Jesus and his friends are on the road, and he notices a scuffle has broken out. When he asks what has happened, they are embarrassed to admit the truth: they were arguing over who among them wsa the greatest. As you might imagine, this is a teaching moment for Jesus.
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Who is the Greatest?
Psalm 1; Mark 9:30-37
Union Presbyterian Church
September 22, 2024
Sharing the Light of Christ, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Liturgist: Cindy Surrena Preacher: Rev. Pat Raube
Welcome Rev. Pat Raube
Announcements Cindy Surrena
Prelude Colin DeLap
“Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus,” Stead, Kirkpatrick
©2011, Hal Leonard Corporation.
Used by permission, CCLI License #CSPL068847
* Call to Worship
The World belongs to God,
the earth and all its people.
How good it is, how wonderful,
to live together in unity.
Love and faith come together,
justice and peace join hands.
If Christ’s disciples keep silent,
the very stones would shout aloud.
Open our lips, O God, and
our mouths shall proclaim your praise.
* Hymn # 85 W & R (2X)
“I Love You, Lord,” Laurie Klein
©1978, House of Mercy Music
Used by permission, CCLI License #CSPL068847
(Sing twice:)
I love you, Lord, and I lift my voice
To worship you, O my soul, rejoice!
Take joy, my King, in what you hear:
May it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear.
* Call to New Life
Let us confess our faults and admit our frailty.
* Prayer for Wholeness and Peace
Before God, with the people of God, we confess our brokenness; the ways we wound our lives, the lives of others, and the life of the world.
May God forgive us, Christ renew us, and the Spirit enable us to grow in love. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
* Words of Assurance
The Lord is kind and merciful.
God overflows with steadfast love.
By the love and mercy of God, we are forgiven and made whole!
Thanks be to God! Amen!
* Sharing of the Peace
May the peace of God be with you.
And also with you.
Let us offer one another a sign of God’s peace.
Scripture Psalm 1 (NRSVUE)
Happy are those
who do not follow the advice of the wicked
or take the path that sinners tread
or sit in the seat of scoffers,
but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law they meditate day and night.
They are like trees
planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.
The wicked are not so
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous,
for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Time for Young Disciples Rev. Pat Raube
Music: “There Is a Redeemer,” Melody Green.
© 1982 Ears To Hear Music.
Used by permission, CCLI License #CSPL068847
Anthem Choir
“Christ Be Our Light,” Bernadette Farrell
©1993, OCP, All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
Longing for light, we wait in darkness.
Longing for truth, we turn to you.
Make us your own, your holy people,
Light for the world to see.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in our hearts. Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in your church gathered today.
Longing for peace, our world is troubled.
Longing for hope, many despair.
Your word alone has power to save us.
Make us your living voice.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in our hearts. Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in your church gathered today.
Longing for food, many are hungry.
Longing for water, many still thirst.
Make us your bread, broken for others,
Shared until all are fed.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in our hearts. Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in your church gathered today.
Longing for shelter, many are homeless.
Longing for warmth, many are cold.
Make us your building, sheltering others,
Walls made of living stone.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in our hearts. Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in your church gathered today.
Many the gifts, many the people,
Many the hearts that yearn to belong.
Let us be servants to one another,
Making your kingdom come.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in our hearts. Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in your church gathered today.
Scripture Mark 9:30-37 (NRSVUE)
They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it, for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.
Then they came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” Then he took a little child and put it among them, and taking it in his arms he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”
Response Holy Wisdom, Holy Word:
Thanks be to God!
Sermon “Who Is the Greatest?”
* Statement of Faith from the Confession of Belhar, South Africa
We believe that the unity of the church can be established only in freedom and not under constraint; that the variety of spiritual gifts, opportunities, backgrounds, convictions, as well as the various languages and cultures, are by virtue of the reconciliation in Christ, opportunities for mutual service and enrichment within the one visible people of God; and that true faith in Jesus Christ is the only condition for membership of this church.
* Hymn # 437 W & R
“Jesus Loves Me”
(Public Domain)
Jesus loves me, this I know,
For the Bible tells me so!
Little ones to him belong:
They are weak, but he is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me! (3x)
The Bible tells me so.
Jesus loves me, he who died
Heaven's gate to open wide;
He will wash away my sin,
Let his little child come in.
Yes, Jesus loves me! (3x)
The Bible tells me so.
Jesus loves me! He will stay
Close beside me all the way;
He's prepared a home for me,
And some day his face I'll see.
Yes, Jesus loves me! (3x)
The Bible tells me so.
Prayers of the People
The Lord’s Prayer
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.
Prayer Response #489 W & R
“Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying” Ken Medema
©1973, Hope Publishing Company, All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
Lord, listen to your children praying,
Lord, send your Spirit in this place;
Lord, listen to your children praying,
Send us love, send us power, send us grace.
Call for Offering
* Doxology
“Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow,” Brian Wren
©1989, Hope Publishing Company, All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures high and low.
Praise God, in Jesus fully known:
Creator, Word, and Spirit one.
* Prayer of Dedication
* Hymn #59 W & R
“Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee”
(Public Domain)
Joyful, joyful, we adore thee, God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before thee, opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness, drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day!
All thy works with joy surround thee, earth and heaven reflect thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around thee, center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain call us to rejoice in thee.
Thou are giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blest,
Wellspring of the joy of living, ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother—all who live in love are thine;
Teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine.
Mortals, join the happy chorus which the morning stars began;
Love divine is reigning o’er us, joining all within its span.
Ever singing, march we onward, victors in the midst of strife;
Joyful music leads us sunward in the triumph song of life.
* Benediction
May God bless us. May God keep us in the Spirit’s care,
and lead our lives with love.
May Christ’s warm welcome shine from our hearts,
and Christ’s own peace prevail through this and every day,
till greater life shall call. Amen.
Postlude Colin DeLap
“Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” Phillip Keveren.
© 2003, Hal Leonard Corporation.
Used by permission, CCLI License #CSPL068847
Where an * is indicated, please rise in body and/or in spirit.
“W & R” ~ the red Worship and Rejoice hymnal.
“PH” ~ the blue Presbyterian Hymnal
Liturgy taken and/ or adapted from the Iona Abbey Worship Book, Iona, Scotland.