Worship Video – November 8, 2020
Sermon Podcast – November 8, 2020 – People Get Ready and Stay Ready
Preached by Rev. Lou Ellen Hartley. Based on Psalm 70, Amos 5:18-24, and Matthew 25:1-13.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Communion on November 8, 2020
Psalm and Prayer of the Day November 5
Psalm 97
The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice;
let the many coastlands be glad!
2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him,
and consumes his adversaries on every side.
4 His lightnings light up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness;
and all the peoples behold his glory.
7 All worshipers of images are put to shame,
those who make their boast in worthless idols;
all gods bow down before him.
8 Zion hears and is glad,
and the towns[a] of Judah rejoice,
because of your judgments, O God.
9 For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth;
you are exalted far above all gods.
10 The Lord loves those who hate[b] evil;
he guards the lives of his faithful;
he rescues them from the hand of the wicked.
11 Light dawns[c] for the righteous,
and joy for the upright in heart.
12 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,
and give thanks to his holy name!
Prayer (from the Presbyterian Outlook)
We thank you for the freedom to vote our conscience, of which you alone are Lord. After this election, we are keenly aware that even if the political rhetoric fades the acrimony it highlighted will remain. Grant us the courage to step into the breaches and not shrink back into our enclaves of homogeneity. Send your Spirit to drive us to the places where you are already working to bring reconciliation. Remind us relentlessly that you are greater than every category we devise, more powerful than any estrangement we have created, eternal, ever present and always calling forth justice, peace and abundant life. Show us today and everyday how to live in the love of Jesus Christ, the perfect love that casts out fear. Amen.
Psalm and Prayer of the Day November 4
Psalm 33
1 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous.
Praise befits the upright.
2 Praise the Lord with the lyre;
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings.
3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.
4 For the word of the Lord is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
and all their host by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathered the waters of the sea as in a bottle;
he put the deeps in storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
11 The counsel of the Lordstands forever,
the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
12 Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people whom he has chosen as his heritage.
13 The Lord looks down from heaven;
he sees all humankind.
14 From where he sits enthroned he watches
all the inhabitants of the earth—
15 he who fashions the hearts of them all,
and observes all their deeds.
16 A king is not saved by his great army;
a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
17 The war horse is a vain hope for victory,
and by its great might it cannot save.
18 Truly the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19 to deliver their soul from death,
and to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the Lord;
he is our help and shield.
21 Our heart is glad in him,
because we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.
Prayer
Everlasting God, you have taught us
to search for you with all our heart and
to seek the welfare of the land where you have placed us.
Send your Spirit upon those who lead,
pour your wisdom on those who are elected,
and restore by your mercy all who are not chosen.
Through your same Spirit, visit your people
in the struggles that no vote can resolve;
show us where what you call from us is
love and forgiveness and mercy;
empower your church to overcome evil with good.
Since here we have no abiding city,
give us a yearning for the city that is to come.
Hasten the day
when all that would separate us from one another will fall away,
when we rejoice to enter that dwelling place
where you have chosen to be with us forever,
where all is redeemed in the presence of the Son
through the power of the Spirit, God most high Amen.
– Written by Sam Wells, Vicar at London’s St. Martin in the Fields andformer Dean of the Chapel at Duke; and Abby Kocher
Worship Video – November 1, 2020 (All Saints Day)
(Please note that we are using a new system and still working out some kinks in the audio.)
Sermon Podcast – November 1, 2020
Preached by Rev. Lou Ellen Hartley. Based on 1 John 3:1-3 and Matthew 5:1-12.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Sermon Podcast – October 25, 2020
Preached by Rev. Lou Ellen Hartley. Based on Deuteronomy 34:1-12, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, and Matthew 22:34-46.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Psalm and Prayer of the Day October 29
Psalm 26
1 Vindicate me, O Lord,
for I have walked in my integrity,
and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.
2 Prove me, O Lord, and try me;
test my heart and mind.
3 For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
and I walk in faithfulness to you.[a]
4 I do not sit with the worthless,
nor do I consort with hypocrites;
5 I hate the company of evildoers,
and will not sit with the wicked.
6 I wash my hands in innocence,
and go around your altar, O Lord,
7 singing aloud a song of thanksgiving,
and telling all your wondrous deeds.
8 O Lord, I love the house in which you dwell,
and the place where your glory abides.
9 Do not sweep me away with sinners,
nor my life with the bloodthirsty,
10 those in whose hands are evil devices,
and whose right hands are full of bribes.
11 But as for me, I walk in my integrity;
redeem me, and be gracious to me.
12 My foot stands on level ground;
in the great congregation I will bless the Lord.
Prayer:
Thanksgiving and Intercession
Let my prayer rise before you as incense, O Lord,
the lifting of my hands as an evening sacrifice.
(Psalm 141:2)
We give you our praise and thanks, O God,
for all gifts of love we have received from you,
and for your persistent mercy in Jesus Christ.
Especially we thank you for
work we have accomplished pleasing to you . . .
the faithful witness of Christian people . . .
the example of righteousness we see in parents and teachers . . .
the innocence and openness we see in children . . .
all works of Christian compassion. . . .
(Individual prayers of thanksgiving may be offered.)
We give you our cares and concerns, O God,
because we know you are kind
and care for your children in every circumstance.
Especially we pray for
those who struggle with doubt and despair . . .
people afflicted with disease . . .
those called to special ministries . . .
people neglected or abused . . .
Baptist, Disciples of Christ, and other free churches. . . . †
(Individual prayers of intercession may be offered.
There may be silent prayer.) Amen
Psalm and Prayer of the Day October 27
Psalm 12
1 Help, O Lord, for there is no longer anyone who is godly;
the faithful have disappeared from humankind.
2 They utter lies to each other;
with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,
the tongue that makes great boasts,
4 those who say, “With our tongues we will prevail;
our lips are our own—who is our master?”
5 “Because the poor are despoiled, because the needy groan,
I will now rise up,” says the Lord;
“I will place them in the safety for which they long.”
6 The promises of the Lord are promises that are pure,
silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
purified seven times.
7 You, O Lord, will protect us;
you will guard us from this generation forever.
8 On every side the wicked prowl,
as vileness is exalted among humankind.
Prayer
Eternal God, we offer thanks for the gift of this life, for the joys we know and love we share. Today we are especially thankful for
the love we share with our family and friends…
the gifts of this community…
the courage to face this day and what it brings…
the chance to give to others from all we have received….
We also offer up our concerns and prayers for others. Today we pray for
our families and friends…
our community, state, and nation as we come to the end of this election cycle…
people at The Rolla Mission and others who have no other shelter…
those who have given up hope…
others who are on our mind…
Please don’t let us miss the chance to bring your love and light into our world. Amen.