Loving God and loving neighbor here in central Vermont
and to the ends of the earth—all to the glory of God.
Prelude
Deborah Shofstahl
Welcome and Announcements
Listen for upcoming events and ways you can get involved.
Pastor Josh
Lighting the Candles Jesus is the light of the world.
Acolytes
Statement of Faith—Heidelberg Cat Q&A 1 Confess what you believe about the Christian faith.
Pastor Josh
L: Let us confess our faith together. What is your only comfort in life and in death?
C: My only comfort in life and in death is that I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven: in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.
Greeting Your Neighbors Greet your neighbors in the name of the Lord.
Congregation
Call to Worship—Based on Matthew 11:28-29 Hear God call you to worship through his word.
Charlie Stabolepszy
L: God calls us to worship and we respond. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
C: We have come to worship and find rest.
Opening Prayer Invite God to work in you as you worship today.
Charlie Stabolepszy
Worship Songs Join with the congregation in praise to God.
Deborah Shofstahl and Pastor Josh
Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah, O My Soul
Verse 1
Hallelujah, praise Jehovah,
O my soul, Jehovah praise;
I will sing the glorious praises
of my God through all my days.
Put no confidence in princes,
nor for help on man depend;
he shall die, to dust returning,
and his purposes shall end.
Verse 2
Happy is the man that chooses
Israel’s God to be his aid;
he is blessed whose hope of blessing
on the Lord his God is stayed.
Heav’n and earth the Lord created,
seas and all that they contain;
he delivers from oppression,
righteousness he will maintain.
Verse 3
Food he daily gives the hungry,
Sets the mourning prisoner free,
raises those bowed down with anguish,
makes the sightless eye to see.
Well Jehovah loves the righteous,
and the stranger he befriends,
helps the fatherless and widow,
judgment on the wicked sends.
Verse 4
Hallelujah, praise Jehovah,
O my soul, Jehovah praise;
I will sing the glorious praises
of my God through all my days.
Over all God reigns forever,
through all ages he is King;
unto him, your God, O Zion,
joyful hallelujahs sing.
O Lord My Rock and My Redeemer
Verse 1
O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer
Greatest treasure of my longing soul
My God like You there is no other
True delight is found in You alone
Your grace a well too deep to fathom
Your love exceeds the heavens’ reach
Your truth a fount of perfect wisdom
My highest good and my unending need
Verse 2
O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer
Strong defender of my weary heart
My sword to fight the cruel deceiver
And my shield against his hateful darts
My song when enemies surround me
My hope when tides of sorrow rise
My joy when trials are abounding
Your faithfulness my refuge in the night
Verse 3
O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer
Gracious Savior of my ruined life
My guilt and cross laid on Your shoulders
In my place You suffered bled and died
You rose the grave and death are conquered
You broke my bonds of sin and shame
O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer
May all my days bring glory to Your Name
My God Is All I Need
Verse 1
Dark, dark is the valley
Faint the light at my feet
But whatever may face me
My God is all I need
Verse 2
Bright bright are the treasures
Life may offer to me
But whatever the pleasure
My God is all I need
Chorus
He is my strength when I cannot go on
Peace when all my power is gone
Hope although the night is long and deep
He is my song for He has rescued me
Joy now He has set me free
Praise praise to my Father be
My God is all I need
Verse 3
Brief brief are my days here
Soon my journey complete
But I look to my Saviour
Where God has met my need
Yes He has met my need
Bridge
My God is so big so strong and so mighty
There’s nothing my God cannot do
My God is so big so strong and so mighty
There’s nothing my God cannot do
The mountains are His the valleys are His
The stars are His handiwork too
My God is so big so strong and so mighty
There’s nothing my God cannot do
Tag 1
There’s nothing my God cannot do
Tag 2
Praise praise to my Father be
My God is all I need
Scripture Meditation—James 1:19-27 (p. 1199 in Pew Bible) Hear a reading from the Gospel that relates to the sermon text.
Rebekah Barnes
19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
Confession and Assurance—Forms and Prayers of the URC Confess your sins and receive God’s gracious forgiveness again.
Pastor Josh
L: Dearly loved brothers and sisters, we are called to examine ourselves in the light of Christ’s law. Let us go to God in public confession.
C: Our Father, we are sinful, and You are holy. We recognize that we have heard in Your law difficult words, knowing how often we have offended You in thought, word, and deed, not only by obvious violations, but by failing to conform to its perfect commands, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. Apart from Christ, there is nothing in us that gives us reason for hope; for where we though we were well, we are sick in soul. Where we thought we were holy, we are unholy and ungrateful. Our hearts are filled with the love of the world; our minds are dark, and are assailed by doubts; our wills are too often given to selfishness and our bodies to laziness and unrighteousness. By sinning against our neighbors, we have also sinned against You, in whose image they were created.
Give us Your pardon by Your mercies, dear Father. For we ask it in Jesus’ precious name. Amen.
L: Hear the good news of the gospel: God has promised that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Beloved, because of the great mercy of God, you are forgiven.
Congregational Prayer
Pastor Josh
The Lord’s Prayer In closing, pray the words that Jesus taught us to pray.
Congregation
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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Children Dismissed for Children’s Program
Yanmei Lin
Scripture Reading—Leviticus 26 – 27 (p. 124 in Pew Bible) Read this portion of God’s word.
Charlie Stabolepszy
L: The grass withers and the flower fades.
C: But the word of our God will stand forever.
Sermon Hear God’s word proclaimed and explained.
Pastor Josh Moore
Song of Response—Come Thou Almighty King Respond to the preaching of the word with song.
Deborah Shofstahl and Pastor Josh
Verse 1
Come Thou Almighty King
Help us Thy name to sing
Help us to praise
Father all glorious
O’er all victorious
Come and reign over us
Ancient of Days
Verse 2
Come Thou Incarnate Word
Gird on Thy mighty sword
Our prayer attend
Come and Thy people bless
And give Thy Word success
Spirit of holiness
On us descend
Chorus
All glory be to the Father
All glory be to the Son
All glory be to the Spirit
The blessed Three in One
Verse 3
Come Holy Comforter
Thy sacred witness bear
In this glad hour
Thou who almighty art
Now rule in every heart
And ne’er from us depart
Spirit of pow’r
Verse 4
To Thee great One in Three
Eternal praises be
Hence evermore
Thy sovereign majesty
May we in glory see
And to eternity
Love and adore
Extinguishing the Candles You are the light of the world.
Acolytes
Benediction Receive a parting blessing.
Pastor Josh
Postlude
Rebekah Barnes