God is still working

Westport Presbyterian Church   1835 – present
Season of Pentecost
World Communion Sunday
October 1, 2023­

Celebration of Holy Communion & Holy Community
Westport Presbyterian Church — October 1, 2023   11 a.m.
(A Unique Place and Space on the Planet Earth)

(Video will be posted LIVE on the church’s FB page at 11am and then cross-posted here.  If the video doesn’t load properly here, you should be able to click on the Watch on Facebook link and watch as a guest, even if you don’t have Facebook)

PRELUDE:   Sonata in G minor: Spiritoso       Giovanni Pescetti
RESPONSIVE CALL TO RETURN TO OUR SOULS: 

Leader:     To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
People:    O My God, in You I trust.
Leader:     Do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me.
People:    Make me to know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths.
Leader:     Lead me in Your truth, and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation;
People:    For You I wait all day long.
ALL:         Be mindful of Your mercy, O LORD, and of Your steadfast love.  For they have been from old. According to Your steadfast love, remember me.    Amen.    –Psalm 25 

CONGREGATIONAL HYMN:  Faith Begins by Letting Go   GTG#684
UNISON CALL TO CONFESS OUR LACK OF WILL TO CONFRONT EVIL, THEN COMMIT TO TRANSCEND THIS SELF DEFEATING MINDSET: 

Confrontation is not bad. Goodness is supposed to confront evil. Our silence is complicity. The best thing we can do is be a servant of God. It does good to stand up and serve others. We will no longer stand back while the future beckons us on! The eyes of the world have been focused on us, and somehow we are led to believe racial segregation will end in this country. We are a fire you cannot put out. Amen. 
            —Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, founder, Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights —  Co-founder with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, Bayard Rustin (pioneering Black gay rights leader) and Rev. Dr. Ralph Abernathy — of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) 

AFFIRMING OF HEALING, SAVING POWER OF GOD:   Jesus, We Are Here (English and Shona stanzas)  GTG#392
PASSING OF PEACE: 

Pastor:      The peace of Christ be with you.
People:    And also with you.
Pastor:      Let us share the peace of Christ with each other.

BIBLE READINGS:   Psalm 25: 1-10;   Matthew 21: 23-32;   Philippians 2: 1-13
CHORAL ANTHEM:   If Ye Love Me      Thomas Tallis
SERMON:   “God is still working”
SUNG PREPARATION FOR COMMUNION:  Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ   GTG#526
SERVICE OF HOLY COMMUNION: 

Pastor:      Let’s gather around this planet friendly, holy table, With holy bread & drink
People:    The promise of Christ coming alive among us
     Pastor:      This is the welcome table of God where all who intend to experience the non-physical spiritual dimension of life—
People:    And live in relationships of freedom and peace with neighbors!
     Pastor:      Hunger no more! Come to eat! Here, all who longs for otherwise elusive grace
People:    May enjoy the strong love of God in Jesus Christ.
     Pastor:      Here you are embraced and held by Self Emptying Love!—
People:    One of God’s great and holy names!
     Pastor:      Come to drink, you are invited into this holy mystery.
People:    We are ready!
     Pastor:      Jesus said: “I am the bread of life. All who come to me shall not hunger, and all who believe in me shall never be thirsty.”
     People:   We are hungry for Your Love, O God, We are thirsty for Your Deep Peace, O Lamb of God. We seek an unusual gift— an experience of wonder and joy.
     Pastor:      Come in, Holy Spirit. Open our eyes to the mystery of The living Christ’s presence in our midst. Through the broken bread…
     People:    We are becoming the Body of Christ—
     Pastor:      Feeding the hungry!
     People:    Giving showers and clothes to people who are homeless and extremely poor!
     Pastor:    Becoming anti-racist! Getting into Good Trouble!
     People:    Let us praise and pray to God by singing an African hymn!       

CONGREGATIONAL SUNG PRAYER:  Come, Bring Your Burdens to God (SING TWICE)   GTG#851
Pastor:     Lift up names of people we wish to pray for, concluding with The Lord’s Prayer (Glory to God, page 35)…
BREAKING & SHARING OF BREAD, POURING & SHARING OF WINE

Pastor:      The Grace, Peace, Love and Joy of Jesus Christ be with you.
People:    And also with you.
Pastor:      Let us pray the prayer of thanksgiving together….
ALL:         Gracious, loving God, You have called us to become a body of Christ. Thank you for filling us amidst hunger &thirst. Now send us into the world to do the great work You have called us to do—Find the lost & lonely! Heal wounded souls! Free people, including ourselves, who are not at all free! Give compassion to the vulnerable & marginalized! Love Beauty, Planet & Sky, persist in resisting evil, share by how we live the Message of Jesus, Who is The Light in the World.  Amen.

WELCOMING
OFFERTORY:   Prayer (from Nightsongs)   text: Langston Hughes,    Emma Witbolsfeugen, soprano         music: H. Leslie Adams
                 Offering link
UNISON PRAYER OF DEDICATION: 

May our giving change us. May our giving change our church. May our giving change the fate of just one person. May our giving  travel a long ways beyond us and make Your Realm of Love larger. And may our giving travel deep inside of us and make us more humble. Amen.

CONGREGATIONAL HYMN:    Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness   GTG#291
BENEDICTION
SUNG BENEDICTION RESPONSE:  Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness (refrain only)   GTG#291
POSTLUDE:   Chanson d’automne (Autumn Song)                                                 Stephen Reynolds

A WESTPORT WARM WELCOMING!

• We are mourning the sudden death, August 26, of our beloved pastor Rev. Scott Myers. We welcome Rev. Susan Wesley Hartley who is leading our worship service today.
• We welcome BENJAMIN RUIZ who is singing in our choir this morning!
• If you need pastoral care, please contact the church office. Rev. Eric Garbision has volunteered to be on call and available to the congregation.

• Bread, Buns, Fruit, Water, Meat, Peanut Butter, Cheese are always needed for our INTERRUPT HUNGER work. WESTPORT SHOWERS happens on Sundays & Thursday nights. Men’s boxer brief underwear needed. Men’s and Women’s shoes. Backpacks!

• Children’s Sunday School is back in action in the redesigned 2nd floor Children’s Space, teaching & learning will emphasize Care for the Earth, Sky and all God’s creation. Sunday mornings during the 1st half of worship, beginning at 11:00 am.
• Join us for Friendship Time before and after worship with snacks and coffee. Starts at 10:20 am in the main hallway. Continues after worship. Time for spontaneous friendship interaction! Smile.

• Stan Morgan’s art exhibit continues in our church gallery spaces. Tell your friends, neighbors, family, co-workers to come and see the amazing lifetime works of this great artist and human being!

INREACH & OUTREACH IN THE COMING WEEK:  (All Events are at the Church, 201 Westport Rd – unless noted)
     Monday, Oct. 2                  4:30 p.m.         FREDitation – a centering prayer experience – 20 min (Chapel)
                                               7:30 p.m.         Boy Scout Troop 60 (Westport Rising Room)
6:30 p.m.         Men’s AA Meeting (Storefront)
     Tuesday, Oct. 3                  7:00 p.m.         Irish Dance (Westport Rising Room)
Friday, Oct. 6                     10:00 a.m.       Children’s Mercy Healthy Families Group (Fellowship Room)
Saturday, Oct. 7                 8:30 a.m.         Living Integrated (Men’s Support Group) (Storefront)
7:00 p.m.         KC English Dance (Westport Rising Room)
     Sunday, Oct. 8                   8-9:30 a.m.      Westport Showers (Fellowship Room & Basement)
10:20 a.m.       Friendship Time – coffee & snacks – before & after worship     (Fellowship Hallway)
                                              11:00 a.m.       Service of the Lord’s Day: Steve Zeoli, worship leader (Sanctuary)
Children’s Sunday School (Upstairs Children’s Room)
                                              12:15 p.m.       Choir Rehearsal (Santuary)

LOOKING AHEAD:
     Wednesday, Oct. 11           6:30 p.m.         Zoom Bible Study – contact church office for link (Online)  *meets every other week*
     Saturday, Oct. 14               7:00 p.m.         Westport Concert Series: Anne Marie Rigler, organist (Sanctuary)