WELCOME
CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: Praise the LORD! Let us give thanks to the LORD with our whole heart.
People: Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them.
Leader: God’s work is founded on honor and majesty, and God’s righteousness endures forever.
People: The LORD is gracious and merciful; God is known by many wonderful deeds.
Leader: God is ever mindful of the covenant, even demonstrating power among all people.
People: The works of God’s hands are faithful and just, and all God’s precepts are trustworthy.
HYMN I Danced in the Morning Ken Heischman
I danced in the morning when the world was begun,
And I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun,
And I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth,
At Bethlehem I had my birth.
Dance, then, wherever you may be;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said He.
And I’ll lead you all wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said He.
I danced for the scribe and the Pharisee,
But they would not dance and they would not follow Me;
I danced for the fishermen, for James and John;
They came with Me and the dance went on.
Dance, then, wherever you may be;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said He.
And I’ll lead you all wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said He.
I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame,
The holy people said it was a shame.
They whipped and they stripped and they hung Me high;
And they left Me there on a cross to die.
Dance, then, wherever you may be;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said He.
And I’ll lead you all wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said He.
I danced on a Friday and the sky turned black;
It’s hard to dance with the devil on your back.
They buried My body and they thought I’d gone,
But I am the dance and I still go on.
Dance, then, wherever you may be;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said He.
And I’ll lead you all wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said He.
They cut me down and I leap up high,
I am the life that’ll never, never die;
I’ll live in you if you’ll live in Me;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he.
Dance, then, wherever you may be;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said He.
And I’ll lead you all wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said He.
PRAYERS OF CONFESSION (Unison)
Eternal God, Composer of creation, Word of life, Revealer of truth,
even though You are the Author of all wisdom and knowledge,
we confess that we have often misused Your gifts.
We have used knowledge to betray our fellow human beings rather than blessing them;
we have twisted our words to conceal the truth rather than communicating it;
and our sin has led us to wander from Your way rather than being transformed by
Your teaching.
Forgive us, Holy One, and have mercy upon us.
Astound us with Your words, so that we may learn Your ways,
and renew us with Your grace, so that we may be filled with the life You provide,
through Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose name we pray. (Silent)
ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS (adapted from Micah 7:18-19)
Leader: Who is like our God, who pardons our iniquities and passes over our transgressions?
People: The LORD will have compassion upon us, and our God will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
Leader: Friends, believe the good news of the gospel:
People: Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!
HYMN Though I May Speak Ken Heischman
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 given 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.
SCRIPTURE Mark 1:21-28
They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, (Jesus) entered the synagogue and
taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority,
and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit,
and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to
destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying,
“Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with
a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching — with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits,
and they obey him.” At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region
of Galilee.
MEDITATION “A New Teaching”
HYMN Shout to the North Ken Heischman
Men of faith, rise up and sing Of the great and glorious King.
You are strong when you feel weak; In your brokenness, complete.
Shout to the north and the south; Sing to the east and the west.
Jesus is Savior to all, Lord of heaven and earth.
Rise up women of the truth. Stand and sing to broken hearts
Who can know the healing power Of our awesome King of love.
Shout to the north and the south; Sing to the east and the west.
Jesus is Savior to all, Lord of heaven and earth.
We’ve been through fire; we’ve been through rain;
We’ve been refined by the power of Your name
We’ve fallen deeper in love with You
You’ve burned this truth on our lips.
Rise up church, with broken wings; Fill this place with songs again
Of our God who reigns on high; By God’s grace again we’ll fly.
Shout to the north and the south; Sing to the east and the west.
Jesus is Savior to all, Lord of heaven and earth.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
INVITATION TO GIVE
As God’s people, our faith can be expressed through our participation in God’s work . . .
our belief in the future can find expression by embracing God’s vision . . .
and our gratitude for life can be demonstrated through our generosity.
As we continue to embrace Christ’s teaching in our lives,
we recognize that through our gifts we are able to reach out to, and serve, two elementary
schools in our area,
and by doing so we promote teaching and education in our community.
Let us therefore consider how we can continue to share from our abundance
to promote the work of Christ’s church,
as we present our tithes and offerings for the Lord’s work.
BENEDICTION