November 5, 2023

November 5, 2023
 
Prelude
Stephanie Shorden

Greeting
Rev. David Petty

Threshold Song
Come to the Table of Grace
W & S #3168
Barbara Hamm
© 2008 Barbara Hamm
 
1. Come to the table of grace.
Come to the table of grace.
This is God’s table;
it’s not yours or mine.
Come to the table of grace.
 
2. Come to the table of peace.
Come to the table of peace.
This is God’s table;
it’s not yours or mine.
Come to the table of peace.
 
3. Come to the table of love.
Come to the table of love.
This is God’s table;
it’s not yours or mine.
Come to the table of love.
 
4. Come to the table of joy.
Come to the table of joy.
This is God’s table;
it’s not yours or mine.
Come to the table of joy.
 
*Call To Worship
CLM Twinkle Gordon

Leader: We come to this table not only for food, but for friendship and family.
People: We are here not only to eat, but to serve.
Leader: We prepare our meal of bread and fruit of the vine with compassion.
People: We invite everyone to join in the feast.
Leader: We are all part of one human family.
People: We are united in love.
Leader: This is the day that the Lord has made.
People: We shall rejoice and be glad in it!

*Gathering Song
Come, Share the Lord
TFWS #2269
Words & Music: Brian Jeffery Leech
© 1984, 1987 Fred Bock Music Co.

1. We gather here
in Jesus’ name,
his love is burning
in our hearts
like living flame;
 
for through the loving Son
the Father makes us one:
Come, take the bread;
come, drink the wine;
come, share the Lord.
 
2. No one is a stranger here,
everyone belongs;
finding our
forgiveness here,
we in turn
forgive all wrongs.
 
3. He joins us here,
he breaks the bread,
the Lord who
pours the cup
is risen from the dead;
 
the one we love the most
is now our gracious host:
Come, take the bread;
come, drink the wine;
come, share the Lord.
 
4. We are now a family
of which the Lord is head;
though unseen
he meets us here
in the breaking
of the bread.
 
5. We’ll gather soon
where angels sing;
we’ll see the glory
of our Lord
and coming King.
 
now we anticipate
the feast for which we wait:
Come, take the bread;
come, drink the wine;
come, share the Lord.
 
Mystery Box

Prayer Song
Christ Beside Me
Vs. 1 TFWS #2166
WORDS: St. Patrick’s Breastplate; adapt. by James Quinn
MUSIC: Trad. Gaelic melody

1. Christ beside me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me
King of my heart;
 
Christ within me,
Christ below me,
Christ above me
never to part.
 
Pastoral, Silent and, 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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power and the Glory forever.
Amen

Prayer Response
Christ Beside Me
Vs. 2 TFWS #2166
WORDS: St. Patrick’s Breastplate; adapt. by James Quinn
MUSIC: Trad. Gaelic melody

2. Christ on my right hand,
Christ on my left hand,
Christ all around me
shield in the strife;
 
Christ in my sleeping,
Christ in my sitting,
Christ in my rising
light of my life.

Invitation to Offering
CLM Twinkle Gordon

Offertory
Sanctuary Choir

Prayer of Thanks and Dedication
Rev. David Petty

*Doxology
Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow
 
Praise God, from whom
all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures
here below: Alleluia! Alleluia!
 
Praise God, the source
of all our gifts!
Praise Jesus Christ,
whose power uplifts!
 
Praise the Spirit,
Holy Spirit!
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia!

Scripture Reading
Romans 13:8-14; Matthew 18:15-20 (MSG)
CLM Twinkle Gordon

Don’t run up debts, except for the huge debt of love you owe each other. When you love others, you complete what the law has been after all along. The law code—don’t sleep with another person’s spouse, don’t take someone’s life, don’t take what isn’t yours, don’t always be wanting what you don’t have, and any other “don’t” you can think of—finally adds up to this: Love other people as well as you do yourself. You can’t go wrong when you love others. When you add up everything in the law code, the sum total is love.

But make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed. We can’t afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. Get out of bed and get dressed! Don’t loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!

Matthew 18:15-20

“If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you’ve made a friend. If he won’t listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. If he still won’t listen, tell the church. If he won’t listen to the church, you’ll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God’s forgiving love.

“Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.”

Prayer for Illumination

Leader: May the words of my mouth,
People: and the meditations of all of our hearts
All: be acceptable in your sight, O Lord our rock and our redeemer.
Psalm 19:14

Message
The Table of Love
Rev. David Petty

Communion
 
*Communion Hymn
At This Table
Rev. David Petty & Stephanie Shorden

*Hymn
Peace Like a River
TFWS #2145
Words and Music: African American spiritual

1. I’ve got peace like a river,
I’ve got peace like a river,
I’ve got peace like a river
in my soul.
 
I’ve got peace like a river,
I’ve got peace like a river,
I’ve got peace like a river
in my soul.
 
2. I’ve got joy like a fountain,
I’ve got joy like a fountain,
I’ve got joy like a fountain
in my soul.
 
I’ve got joy like a fountain,
I’ve got joy like a fountain,
I’ve got joy like a fountain
in my soul.
 
3. I’ve got love like an ocean,
I’ve got love like an ocean,
I’ve got love like an ocean
in my soul.
 
I’ve got love like an ocean,
I’ve got love like an ocean,
I’ve got love like an ocean
in my soul.
 
*Benediction
Rev. David Petty

Postlude
Stephanie Shorden