ORDER OF WORSHIP FOR
THE FAITH REFORMED CHURCH
215 MIDDLE ROAD, HAZLET, NJ 07730
(* indicates to stand if you are able)
Sunday, January 17; Second Sunday after the Epiphany
VOTUM AND SALUTATION
ANNOUNCEMENTS
CALL TO WORSHIP (Adapted from Psalm 139)
Pastor: O, Lord – you have searched us and known us.
People: You know when we sit and when we rise; you discern our thoughts from afar.
Pastor: You search out our paths and know our ways.
People: You know our words before we can speak them.
Pastor: It was you, Lord, who formed us; who knit us together in our mothers’ wombs.
People: We praise you, for we are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Pastor: You knew us when we were yet unformed. In your book were written all of our days, long before they existed.
People: We cannot understand your greatness, O God. So vast are you.
Pastor: We try to count and measure you, O Lord, but we cannot. Your thoughts and deeds are more than the sands of the earth.
All: We come to the end – and still we are with you.
PRAYER OF PRESENCE
All: Holy God of peace and mercy, be with us. From all the corners of the earth, people gather to praise your name. We have heard your call, and we come in answer. Though we do not fully understand your will, we want to please you in our deeds and in our worship. Send your Holy Spirit on us, and let our gathering this morning be a pleasure to you. In your holy name we pray. Amen.
* HYMN OF PRAISE “All Glory Be to God on High” ((hummed – not sung)
All glory be to God on high and thanks to him forever!
Whatever Satan’s host may try, God foils their dark endeavor.
He bends his ear to every call
And offers peace, goodwill to all,
And calms the troubled spirit.
O Father for your lordship true we give you praise and honor;
We worship you, we trust in you, we give you thanks forever.
Your will is perfect and your might
Relentlessly confirms the right;
Your lordship is our blessing.
Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, creation’s author,
Redeemer of your wandering ones, and source of all true pleasure.
O, Lamb of God, O Lord divine,
Conform our lives to your design,
And on us all have mercy.
O Holy Spirit, perfect gift, who brings us consolation:
To men and women saved by Christ assure your inspiration.
Through sickness, need, and bitter death,
Grant us your warm, life-giving breath;
Our lives are in your keeping.
PASSING OF THE PEACE
(Please remain in place, and greet your nearest neighbors with a wave and a blessing of peace)
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
All: Holy God of love and grace, hear our prayer. We confess to you that we do not always answer your call to us. We hear your voice and we turn away. We want to love you, but we fail to follow through. Lord, we confess that we are poor reflections of your image. Yet you always respond to our failings with love. Your mercy is greater than our sin. Show your mercy on us now, and create new hearts in us to love you and receive your Word. For the sake of your son, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
(Responsive Hymn #817 – to be hummed, not sung) - Hear our prayer O Lord. Hear our prayer O Lord. Incline thine ear to us, and grant us Thy peace. Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE (Isaiah 30:18)
All: “The Lord longs to be gracious to you. Therefore He will rise up to show you compassion, For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!”
*Gloria Patri: Glory be to The Father (hummed – not sung)
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.
SUMMARY OF THE LAW (Mark 12:28-31)
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
HYMN FOR ILLUMINATION (seated) “Spirit of the Living God” Verse 1 (hummed – not sung) Hymn #297
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Break me, melt me, mold me, fill me;
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
SERMON HYMN “Come, Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove”
Hummed- not sung
Open my eyes, that I may see, glimpses of truth thou hast for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key that shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for thee, ready my God, thy will to see;
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!
Open my ears, that I may hear voices of truth thou sendest clear,
And while the wave-notes fall on my ear, everything false will disappear.
Silently now I wait for thee, ready my God, thy will to see;
Open my ears, illumine me, Spirit divine!
Open my mouth, and let me bear glady the warm truth everywhere;
Open my heart, and let me prepare love with thy children thus to share.
Silently now I wait for thee, ready my God, thy will to see;
Open my heart, illumine me, Spirit divine!
SCRIPTURE READINGS – John 1:43-58
THE MORNING MESSAGE - “Out of Unexpected Places“
*OFFERTORY PRAYER AND 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.
*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 Spirit,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, dead, and buried.
The third day he rose from the dead
He ascended into heaven
And sitteth at 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 Spirit,
The holy catholic church, The communion of saints,
The forgiveness of sins, The resurrection of the body,
And the life everlasting. Amen.
JOYS & CONCERNS – MORNING PRAYER – THE LORD'S PRAYER
(Lord’s Prayer – “…sins / …those who sin against us…”)
*CLOSING HYMN “Draw Me Nearer” (verses 1, 3 & 4)
(hummed – not sung)
I am thine, O Lord, I have heard thy voice, and it told thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith, and be closer drawn to thee.
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to the cross where thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to thy precious bleeding side.
O, the pure delight of a single hour that before thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with thee, my God, I commune as friend to friend!
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to the cross where thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to thy precious bleeding side.
There are depths of love that I cannot know till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach till I rest in peace with thee.
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to the cross where thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to thy precious bleeding side.
*CLOSING PRAYER & BENEDICTION
*CHORAL POSTLUDE: "Lord, Dismiss Us with your Blessing"
(hummed – not sung)
Lord, dismiss us with your blessing; fill our hearts with joy and peace;
Let us each, your love possessing, triumph in redeeming grace;
O direct us and protect us, traveling through this wilderness.
THE FAITH REFORMED CHURCH
215 MIDDLE ROAD, HAZLET, NJ 07730
(* indicates to stand if you are able)
Sunday, January 17; Second Sunday after the Epiphany
VOTUM AND SALUTATION
ANNOUNCEMENTS
CALL TO WORSHIP (Adapted from Psalm 139)
Pastor: O, Lord – you have searched us and known us.
People: You know when we sit and when we rise; you discern our thoughts from afar.
Pastor: You search out our paths and know our ways.
People: You know our words before we can speak them.
Pastor: It was you, Lord, who formed us; who knit us together in our mothers’ wombs.
People: We praise you, for we are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Pastor: You knew us when we were yet unformed. In your book were written all of our days, long before they existed.
People: We cannot understand your greatness, O God. So vast are you.
Pastor: We try to count and measure you, O Lord, but we cannot. Your thoughts and deeds are more than the sands of the earth.
All: We come to the end – and still we are with you.
PRAYER OF PRESENCE
All: Holy God of peace and mercy, be with us. From all the corners of the earth, people gather to praise your name. We have heard your call, and we come in answer. Though we do not fully understand your will, we want to please you in our deeds and in our worship. Send your Holy Spirit on us, and let our gathering this morning be a pleasure to you. In your holy name we pray. Amen.
* HYMN OF PRAISE “All Glory Be to God on High” ((hummed – not sung)
All glory be to God on high and thanks to him forever!
Whatever Satan’s host may try, God foils their dark endeavor.
He bends his ear to every call
And offers peace, goodwill to all,
And calms the troubled spirit.
O Father for your lordship true we give you praise and honor;
We worship you, we trust in you, we give you thanks forever.
Your will is perfect and your might
Relentlessly confirms the right;
Your lordship is our blessing.
Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, creation’s author,
Redeemer of your wandering ones, and source of all true pleasure.
O, Lamb of God, O Lord divine,
Conform our lives to your design,
And on us all have mercy.
O Holy Spirit, perfect gift, who brings us consolation:
To men and women saved by Christ assure your inspiration.
Through sickness, need, and bitter death,
Grant us your warm, life-giving breath;
Our lives are in your keeping.
PASSING OF THE PEACE
(Please remain in place, and greet your nearest neighbors with a wave and a blessing of peace)
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
All: Holy God of love and grace, hear our prayer. We confess to you that we do not always answer your call to us. We hear your voice and we turn away. We want to love you, but we fail to follow through. Lord, we confess that we are poor reflections of your image. Yet you always respond to our failings with love. Your mercy is greater than our sin. Show your mercy on us now, and create new hearts in us to love you and receive your Word. For the sake of your son, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
(Responsive Hymn #817 – to be hummed, not sung) - Hear our prayer O Lord. Hear our prayer O Lord. Incline thine ear to us, and grant us Thy peace. Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE (Isaiah 30:18)
All: “The Lord longs to be gracious to you. Therefore He will rise up to show you compassion, For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!”
*Gloria Patri: Glory be to The Father (hummed – not sung)
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.
SUMMARY OF THE LAW (Mark 12:28-31)
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
HYMN FOR ILLUMINATION (seated) “Spirit of the Living God” Verse 1 (hummed – not sung) Hymn #297
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Break me, melt me, mold me, fill me;
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
SERMON HYMN “Come, Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove”
Hummed- not sung
Open my eyes, that I may see, glimpses of truth thou hast for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key that shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for thee, ready my God, thy will to see;
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!
Open my ears, that I may hear voices of truth thou sendest clear,
And while the wave-notes fall on my ear, everything false will disappear.
Silently now I wait for thee, ready my God, thy will to see;
Open my ears, illumine me, Spirit divine!
Open my mouth, and let me bear glady the warm truth everywhere;
Open my heart, and let me prepare love with thy children thus to share.
Silently now I wait for thee, ready my God, thy will to see;
Open my heart, illumine me, Spirit divine!
SCRIPTURE READINGS – John 1:43-58
THE MORNING MESSAGE - “Out of Unexpected Places“
*OFFERTORY PRAYER AND 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.
*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 Spirit,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, dead, and buried.
The third day he rose from the dead
He ascended into heaven
And sitteth at 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 Spirit,
The holy catholic church, The communion of saints,
The forgiveness of sins, The resurrection of the body,
And the life everlasting. Amen.
JOYS & CONCERNS – MORNING PRAYER – THE LORD'S PRAYER
(Lord’s Prayer – “…sins / …those who sin against us…”)
*CLOSING HYMN “Draw Me Nearer” (verses 1, 3 & 4)
(hummed – not sung)
I am thine, O Lord, I have heard thy voice, and it told thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith, and be closer drawn to thee.
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to the cross where thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to thy precious bleeding side.
O, the pure delight of a single hour that before thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with thee, my God, I commune as friend to friend!
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to the cross where thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to thy precious bleeding side.
There are depths of love that I cannot know till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach till I rest in peace with thee.
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to the cross where thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to thy precious bleeding side.
*CLOSING PRAYER & BENEDICTION
*CHORAL POSTLUDE: "Lord, Dismiss Us with your Blessing"
(hummed – not sung)
Lord, dismiss us with your blessing; fill our hearts with joy and peace;
Let us each, your love possessing, triumph in redeeming grace;
O direct us and protect us, traveling through this wilderness.
