THE SERVICE FOR THE LORD’S DAY
Kirkin' O' The Tartans
Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost
November 8, 2020
First Presbyterian Church, Fargo
Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost
November 8, 2020
First Presbyterian Church, Fargo
The Session and members of First Presbyterian Church, extend a sincere welcome to you! We welcome all persons regardless of race, nationality, disability, gender, or sexual orientation. This includes an open invitation to membership, the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, marriage, funerals, memorial services, and to serve as an officer of the church.
Prelude and Preparation for Worship
Prayer of the Day
Lead us from death to life, from falsehood to truth.
Lead us from despair to hope, from fear to trust.
Lead us from hate to love, from war to peace.
Let peace fill our lives, our world, our universe.
Peace, peace, peace. Amen.
Lead us from death to life, from falsehood to truth.
Lead us from despair to hope, from fear to trust.
Lead us from hate to love, from war to peace.
Let peace fill our lives, our world, our universe.
Peace, peace, peace. Amen.
Gathering in Christ’s Presence
Welcome and Concerns of the Church
Opening Sentences
People of God, listen:
the Lord has done marvelous things.
Teach your children all that God has done
so that they may live in hope
and die in peace.
Let us worship God!
People of God, listen:
the Lord has done marvelous things.
Teach your children all that God has done
so that they may live in hope
and die in peace.
Let us worship God!
Hymn — Be Thou My Vision
Singers: Penny Andrist, Kayla Bones, Pam Burns, Marty Hoag, Jack Lawrence, and Erynn Millard. Accompanist: Sally Harmon
1 Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
naught be all else to me, save that thou art;
thou my best thought, by day or by night,
waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.
2 Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true Word;
I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord;
thou my soul’s shelter, and thou my high tower;
raise thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
3 Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise;
thou, mine inheritance, now and always;
thou and thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my treasure thou art.
4 High King of Heaven, my victory won,
may I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
naught be all else to me, save that thou art;
thou my best thought, by day or by night,
waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.
2 Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true Word;
I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord;
thou my soul’s shelter, and thou my high tower;
raise thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
3 Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise;
thou, mine inheritance, now and always;
thou and thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my treasure thou art.
4 High King of Heaven, my victory won,
may I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
Call to Confession
Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus and his righteousness. Trusting in the mercy of God, let us confess our sin that we might find forgiveness and new life in Christ.
Prayer of Confession
Holy and gracious God, you are all light and wonder and glory. You are our strength and our delight; you give us all we need to live. Yet we are distracted by all that glitters, continually grasping for more. Rather than trust in your provision, we chase after our own happiness. Forgive us, Lord, and turn us back to you. Overwhelm us with your goodness and cover us with grace, for we know that you are the source of life, the fount of all that is good. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Assurance of God’s Forgiveness
Gift of Music
Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus and his righteousness. Trusting in the mercy of God, let us confess our sin that we might find forgiveness and new life in Christ.
Prayer of Confession
Holy and gracious God, you are all light and wonder and glory. You are our strength and our delight; you give us all we need to live. Yet we are distracted by all that glitters, continually grasping for more. Rather than trust in your provision, we chase after our own happiness. Forgive us, Lord, and turn us back to you. Overwhelm us with your goodness and cover us with grace, for we know that you are the source of life, the fount of all that is good. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Assurance of God’s Forgiveness
Gift of Music
Hearing God’s Word
Children's Message
Prayer for Illumination
Lesson Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25
Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said to all the people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors—Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor—lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac.
‘Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.’
Then the people answered, ‘Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; and the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.’
But Joshua said to the people, ‘You cannot serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm, and consume you, after having done you good.’ And the people said to Joshua, ‘No, we will serve the Lord!’ Then Joshua said to the people, ‘You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him.’ And they said, ‘We are witnesses.’ He said, ‘Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.’ The people said to Joshua, ‘The Lord our God we will serve, and him we will obey.’ So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem.
Sermon We Belong to God
Lesson Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25
Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said to all the people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors—Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor—lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac.
‘Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.’
Then the people answered, ‘Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; and the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.’
But Joshua said to the people, ‘You cannot serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm, and consume you, after having done you good.’ And the people said to Joshua, ‘No, we will serve the Lord!’ Then Joshua said to the people, ‘You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him.’ And they said, ‘We are witnesses.’ He said, ‘Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.’ The people said to Joshua, ‘The Lord our God we will serve, and him we will obey.’ So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem.
Sermon We Belong to God
Hymn — Will You Come and Follow Me
1 “Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don’t know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown; will you let me name be known;
Will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?”
2 “Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care of cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?”
3 “Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean, and do such as this unseen,
And admit to what I mean in you and you in me?”
4 “Will you love the ‘you’ you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you’ve found to reshape the world around,
Through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?”
5 Lord, your summons echoes true when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.
In your company I’ll go where you love and footsteps show.
Thus I’ll move and live and grow in you and you in me.
Will you go where you don’t know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown; will you let me name be known;
Will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?”
2 “Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care of cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?”
3 “Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean, and do such as this unseen,
And admit to what I mean in you and you in me?”
4 “Will you love the ‘you’ you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you’ve found to reshape the world around,
Through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?”
5 Lord, your summons echoes true when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.
In your company I’ll go where you love and footsteps show.
Thus I’ll move and live and grow in you and you in me.
Responding to God’s Word
Statement of Faith Apostles' Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Call for the Offering, ending with the Prayer of Dedication
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Call for the Offering, ending with the Prayer of Dedication
Calling of the Clans
Bearing the Word into the World
Hymn — Amazing Grace
1 Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
2 ‘Twas grace that taught my hear to fear,
And grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!
3 Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come.
‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
4 The Lord has promised good to me;
His word my hop secures.
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.
5 When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bring shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.
Charge and Benediction
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
2 ‘Twas grace that taught my hear to fear,
And grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!
3 Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come.
‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
4 The Lord has promised good to me;
His word my hop secures.
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.
5 When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bring shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.
Charge and Benediction
Benediction Response
Postlude
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