August 29 Livestream – Be Love

We hope you are joining us in person on August 29. After worship, we’ll celebrate the start of school outdoors. This will be the first time many of our youth have been together with their church friends. It will be a joyous occasion, and we look forward to seeing everyone and hearing the laughter of children on Ivy’s beautiful grounds.

August 29 Livestream – Be Love

WELCOME

PRELUDE – Anna DiVesta

*CALL TO WORSHIP
One: Come, people of God.
All: This is the Sabbath Day, and we are drawn to God.
One: Come, and receive all that God longs to teach us.
All: Learning from God is a blessing.
One: God’s grace overflows!
All: The image of God is within each one of us.

HYMN – Be Thou My Vision – #400

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art-
Thou myy best thought by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, and I thy true son,
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Riches I need not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always;
Thou and Thou only be first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven my victory won,
May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heav’n’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

*PRAYER OF INVOCATION
God of love, we turn to you. We gather now in your blessed presence. In you, there is true life. God, you call us to be your Church. You long for all people to become your people: exalting you by serving together as the Body of Christ. Your grace is uplifting! Your grace takes hold of people, causing all who receive to spill over with joy!
God, you yourself are so marvelous that you make others want to become better. This is how we feel. Our hope is to become who you want us to become, God. We want our lives to be un-defiled; faithful to you. Help us to begin right now. In prayer, we give you our word: We promise to do all that we can to live in harmony. We promise to work at loving all people the same — long-time friends, new acquaintances, big, small, young, not-so-young, like us, unlike us. We promise to learn from you. We promise to love. We promise to devote ourselves to serving you with all we’ve got. Be with us as we apply ourselves to fulfilling these huge promises. We will need your help, Loving God. Amen.

*PRAISE RESPONSE – With My Whole Heart – worship booklet, p. 98

With my whole heart, Lord, let me love You with my whole Heart;
None above You, Praise and Love You with my whole heart.
With my whole heart, Lord, let me love You with my whole heart;
Ever near You, help me hear You with my whole heart.

With my whole mind, Lord, let me love You with my whole mind;
None above You, Praise and Love You with my whole mind.
With my whole mind, Lord, let me love You with my whole mind;
Ever near You, help me hear You with my whole mind.

With my whole life, Lord, let me love You with my whole life;
None above You, Praise and Love You with my whole life.
With my whole life, Lord, let me love You with my whole life;
Ever near You, help me hear You with my whole life.

GOD’S WORD – James 1:17-25 – Pastor Dan

*HYMN – The Gift of Love – #126

Though I may speak with bravest fire,
And have the gift to all inspire,
And have not love; my words are vain;
As sounding brass, and hopeless gain.

Though I may give all I possess,
And striving so my love profess,
But not be giv’n by love within
The profit soon turns strangely thin.

Come, Spirit, come, our hearts control,
Our spirits long to be made whole.
Let inward love guide every deed;
By this we worship, and are freed.

SPECIAL MUSIC – Alleluia with The Majesty and Glory of Your Name – Anna DiVesta

GOD’S WORD – Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 5-6 & Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 – Pastor Dan

SERMON – Pastor Dan

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE – Pastor Dan

*HYMN – For the Beauty of the Earth – #64

For the beauty of the earth, For the glory of the Skies,
For the love which from our birth,Over and around us lies,
Lord of all, to Thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the beauty of each hour Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree, and flow’r, Sun and moon and stars of light,
Lord of all, to Thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of ear and eye, For the heart and mind”s delight,
For the mystic harmony Linking sense to sound and sight,
Lord of all, to Thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of human love, Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth and friends above, For all gentle thought and mild,
Lord of all, to Thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise.

For each perfect gift of Thine To our race so freely giv’n,
Graces human and divine, Flow’rs of earth and buds of head’n,
Lord of all to Thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise.

*BENEDICTION – Pastor Dan

*POSTLUDE – Anna DiVesta