Prayer for the Gathering
Heavenly Father, I bless You and thank You for Your many benefits, Your never-ending grace and unconditional love. May I sing of Your praise with my whole being, for You alone are worthy. Amen.
Reflection: Quote from "Walking Where Jesus Walked" by Lester Ruth, Carrie Steenwyk, and John D. Witvliet
“Jerusalem worshipers were moved emotionally by their worship, mirrored by how they moved outwardly in its rhythms of time and space. Egeria (a nun on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem) epicted how deeply people’s affections could be touched in worship, thereby dispelling any notion we might have that the early church’s worship was staid and stuffy because it involved a great deal of ceremony. Egeria drew a picture of worship in which people wept, shouted, called back to the preacher, and applauded with delight. What moved Jerusalem’s worshipers so? It was the story of God’s deeds for humanity.”
Guiding Passage for Worship: Psalm 103
"[1] My soul, bless the Lord,
and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
[2] My soul, bless the Lord,
and do not forget all his benefits.
[3] He forgives all your iniquity;
he heals all your diseases.
[4] He redeems your life from the Pit;
he crowns you with faithful love and compassion.
[5] He satisfies you with good things;
your youth is renewed like the eagle.
[6] The Lord executes acts of righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.
[7] He revealed his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel.
[8] The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in faithful love.
[9] He will not always accuse us
or be angry forever.
[10] He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve
or repaid us according to our iniquities.
[11] For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his faithful love
toward those who fear him.
[12] As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed
our transgressions from us.
[13] As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.
[14] For he knows what we are made of,
remembering that we are dust.
[15] As for man, his days are like grass—
he blooms like a flower of the field;
[16] when the wind passes over it, it vanishes,
and its place is no longer known.
[17] But from eternity to eternity
the Lord’s faithful love is toward those who fear him,
and his righteousness toward the grandchildren
[18] of those who keep his covenant,
who remember to observe his precepts.
[19] The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.
[20] Bless the Lord,
all his angels of great strength,
who do his word,
obedient to his command.
[21] Bless the Lord, all his armies,
his servants who do his will.
[22] Bless the Lord, all his works
in all the places where he rules.
My soul, bless the Lord!"
Worship in Song
Worship Set for 9/3/2023
10,000 Reasons | His Mercy is More | How Deep the Father's Love For Us
The Word Preached: 1 Peter 2:1-10
"[1] Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander. [2] Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow up into your salvation, [3] if you have tasted that the Lord is good. [4] As you come to him, a living stone—rejected by people but chosen and honored by God— [5] you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. [6] For it stands in Scripture:
See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and honored cornerstone,
and the one who believes in him
will never be put to shame.
[7] So honor will come to you who believe; but for the unbelieving,
The stone that the builders rejected—
this one has become the cornerstone,
[8] and
A stone to stumble over,
and a rock to trip over.
They stumble because they disobey the word; they were destined for this.
[9] But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. [10] Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."
Response to the Word Preached
Response in Song: Wonderful, Merciful Savior