Staying Flexible During Life’s Transitions

WESTPORT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH WORSHIP SERVICE
15^th Sunday after Pentecost
September 6, 2026

PRELUDE:   We Shall Walk Through the Valley                                                           arr. F. Ritter
CALL TO WORSHIP:   (from Psalm 119:33-40)                                        Riva Capellari, liturgist 

One:         Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes,
All:           and I will observe it to the end.
One:         Give me understanding,
All:           that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.
One:         Lead me in the path of your commandments,
All:           for I delight in it.
One:         Turn my heart to your decrees;
All:           in your righteousness be gracious to me. 

OPENING HYMN: Come, Labor On (verses 1, 2, 3)       Glory to God  #719
UNISON CONFESSION OF OUR NEED OF GOD: 

All:           God of our hearts and of pir whole lives, we spend too much time formulating opinions, expressing approval or disapproval, liking or not liking the people we meet and the situations we encounter. Free us from this prison of our own babbling commentary. Free us so that we can welcome the messy, unpredictable world for what it is. Help us to reserve our best energy for gladness and for serving others. Move us from outrage and complaint into courage and kindness. Renew our hearts and reclaim our hope,  we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

ASSURANCE OF GOD’S GRACE:   (from Exodus 34:6)

One:         The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, calling all to turn from sin, and live. By the grace of God, our sins are forgiven.
All:           Thanks be to God! 

SUNG RESPONSE:   I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me (verses 1, 2)   Glory to God  #700
SHARING THE PEACE OF CHRIST: 

One:         The peace of Christ be with you.
All:           And also with you.
 One:         Let’s share the peace of Christ with one another.

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION: 

One:         Holy Spirit, open our eyes and our ears, our minds and our hearts, that we may hear your Word, walk in your ways, and truly live.
All:           Amen.

SCRIPTURE READINGS:      Exodus 12:1-14

¹The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, ² “This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. ³ Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household. ⁴ If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one; the lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat of it. ⁵ Your lamb shall be without blemish, a year-old male; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. ⁶ You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembled congregation of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight. ⁷ They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. ⁸ They shall eat the lamb that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. ⁹ Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water but roasted over the fire, with its head, legs, and inner organs. ¹⁰ You shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn with fire. ¹¹ This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand, and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the Passover of the Lord. ¹² I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from human to animal, and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. ¹³ The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. ¹⁴ “This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance.

Romans 13:8-14

⁸ Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. ⁹ The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; you shall not murder; you shall not steal; you shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. ¹¹ Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is already the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; ¹² the night is far gone; the day is near. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; ¹³ let us walk decently as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in illicit sex and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. ¹⁴ Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

One:         May God bless the reading of Holy Scripture.
All:           Thanks be to God.

VIDEO MESSAGE:   Staying Flexible During Life’s Transitions  
MOMENT FOR SILENT REFLECTION
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN:    For the Fruit of All Creation     Glory to God #36
WELCOME: News In, Around, and Beyond the Community
SUNG PREPARATION FOR PRAYER:   Lord, Prepare Me (sing 2x)      Glory to God  #701
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE LORD’S PRAYER:

All:           Our Mother and Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen. 

THE OFFERING OF OURSELVES/INVITATION TO GIVE: 

One:          The Christian life – a life of following Jesus – is a life of response. We respond freely to what the God who reconciles all things has already done and given to us, in Jesus Christ. All that we have belongs to God. Let us give what we can, with thanksgiving and joy.

OFFERTORY:   Poor Wayfaring Stranger                 arr. Althouse                             Nico Caruso, tenor 

PRAYER OF DEDICATION: 

One:          Generous God, we give because you gave. We love because you first loved us.  Receive our gifts and our lives, and use them, we pray, for your reconciling work in the world you love.
All:           Amen. 

CLOSING HYMN:  All Who Love and Serve Your City (verses 1, 2, 4)              Glory to God#351
CHARGE AND BLESSING:

One:         May the Creator who made the light, the Christ who is the light, and the Spirit who ignites the light within abide with you and all creation now and always.

POSTLUDE:   God’s Trumpet Call        G. Blake

 

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! NURSERY care is available in the upstairs children’s space. Parents are asked to fill out a brief registration form before church begins. (This form only needs to be filled out once). Children’s Sunday School will meet during the second half of worship in the in the 2nd floor Children’s Space. Children are invited to remain in the service until the “Time for Young Disciples” and then go upstairs for the remainder of the service.
• HEARING ASSISTANCE DEVICES available upon request. Talk to Deanna up in the front of the sanctuary at the livestream table if you would like to use one.
• CHILDREN’S CHOIR PRACTICE: Kids that want to sing with the choir are invited to join Renee in the front of the sanctuary on Sunday mornings from 10:00-10:25 a.m. 

MISSION & OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES:

• WESTPORT SHOWERS happens on Sunday mornings & Thursday nights. Items Needed for our CLOTHING CLOSET include: Sneakers, T-shirts, Underwear (Men’s Boxer Briefs), Socks, Women’s pants/shorts size 0-8, Men’s pants/shorts size 28-40, Bandaids, Sweatpants, Leggings, Belts, Backpacks, Body wash, Sports bras, & Washcloths.
• 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.
• We are giving out lunches on Thursdays in the RESOURCE CENTER and Sundays as part of WESTPORT SHOWERS. Food donations of fruit cups, meat, cheese, peanut butter, squeeze jelly are always needed. 

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

• Monday, Sept. 7                                         LABOR DAY HOLIDAY (Church Office Closed)
  6:30 p.m.         Men’s AA Meeting (Fellowship Room)
• Tuesday, Sept. 8                 4:30 p.m.         Centering Prayer and Silence – 20 min (Chapel)
  5:15 p.m.         Session Meeting (Fellowship Room)
• Thursday, Sept. 10             11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m        Resource Center Open & Sack Lunches Distributed.        (Fellowship Room)
  5:30 p.m.         Westport Showers – For Women, Trans, & Gender Non- conforming people (Basement)
• Friday, Sept. 11                  11:30 a.m.       Children’s Mercy TIES Group (Fellowship Room)
• Saturday, Sept. 12              8:30 a.m.         Private Rental – Meeting (Living Room/Library)
  10:00 a.m.       Cub Scout Pack 2025 (Westport Rising Room)
• Sunday, Sept. 13                                        CHOIR RESUMES – Welcome Back Singers!
  6:30-9:00 a.m.  Westport Showers (Fellowship Room & Basement)
  10:00 a.m.       Book Discussion Group
  10:00 a.m.       Children’s Choir Rehearsal (Sanctuary)
  11:00 a.m.       Service of the Lord’s Day (Sanctuary)
  Children’s Sunday School/Nursery Care (Upstairs Children’s Room)
  12:15 p.m        Choir Rehearsal (Sanctuary)
  3-6:00 p.m.      MO Workers Center Event: Art Build (Fellowship Room)                      

LOOKING AHEAD:

• Friday, Sept. 18                  12 noon           WCA Brown Bag Concert Series: Mu Phi Epsilon Professional Music Fraternity 100th Anniversary (Sanctuary)
• Sunday, Sept. 20                4:00 p.m.         Installation Service for Pastor Jared Witt (Sanctuary)                                         Reception to Follow

PROTECTION AT THE POLLS:  Election information from Riva Capellari

• The Elections Clause, in Article 1, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution, provides that   “The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of [choosing] Senators.”
• 18 U.S.C. § 592 explicitly prohibits any U.S. civil, military, or naval officer from bringing, keeping, or having control of troops or armed men at any polling place during an election. The statute reads as follows:
  Troops at polls
  Whoever, being an officer of the Army or Navy, or other person in the civil, military, or naval service of the United States, orders, brings, keeps, or has under his authority or control any troops or armed men at any place where a general or special election is held, unless such force be necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both; and be disqualified from holding any office of honor, profit, or trust under the United States.
• Voter Intimidation is a Federal Crime   Your Rights at the Polls
  No one can agressively question you about your citizenship, criminal record, or qualifications to vote.
  It is illegal to display misleading signs about voter fraud or spread false information about voter requirements.
  It is against the law for someone to falsely claim they are an election official.
• If you make a mistake on your ballot, you may ask for a new one.
• You can report intimidation to the Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE and to your local election board on election day.