CCLI license #1913561
Sunday, August 9, 2020
Lakeview P.C. pastors are participating with the Circle of Faith pastors in a joint ‘live-streamed’ service which can be viewed via http://facebook.com/circlestpete at 11:00 a.m. and/or http://circle.faith/youtube at a later time. Circle of Faith also streams a Contemporary service with Communion each week and can be viewed at 10:00 am via http://facebook.com/circlestpete
Opening Prayer
God speaks peace to the faithful, to those who turn to God in their hearts. Where God dwells, steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other. The peace God speaks envelops us with wholeness, restores balance, and repairs all brokenness.
Let us worship the Lord, our God.
Music Be Thou My Vision-Ancient Irish Poem
1 Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
naught be all else to me, save that thou art--
Thou my best thought by day or by night,
waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.
2 Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise.
Thou my inheritance now and always.
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart.
Great God of heaven, my treasure Thou art.
3 Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word;
I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord;
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall.
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
Declaring our Need for God’s Grace (from Romans 10)
God makes no distinctions among us; the same Lord is Lord of all. Indeed, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Confessing our sins, we depend on God’s generosity and grace.
Prayer of Confession
Gracious God, you call us to step out in faith, trusting in you for all things.
We respond to your command but then sink in doubt and fear.
Forgive us, we pray, when we confess with our lips but do not trust in our hearts.
Lift us out of our fear into the arms of your mercy.
Though we are distracted by noise all around, allow us to hear your voice even when
it is the sound of sheer silence. . . .
(a moment of silence)
We pray in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Proclaiming the Grace of God
This is the good news we believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths: in Jesus Christ we are forgiven!
Reading from the Psalms Psalm 102 NKJ
A Prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the LORD
Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come to You. Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble; Incline Your ear to me; In the day that I call, answer me speedily. For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned like a hearth. My heart is stricken and withered like grass, So that I forget to eat my bread. Because of the sound of my groaning my bones cling to my skin. I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am like an owl of the desert. I lie awake, and am like a sparrow alone on the housetop. My enemies reproach me all day long, those who deride me swear an oath against me. For I have eaten ashes like bread, And mingled my drink with weeping, because of Your indignation and Your wrath; for You have lifted me up and cast me away. My days are like a shadow that lengthens, and I wither away like grass.
But You, O LORD, shall endure forever, and the remembrance of Your name to all generations. You will arise and have mercy on Zion; for the time to favor her, Yes, the set time, has come. For Your servants take pleasure in her stones, and show favor to her dust. So the nations shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth Your glory. For the LORD shall build up Zion; He shall appear in His glory. He shall regard the prayer of the destitute, and shall not despise their prayer. This will be written for the generation to come, that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD. For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary; from heaven the LORD viewed the earth, To hear the groaning of the prisoner, to release those appointed to death, to declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and His praise in Jerusalem, when the peoples are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.
He weakened my strength in the way; He shortened my days. I said, "O my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days; Your years are throughout all generations. Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will endure; Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; like a cloak You will change them, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will have no end. The children of Your servants will continue, and their descendants will be established before You."
A Reading from the Letter to the Philippians 1:27-30NKJ
Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.
Sermon “From Anxiety to Action” Rev Adam Gray
Music OUR GOD IS GREATER BY CHRIS TOMLIN
Water You turned into wine, opened the eyes of the blind
there's no one like You, none like You!
Into the darkness You shine, out of the ashes we rise
there's no one like You, none like You!
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God, You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God! Our God!
Into the darkness You shine, out of the ashes we rise
there's no one like You, none like You!
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God, You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God! Our God!
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God, You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God! Our God!
And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against?
And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against?
Then what could stand against?
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God, You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God! Our God!
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God, You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God! Our God!
And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against?
And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against?
Then what could stand against?
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God, You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God! Our God!
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God, You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God! Our God!
Our God is greater.
Prayer
Gracious God, your word is very near, on our lips and in our hearts. Send us in joy to bring this word to others who also need the good news and the peace it brings,. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
A Statement about Offering our Gifts (One way to donate money is to use the "Donate Now" button on the main page of this website.)
Almighty God, in this time of global pandemic, when patterns of behavior which have been familiar to us are overturned and we face an uncertain future, we realize that we still have the personal gifts you gave us at conception and the skills we have developed over time. Help us to recognize those gifts and realize new ways to use them in service to you through service to others. In Christ’s name. Amen
Benediction
May the steadfast love and faithfulness of God surround you;
the peace of Christ enfold you;
and the Holy Spirit encourage you,
now and forever. AMEN
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
When we are facing a great difficulty, do we doubt ourselves? Do we doubt God’s power? How can we regain our focus?