Order of Worship

BOLD indicates congregational SPEAKING participation

GATHERING AS THE BODY OF CHRIST

Prelude

 "God of Grace and God of Glory"

UMH #577

Welcome

A Time to Make Connections

Meditation Time

Introit

"Jubilate Deo"

Adult Choir

by Fred Dunn, based on Psalm 100   

Call to Worship

Liturgist: When God seems far away, we may become afraid and wonder what to do.

People: We come with out doubts, our fears, and our hopes.

Liturgist: When we cannot see the way forward, we may reach for things we can see and control.

People: Help us remember that God is faithful, even when we cannot see clearly.

Liturgist: : God calls us to wait, to trust, and to remember who we are.

People: We are God's people, held by God's grace.

Liturgist: Come, let us worship the God who remains with us, even when we cannot feel God's presence.

People: We come with open hearts, ready to trust and worship.

Opening Prayer

Gracious and faithful God, We come before you today with

all that we carry - our faith and our doubts, our hopes and our fears. Sometimes we feel your presence clearly. Other times, you seem far away, and we wonder where you are. When we are afraid or uncertain, we can easily reach for things that promise security and control. Remind us that the things we can see and hold cannot take the place of you. Teach us to wait when we do not have all the answers. Help us remember your faithfulness when we cannot see what lies ahead. Give us patience to trust you and courage to resist the things that distract us from your presence. As we worship today, open our hearts to your word. Help us notice what we reach for when we are afraid, and lead us again toward you, the God who has never stopped walking with us. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

Opening Hymn

   “Trust and Obey” 

        UMH #467

  Young Disciples' Time

          Courtney Till

  Joys and Concerns

Lord's Prayer

Prayer Response

"To Know You More"

TFWS #2161 (verse 2)

based on Philippians 3:10

ATTENTION TO THE WORD OF GOD

Scripture Readings:     Exodus 32:1-14

1 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron and said to him, “Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 Aaron said to them, “Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took these from them, formed them in a mold,[a] and cast an image of a calf, and they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it, and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord.” 6 They rose early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being, and the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to revel.

7 The Lord said to Moses, “Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; 8 they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’ ” 9 The Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. 10 Now let me alone so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, and of you I will make a great nation.”

11 But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’ ” 14 And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.     (NRSV) 

Liturgist: The word of God for the people of God.

People: Thanks be to God.  

Message

“When God Seems Far Away: What Do We Reach For?”  

  Pastor Jinyong Choi

We Respond

Offertory

  “Be Still, My Soul” 

     UMH #534

based on Psalm 46:10

Doxology

 UMH #94

*Offertory Prayer

Gracious God, Thank you for your faithful presence with us, even when we cannot always see or understand what you are doing. Receive these gifts we offer today. Use them to bring hope, care, and new possibilities to our church, our community, and the world. Help us not to hold too tightly to what we have, but to trust that what we receive from you can become a blessing for others. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.

Closing Hymn

 "Jesus Calls Us"

  UMH #398 (verses 1, 3, 4, & 5)

The Blessing and Sending Forth 



Pastor: When God seems far away, remember God's faithfulness.

People: We will remember and trust.

Pastor: When fear tells you to reach for what you can control, remember the God who walks with you.

People: We will trust God's presence.

Pastor: When you cannot see the way forward, wait, listen, and take the next faithful step.

People: We will walk in faith and hope.

Pastor:  Go now, trusting the God who is with you even when you cannot see the way ahead. Carry God's love into the world.

People:  We go in peace, trusting God's faithful presence.

Pastor: May God who is always with us, Christ who walks beside us, and the Holy Spirit who guides us lead and keep you, now and always.

People: Amen.      

Benediction Response

“Grace Alone” 

  Adult Choir

by Brown & Nelson, based on Ephesians 2:8-10

Postlude

    "Fugue in C major"

Dietrich Buxtehude