First Presbyterian Church of Niles Morning Worship

10:00 A.M.                                                                          February 23, 2025 

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                                                (* = stand if you are able)

PRELUDE

REFLECTION TEXT                      Psalm 37: 3-5 

Trust in the Lord and do good; live in the land and enjoy security. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

PREPARATION FOR WORSHIP                 Holy, Holy, Holy       Arr. Tournquist  

CALL TO WORSHIP (Responsive)                                                     

Our salvation is from the Lord;

    God is our refuge in times of trouble.

The Lord helps us and rescues us;

    God saves us because we take refuge in our Lord.

OPENING PRAYER                                                                               

*HYMN                                     Give Praise to the Lord       HANOVER

Give praise to the Lord, and sing a new song;

amid all the saints God’s praises prolong;

a song to your Maker and Ruler now raise,

all children of Zion: rejoice and give praise.

With timbrel and harp and joyful acclaim,

with gladness, O God, we praise your great name;

for now in your people good pleasure you seek;

with robes of salvation you cover the meek.

In glory exult, all saints of the Lord;

with song in the night high praises accord;

go forth in God’s service and strong in God’s might

to conquer all evil and stand for the right.

For this is God’s word: the saints shall not fail,

but over the earth their power shall prevail;

all kingdoms and nations shall yield to their sway.

To God give the glory; sing praises for aye.

CALL TO CONFESSION                                                                       

PRAYER OF CONFESSION (In Unison)                                             

Merciful God, you have commanded us to love you above all and to have no other gods. You have called us to love others as you love them. But we are personally and socially deformed by the love of other “gods” — the false gods of prosperity and materialism, racial and ethnic privileging, gender exclusivity, and nationalistic imperialism. Forgive us our sins and transform us by your Spirit so that we might learn to love as you love and live as people baptized as your own children. Amen.

MOMENT OF SILENT AND PERSONAL CONFESSION

ASSURANCE OF PARDON (Responsive)                                         

Friends, hear the good news of the gospel — God’s radical forgiving, transforming and justice-seeking love will not let us go and is ever bringing resurrection and new life. Let us remember our baptisms and trust in God’s mercy to restore our right standing as God’s own.

     Thanks be to God.

PASSING THE PEACE                                                                        

As God has forgiven us in Christ let us also forgive one another.

The peace of Christ be with you all.

    And also with you.

Please share the sign of peace with one another.

The sharing of Christ’s peace.

RESPONSE Peace is Flowing Like a River TRADITIONAL

Peace is flowing like a river flowing out to you and me.

Flowing out into the desert, setting all the captives free.

His love is flowing like a river flowing out to you and me.

Flowing out into the desert, setting all the captives free.

PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION                                                               

FIRST SCRIPTURE READING                                   Genesis 45:3-11,15  

SPECIAL MUSIC         Make Me a Channel of Your Peace                     Carter

SECOND SCRIPTURE                              Luke 6: 27-38                                            

MESSAGE                Doing Good Unto Others                    Rev. Christopher Mergener  

*HYMN 754                                  Help Us Accept Each Other                         BARONITA

 Help us accept each other as Christ accepted us;

Teach us as sister, brother, each person to embrace.

Be present, Lord, among us and bring us to believe

We are ourselves accepted, and meant to love and live.

Teach us, O Lord, your lessons, as in our daily life

We struggle to be human and search for hope and faith.

Teach us to care for people, for all, not just for some,

To love them as we find them, or as they may become.

Let your acceptance change us, so that we may be moved

In living situations to do the truth in love;

To practice your acceptance, until we know by heart

The table of forgiveness and laughter’s healing art.

Lord, for today’s encounters with all who are in need,

Who hunger for acceptance, for justice and for bread,

We need new eyes for seeing, new hands for holding on:

Renew us with your Spirit; Lord, free us; make us one!

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (In Unison)   

We trust in God, whom Jesus called Abba, Father. In sovereign love God created the world good and makes everyone equally in God’s image, male and female, of every race and people, to live as one community. But we rebel against God; we hide from our Creator. Ignoring God’s commandments, we violate the image of God in others and ourselves, accept lies as truth, exploit neighbor and nature, and threaten death to the planet entrusted to our care. We deserve God’s condemnation. Yet God acts with justice and mercy to redeem creation. In everlasting love, the God of Abraham and Sarah chose a covenant people to bless all families of the earth. Hearing their cry, God delivered the children of Israel from the house of bondage. Loving us still, God makes us heirs with Christ of the covenant. Like a mother who will not forsake her nursing child, like a father who runs to welcome the prodigal home, God is faithful still.

CALL FOR THE OFFERING                                                                 

    Offertory                                         Meditation                         Gillock

*DOXOLOGY 606    Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow  OLD HUNDREDTH

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

*PRAYER OF DEDICATION                    

PREPARATION FOR PRAYERS 286        Breathe on me Breath of God           TRENTHAM

Breathe on Me, Breath of God; fill me with life anew,

That I may love what thou dost love, and do what thou wouldst do.

Breathe on me, Breath of God, until my heart is pure,

Until with thee I will one will, to do and to endure.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE (Responsive)

Lord, in your mercy,

 hear our prayer.

THE LORD’S PRAYER (In Unison)                                                    

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.

*HYMN                          May God Support You All Your Days TALLIS CANON

May God support you all your days, in times of gladness and in need.

May God remember you with grace and bless your every word and deed.

May God confirm your heart’s desire and bring to fullness all your plans.

May God’s sustaining love inspire your shouts of praise and joyful dance.

May God be near you when you pray, to help you with a gentle hand.

May God forever guide your way and lead you to the promised land.

Our hope is in the Holy One. The swift and strong will surely fall,

But you will stand with God alone, who hears and answers when you call.

*CHARGE AND BENEDICTION                                                           

POSTLUDE

All music is reproduced under permission from ccli.com License #11146543.

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