WELCOME
CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: How good and fitting it is to sing praises to our God!
People: God mends what is fractured, healing the brokenhearted and binding up their wounds.
Leader: Even though the young may fall exhausted, those who wait for the Lord will renew their strength.
People: God is aware of our needs and gently lifts up those who are struggling.
Leader: The power of God is beyond all understanding, for it extends throughout the universe – from the stars in
the sky to the grass on the hillsides.
People: Because God strengthens us to run and not be weary, and to walk and not faint, let us praise the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation.
HYMN Together We Serve Ken Heischman
Together we serve, united by love,
inviting God’s world to the glorious feast.
We work and we pray through sorrow and joy,
extending God’s love to the last and the least.
We seek to become a beacon of hope,
a lamp for the heart and a light for the feet.
We learn, year by year, to let love shine through
until we see Christ in each person we meet.
We welcome the scarred, the wealthy, the poor,
the busy, the lonely, and all who need care.
We offer a home to those who will come,
our hands quick to help, our hearts ready to dare.
Together, by grace, we witness and work,
remembering Jesus, in whom we grow strong.
Together we serve in Spirit and truth,
remembering love is the strength of our song.
PRAYERS OF CONFESSION (Unison)
Lord of all people and all creation,
because we do not always follow the way of Your kingdom,
we often exploit the sacredness of creation;
we fail to see Your image in the people we hate;
and we ignore the purpose You have instilled within us.
We have chosen excess rather than simplicity;
we have preferred privilege rather than equality;
and we have opted for aggression rather than grace.
Forgive us, Lord, and redeem us through Your mercy.
Reassure us with the knowledge
that there is no despair so dark,
no sin so abhorrent,
no scar so repulsive,
that would cause You to abandon us.
Call us into Your kingdom
where Your peace overcomes our conflict,
where Your hope heals our hurt,
and where Your compassion conquers our cruelty,
though Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose name we pray.
(Silent)
ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS (adapted from Ephesians 2:5-8)
Leader: Even when we were dead through our trespasses, God made us alive together with Christ.
People: By grace we have been saved through faith, and this is not our own doing; it is the gift of God.
Leader: Friends, believe the good news of the gospel:
People: Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!
HYMN Glorify Thy Name Ken Heischman
Father, I love You
I worship and adore You
Glorify Thy Name in all the earth
Glorify Thy name, Glorify Thy name
Glorify Thy name in all the earth
Jesus, I love You
I worship and adore You
Glorify Thy name in all the earth
Glorify Thy name, Glorify Thy name
Glorify Thy name in all the earth
Spirit, I love You
I worship and adore You
Glorify Thy name in all the earth
Glorify Thy name, Glorify Thy name
Glorify Thy name in all the earth
SCRIPTURE Mark 1:32-39
That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.
MEDITATION “Looking for Jesus”
HYMN Lord of All Hopefulness Domino Cantes Choir
Brussels, Belgium
Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
Whose trust, ever child-like, no cares can destroy,
Be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
Your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.
Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
Whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe,
Be there at our labors, and give us, we pray,
Your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.
Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
Your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace,
Be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
Your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.
Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
Whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm,
Be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
Your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
INVITATION TO GIVE
Grace and generosity not only help us to forgive and to heal,
but these virtues also equip us to make peace in the world,
and to share justice and mercy to those in need.
Through our gifts, we infuse life into ministry,
as we build community through our participation in the Akron Area Interfaith Council,
as we share compassion by supporting the work of Gennesaret food ministry,
and as we reach out to our fellow human beings across the globe through our
commitment to national and international missions.
Remembering God’s grace and generosity to all of us,
let us now respond with gratitude
as we continue to promote God’s work through the giving of our financial resources and our
human resources.
May God forever bless you as you give.
BENEDICTION
Now to the One who by the power at work within us
is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine,
to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations.
And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God the Father,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit,
be with you and all those whom you love, now and forevermore.