† Stand as you are able
Organ Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
Introit “This Is The Day The Lord Hath Made” UMH 658
This is the day the Lord hath made; He calls the hours His own.
Let Heaven rejoice, let earth be glad, and praise surround the throne.
†Call to Worship
God calls us by grace and invites us into new life.
We come to follow Christ with joy.
God welcomes us with mercy and sends us with purpose.
We come to worship—and to be made ready for service.
Let us worship the God who calls and heals.
Amen.
†Opening Hymn “O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee” UMH 430
Prayer of Illumination
Holy God, by the power of your Spirit, open our ears to hear your Word, our minds to understand it, and our hearts to receive it. May your truth guide our lives and lead us more faithfully in the way of Christ. Amen.
A Reading from the Old Testament Genesis 12:1-9 NRSV
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot and all the possessions that they had gathered and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran, and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. From there he moved on to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east, and there he built an altar to the Lord and invoked the name of the Lord. And Abram journeyed on by stages toward the Negeb.
The Word of God, for the people of God. Thanks be to God!
Congregational Prayer
God of mercy, you call ordinary people into your extraordinary mission. Forgive us when we hesitate, when fear sets the boundaries of our obedience, or when we assume we are unworthy of your calling. Speak your Word to us again. Heal what is wounded. Restore what is broken. And send us to love in concrete ways—especially where there is suffering, loneliness, and need. Form Lovely Lane to be a congregation of welcome and witness, where grace is practiced and good news is lived. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Passing of the Peace “Sweet, Sweet Spirit” UMH 334
Sharing Joys and Concerns
Pastoral Prayer
Response “Alleluia” UMH 186
A Reading from the New Testament Romans 4:13-25 NRSV
For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law, neither is there transgression. For this reason the promise depends on faith, in order that it may rest on grace, so that it may be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (who is the father of all of us, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”), in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become “the father of many nations,” according to what was said, “So shall your descendants be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), and the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Therefore it “was reckoned to him as righteousness.” Now the words, “it was reckoned to him,” were written not for his sake alone but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.
The Word of God for the People of God. Thanks be to God!
Sermon Reverend Levon D. Sutton, Pastor
Responsive Hymn “Be Still, My Soul” UMH 534
Invitation to Offering
Offertory “Now The Silence” Schalk
Now the silence, now the peace,
Now the empty hands uplifted;
Now the kneeling, now the plea,
Now the Father’s arms in welcome;
Now the hearing, now the power,
Now the vessel brimmed for pouring;
Now the body, now the blood,
Now the joyful celebration;
Now the wedding, now the songs,
Now the heart forgiven, leaping;
Now the Spirit’s visitation,
Now the Son’s epiphany;
Now the Father’s blessing,
Now, now, now.
Offering Prayer
God of grace, receive these offerings. Use them to strengthen your mission, bless those in need, and make your love visible through this church. Amen.
Holy Communion “Let Us Break Bread Together” UMH 618
The Great Thanksgiving UMH 13
Lord’s Prayer
†Closing Hymn “Forth in Thy Name, O Lord” UMH 438
†Benediction
Go in peace. You are called by grace and sent in love. Follow Christ with courage, and serve with joy. Amen.
†Benediction Response “Let Us Now Depart In Thy Peace ” UMH 668
Let us now depart in Thy peace, blessed Jesus. Send us to our homes with God’s love in our hearts. Let not the busy world claim all our loyalties. Keep us ever mindful, dear Lord, of Thee. Amen.
Ringing the Bicentennial Bell
Organ Postlude