Sunday, November 5 2023

LOVELY LANE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR A

ALL SAINTS DAY

HOMECOMING SUNDAY

NOVEMBER 5, 2023

11:00 A.M.

† Stand as you are able

Organ Prelude

Welcome and Announcements John Strawberry, Lay Leader

Choral Introit “Blessed Jesus, At Thy Word” Ahle

Blessed Jesus, at your word we are gathered all to hear you.

Let our hearts and souls be stirred now to seek and love and fear you.

By your gospel pure and holy, teach us, Lord, to love you solely.

† Litany of Remembrance

God, on this All Saints Day, we gather to remember the great ancestors of our faith, from Abraham and Sarah to Paul and Phoebe:

Ancestors of the faith, we remember you.

We deeply mourn their departure from this earthly realm, enveloped in a collective sense of sorrow, yet simultaneously, we celebrate the indelible legacy they imprinted upon our lives, ensuring their essence continues to resonate and inspire for generations to come.

We give thanks for all we have learned from them.

Those that we loved, O God, are now with you. We can say that not knowing “how” or “where,” but say it because it makes no sense that so rich and full life would come to an abrupt end … except for memories.

Still, we are empty for they are not with us.

We listen to all the clichés of our friends, spoken to console us: “They are better off.” “They are past their pain and suffering.” “They are in heaven,” whatever that means. We listen and are not consoled. Our grief is selfish.

We want to feel their touch, hear their voice, and see their smile.

We remember the prophets, priests, ministers, and teachers who taught us the way of God:

Teachers of the faith, we remember you.

We are confident they are with you, and we are just as confident, O Lord, you understand how it is with us.

We lift up the memories of children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, and parents whose lives ended too soon:

Those close in our hearts, we remember you.

We cannot help recalling times when we might have been gentler, softer, and more thoughtful. We wish we could live some hours over.

We wish we could say”“I love you” again. These failures we must accept.

As we remember these saints, we also recall the names of those we have lost in the past year:

(Reading of the names of those who have died in the past year.)

We celebrate the lives of those we have named, O God, and lift up many more names in our hearts.

Family of God, we remember you, and we honor you.

We know you are with us in the spirit of worship and will not be forgotten.

“Time heals all things,” they say. We do not believe Time does anything. You, O God, are Healer and Helper. You can heal us in time, help us through the lonely days and long nights. You can give us renewed zest for going on and entering into life once more.

In the name of Christ, we bless the name of the Lord, whose timeless teachings were embodied in the lives of the saints. We give thanks to you, O Lord for putting into the hearts of your servants of a former time to build and establish this Church for your honor and worship. Grant that we will enjoy in our day the benefit of their faithful work and continue the mission that you have entrusted in all your saints in eternity. We offer our prayer, in Jesus name. Amen.

† Opening Hymn “For All The Saints” (v 1-4) UMH 711

First Reading Revelation 7:9-17 NRSV

After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, singing, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

The word of God, for the people of God. Thanks be to God!

Psalter Psalm 34 UMH 769 (Response 2)

(Response to be sung) O magnify the Lord with me; with me exalt God’s name!

I will bless the Lord at all times; God’s praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and be glad.

O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt God’s name together!

I sought the Lord, who answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Look to God and be radiant, so your faces shall never be ashamed.

The poor cried out, and the Lord heard, and saved them out of all their troubles.

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear God, and delivers them.

O taste and see that the Lord is good! Happy are those who take refuge in God!

(Response to be sung) O magnify the Lord with me; with me exalt God’s name!

O fear the Lord, you his holy ones, for those who fear God have no want!

The young lions suffer want and hunger, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Come, O children, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Which of you desires life and covets many days to enjoy good?

Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit.

Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

(Response to be sung) O magnify the Lord with me; with me exalt God’s name!

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous; the ears of the Lord hear their cry.

The face of the Lord is against evildoers, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crust in spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivers them.

The Lord keeps all their bones; not one of them is broken.

Evil shall slay the wicked; and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.

The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in God will be condemned.

(Response to be sung) O magnify the Lord with me; with me exalt God’s name!

Passing of the Peace

Sharing Joys and Concerns

Pastoral Prayer

Choral Response “Cares Chorus”

I cast all my cares upon You.

I lay all of my burdens, down at Your feet.

And anytime that I don’t know what to do,

I will cast all my cares upon You.

Second Reading 1 John 3:1-3 NRSV

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

The word of God, for the people of God. Thanks be to God!

Sermon Keeping the Light On Rev. Levon D. Sutton, Pastor

Invitation to Offering

Offertory

As for those in this house, we will serve the Lord.

We will give our allegiance unto God.

With one voice, we will offer up our song,

Give our praise with voices strong,

Live our lives for God alone.

As for those in this house, we will serve the Lord,

This we pledge with our hearts in one accord.

Let the lives we bring

Give honor to the King.

As for those in this house, we will serve the Lord.

Founded on the Word of God, we have built this place.

Nurtured by the love of God, we proclaim His grace.

Challenged by the Truth of God, we break forth in praise:

Alleluia!

We will serve the Lord for all our days.

Take my life and let it be

Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.

Take my heart; it is Thine own.

It shall be Thy royal throne.

Offering Prayer

Lord God, we humbly offer these gifts, praying for your blessings upon the ongoing ministry in this community and throughout the wider world. May our giving not confine Your vision, but, through Your abundant grace, may we open ourselves to trust in Your ability to multiply our contributions to fulfill Your will. In Jesus name, Amen.

Holy Communion UMH 9

The Great Thanksgiving

Lord’s Prayer

Breaking the Bread

Giving the Bread and Cup

† Closing Hymn “I Want a Principle Within” UMH 410

† Benediction

Leader: The saints preceding us have paved the path to lead a life of faithfulness.

People: Their existence has shaped the space for us to journey towards our forthcoming days.

Leader: May we, the saints of today, pass on our legacy in Christ to the saints yet to come.

ALL: STEPPING FORTH INTO THE WORLD, WE GO ENRICHED BY OUR HISTORY. ENVISIONING THE POTENTIAL OF OUR TOMORROWS.

† Choral Benediction