The Lord’s Day

June 26, 2011

 

O my strength, I will sing praises to Thee;

for God is my stronghold, the God who shows me lovingkindness.

(Psalm 59:17)

 

  Prelude

 

  Apostolic Greeting

 

*Call to Worship Psalm 67

God be gracious to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us,

That Your way may be known on the earth, Your salvation among all nations.

Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You.

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for You will judge the peoples with uprightness and guide the nations on the earth.

Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You.

The earth has yielded its produce; God, our God, blesses us. God blesses us, that all the ends of the earth may fear Him.

 

*Gloria Patri No. 734

 

*Prayer of Invocation

 

*Hymn From All That Dwell below the Skies No. 7

 

  Public Confession

O God, forgive us for straying from the path of righteousness and for not using our words to build up. Forgive us for our lack of compassion and for thinking of You wrongly as we considered our circumstances.

 

  Words of Assurance Titus 2:11-14

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

 

  Response O for a Closer Walk with God (facing page)

 

 

  Prayer for the Tithe and Offerings

 

  Collection of the Tithe and Offerings

 

*Doxology No. 731

 

*Declaring Our Faith[†] Fisher’s Catechism

Our Shorter Catechism says that the decrees of God are His eternal purpose, according to the counsel of His will, whereby, for His own glory, He has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass. What does the wordcounsel” mean?

This term refers to the eternity, wisdom, and immutability of God’s determinations.

Is the decreeing act of God one simple act only?

Yes; because of the perfect oneness or simplicity of God’s nature, on account of which He could not but decree all things at once.

Why then do we speak of the divine decrees as various or many?

Because of the many objects which the decreeing act of God respects. The things decreed are many, but the act decreeing is but one only.

 

  Pastoral Prayer

 

*Responsive Reading Psalm 98

O sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done wonderful things,

His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.

The Lord has made known His salvation;

He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations.

He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;

Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises.

 

 

 

Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre; with the lyre and the sound of melody.

With trumpets and the sound of the horn shout joyfully before the King, the Lord.

Let the sea roar and all it contains,

The world and those who dwell in it.

Let the rivers clap their hands;

Let the mountains sing together for joy before the Lord; for He is coming to judge the earth;

He will judge the world with righteousness,

And the peoples with equity.

 

*Hymn O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing No. 164

 

*Public Reading of the Word Acts 24

 

*Prayer for the Ministry of the Word

 

  Sermon

 

  Hymn Take Thou Our Minds, Dear Lord No. 593

 

  Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper+

 

*Hymn O God beyond All Praising No. 660

 

*Benediction

 

*Threefold Amen No. 740

 

 

 

 

* Congregation will please stand

+ Visitors: please see the note on the back of this bulletin



[†] These questions and responses are based on Fisher’s Catechism, written by James Fisher in 1753.