ORDER OF WORSHIP | Holy Trinity Community Church

10/25/20 - ORDER OF WORSHIP

Welcome to Holy Trinity Community United Church of Christ!

Thank you for joining us in worship today.

We invite you to reach out to Pastor Rob, (He/Him), who is available for pastoral care, emotional support, & spiritual direction. Please contact them at revrobvaness@gmail.com with any comments or concerns you may have.

This is our 7th in an 11-week series on the promises of God. Today we will look at the promise of generosity and grace found in the covenant made between God & King David.

Color code to help you navigate our worship:

Worship Notes in BLUE. Music Notes in RED.

1. Feel free to comment in the live thread to introduce yourself & to connect with one another.

2. There will be 3 occasions where we invite you to comment during our live premiere.

- The 1st is during our time in prayer. Enter your prayer requests & praises in the comment section & Pastor Rob will hold your prayers with theirs for the rest of the week.

- The 2nd second time is during our celebration of communion. You are invited to join us in celebrating Communion.

- Right now, go & gather something to eat & something to drink. If can be bread or something else, & wine or juice or something else, & set it aside.

- When the time comes for us to share in the bread of life & the cup of blessing, do not worry, I will walk you through it.

3. Finally, we offer a special blessing at the end of service. If you have a birthday or an anniversary or another significant life event you would like to receive a blessing for, know that you are blessed. If you want to share the reason for your blessing you are invited to comment.

- Together we will share in the eternal & steadfast love of God revealed for all through the life, death, & resurrection of a man named Jesus.

Holy Trinity Community United Church of Christ

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✠ GREETING

✠ SONG OF PRAISE

I Will Bless the Lord with Charlie Hawks, Melinda Iroabuchi, & Voices of Vision

(A song inspired by Psalm 34, “I will bless the Lord at all times.” Read Psalm 34 to go deeper into the promises of God’s never-ending love for us that is declared in our scripture for this week, 2 Samuel 7: 1-17)

I will bless the Lord at all times, God's good

I will bless the Lord at all times, God’s good

I will bless the Lord at all times,

He's good, He's good, so good, real good

Each and every day of my life

I'll bless the Lord for God's good

I will bless the Lord at all times, God's good

I will bless the Lord at all times, God’s good

He's good, so good, real good

Each and every day of my life

I'll bless the Lord for God's good

I will bless the Lord at all times, God's good

I will bless the Lord at all times, God’s good

He's good, so good, real good

Each and every day of my life

I'll bless the Lord for God's good

I will bless the Lord at all times

I will bless the Lord, I will bless the Lord

I will bless the Lord at all times, God's good

✠ WELCOME

✠ SCRIPTURE READING: 2 Samuel 7: 1-17

You are invited to stand as you are able while worshipping with us in your own home.

One: Sitting or standing, hear now a reading from the Hebrew Testament as we meditate on the promise of God’s generosity and grace revealed in 2 Samuel 7: 1-17:

1 Now when the king was settled in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, 2 the king said to the prophet Nathan, "See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent." 3 Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you." 4 But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: 5 Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? 6 I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. 7 Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?" 8 Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; 9 and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. 12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. When he commits iniquity, I will punish him with a rod such as mortals use, with blows inflicted by human beings. 15 But I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever. 17 In accordance with all these words and with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

One: Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.

All: Thanks be to God!

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Sermon inspiration:

Temple of Love by Rumi:

The temple of love is not love itself;

True love is the treasure,

Not the walls about it.

Do not admire the decoration,

But involve yourself in the essence,

The perfume that invades and touches you-

The beginning and the end.

Discovered, this replace all else,

The apparent and the unknowable.

Time and space are slaves to this presence.

✠ Sermon: We Don’t Get What We Deserve: God’s Promise of Generosity & Grace

[7th in a series on the promises of God.]

✠ PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

As we enter this time of prayer, we invite you to post your prayers in the comments below, while also being mindful that this is a public forum and any confidentiality you are bound to honor. Doing so, we will add them to our prayer list & pray over them in the week to come.

✠ OUR OFFERING

You can help the church financially in this pandemic by contributing in 3 different ways. Holy Trinity Memphis has a cash app account, you can go to our website, holytrinitymemphis.org, or you can send a gift to our PO Box. All the information is pinned to the top of the comment thread for this lives stream.

Holy Trinity Community Church now has a CashApp account. Our CashApp code is $HolyTrinityMemphis. Users must create a Cash App account to make contributions to our ministry. There is no fee for either party on this app & can be found at the Google Play Store for Android users or the App Store for iPhone users.
Go to HolyTrinityMemphis.org & click on the word GIVE in the upper left-hand corner. This link will direct you to our longstanding PayPal account.
Finally, you can always send in your tithe, gift, or offering by mail. Please send to: Holy Trinity Community Church PO Box 2991 Cordova, TN 38088.

Your faithful contributions regardless of if you can join us in worship are essential for our ability to proclaim the gospel. Thank you for your generous support of our mission and ministries.

✠ OFFERTORY HYMN

Holy Ground with Charlie Hawks & Voices of Vision

When I walk through the doors, I sensed God's presence

When I knew this was a place where love abounds

For this is a temple Jehovah God abides here

and we are standing in His presence on holy ground

We are standing on holy ground

For I know that there are angels all around

Let us praise Jesus now

For we are standing in His presence on holy ground

In His presence I know there is joy beyond all measure

And at His feet sweet peace of mind can still be found

For when we have a need He is still the answer

Reach out and claim it for we are standing on holy ground

We are standing on holy ground

For I know that there are angels all around

Let us praise Jesus now

For we are standing in His presence on holy ground

Let us praise Jesus now

For we are standing in His presence on holy ground

✠ HOLY COMMUNION [i]

Invitation

One: For Holy Communion this morning, I invite you to lend Christ your table.

On the first day of the last week of Jesus’s life, people throughout Judea arrived at the dusty gates of Jerusalem, primed with “Hosanna” in their hearts and Jesus asked to borrow a donkey.

On the Thursday that followed, Jesus rented or was given John Mark’s mother’s Upper Room to celebrate the Passover with the disciples.

On the afternoon of the resurrection, Jesus was invited into a house in Emmaus and used the bread of that hospitality to break and bless.

Lend Christ your table, your bread, your cup and your heart, for, as the disciples told the person who loaned the donkey, “The Lord has need of it.”

Prayer of Consecration

One: We are one bread, one body, one cup of blessing. Though we are many throughout the earth and this church community is scattered, we are one in Christ. In your many kitchens, and living rooms, rest your hands lightly upon these elements which we set aside today to be a sacrament. Let us ask God’s blessing upon them.

All: Gentle Redeemer, there is no lockdown on your blessing

and no quarantine on grace.

Send your Spirit of life and love,

power and blessing

upon every table where your child shelters in place,

that this Bread may be broken and gathered in love

and this Cup poured out to give hope to all.

Risen Christ, live in us, that we may live in you.

Breathe in us, that we may breathe in you.

Words of Remembering

One: We remember that Paul the apostle wrote letters to congregations throughout places we now call Greece, Turkey and Macedonia, and they were the first “remote” worship resources. Our online service has a long heritage. The Communion words sent to the church at Corinth were these:

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,

the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed

took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks,

he broke it and said,

“This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying,

“This cup is the new covenant in my blood.

Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,

you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Sharing of the Elements

One: Let us in our many places receive the gift of God, the Bread of Heaven.

All: We are one in Christ in the bread we share.

One: Let us eat.

One: Let us in our many places receive the gift of God, the Cup of Blessing.

All: We are one in Christ in the cup we share.

One: Let us drink.

One: Let us pray as our Risen Savior taught us in the gospel of Matthew:

All: Our Father, who are 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

One: Let us pray in thanksgiving for this meal of grace, rejoicing that, by the very

method of our worship, we have embodied the truth that Christ’s love is not limited by buildings made with human hands, nor contained in human ceremonies, but blows as free as the Spirit in all places.

All: Spirit of Christ, you have blessed our tables and our lives.

May the eating of this Bread give us courage to speak faith and act love,

not only in church sanctuaries, but in your precious world,

and may the drinking of this Cup renew our hope

even in the midst of pandemic.

Wrap your hopeful presence around all

whose bodies, spirits and hearts need healing,

and let us become your compassion and safe refuge. Amen

✠ CELEBRATIONS & A SPECIAL BLESSING

Now is the time for you to enter your reason for being blessed into the comment section so that we may share in your life’s journey.

One: Today we praise God for our birthdays and anniversaries and all the good things that come into our lives not by our power but by God’s power and providence.

Let your faith vanquish your fears for fear is only a state of the mind, keep reaching for the best in all you do.

Each day is like a gift, a blessing to your life. Live each day of your life like the blessing it is.

I hope you believe in miracles because a whole lot of them will come to you sooner than you expect. Keep holding on to God.

May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you now, and forever more.

All: Thanks be to God!

✠ BENEDICTION

One: Know that God loves you.

God has always loved you.

God will never stop loving you.

Love is the answer.

Let us love one another as we walk together through these difficult days & know that amid neighbor helping neighbor, we will find the holy & healing presence of our Lord Jesus Christ.

All: Thanks be to God!

✠ Sending Song:

Shout to the Lord with Charlie Hawks, Melinda Iroabuchi, & Voices of Vision

My Jesus, my Savior

Lord, there is none like You
All of my days
I want to praise
The wonders of Your mighty love

My comfort, my shelter
Tower of refuge and strength
Let every breath, all that I am
Never cease to worship You

Shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing
Power and majesty, praise to the King
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
At the sound of Your name

I sing for joy at the work of Your hands
Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand
Nothing compares to the promise I have in You

(My Jesus) To my Savior (my Savior)
Oh, Lord there is nothing like You
All of my days
I want to praise
The wonders of Your mighty love

You're my comfort (my comfort), and my shelter, yes (my shelter)

You're my tower of refuge and strength
Let every breath, and all that I am
Never cease to worship You

Shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing
Power and majesty, praise to the King
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
At the sound of Your name

I sing for joy at the work of Your hands
Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand
Nothing compares to the promise I have in...

Shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing, yeah
Power and majesty, praise to the King
Mountains bow down (mountains bow down and the seas will roar)
At the sound of Your name

I sing for joy at the work of Your hands
Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand
Nothing compares to the promise I have in You
(Nothing compares to the promise I have in You...)
Oh, nothing compares to the promise I have in You

Thank you for joining us in worship today.

Go to holytrinitymemphis.org to learn more about our faith community.

Our current series: The Promises of God.

November 1: (All Saints Day Service – 11 AM online) God’s Care for the Widow – (All Saints) 1 Kings 17:1-16 [17-24] (Luke 4:24- 26)

November 8: (Parking lot worship at 10 AM in-person & online) Jonah and God’s Mercy – Jonah 1:1-17; 3:1-10 [4:1-11] (Luke 18:13) Annual Congregational Meeting after worship

November 15: (11 AM online) God Calls Isaiah – Isaiah 6:1-8 (Luke 5:8-10)

November 22: (11 AM online) God Promises a New Covenant (Reign of Christ Sunday) Jeremiah 36:1-8, 21-23, 27-28; then 31:31-34 (Luke 22:19-20)

Advent Series: An Attitude of Gratitude[1]

November 29: (11 AM Online)

1st Sun of Advent - God is not done with us yet.

World AIDS Day Service/ Daniel 6: 6-27

December 6: (Parking lot worship at 10 AM in -person & online)

2nd Sun of Advent - We are not waiting for things to return back to normal.

Bon Jovi Sunday/ Joel 2:12-13, 28-29

December 13: (11 AM Online)

3rd Sun of Advent - We will be more outwardly focused than normal.

Isaiah 61:1-11

December 20: (11 AM Online)

4th Sun of Advent - Major change is inevitable and we will embrace it.

Luke 1:26-45[46-56]

December 24: (6 PM Parking lot acoustic worship)

Christmas Eve – Gratitude is an attitude.

Luke 2:1-14[15-20]

[1] Our Advent series is ironically inspired by an online article written by Thom Rainer, American writer, researcher, speaker, and former president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. https://churchanswers.com/blog/four-key-attitudes-of-leaders-whose-churches-will-thrive-in-the-future/

[i] Online Communion for Palm Sunday was written by the Rev. Maren C. Tirabassi.