Welcome

You may wish to light a Christ candle to mark Christ’s presence with you as you worship.

Call to Worship

Praise the Lord, my soul.
Lord my God, you are very great;
    you are clothed with splendor and majesty.
The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment;
    he stretches out the heavens like a tent
    and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
    and rides on the wings of the wind.
He makes winds his messengers,
    flames of fire his servants.
He set the earth on its foundations;
    it can never be moved.
—Psalm 104:1-5

Song

Greeting

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Our help is in the Lord,
the maker of heaven and earth.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all.
Amen.

Prayer of Adoration

We praise you, God Almighty,
For the power you have shown in creating the world.
We thank you for your love in redeeming us from sin
And in creating us anew in Christ.
Grant us strength in this life to honor you, Lord, God,
Both in worship and in witness, for Jesus Christ’s sake.  Amen.

Song

Confession and Assurance

Call to Confession: The Story of Jonah

The word of the Lord came to Jonah, son of Amittai:
Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.  But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish.  He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port.  After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.

Prayer of Confession: Jonah’s Prayer from Jonah 2, selected verses

In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me
From the depths of the grave I called for help,
And you listened to my cry.
When my life was ebbing away,
I remembered you, Lord,
And my prayer rose to you,
To your holy temple.
With a song of thanksgiving, I will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good,
Salvation comes from the Lord.

God of all nations, we praise you that in Christ
the barriers that have separated humanity are torn down.
Yet we confess our slowness
to open our hearts and minds
to people of other lands, tongues, and races.
Deliver us from the sins of fear and prejudice,
that we may move toward the day
when all are truly one in Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Assurance of Pardon:

Take comfort in the assurance
that even those things that are hidden from memory,
or are too deep for our words,
are not beyond God’s forgiving love.
God, who knows us completely,
bestows pardon and peace.
Thanks be to God. 

The Peace

The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
And also with you.

The Call to Holiness

One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:
 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: 
“‘Love the Lord your God
with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 
This is the first and greatest commandment. 
And the second is like it:
‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
—Matthew 22: 35-40

Song

Prayer of Illumination

God whose love reaches all peoples, tribes, and nations, 
amidst the unrest and divisions of our time,
speak your healing Word to us. 
By your Holy Spirit,help us hear your Word of love for all those you have made.
Through the witness of your Son, help us to know our neighbors and teach us to love them as you do.
Amen.

Scripture Reading

Luke 10: 25-37

10 25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Sermon: And Who Is My Neighbor?

Our sermon today comes from Pastor Marv Hofman.

Response

Silence & Reflection

What word did you hear God speak today?

In what part of your life do you need to receive the mercy of God? To whom do you need to offer it?

Prayers of the People

The following Prayers of the People was written by one of our members, Mary Jellema.

Lord of Lords, King of Kings, we plead for you to hear us this morning.
In the midst of chaos, violence, anxiety, pandemic, hurricane, flooding, illness, death and destruction,
we pray for your mercy.  

We miss gathering in church with lots of singing. 
We miss sports events.  We miss concerts.
We miss weddings and funerals. 
But we are a people of faith. 
We confess that we're discovering that we're not in charge. 
Once more, we know we need your help – personally and globally.
So, with humble hearts, we turn to your words, to your Good News. 
We turn to your gracious revelation of who you are.  

We know that you are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. 
Help us to accept your showing us your Way,
the path we should walk to follow you. 
We long to be led to green pastures and beside quiet waters--
back to what’s normal, the way things used to be. 
Instead, we're fearful that we've descended into a valley of virus. 
Strengthen our faith and trust in you.

You, Lord, are also the Truth. 
Help us understand the danger of this global disease
and give us the wisdom to guard ourselves and everyone we encounter. 
Give us conscientious leaders who work diligently for the welfare of all people. 
We pray for calm minds and the ingenuity to adapt to this new reality and all its challenges.

You, Lord, are also the Good Shepherd. 
Help us to accept your gracious guidance, your loving care,
and the knowledge that our "times are in your hands."  

On our journey, you also sustain us,
for you provide in your very person Living Water and the Bread of Life. 
When we despair or are impatient or are overcome with hopelessness,
please revive us with Water from the Rock,
which is what you are,
and nourish us with the Bread of your Word.  

Enlighten our travels through trouble and sorrow,
for you are the Light of the World and "in your light we see light."

We join with fellow believers everywhere
to worship you as our risen Lord and Savior who comforts and assures us,
who lifts up our hearts as we journey together,
who speaks peace to our weary souls, and who reminds us, "I am coming soon."

Lord, hear our prayer.    Amen.

Offering

In addition to our various funds (General, Building, Mission, Benevolence, Christian Education), online giving is also now available for today’s special offerings (Cornerstone Youth Ministries, & Sisters House Paper Goods Drive) through the Give button below.

Song

We invite you to sing the Doxology with just the voices in your home. “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord” (Psalm 100:1).

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. 

Words: Thomas Ken, 1709, P.D 
Music: Louis Bourgeois, 1551, P.D.

God’s Parting Words

The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you
and be gracious unto you;
the Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you
and give you peace. Amen.

Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord.