Worship Services for Sunday, October 25th

Worship Services for Sunday, October 25th

Good Morning All,

I am thankful to be able to worship with you today. Indoor, in-person worship is at 10:00am this morning. Please look over the safety guideline we have adopted for in-person gathering in the sanctuary.

– Please keep walkways, isles, and natural pathways clear both inside the sanctuary and outdoors to allow others to move about comfortable.
– Consider taking you conversations outdoors to the lawn or parking lot after the worship service concludes.
– Please don’t rearrange the seating options in the sanctuary. Spacing has been designed around the designated seats available in the sanctuary.
– Seats are identified by a worship bulletin.
– Face coverings must be properly worn the entire you are inside the building.
– Music will be offered as part of our worship. We will continue to refrain from singing together as a whole congregation.
– The restrooms in the fellowship hall are open and available for you to use.

Thank you for your dedication and commitment to keep one another as healthy and safe as possible.
….
Below is a brief order of worship designed to guide your personal worship. Special thanks is owed to my colleagues, Marjory and Ray Keiss. Standing on the Promises is a look at a few of the wonderful promises God has given to us throughout the pages of Scripture. The links in blue will direct you to YouTube. You may have to watch a brief advertisement before the hymn will play.

We have the the November-December editions of the Upper Room available in the narthex of the sanctuary. Next Sunday (Nov. 1) is All Saints Sunday. We will share in a time of remembrance and also partake of Holy Communion next week. Please let me know if you would like to receive communion personally in your home. I would be delighted to share this special meal with you.

May God’s Spirt unite our hearts in praise and adoration.

Pastor Kent

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Order of Worship for Sunday, October 25

Call to Worship: Psalm 36

Your love, O Lord, reaches to heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. How priceless is your unfailing love. Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.

They feast on the abundance of your house – you give them drink from your river of delights. Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart.

Hymn: There is Power in the Blood

Opening Prayer:
Holy God, we come into your presence rejoicing for you have given us life abundant and eternal. Your mercies are new with each longing and your love has no equal. Draw us close again through the power of your Word. Shape us into your people and fill with your Holy Spirt. As now we offer our hearts in worship. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Scripture Lesson: Colossians 3:12–17 (NRSV):
12 As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Pastoral Prayer
Ever loving God, through your Son, our lives have been redeemed. You have filled our days with purpose and meaning; for each day has been filled with your grace.

You call as your church to be your heralds in this world, agents of compassion, ambassadors of hope through Christ Jesus our Lord. We pray today for our friends, our family, and our world – for all who are hurting and lost.

Heal us of all that wars within us. Comfort our aching hearts and broken bodies. You, O God, are our Great Physician and we celebrate the wonderful ways you sooth, strength, and bring wholeness to our lives. Continue to bless the work of our earthly doctors, nurses, and first responders, may their work reflect the compassion you have for all your children.

Protect our solider, police officers, and fire fighter as they deployed into hostile situation. Use these men and women to bring about peace. Inspire our leaders with your wisdom that they may utilize their position to bring about justice and well-being.

Equip you church, O God, with every good gift that we may become the beacon of hope that draws this community to discover your unfailing love and matchless grace. All this we ask through the strength of Jesus, our Savior who taught us to pray, saying . . . Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name.

Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and glory, forever. Amen.

Scripture Lesson: Matthew 18:21–35 (NRSV):
21 Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.

23 “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; 25 and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made.

26 So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt.

28 But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’

30 But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. 31 When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place.

32 Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’

34 And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. 35 So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Message: Standing on the promises – Forgiveness is Always Offered

Hymn: Amazing Grace

Benediction:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm.

May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Kent Smith, Pastor
Salem United Methodist Church
Weaverville, NC
(828) 645-6014

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