Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship Psalm 95 O come, let us sing to the Lord! Shout to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into God’s presence with thanksgiving, singing joyful songs of praise. *Hymn Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God, Almighty! Glory to God 1 Prayer of Confession Mighty and merciful God, you have called us to be your people and claimed us for the service of Jesus Christ. We confess that we have not lived up to our calling. We have been timid and frightened disciples, forgetful of your powerful presence, ignoring the strength of your Spirit among us. O God, forgive us in our weakness, strengthen us anew, and gift us with everything we need to fulfill our common calling, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Take, O Take Me As I Am Glory to God 698 Assurance of Forgiveness The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting. I declare to you, in the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. May the God of mercy, who forgives all your sins, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, keep you in eternal life. Amen. Old Testament Reading Psalm 103 Time With Our Young Disciples New Testament Reading 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 Morning Message I read a church ministry article this week that was supposed to be encouraging, but, it rubbed me the wrong way. The article addressed service and leadership in the church, which is something with which we are all concerned. Our whole service today is built around it. God has called several of our members to particular roles. They will take vows to serve and we will make vows to support them. We will ask God to bless all our efforts in advancing God’s kingdom here in Barboursville. That’s what we’re about. But, the article spoke to the method used to call church folks to service. The writer said, in seeking help for our varied ministries, the church is more like amateur sports than professional sports. In amateur sports you play with whoever shows up. In professional sports you have resources that allow you to draft and trade and fund big salaries and lavish perks on your players. In other words, if you have the goods, you can get whoever you want to get the job done. In the church you’re stuck with whoever gets out of bed and makes it to church on time. Our task then is to somehow inspire people to greatness and be thankful for the attempt. Ok. I can agree that churches rely on a volunteer work force. That’s a fact. And, in seeking to call competent people to the Lord’s work, we may not readily see who has what gifts. But, there’s an important difference: in the church, or at least every church I’ve been a part of, what qualifies people for service is not their resume or pedigree. What qualifies any of us is our faith and devotion to Jesus Christ, his church and his people. Have you ever been recruited to serve on a committee or help with a project, and at the first meeting, you are overwhelmed with the vast nature of the job? You think, “There’s so much to do. I don’t know the first thing about this, and I’m pretty sure no one else does either.” But, somehow, through honest effort and a will to succeed, and maybe a lot of elbow grease, the work is done, the tasks are completed, and the project is declared a success. The committee is dismissed with thanks. Not all church work is pleasant. Sometimes it’s fraught with emotional or physical landmines threatening to blow. I was once tapped to lead an administrative commission to investigate problems that were deeply dividing one of our churches. I had never done this, didn’t know where to start. But, to my surprise, as the AC met, the personalities of the members emerged, their gifts emerged. Lawyers who guided our research, a counselor who showed us how to communicate effectively, a forensic accountant who ferreted out deposits and receipts and missing checks and eventually over $100,000. We had one goal: to bring order and healing to a broken church. It took time and laboring over details. And about three years later, we celebrated with a church that had experienced a real renaissance. My point is that it is no accident that we are here today. God called us here. Each one of us. And those whom God calls, God equips. Whatever is needed for Kuhn Memorial Presbyterian Church to be a witness for Christ is here and it is enough. One of my all-time favorite books is Christy, by Catherine Marshall. I read it first as a teenager and it was influential in my own call. Catherine Marshall’s mother had served as a teacher in a missionary school in Tennessee. Christy is the story of her life and faith. The excerpt may be found in Christy, by Catherine Marshall. *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed Glory to God p. 35 Service of Ordination and Installation Through the voice of the church, God has called the following members to ordained and active service: Clara Adkins, Hala Mosrie Through the voice of the church, God has called the following member to return to ordained and active service: Mary Minichan Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Prayer of Dedication Blessed are you, O God of all creation; through your goodness, we have these gifts to share. Accept and use our offerings for your glory and for the service of your church. Amen. *Hymn I, the Lord of Sea and Sky (Here I Am, Lord) Glory to God 69 *Blessing Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Alleluia! Amen. *Postlude Announcements Elder of the Month Nancy McIntosh Birthdays and Anniversaries Comments are closed.
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PastorCinda Harkless Archives
July 2024
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