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About this Sermon |

Luke 2:21-38
In Luke 2, we meet a pair of devout Jews who showed up at the right place at the right kairos time named Simeon & Anna. After long lives of being faithful in the ordinariness of being devoted to God in the ordinary manner of prayer and service, they each were given a blessing: a chance to meet the long-anticipated Messiah. How do we go about inculcating ordinary, daily habits of faithfulness to God that will ensure that we, too, are in the right place at the right time to receive God’s blessings?

About this Series |

Who has shaped your faith? Who has nurtured you, baptized you, taught you, transformed you? Who are the figures who have opened your mind to expand your faith? Who are the people who have helped you to feel God’s love in startling ways? Who are the faces of your faith? This summer we’re digging deep into bold and untold stories of those often overlooked in our biblical narratives, hoping these characters remind us that we all play a role in shaping God’s story of redemption and grace.*

Order of Worship |

Sunday, August 15, 2021

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Prelude My Jesus, I Love Thee – Melanie Manges, piano

Welcome to Worship – Sylvia Mohler

Hymn of Praise  Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

(Verse 1) Joyful, joyful, we adore thee, God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before thee, opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness, drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day!

(Verse 3) Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blest,
Wellspring of the joy of living, ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother- all who live in love are thine;
Teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine.

Call to Worship*  – Sylvia Mohler

Holy God of Love,
There is light in our lives
because of the abundance of your steadfast love.
A love so vast, so deep, so real,
that you became one of us.
May we live within the power of this love.
And may we share its light with a world
where too many dwell in darkness.
Let us worship the God of Love together. Amen.

Children’s Sermon – Rev. Kim Brewer

Hymn of Reflection – I Love You, Lord

I love you, Lord, and I lift my voice
To worship you, O my soul, rejoice!
Take joy, my King, in what you hear:
May it be a sweet, sweet sound, in your ear. (Repeat)

Missions Moment – Lafayette Transitional Housing Center – Jennifer Shook

Invitation to Prayer – Rev. Lisa Williams Hood

Day by Day
Melanie Manges, piano

Pastoral Prayer and The Lord’s Prayer – Rev. Hood

New Testament Reading – Luke 2:21-38 – Rev. Hood

Worship Arts

“And Still Not Understanding Why”
an original song by Carrie Rust

Sermon – Faces of Our Faith: Anna – Rev. Hood

Hymn of Faith – My Jesus, I Love Thee

(Verse 1) My Jesus, I love thee, I know thou art mine,
For thee all the follies of sin I resign;
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art thou;
If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, ‘tis now.

(Verse 2) I love thee because thou hast first loved me,
And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree;
I love thee for wearing the thorns on thy brow;
If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, ‘tis now.

Offering – Rev. Brewer

Almighty God, giver of every good and perfect gift,
Teach us to give to you all that we have and all that we are,
That we might praise you not with our words only,
But with our whole lives. Amen.

OffertoryRenew Me, O Eternal Light – Melanie Manges, organ

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him all creatures here below,
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts,
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Announcements – Rev. Hood

Benediction“Blest Be the Tie that Binds”

Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love
The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above. Amen.

PostludeJoyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee – Melanie Manges, piano

Worship Leaders in this Service:

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