Order of Worship

Opening Voluntary

Welcome/Greetings

*Call to Worship

L:  Place your trust in God.

P:  God’s faithfulness is unshakeable.

L:  May our worship this day strengthen our faith.

P:  May our faithfulness be unshakeable.

L:  May our words and actions be good and true.

P:  May we grow in godliness each and every day.

*Opening Hymn #397 – “I Need Thee Every Hour”                             

*Opening Prayer

We place our trust in you, O God, for your love and faithfulness are steadfast and true.  Breathe your Holy Spirit into our worship and your very presence into our lives, that our love and faithfulness may be steadfast and true.  Amen.

Prayer of Confession

Creator God, you create all people in your image.  When we neglect the needs of the poor, raise our commitment to care for others and to help create justice for all.  When favoritism and prejudice blind us, and when we exclude and demean others, focus us on your inclusive love, a love that welcomes us and calls us to welcome others.  Live in us and through us, that our lives and our actions may reflect your image in all that we say and in all that we do.  Amen.

Words of Assurance

L:  God is good

P:  all the time.

L:  And all the time,

P:  God is good.

L:  In God’s goodness, we touch goodness.

P:  In God’s love, we receive love.

L:  In God’s grace and mercy,

P:  we find fellowship with God’s people.

Passing of the Peace of Christ

As forgiven and reconciled children of Christ, let’s share signs of reconciliation, love, and welcome with one another.

Children’s Message    Pastor Eumin Kim

Blessing of the Backpacks

Scriptures

New Testament – James 2:1-10, (11-13), 14-17

2 My brothers and sisters, when you show favoritism you deny the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has been resurrected in glory.  ² Imagine two people coming into your meeting.  One has a gold ring and fine clothes, while the other is poor, dressed in filthy rags.  ³ Then suppose that you were to take special notice of the one wearing fine clothes, saying, “Here’s an excellent place. Sit here.”  But to the poor person you say, “Stand over there”; or, “Here, sit at my feet.”  ⁴ Wouldn’t you have shown favoritism among yourselves and become evil-minded judges?  ⁵ My dear brothers and sisters, listen!  Hasn’t God chosen those who are poor by worldly standards to be rich in terms of faith?  Hasn’t God chosen the poor as heirs of the kingdom he has promised to those who love him?  ⁶ But you have dishonored the poor.  Don’t the wealthy make life difficult for you?  Aren’t they the ones who drag you into court?  ⁷ Aren’t they the ones who insult the good name spoken over you at your baptism?  ⁸You do well when you really fulfill the royal law found in scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself.  ⁹ But when you show favoritism, you are committing a sin, and by that same law you are exposed as a lawbreaker.  ¹⁰ Anyone who tries to keep all of the Law but fails at one point is guilty of failing to keep all of it.  ¹¹ The one who said, Don’t commit adultery, also said, Don’t commit murder.  So if you don’t commit adultery but do commit murder, you are a lawbreaker.  ¹² In every way, then, speak and act as people who will be judged by the law of freedom.  ¹³ There will be no mercy in judgment for anyone who hasn’t shown mercy.  Mercy overrules judgment.  ¹⁴ My brothers and sisters, what good is it if people say they have faith but do nothing to show it?  Claiming to have faith can’t save anyone, can it?  ¹⁵ Imagine a brother or sister who is naked and never has enough food to eat.  ¹⁶ What if one of you said, “Go in peace!  Stay warm!  Have a nice meal!”?  What good is it if you don’t actually give them what their body needs?  ¹⁷ In the same way, faith is dead when it doesn’t result in faithful activity.

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

*Gospel – Mark 7:24-37  (Please stand if you are able)

²⁴ Jesus left that place and went into the region of Tyre.  He didn’t want anyone to know that he had entered a house, but he couldn’t hide.  ²⁵ In fact, a woman whose young daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit heard about him right away.  She came and fell at his feet.  ²⁶ The woman was Greek, Syrophoenician by birth.  She begged Jesus to throw the demon out of her daughter.  ²⁷ He responded, “The children have to be fed first.  It isn’t right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”  ²⁸ But she answered, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”  ²⁹ “Good answer!” he said.  “Go on home.  The demon has already left your daughter.”  ³⁰ When she returned to her house, she found the child lying on the bed and the demon gone.  ³¹ After leaving the region of Tyre, Jesus went through Sidon toward the Galilee Sea through the region of the Ten Cities.  ³² Some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly speak, and they begged him to place his hand on the man for healing.  ³³ Jesus took him away from the crowd by himself and put his fingers in the man’s ears.  Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue.  ³⁴ Looking into heaven, Jesus sighed deeply and said, “Ephphatha,” which means, “Open up.”  ³⁵ At once, his ears opened, his twisted tongue was released, and he began to speak clearly.  ³⁶ Jesus gave the people strict orders not to tell anyone.  But the more he tried to silence them, the more eagerly they shared the news.  ³⁷ People were overcome with wonder, saying, “He does everything well!  He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who can’t speak.”

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

*Hymn before Sermon #2036 – “Give Thanks”            

Sermon –  “Accepting the Rejected, and Liberating the Oppressed”       Pastor Eumin Kim

Pastoral Prayer

Lord’s Prayer

Invitation to Tithes and Offering

God has chosen the poor as heirs of God’s kingdom.  God calls us to value the needs of this world more highly than we value silver and gold.  May our offerings reflect the values to which God calls us.

Chancel Choir – “Rejoice” arr. Theron Kirk

*Hymn No. 95 – Presentation of the Offering

*Prayer of Dedication

Through these gifts and offerings, bless your world, O God.  Through our lives and our actions, bring love to your creation, that all may know your presence and live in your grace. Amen.

*Closing Hymn #467 – “Trust and Obey”    

*Dismissal with Blessing

Closing Voluntary