ABIDING HOPE CHURCH Reign Brilliantly

ABIDING HOPE CHURCH
6337 S. Robb Way
Littleton, Colorado 80127
Phone: (303) 972-1283
22nd Sunday after Pentecost
October 15 and 16, 2016
AH Worship of the People
5:30 p.m.
8:15 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.
{Worship led by Resurrection Sound}
Reign Brilliantly
By Grace, God Gathers Us
Prelude
Open Up Our Eyes
Lay It Down
{Please stand}
Brief Order of Confession and Forgiveness
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Through these baptismal waters we are reminded of our death and new
life through Jesus Christ and the faith by which we are to live. Let us
confess the sins of our hearts to God, in whom we put our trust.
Merciful God, you bring our lives in harmony with yours because of your
steadfast love, mercy and faithfulness. We are to be living testimonies of
your righteousness and justice, but confess that we too often fail to live up
to the challenges that brings.
When we fail to translate the language of our hearts into one that
includes all people, forgive us and renew our lives with your Spirit.
When we alienate others by our judgmental and hard-hearted attitudes,
and struggle to share peace, love, justice, and mercy to a world in need:
forgive us and continue to come after us.
When we too easily stray from your story and have itching ears for stories
that promise life, but do not deliver;
and when we struggle in faith and question our identity found in you:
forgive us and never give up on us.
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If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed
away, see, everything has become new! We have been reconciled to God
through Christ and all this is from God who does not count our trespasses
against us - but entrusts us with the message of reconciliation.
(2 Corinthians 5:17-19)
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The good news therefore is this: In Jesus Christ we are renewed, we are
loved, and we are forgiven.
Thanks be to God!
Gathering Song
The Greeting
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The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the
communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.
Hymn of Praise
The Prayer of the Day
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The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray. Unrelenting God,
too often we give up on you and lose hope on your promise for
life – yet you never quit on us or abandon us. Restore our faith so we
can, once again,
believe in the unbelievable,
love the unlovable,
hope through hopelessness,
and experience peace in the restlessness that
permeates our lives.
Be persistent with us and help us be persistent for you so that your
righteousness and justice may reign over all; through Jesus Christ, our
Lord and Savior. Amen
{Please be seated}
In Grace, God Empowers Us With The Word
Mission Moment
Forward in Faith
The Sacrament of Baptism
{Please refer to the screens for the Baptismal liturgy}
Leo Ryan Robinson
{5:30 p.m. only}
Jewel Bethelhem Johnson
{10:00 a.m. only}
Time with the Children
{Children 4 years old thru 2nd grade may leave for Children’s Church}
The Lesson
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Genesis 32:22-31
The same night he got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his
eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23He took them and sent
them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. 24Jacob was left
alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. 25When the man saw that
he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob’s
hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26Then he said, “Let me go,
for the day is breaking.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go, unless you bless
me.” 27So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28Then
the man said, “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have
striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed.” 29Then Jacob asked
him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my
name?” And there he blessed him. 30So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying,
“For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved.” 31The sun rose
upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.
{Please stand}
Gospel Verse
The Gospel
Luke 18:1-8
Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to
lose heart. 2He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared
God nor had respect for people. 3In that city there was a widow who kept
coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’ 4For a
while he refused; but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God
and no respect for anyone, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will
grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’”
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And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God
grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay
long in helping them? 8I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet,
when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
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The Gospel of our Lord.
Thanks be to God!
{Please be seated}
The Sermon
Pastor Chad Johnson
{Please stand}
Hymn of the Day
In Grace, God Empowers Us With The Meal
The Prayers of the Church
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Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, and for all
people according to their needs.
{Each petition of the prayers is followed by}
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Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
{The prayers shall conclude with}
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Into your hands we entrust all for whom we pray, convinced of your
mercy and compassion. And now as we prepare our hearts to worship
you with the act of offering, we pray together. Provider of all good gifts,
you fill us with your hope and grace and you call us to be a beacon of
light for our community and the world. Bless our lives and the gifts we
offer you today so that through them, we might unleash wholeness and
new life to all. Unite us as a body to trust you in our generosity journey
and help us to more faithfully serve as the heart, hands, and feet of
Jesus in this world. Amen
The Peace
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The Peace of the Lord be with you always.
And also with you.
{Please be seated}
The Offering
Mission Focus
{Please stand}
Family Promise
Offertory
The Great Thanksgiving
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The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give God thanks and praise.
The Table Prayer with the Words of Jesus
The Lord’s Prayer
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Lord, remember us in your kingdom, and teach us to pray:
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 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 the glory,
forever and ever. Amen
{Please be seated}
Communion
We invite and encourage everyone to participate in Holy Communion
regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, politics, or any
other divisive marker assigned by the world. God envisions a cosmos where all
humanity is united in love. We at Abiding Hope believe that Jesus instituted
Holy Communion to be a real and tangible means by which we are connected
to God and one another. To make this point, the pastor will issue an invitation
for all to participate saying, "The Gifts of God are..." to which the congregation
will emphatically proclaim "FREE!" We hope that you and your family will join
us for this meaningful feast of God's love and grace.
White grape juice is available on each communion tray as well as red wine.
Rice wafers are also available for those who are intolerant to the bread
ingredients. Please inform a communion assistant and they will be happy to
assist you. Come to the feast!
Prayer Rail ~ We invite anyone who has a prayer concern to join a Deacon at
the back rails of the communion table (behind the Altar) to lift up your prayer
during the time of communion.
Communion Hymns
God of Justice
Resurrection Sound
{Please stand}
Post Communion Blessing
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The body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ, strengthen you and keep
you in His grace.
Amen
Post Communion Canticle
With Grace, God Sends Us
The Commissioning To Go and Serve
{The congregation turns and faces the entrance to the world.}
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God is indeed persistent with us!
God never quits on us!
When we wander, when we are fearful, and when we attempt to go it
alone, God continues to stand by us.
How then can we lose faith? How can we lose sight of the one who gives
us life?
Go, then, and be the Church! Be persistent in sharing God’s love with all
people. And when you are uncomfortable in doing so, know that…
God’s got us!
Though we continually experience people who do not understand God
and do not love and respect others, God calls us to be faithful in love.
God calls us to be persistent in prayer and proclamation.
Be relentless as you live into God’s vision for you and for all creation, for
through you, God will bring all people to come to experience real life.
Love God. Serve God.
Love all. Serve all.
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace; in the name
of the Father, and of the † Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Dismissal
A Go in peace. Serve the Lord!
C Thanks be to God!
Postlude
Lay It Down
Next week’s lessons: Jeremiah 31:31-34, Psalm 84:1-17,
2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18, Luke 18:9-14
Brief Order ©Glenn Hecox and M. Laidlaw, Prayer of the Day and
Commissioning ©Glenn Hecox