God Moves

God Moves

WESTPORT RISING WORSHIP SERVICE
EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
July 14, 2024

(Video will be posted LIVE on the church’s FB page at 11am and then cross-posted here afterwards.  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) 

 

The light of Christ comes to share and illumine our worship.

WORDS OF WELCOME                                                                             Pastor Susan Wesley Hartley
PRELUDE:   Lord of the Dance                                           Shaker melody. Adapted by Sydney Carter and arranged by Mark Hayes
OPENING SCRIPTURE:   2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19                                       Drew Irwin, Liturgist
OPENING HYMN: Let Us Build a House   GTG#301
RESPONSIVE CALL TO WORSHIP: (Psalm 85: 8-13)

Leader:     Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
People:    Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.
Leader:     Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
People:    Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky.
Leader:    The Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.
All:           Righteousness will go before him and will make a path for his steps. 

UNISON PRAYER OF CONFESSION OF OUR NEED OF GOD:

     God of perfect love, You continually bring forth life, Transforming sadness to joy, And despair to hope.  We are weak, but you are strong.  Our ways are flawed, but your ways are true.  We are seldom right, but you are never wrong. Forgive us, redeem us, transform us. Take away the sin that burdens us, And restore us to the people you would have us be, For the sake of Jesus Christ our Savior.   Amen.

SUNG RESPONSE:  Amazing Grace (stanzas 1 &2)   GTG#649
ASSURANCE OF PARDON:

Leader:     Relentlessly God seeks us out. With abundant grace and boundless mercy, God seeks us out. This is good news!
ALL:           In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven! 

SUNG RESPONSE:  Amazing Grace (stanzas 3-5)   GTG#649
SHARING THE PEACE OF CHRIST: 

     Pastor:      The grace, peace, love and joy of Jesus Christ be with you.
     People:    And also with you.
     Pastor:      Let us share the peace of Christ with one another.

CHORAL ANTHEM:   Lamb of God                                                      Twila Paris, arr. Kyle Johnson
UNISON PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION: 

Gracious God, illuminate these words by your Spirit that we might hear what you would have us hear and be who you would have us be, for the sake of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. Amen.

SCRIPTURE READING:   Ephesians 1: 1-14
MESSAGE:   God Moves                                Pastor Susan Wesley Hartley
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN:  Seek Ye First   GTG#175
WELCOMING, NEWS IN, AROUND, AND BEYOND THE COMMUNITY
SUNG PREPARATION FOR PRAYER:  Come, Bring Your Burdens to God   GTG#851
JOYS AND CONCERNS, PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION,  THE LORD’S PRAYER (Our Father, Mother God, who art in heaven…)
INVITATION TO GIVE:
Pastor:  With gratitude for God’s faithfulness, and with thanksgiving for all that we have received, let us offer our gifts to God.
                 Offering link
OFFERTORY SOLO:   There Is a Time (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)        Craig Courtney,         Sarah Baxter, alto
UNISON PRAYER OF DEDICATION: 

O God, with faith and hope we offer these gifts.  Use them, even as you use us, to accomplish your purposes in Jesus Christ the Head of the church and the Lord of our lives.  Amen.

CLOSING HYMN:   I Danced in the Morning     GTG#157
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION TO THE CONGREGATION
BENEDICTION RESPONSE:   Lead Me, Guide Me (refrain only, sing twice)   GTG#740
POSTLUDE:   Toccata on “Amazing Grace”                                                       J. Christopher Pardini 

The Light of Christ leads us out into Westport and the World.

 

A WESTPORT WARM WELCOMING!

  • WELCOME! MEMBERS! NEWCOMERS! FRIENDS!  We are so glad you could join us for worship today! VISITORS, please take a moment to let us know you were here by picking up an attendance card (in the pews) and filling out whatever information you would like to share with us.
  • WELCOME FAMILIES! Children’s Sunday School meets in the 2nd floor Children’s Space, Sunday mornings during the 1st half of worship, beginning at 11:00 am. NURSERY care is also available upstairs. Parents are asked to fill out a brief registration form before church begins. (This form only needs to be filled out once).
  • The Session has approved the IPNC’s recommendation of Rev. Dr. Jared Witt to serve as our next Interim Pastor. He will begin on Aug 1. In his work as an “interim pastor,” Jared’s work focuses on helping the congregations prepare for the next chapter of life and ministry. This work involves strategic planning, pastoral care, staff leadership, preaching and teaching. As a theologian, pastor, and licensed therapist, Jared finds joy in exploring the many ways that God’s love leads us into deeply satisfying lives. His recent interests include organizational change, risk-taking, and the ways spirituality can sustain justice work by cultivating values like curiosity and playfulness.  Originally from Kansas, Jared earned his M.Div. from Yale Divinity School and his Ph.D. from the Religious Studies Department at Yale. He has served congregations in Connecticut, New York, and Kansas. Following nine years as pastor of First Presbyterian in Fort Scott, KS, Jared served for two and a half years as interim pastor at Second Presbyterian in Kansas City, MO. Jared teaches in the D.Min. program at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, sees a few clients when he can, and leads suicide prevention training in schools.  Jared enjoys pickleball, golf, cooking, travel, reading, the NBA, and walking the dog (when the weather is good). Jared is married to Stephanie, who is the principal at Brookridge Elementary School. They have three boys: Henry and wife Hunter, Oliver (a senior at KU), and Remy (a senior at Shawnee Mission South).
  • Pastor Susan’s last Sunday leading our worship service will be August 4, and Jared Witt will join her in co-leading the service.

 

MISSION & OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES:

  • 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 tennis shoes, pants. Backpacks!
  • WESTPORT SHOWERS is looking for additional volunteers to help with Sunday mornings. With the increase in guests, we would like to have teams of 2 volunteers upstairs working together at the door and 2 downstairs working in the shower/laundry room each Sunday. You would be working with experienced volunteers who can train you in what is needed. If you would like to help, and are willing to volunteer 1 Sunday morning a month, reach out to Drew Irwin or Allison Rozga for more information.
  • WEEKDAY LUNCH VOLUNTEERS. We could use a few more people to help with making and handing out weekday lunches. Please contact the church office for more information.
  • The RESOURCE CENTER (Tuesdays & Thursdays in the Storefront) will be closed on Tuesday, July 16 as Kate will be out of town. Lunches (upstairs) will still be available.

  

INREACH & OUTREACH IN THE COMING WEEK:  (All Events are at the Church, 201 Westport Rd – unless noted)

  •      Monday, July 15                 4:30 p.m.         Freditation will not meet this week
  •                                                 6:30 p.m.         Men’s AA Meeting (Storefront)
  •                                                 7:30 p.m.         Boy Scout Troop 60 (Westport Rising Room)
  •      Tuesday, July 16                6:00 p.m.         Irish Dance (Westport Rising Room)
  •      Wednesday, July 17           7:00 p.m.         Zoom Bible Study – contact church office for link (Online)
  •                                                8:00 p.m.         Mission & Outreach Committee Meeting (Zoom)
  •      Thursday, July 18               10:00 a.m.       Resource Center Open (Storefront)
  •                                                5:30 p.m.         Westport Showers – For Women, Trans, & Gender Non- conforming people (Basement)
  •      Saturday, July 20               8:30 a.m.         Living Integrated (Men’s Support Group) (Storefront)
  •      Sunday, July 21                  8-9:30 a.m.      Westport Showers (Fellowship Room & Basement)
  •                                                11:00 a.m.       Service of the Lord’s Day (Sanctuary) 

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