Order of Worship

Opening Voluntary – “You Raise Me Up” arranged by Bob Cerulli

Welcome/Greetings

Choral Introit

*Opening Hymn #155 – “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name” (Verses 1-4)                               

*Call to Worship

L:  We will call to mind the works of the Lord,

P:  and remember God’s wonders of old.

L:  In times of trouble, we cry out to God,

P:  longing for our souls to be comforted.

L:  When our spirits are weary,

P:  we reach for God’s arms.

L:  Even when we don’t feel courageous,

P:  we need to receive God’s peace.

L:  Keeping God’s deeds in mind,

P:  we carry them in our hearts.

L:  For God’s ways are holy,

P:  and God’s grace is great.

*Opening Prayer

Holy One, the waters tremble and the skies open.  Your voice rumbles with thunder, flashes with lightning, and crashes with waves as the earth shakes.  And yet, there is peace in your voice.  You trouble the waters of our spirits, even as you soothe the struggles of our souls.  Your footprints guide our way—unseen by human eyes, but always visible to our hearts.  Amen.

Prayer of Confession

God of our lives, we set our sights on you.  For you know where you are going, and long for us to follow.  It is not easy to keep our eyes upon you, God, and watch until the end.  We often look away and maintain our denial, just a little longer.  But denial never serves us.  It is truth we need; courage and strength we desire.  Enough to face this day and the next …enough to stay with you as you stay with us …enough to inherit your Spirit, the whole of it and a double share as well …enough to follow you to the end …and beyond.  Amen.

Words of Assurance

Jesus says, “Follow me.”  When we stay with him, he always stays with us.  God places the Spirit upon us and within us, trusting us to watch and follow.  The Holy One calls us to reach out our hands and receive God’s mantle of leadership.  Believing that we can, we will.

Passing of the Peace of Christ

Let us share the words of our ancestor, Elisha:  “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself life, I will not leave you.”  Let us walk together in peace.

Celebration of Confirmation

     Dominic Anthony Becker

     Ava Grace Jacqueline Bolden

     Alanna Elizabeth Olivia Bolden

     Eli Ye-Jin Lee Kim

Children’s Message    Rev. Eumin Kim

Old Testament Reading – 1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21  

¹⁵ The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram.  ¹⁶ Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. ¹⁹ So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat.  He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair.  Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him.  ²⁰ Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah.  “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”  “Go back,” Elijah replied.  “What have I done to you?”  ²¹ So Elisha left him and went back.  He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them.  He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate.  Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.

L:  The Word of God, For the People of God.  P:  Thanks be to God.

Gospel Reading – Luke 9:51-62   

⁵¹ As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.  ⁵² And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; ⁵³ but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem.  ⁵⁴ When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?”  ⁵⁵ But Jesus turned and rebuked them.  ⁵⁶ Then he and his disciples went to another village.  ⁵⁷ As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”  ⁵⁸ Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”  ⁵⁹ He said to another man, “Follow me.”  But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”  ⁶⁰ Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”  ⁶¹ Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”  ⁶² Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

L:  The Word of God, For the People of God.  P:  Thanks be to God.

*Hymn before Message #2242 – “Walk with Me”  (Faith We Sing Hymnal)                                           

Message – “Follow the Leader”       Rev. Eumin Kim

Pastoral Prayer

Lord’s Prayer and Choral Response

Invitation to Tithes and Offering

God has given us a calling and equipped us with an abundant share of God’s own Spirit—gifts to use and to share.

Anthem – “Praise Song” by Gordon Young

*Hymn No. 95 – Presentation of the Offering

*Prayer of Dedication

Gracious God, you have put your Spirit within us and laid your mantle upon us.  These are gifts we could never earn and can never repay.  Yet we are filled with your love, joy, patience, peace, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  And so we offer them all to you, grateful to pass them on to your people and to your world.  Amen.

*Closing Hymn #593 – “Here I Am, Lord”           

*Dismissal with Blessing

Closing Voluntary – “Postludium” by Gordon Young