Worship

The Bible doesn’t give a formal definition of worship. But perhaps we can start by seeing what various words for worship mean. The English word "worship" comes from two Old English words: weorth, which means "worth," and scipe or ship, which means something like shape or "quality." We can see the Old English word -ship in modern words like friendship and sportsmanship – that’s the quality of being a friend, or the quality of being a good sport.

So worth-ship is the quality of having worth or of being worthy. When we worship, we are saying that God has worth, that he is worthy. Worship means to declare worth, to attribute worth. Or to put it in biblical terms, we praise God. We speak, or sing, about how good and powerful God is.

This is a purpose for which we are called: "You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light" (1 Peter 2:9). We were called for the purpose of praising God, worshiping God. That is one of the job descriptions of a Christian. We should declare that God is worthy, worth more than everything else put together.

HEDGESVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Pastor: Rev. Carl D. Howard                     Organist: Melonie L. Orr

THE GATHERING

    ORGAN VOLUNTARY (A time for quiet reflection)

    ANNOUNCEMENTS

    CHORAL INTROIT                       I’m So Glad Jesus Lifted Me  

    CALL TO WORSHIP (Responsively)

       Come, Lord God, and be with us in this hour.

          Too often our cares and our worries keep us

          at a distance from our God.

      Come, Lord God, and speak a word of comfort

      to Your troubled people.

         Help us hear You, Lord God, in the quietness

         of these moments.

    PRAYER OF THE DAY  

 * HYMN                          Faith of Our Fathers! - Red Hymnal 348

    PRAYER OF CONFESSION (Unison)

       Loving God, we come to You in our brokenness,

          yet we resist Your healing touch;

       we are tormented by the demons of worry, of stress,

          of the slights of others,

       yet we fear losing our sense of self-importance

          and our righteous anger;

       heal  us, nourish us, and help us see ourselves and others

          with compassion and love.

       Help us see as Jesus sees, and love as Jesus loves. Amen.

DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS

       Pastor: The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to 

       everlasting. I declare to you, in the name of Jesus Christ, you

       are forgiven.

       People: Amen!        

    * GLORY BE TO THE FATHER

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end. Amen. Amen.  

     * PASSING OF THE PEACE

            Pastor: The Peace of Christ be with you.

            People: And also with you.

      MINUTE FOR MISSION

      CHILDREN’S TIME

THE WORD

      PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

      FIRST  SCRIPTURE (New Testament 68)   Luke 8:26-39                                                                              

      SECOND SCRIPTURE (Old Testament 515)

         (Responsively) Psalm 42

            Leader: This is the word of the Lord.

            People: Thanks be to God!

      ANTHEM                                                      As the Deer Longs

As the deer longs for flowing streams

so longs my soul for Thee, O God.

       THIRD SCRIPTURE (Old Testament 326)        1 Kings 19:1-15

      SERMON    “In the Sheer Silence”  Reverend Howard                                                        

      INVITATION to DISCIPLESHIP

    * HYMN  Dear Lord and Father of Mankind – Red Hymnal 416

    * AFFIRMATION OF FAITH – The Apostles’ Creed

          I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth;

          and in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord; who was conceived by    

          the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius

          Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into Hell;   

          the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into

          heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;

          from thence He shall come to  judge the quick and the dead. 

          I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the   

          communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the

          body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

     PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

       OFFERING     

     * DOXOLOGY

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;

praise Him, all creatures here below;

praise Him above, ye heavenly host:

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.  

        PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING & THE LORD’S PRAYER      

              Our 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 SENDING

    * HYMN  Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah – Red Hymnal 339           

    * BLESSING (Benediction)

      ORGAN VOLUNTARY