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August 22

CCLI license #1913561

Lakeview Presbyterian Church
Service of the Word for August 22, 2021
Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Prelude:                   “As the Deer”                            Nystrom

As the deer pants for the water So my soul longs after you.
You alone are my heart's desire And I long to worship you.

(refrain)
You alone are my strength, my shield, To You alone may my spirit yield.
You alone are my heart's desire And I long to worship Thee

Call to Worship   based on Psalm 105

O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples!
    Sing to him, sing praises to him, tell of all his wonderful works.
Glory in his holy name.
    Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually.
    He is mindful of his covenant forever, of the word that he commanded, for a  thousand generations.
Praise the Lord!!

Opening Prayer

Holy God, creator, redeemer and sustainer, you show your power in whirling galaxies and unseen forces. You show your love in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Drive out the evils that threaten to break our spirits and help us to rely on your all-sufficient grace, as we pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen

Hymn  “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”      TPH #260

Call to Confession:
Through Christ we have been assured of God’s steadfast love and mercy. Let us confess our sin to God before one another.

Prayer of Confession

Holy God, in Christ you have adopted us as your beloved children, but we fail to appreciate our acceptance into your household or know what that means. Jesus has made known to us God’s will for our lives and for the world, but we often do not follow his teachings or his example. Bring us to repentance, Lord, and restore us to a right relationship with you and with one another…    
                  Silent Prayer  
We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

Declaration of Forgiveness     (Responsive)                  

In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting our trespasses against us, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.
In Jesus Christ our sins are forgiven. Allelulia!

Prayer for Illumination

Eternal God, by the power of your Spirit speak your Word to us this day, that hearing, we may know your truth and live ever more faithfully for you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Reading from the Epistles        Romans 8:22-39 The Good News Version
We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose. Those whom God had already chosen he also set apart to become like his Son, so that the Son would be the first among many believers. And so those whom God set apart, he called; and those he called, he put right with himself, and he shared his glory with them. In view of all this, what can we say? If God is for us, who can be against us? Certainly not God, who did not even keep back his own Son, but offered him for us all! He gave us his Son—will he not also freely give us all things? Who will accuse God's chosen people? God himself declares them not guilty! Who, then, will condemn them? Not Christ Jesus, who died, or rather, who was raised to life and is at the right side of God, pleading with him for us! Who, then, can separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble do it, or hardship or persecution or hunger or poverty or danger or death? As the scripture says,
         “For your sake we are in danger of death at all times;
          we are treated like sheep that are going to be slaughtered.” 
No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us! For I am certain that nothing can separate us from his love: neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor the future, neither the world above nor the world below—there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Hymn (please remain seated) “O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go” TPH #384

Reading from the Gospel of Luke 8:26-39

Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn] no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me”— for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” He said, “Legion”; for many demons had entered him. They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss.

Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country.Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus] sent him away, saying, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.

Sermon:   “Love and Grace Confront Strangeness and Fear”    The Rev. Lois Lehman

Sermon by The Rev. Lois Lehman

Statement of Faith from The Book of Order of the PCUSA, “Foundations…F1.01”

The mission of God in Christ gives shape and substance to the life and work of the Church. In Christ, the Church participates in God’s mission for the transformation of creation and humanity by proclaiming to all people the good news of God’s love, offering to all people the grace of God at font and table, and calling all people to discipleship in Christ. Human beings have no higher goal in life than to glorify and enjoy God now and forever, living in covenant fellowship with God and participating in God’s mission.

Sharing of Joys and Concerns

Pastoral Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer The following is a modern, ecumenical, version of the Lord’s Prayer, but feel free to use whichever version of the Lord’s Prayer is most meaningful to you.

  Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.  For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever.  Amen.

Statement about Offering our Gifts 
We give thanks in word and song to God, who makes us glad and gives us joy because of all that God has done. We enact our thanksgiving through these tithes and offerings. May God put to good use what we give today.

      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 Dedication

Hymn    “Eternal God, Whose Power Upholds           TPH # 412

Announcements

CHARGE/ BENEDICTION

Equipped with every gift for the work of ministry, go in peace to serve the world.
May God, Creator, Christ, and Holy Spirit, continue to provide every good gift and fill you with all good things, for today and forever.

Postlude                “Days of Elijah”                         Mark