WESTPORT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH WORSHIP SERVICE
SEASON OF PENTECOST
September 21, 2025
PRELUDE: Two Dances (St. Patrick and Dierdre) Thomas Keesecker
CALL TO WORSHIP: (from Psalm 91)
One: When they call to me, I will answer them, says the Lord.
All: I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them.
One: With thanksgiving and praise, let us worship God.
OPENING HYMN: Bring Forth the Kingdom GTG#2190
UNISON CONFESSION OF OUR NEED OF GOD:
All: Spirit of God, Giver of Life, persuade us to rejoice. And pull us into larger lives. Afraid, we avoid taking chances. Cautious, we miss opportunities. Careful, we ignore the courageous act. Hesitant, we hold back. Forgive our fearful ways, and remind us of the beauty of lives lived full-throttle. In Christ’s name, Amen.
ASSURANCE OF GOD’S GRACE:
One: Jesus’ closest friends included those cowardly, faithless, and fickle. And he stayed with them, and they learned to be his disciples. So too with us: God’s Spirit poured out makes new lives possible. You are forgiven for what’s past and called to face the future in hope.
All: Thanks be to God!
SUNG RESPONSE: Halle, Halle, Hallelujah! (refrain, sing twice) GTG#591
[Kids’ Time Front of Sanctuary]
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: Nurturing God, you give life to all things and satisfy our desire for healing and wholeness. Send your Spirit upon us this day, that in the hearing of your word we may be pulled into more life.
All: Amen.
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Genesis 1:1-2 Romans 1:1-4 I Timothy 6:6-19
One: May God bless the reading of Holy Scripture.
All: Thanks be to God.
CHORAL ANTHEM: Keep Your Lamps! Andre Thomas
MESSAGE: The Spirit, the Giver of Life
NICENE CREED
All: We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and was made human. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried. The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom will never end.
And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life. He proceeds from the Father and the Son, and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. He spoke through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church. We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and to life in the world to come. Amen.
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN:Will You Come and Follow Me (The Summons) GTG#726
WELCOME: News In, Around, and Beyond the Community
SUNG PREPARATION FOR PRAYER: Come, Bring Your Burdens to God (sing twice) GTG#851
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE, BLESSINGS, AND THE LORD’S PRAYER:
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: We bring nothing into this world, and when we depart we will take nothing out of it.
All: All that we have is a gift from God. Therefore let us offer our lives to the Lord.
OFFERTORY SOLO: Sarah Baxter, alto
PRAYER OF DEDICATION:
One: We give you thanks and praise, Fount of all goodness, for every good gift comes from your hand: for food and clothing, for life and health, for family and friends, and for the gift of your grace. Make us rich in good works, always ready to share.
All: Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: We Are Marching in the Light of God (all verses, ending with Siyahamba verse) GTG#853
CHARGE AND BLESSING
POSTLUDE: I Want Jesus to Walk with Me arr. Mary McDonald
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 usually meets during the second half of worship in the in the 2nd floor Children’s Space, but is on break.
- Our MICROPHONE SOUND SYSTEM is under repair. We hope to have it fixed soon. If you have trouble hearing, please consider sitting near the front of the sanctuary.
- JOB OPENING: The church is looking to hire another PART TIME CUSTODIAN. This is a great opportunity for someone looking for some extra income with a flexible schedule. Tasks include things like taking out trash, cleaning and stocking restrooms, etc. If you know of anyone who might be interested, have them reach to Pastor Jared or Bobbie Testa.
- This is Emily Davidson’s last Sunday with us as our Music Director. We send our love and appreciation to her for the many years she has shared her musical talents with us. Next week will be Renee Zimmerman’s first Sunday joining us as our Bridge Music Director.
- A LETTER FROM EMILY:
September 7, 2025
Dear Westport Presbies,
I opted to write to you rather than to speak…I would be too emotional.
As I drove to church this morning and passed by the Villa, so many memories came flooding back—when I started playing here in 2014, I was supposed to play for a few months until the church’s new building was completed. After that, I forgot to leave! We went through the transition to our new building, Covid lockdown, too many losses of dear people to count, joyous weddings…
It’s been more than eleven years now and I cannot begin to tell you how much happiness this church brought to my life. I have tried to do my best for you—you’ve always done your best for the whole community and I appreciate all of you so much.
I’ll pray for you (I already do!) as you welcome your next chapter.
Emily
INREACH & OUTREACH IN THE COMING WEEK: (All Events are at the Church, 201 Westport Rd – unless noted)
- Monday, Sept. 22 6:30 p.m. Men’s AA Meeting (Storefront)
7:30 p.m. Boy Scout Troop 60 (Westport Rising Room) - Wednesday, Sept. 24 4:30 p.m. Centering Prayer and Silence – 20 min (Chapel)
- 6:30 p.m. Stewardship Committee Meeting (Online)
- 8:00 p.m. Mission & Outreach Committee Meeting (Zoom)
- Thursday, Sept. 25 5:30 p.m. Westport Showers – For Women, Trans, & Gender Non- conforming people (Basement)
- Friday, Sept. 26 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Resource Center Open (Storefront)
- 11:00 a.m. Sack Lunches Distributed (Storefront)
- 11:30 a.m. Children’s Mercy TIES Group (Sanctuary)
- Saturday, Sept. 27 8:30 a.m. Living Integrated (Men’s Support Group) (Storefront)
- 5:30 p.m. Westport Center for the Arts – Visual Art Exhibit: “It’s All About Color” Opening Reception (Chapel Gallery)
- Sunday, Sept. 28 8-9:30 a.m. Westport Showers (Fellowship Room & Basement)
- Connection Hour Small Groups:
9:40 a.m. “Overcoming Dumpster Fire Overwhelm”
10:00 a.m. Book Discussion Group - 11:00 a.m. Service of the Lord’s Day (Sanctuary)
Nursery Care (Upstairs Children’s Room)
12:15 p.m. Choir Rehearsal (Sanctuary)
LOOKING AHEAD:
Tuesday, Sept. 30 SPECIAL ELECTION (Fellowship Room)
Saturday, Oct. 4 7:00 p.m. KC English Dance (Westport Rising Room)
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 Fridays in the RESOURCE CENTER and Sundays as part of WESTPORT SHOWERS. Food donations of bread, fruit, meat, cheese, peanut butter are always needed.
- BOARD MEMBERS NEEDED: Westport Center for the Arts is seeking board members who are interested in helping us keep community arts alive in Westport. We are a volunteer board who meets monthly (usually on the 4th Saturday of the month at 10 am) to work on planning programming, fundraising, community partnerships, and marketing. With the recent loss of our board president, we need people who are willing to fill some leadership roles within the organization. Our programming includes Monthly Brown Bag Concerts, Independent Professional Theater, The Dancing Word (poetry & dance) and Visual Art Exhibits. If you have an interest in the arts or know anyone who may be interested in serving on the board, please contact us at [email protected]. Support from our community is needed to keep our organization thriving.
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