon us for how faithless we have been in the face of such immense generosity. We implore You, Holy Spirit, Lord and Giver of life, to come and renew our heart, inflame our affections, and send us out in the strength of your love. Transform us more and more by the power of the gospel in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. Please take a moment to silently confess your sin. Pronouncement of Forgiveness Minister: This is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. To all who repent and believe the gospel, your sins are forgiven in Jesus’ name. Unison: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name! Prayers of the People Minister and People: Almighty God, we thank You that by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ, You have overcome sin and death and have brought us to Yourself. We thank You that by the sealing of the Holy Spirit, You have bestowed upon us the forgiveness of sin, the resurrection to newness of life, and have bound us to Yourself and to your service. Renew us, O Lord, by the same Holy Spirit, granting us an inquiring mind, an affectionate and discerning heart, and the courage to will and to persevere in all that You would call us to, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Minister: Most Holy and Merciful Father, before your Son ascended to your right hand, He told his followers to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey his commands, and promising to be with them always. In obedience to this command, your servants Levi Joseph, Noah Benjamin, and John Mark Ethan, come to receive the sacrament of baptism. May the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit, offered Himself without sin to God, cleanse them from dead works to serve the living God. People: Lord, hear our prayer. Minister: And we pray for ourselves, the congregation of St. Paul’s Church: Grant us the grace to embrace these brothers as our own: promising them our love, encouragement, and prayers as duty done to You; the one true God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. People: Lord, hear our prayer. Amen. Sacrament of Holy Baptism Prayer Minister: Almighty and everliving God, let your fatherly hand ever be over these your servants; Let your Holy Spirit ever be with them and so lead them in the knowledge and obedience of your Word, that they may serve You in this life, and dwell with You in the life to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Public Reception of New Members Prayer *Hymn of Consecration “Fill Us With Your Fullness, God” (Please see insert) Text: Justin Borger; Tune: DIX RENEWING OUR FAITH *Affirmation of Faith Heidelberg Catechism Question #55 Minister: What do you understand by “the communion of saints”? People: First, that believers one and all, as members of this community, share in Christ and in all his treasures and gifts. Second, that each member should consider it a duty to use these gifts readily and cheerfully for the service and enrichment of the other members. Unison: Thanks be to God! *Gloria Music by Patrick Doyle We welcome children for the entire worship service. However, a specifically designed time is provided for children aged four through the first grade in the New Testament Hall. Please meet the Children’s Church leaders at the Fellowship Hall entrance of the Sanctuary at this time. *New Testament Lesson Pew Bible, page 967 2 Corinthians 8-9 Minister: The Word of the Lord! People: Thanks be to God! *Prayer for Illumination Proclamation of God’s Word Rev. Justin Borger “Deep & Wide Generosity - Part 1