CCLI license #1913561
Lakeview Presbyterian Church
Service of the Word for August 1, 2021
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
Welcome: Greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Question for Reflection: How does what you believe affect how you relate to others with whom you live, work, go to school, interact in the community?
Prelude “As the Deer” Nystrom
As the deer panteth for the water So my soul longs after Thee
You alone are my heart's desire And I long to worship Thee
(refrain)
You alone are my strength, my shieldTo You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire And I long to worship Thee
You're my friend and You are my brother Even though You are a king
I love You more than any other So much more than anything
I want You more than gold or silver Only You can satisfy
You alone are the real joy giver And the apple of my eye
Call to Worship
We have encountered the Word, calling us into communion with God and with each other.
And calling us into discipleship to carry on Christ’s work in our world.
So we come together, joining hands and hearts in the great quest:
To worship God, to love each other, and to serve the world. Come, let us worship the Lord, our God!
Hymn “God, You Spin the Whirling Planets” TPC #285
Call to Confession
Let us confess our sins to God, for God is faithful and loves us eternally.
Prayer Of Confession
Trusting you does not always come easy when each day we are faced with the ugliness of the world. We do not believe that love conquers fear. We are not convinced that power comes through weakness. We cannot conceive how you could heal us. Forgive our lack of faith, O God, and renew our trust in you, for we would be disciples of Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen.
Declaration of Forgiveness
Sisters and brothers, God loves us, forgives us, and frees us from our sins.
Therefore, be at peace, and love with boldness and generosity.
Thanks be to God!
Reading from the Hebrew Scriptures 2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a
26 When the wife of Uriah heard that her husband was dead, she made lamentation for him.
27 When the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son.
Chap. 12: But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD, and the LORD sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, "There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds; 3 but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his meager fare, and drink from his cup, and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him.
Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was loath to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb, and prepared that for the guest who had come to him." Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, "As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die; 6 he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity." 7 Nathan said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul; 8 I gave you your master's house, and your master's wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more. 9 Why have you despised the word of the LORD, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, for you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. 11 Thus says the LORD: I will raise up trouble against you from within your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this very sun. 12 For you did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun." 13 David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." Nathan said to David, "Now the LORD has put away your sin; you shall not die.
Hymn please remain seated “Lord, Speak to Me, That I May Speak” TPH #426
Luke 15: 11—32
11 Then Jesus said, "There was a man who had two sons.
12 The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them.
13 A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living.
14 When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need.
15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs.
16 He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything.
17 But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger!
18 I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you;
19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands." '
20 So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.
21 Then the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
22 But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly, bring out a robe -- the best one -- and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
23 And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;
24 for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' And they began to celebrate.
25 "Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.
26 He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on.
27 He replied, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.'
28 Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him.
29 But he answered his father, 'Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends.
30 But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!'
31 Then the father said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.'"
Sermon "Truth and Consequences" The Rev. Russell Lehman
Litany of Faith from The Constitution of the PCUSA*
The Church is the body of Christ.
Christ gives to the Church all the gifts necessary to be his body. The Church strives to demonstrate these gifts in its life as a community in the world**:
The Church is to be a community of faith,
entrusting itself to God alone, even at the risk of losing its life.
The Church is to be a community of hope,
rejoicing in the sure and certain knowledge that, in Christ, God is making a new creation. This new creation is a new beginning for human life and for all things.
The Church lives in the present on the strength of that promised new creation.
The Church is to be a community of love, where sin is forgiven, reconciliation is accomplished, and the dividing walls of hostility are torn down.
The Church is to be a community of witness,
pointing beyond itself through word and work to the good news of God’s transforming grace in Christ Jesus its Lord.
Sharing of Joys and Concerns
Statement about Offering our Gifts
Christian life is an offering of one’s self to God. As those who have been claimed and set free by the grace of God, we respond with gratitude, offering Christ our lives, our spiritual gifts and our material goods. ***.
Donations can be mailed to Lakeview Presbyterian Church at 1310 22 nd Av S, St Petersburg, FL, 33705 or given online through our website lakeviewpresbyterianchurch.org
Special Music
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Dedication
Holy God, we thank you for your sustaining love and grace. We present offerings to praise you and to help in the service of the church. Accept them as outward signs of our joyful discipleship in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION
The Invitation
This is the joyful feast of the people of God. People will come from north and south, from east and west to share in this feast in the kingdom of God. This is the table of the Lord, who invites us, and welcomes us, to share in this feast which he has prepared.
Come, when you are fearful, to be
made new in love.
Come, when you are doubtful, to be made strong in faith.
Come, when you are regretful, and be made whole.
Come, old and young, there is room for all.
Communion Hymn “Lord, We Have Come at Your Own Invitation” TPH #516
The Words of Institution
On the night before he died, Jesus came to the table with those he loved. He took bread, and gave thanks to God. He broke the bread among his disciples and said: ‘Take this, all of you, and eat it. This is my body, given for you.’ When the supper was ended, he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. He passed the cup among his disciples and said, ‘Take this, all of you, and drink from it. This is the cup of the new covenant sealed in my blood for the forgiveness of sin. Do this in remembrance of me.’
Now, whenever we eat and drink at this table, we celebrate Christ’s death and resurrection until he comes again.
The Great Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Holy God, you alone are holy, you alone are God. With joy we praise you and give you thanks. You brought light from darkness and drew land from the sea. You made us in your image to live with one another in love. You promised yourself in covenant with us, you told us your purpose in your law, and called for justice through the prophets. Through long generations you have been faithful to your people.
Holy, holy, holy Lord, the Lord God Almighty, who was and is, and is to come.
Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might
be to our God forever and ever!
In the fullness of time, you sent your Son, Jesus Christ, to preach good news to the afflicted, to break bread with the outcast and despised, and to ransom those in bondage to prejudice and sin. Remembering his love for us we proclaim the mystery of faith.
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us and on these gifts of bread and wine. Reveal yourself to us in the breaking of the bread. Raise us up as the body of Christ for the world. Breathe new life into us. Send us forth, burning with justice, peace and love. With all your holy ones of all times and places, we praise you, O God, blessed and holy Trinity, now and forever. Amen.
Prayer after Communion
Holy God, we thank you for this feast of grace and life. Send us out to answer the summons of our Lord Jesus Christ to a new life, and to follow him with joy and gladness. Set our feet in his holy way, that our lives may be signs of his life and all we do may show forth his love. AMEN
The Lord’s Prayer (sung)
Hymn “Today We All are Called to Be Disciples” TPH #434
CHARGE
Be open to the Holy Spirit’s leading and grow as a member of Christ’s body.
Love with God’s love, be at peace within yourself, make peace with others,
prepare for the coming kingdom. Worship God and God alone, Holy Three, Holy One, forever and always.
BLESSING
God surround you with love; Christ forgive you your sin; Holy Spirit fill you with eternal life
Postlude Days of Elijah” Mark
*The Book of Order, Foundations of Presbyterian Polity
**1 Cor. 12:27–28
***The Directory for Worship, pcusa