First Presbyterian Church of Niles

Morning Worship

10:00 A.M.                                                                              August 24, 2025 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

                                                (* = stand if you are able)

PRELUDE

REFLECTION TEXT                    Psalm 103: 1-4                               

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.  Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits— who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

PREPARATION FOR WORSHIP                           Aria                                          Bach

CALL TO WORSHIP (Responsive)                                                       

In you, O God, we seek refuge;

     In Your justice, deliver us.

Be a rock of refuge for us, a strong fortress, because You are our rock and fortress.

For you, O Lord, are our hope and trust. Our praise is continually of You.

OPENING PRAYER                                                                               

*HYMN 619                   Praise, My Soul, the God of Heaven  LAUDA ANIMA

Praise, my soul, the God of heaven; glad of heart your carols raise;

Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven, who, like me, should sing God’s praise?

Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise the Maker all your days!

Praise God for the grace and favor shown our forebears in distress;

God is still the same forever, slow to chide and swift to bless.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Sing our Maker’s faithfulness!

Like a loving parent caring, God knows well our feeble frame,

Gladly all our burdens bearing, still to countless years the same.

Alleluia! Alleluia! All within me, praise God’s name!

Angels, teach us adoration; you behold God face to face.

Sun and moon and all creation, dwellers all in time and space:

Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise with us the God of grace!

CALL TO CONFESSION                                                                       

PRAYER OF CONFESSION (In Unison)                                            

O God, our creator, sustainer and redeemer, we confess our feelings of exile and alienation, and we wonder where you are. We fear your absence when, in fact, you are most present to us. Restore in us a sense of your comfort and care. Renew our strength so that we might realize our calling as disciples of Jesus. Amen.

MOMENT OF SILENT AND PERSONAL CONFESSION

ASSURANCE OF PARDON (Responsive)                                         

The God who hung the stars and the moon has come close to each and

all with mercy and love. Hear the good news of the gospel, we are forgiven and empowered by God’s Spirit to run and not be weary, to walk and not faint.

    Thanks be to God.

PASSING THE PEACE                                                                          

As God has forgiven us in Christ let us also forgive one another.

The peace of Christ be with you all.

    And also with you.

Please share the sign of peace with one another.

The sharing of Christ’s peace.

RESPONSE Peace is Flowing Like a River TRADITIONAL

Peace is flowing like a river, flowing out to you and me.

Flowing out into the desert, setting all the captives free.

His love is flowing like a river, flowing out to you and me.

Flowing out into the desert, setting all the captives free.

PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION                                                               

FIRST SCRIPTURE READING                                                 Psalm 71:1-6

SPECIAL MUSIC                            Seek Ye First                 Pachelbel

SECOND SCRIPTURE READING                                Luke 13:10-17

MESSAGE                      “Breaking the Rules”          Rev. Christopher Mergener

*HYMN 761           Called as Partners in Christ’s Service                 BEECHER

Called as partners in Christ’s service, called to ministries of grace,

We respond with deep commitment fresh new lines of faith to trace.

May we learn the art of sharing, side by side and friend with friend,

Equal partners in our caring to fulfill God’s chosen end.

Christ’s example, Christ’s inspiring, Christ’s clear call to work and worth,

Let us follow, never faltering, reconciling folk on earth.

Men and women, richer, poorer, all God’s people young and old,

Blending human skills together gracious gifts from God unfold.

Thus new patterns for Christ’s mission, in a small or global sense,

Help us bear each other’s burdens, breaking down each wall or fence.

Words of comfort, words of vision, words of challenge, said with care,

Bring new power and strength for action, make us colleagues, free and fair.

So God grant us for tomorrow ways to order human life

That surround each person’s sorrow with a calm that conquers strife.

Make us partners in our living, our compassion to increase,

Messengers of faith, thus giving hope and confidence and peace.

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH                                                                     

In life and in death we belong to God. Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel, whom alone we worship and serve. With believers in every time and place, we rejoice that nothing in life or in death can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.

CALL FOR THE OFFERING                                                                 

      Offertory                          Come, O Traveler Unknown   Arr. Carter

*DOXOLOGY          Praise God From Whom all Blessings Flow                  DOXOLOGY

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise God, all creatures here below; Praise God above, you heavenly host; Praise Creator, Christ, and Spirit One.

*PRAYER OF DEDICATION                                                                 

PREPARATION FOR PRAYERS   Your Servant Comes This Hour                 TRENTHAM

Your servant comes this hour in true humility,

believing in your call, O God, and answering. “Lord, send me.”

Your servant kneels in prayer, awaiting from above

the touch which sets their life apart for ministries of love.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE (Responsive)                                        

Lord in your mercy,

    hear our prayer.

THE LORD’S PRAYER (In Unison)                                                    

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.

*HYMN 320 (Vs. 1, 3, 5)        The Church of Christ in Every Age             WAREHAM

The church of Christ in every age, beset by change but Spirit led,

must claim and test its heritage and keep on rising from the dead.

Then let the servant church arise, a caring church that longs to be

a partner in Christ’s sacrifice, and clothed in Christ’s humanity.

We have no mission but to serve in full obedience to our Lord:

to care for all, without reserve, and spread Christ’s liberating word.

*CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

POSTLUDE       

All music is reproduced under permission from ccli.com License #11146543.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~