Prelude:
Sheep May Safely Graze and Pasture, J.S. Bach
Prelude on 'Mercy', Gordon Young
SALUTATION AND WELCOME
* CELEBRATION OF FRIENDSHIP
* Gloria Patri (pew card)
* CALL TO WORSHIP, Bruce Hoffacker
Leader: By wisdom, the LORD founded the earth and established the heavens.
People: In Christ are hidden all knowledge and wisdom; in Christ, we live and move and have our being.
Leader: Wisdom cries out in the street and raises her voice in the square.
People: Make your ear attentive to wisdom; incline your heart to understanding.
Leader: Jesus calls out in the village and summons on the hillside:
People: Let anyone with ears to hear, listen to what I am saying.
Leader: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.
People: The grace of our LORD is the beginning of faith.
Leader: Come, let us worship God together.
* HYMN No. 190: Songs of Thankfulness and Praise
* PRAYER OF CONFESSION(unison)
Most gracious and most merciful God, we confess to you and to one another that time after time we have entered your presence with countless prayers but with hearts that have been closed to your grace. We have lifted our hands to you in praise, but our feet have still walked in the ways of evil. We have rehearsed your commandments but have refused to see your face in the needs of our neighbor. We pray, Lord, that you forgive our lack of faith and pardon our acts of injustice. Grant us the healing that comes from your presence and peace. Amen.
* KYRIE (pew card)
* ASSURANCE OF PARDON
* SUMMARY OF THE LAW
ANTHEM: The Yearning, Craig Courtney
There is a yearning in hearts weighed down by ancient grief and centuries of sorrow. There is a yearning in hearts that in the darkness hide and in the shades of death abide, a yearning for tomorrow. There is a yearning, a yearning for the promised One, the Firstborn of creation. There is a yearning for the Lord who visited His own, and by His death for sin atoned, to bring to us salvation. Emmanuel, Emmanuel, within our hearts, the yearning. There is a yearning that fills the hearts of those who wait the day of His appearing. There is a yearning when all our sorrows are erased and we shall see the One who placed within our hearts the yearning. Emmanuel, Emmanuel, within our hearts, the yearning.
SCRIPTURE READINGS
Proverbs 8:22-36, Pew Bible, page 515
The Lord created me at the beginning of his work,
the first of his acts of long ago.
Ages ago I was set up,
at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
Before the mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth—
when he had not yet made earth and fields,
or the world’s first bits of soil.
When he established the heavens, I was there,
when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
when he made firm the skies above,
when he established the fountains of the deep,
when he assigned to the sea its limit,
so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him, like a master worker;
and I was daily his delight,
rejoicing before him always,
rejoicing in his inhabited world
and delighting in the human race. “And now, my children, listen to me:
happy are those who keep my ways.
Hear instruction and be wise,
and do not neglect it.
Happy is the one who listens to me,
watching daily at my gates,
waiting beside my doors.
For whoever finds me finds life
and obtains favor from the Lord;
but those who miss me injure themselves;
all who hate me love death.”
John 1:1-5, Pew Bible, page 862
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
THE SERMON: Delighting in God's Wisdom, Rev. Blaine Crawford
* AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
The Apostles’ Creed (pew card)
SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION
Remembering with Love and Hope (pew card)
Invitation
Communion Prayer
Sanctus (pew card)
Mystery of the Faith (unison)
Christ has Died, Christ is Risen, Christ will come again.
Words of Institution
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING & INTERCESSION
Lord’s Prayer (pew card)
Prayer Response, Orlando Gibbons
Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities, and in all our dangers and necessities stretch forth Thy right hand to help and defend us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
WORSHIP OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS
Offering
Offertory: Ubi Caritas, Z. Randall Stroope
TRANSLATION: Where there is charity and love, God is there.
* The Doxology (pew card)
* Prayer of Dedication
* HYMN No. 145: Of the Father's Love Begotten
* BENEDICTION
Response, Henry Purcell
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ our Lord.
POSTLUDE: Hymn to Joy, Gordon Young
ANNOUNCEMENTS
APPRECIATIONS: We thank members of the Chamber Choir for sharing their musical talents to enhance our worship service.
OUR FLOWERS are given by Angela Edward in loving memory of her son, Sandeep.
OUR WORSHIP HOURS will continue at the 10:00 AM hour through Labor Day Sunday, September 6. We hope you will give our worship your support through prayer and attendance.
TO ALL WOMEN: WCC is hosting an ecumenical outreach and brunch, Sept. 19, 10 AM – 1 PM, encompassing all women from North Queens and Long Island churches. Rev. Liz Testa, who was the liturgist at Pastor Blaine’s installation is the guest speaker. RSVP to Judie Kellaway (718) 343-4688 before Sept. 5.
PRAYER REQUESTS: Jorel Andaluz, Grace Attanasio, Donald Calfa, Allegra DeMelo, Ed Diercks, Dombrowski Family, Edythe Durney, Lucy Leung-Eng, Rob Gessner, Jenny Hampton, Richard Holm, Robert Keller, Karen Krieg, Fritz Kunisch, Ann McCaffrey-Amalfitano, Rev. John H. Meyer, John Molino, Michael Patras, Keith Pearson, Dorothy Reid, Josephine Rivera, Matthew Schulman, Peter Schumacher, Janice Serra, Carmela Stocchia, Emily Testut