The last Sunday in October is the day we remember the Protestant Reformation. Today, we recognize the role of the Apostle Paul in that movement, as his words in the Letter to the Romans had such an enormous impact on the church in that moment.
You can join us on Sunday mornings in our beautiful sanctuary at 200 East Main Street, Endicott, NY. Or, you can join here, by clicking on the Youtube screen in this event. You are always welcome!
Reformation Sunday Lessons and Hymns
Adapted from a Service Created by the Rev. Carol Holbrook Prickett, 2021
God’s Reforming Love
Psalm 84; Romans 3:19-28
October 26, 2025
Rev. Patricia J. Raube
Union Presbyterian Church, Endicott, NY
Liturgist: Becky Conklin Pastor: Rev. Pat Raube
Welcome and Introduction to the Service
Good morning, and welcome to Union Presbyterian Church on this Reformation Sunday! This is a day when we celebrate how the church has grown and changed as it seeks to be Christ's body on earth. Union Presbyterian Church, this church we know and love today, did not come about by accident. We stand on the shoulders of countless generations who have sought to love and serve God, interpret the scriptures, and work out their faith in their particular day and time.
This service celebrates their legacy by taking a journey through the PC(USA) Book of
Confessions. Some of you are very familiar with the confessions, and some of you may know nothing about them. The confessions are, simply, statements of faith; the efforts of various people at various times to make some kind of coherent summary of what
Christianity calls us to say and do. Every confession is the answer to a question that was burning in the hearts of the faithful. These confessions are part of our constitution as Presbyterians, meaning they guide and shape our life together. Pastors and elders vow to be guided by them. They are not scripture, and we do not believe or follow every word they say; but they do witness to the journey our ancestors have taken in gifting us with the church we know today. Today we will hear and proclaim our most ancient confession, and selections from two confessions of the Reformation era and two from the modern era.
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Prelude Chris Bartlette
“Forward Through the Ages,” Lyndell Leatherman
©2018, Lorenz Publishing Co., All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
* Call to Worship Becky Conklin
How lovely is your dwelling place, O God of hosts!
For countless years, you have called your people to you.
How mighty are you, Lord God our Sovereign!
You created all that exists; you hold the world in the palm of your hand.
How blessed are we to be your people, O God!
You bring us home by your tender mercy and the faith of Jesus.
Let us worship!
* Hymn #181 W & R (Text: 4th century AD)
“Of the Father’s Love Begotten”
(Public Domain)
Of the Father's love begotten,
Ere the world began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega,
He the source, the ending he,
Of the things that are, that have been,
And that future years shall see,
Evermore and evermore!
O that birth forever blessed,
When a virgin, blest with grace,
By the Holy Ghost conceiving,
Bore the Savior of our race;
And the babe, the world's Redeemer,
First revealed his sacred face,
Evermore and evermore!
Let the heights of heaven adore him;
Angel hosts his praises sing:
Powers, dominions, bow before him,
And extol our God and King;
Let no tongue on earth be silent,
Every voice in concert ring,
Evermore and evermore!
Christ, to thee, with God the Father,
And, O Holy Ghost, to thee,
Hymn and chant and high thanksgiving
And unwearied praises be:
Honor, glory, and dominion,
And eternal victory,
Evermore and evermore! Amen.
* Call to New Life
Lest we get too puffed up celebrating our own family line, let’s stop now and confess our failings together, asking God for mercy and pardon and abundant new life.
* Prayer for Wholeness and Peace
Holy and gracious God, we confess today to the same sins that have always plagued your church: we are too stuck in our ways, too resistant to your Spirit, too attracted to power and privilege, too quick to build walls, and too slow to build bridges. Send more reformation our way until we are formed perfectly by you. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.
* Assurance of God’s Love
Friends, hear the good news!
Sin has always been at work in the world, yet God’s grace meets it toe-to-toe.
We believe that when the story is over, it is forgiveness that will have the last word.
In Christ we are forgiven,
now and as often as we come before him.
Alleluia! Amen.
* Sharing of the Peace from the Heidelberg Catechism, Q 105 (1563)
God wants us to love our neighbors as ourselves,
to be patient, peace-loving, gentle, merciful, and friendly toward them,
to protect them from harm as much as we can,
and to do good even to our enemies.
May God’s peace be with you.
And also with you!
Let us offer one another a sign of God’s peace.
Creed Nicene Creed (381 AD) Becky Conklin
Introduction:
It was 381 AD. The emperor Constantine had declared Christianity the one true unified religion of the Roman Empire—but found that Christianity was anything but unified. He had already convened one council to try to bring some order to this unruly young religion, but Christians with different perspectives on the divinity of Jesus continued to fight it out—sometimes with their pens, and sometimes with their fists! And so, in 381, another council came together, and adopted the Nicene Creed, which shares much language with the Apostles’ Creed, and is used by creedal Christians in diverse traditions across the world. Let us responsively proclaim what our ancestors
have so long believed, beginning in unison:
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Scripture Psalm 84 (Responsive)
How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, indeed it faints,
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh sing for joy
to the living God.
Even the sparrow finds a home
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
my King and my God.
Happy are those who live in your house,
ever singing your praise.
Happy are those whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
As they go through the driest valley,
they make it a place of springs;
the early rain also covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength;
the God of gods will be seen in Zion.
O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
give ear, O God of Jacob!
Behold our shield, O God;
look on the face of your anointed.
For a day in your courts is better
than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than live in the tents of wickedness.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
he bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does the Lord withhold
from those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
happy is everyone who trusts in you.
Time for Young Disciples Rev. Pat Raube
Music: “A Mighty Fortress” (Public Domain)
Anthem (original ca. 1529) Choir
“Mighty Fortress,” Martin Luther, Mark Hayes
©2007, Beckenhorst Press, All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
A mighty fortress is our God!
A mighty source of hope and strength,
Our hope for years to come!
A mighty fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing;
Our helper He amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe.
His craft and power are great,
And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not His equal.
Did we in our on strength confide,
Our striving would be losing.
Were not the right man on our side,
The man of God’s own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be:
Christ Jesus, it is He,
Lord Sabaoth His name,
From age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.
And tho this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God has willed
His truth to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim,
We tremble not for him.
His rage we can endure
For lo, his doom is sure;
One little word shall fell him.
That word above all earthly powers,
No thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours
Through Him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also.
The body they may kill;
God’s truth abideth still:
His kingdom is forever.
A strong and mighty fortress is our God!
Creed The Scots Confession (1560)
Introduction: Rev. Pat Raube
In 1560 Scotland, the Protestant Reformation was in full swing. The question driving the creation of this confession, was this: How does the Kirk (that is, the Church) worship God in turbulent times? The Scots Confession was written by a team of six ministers, one of whom was John Knox, in just four days. Please join me in a responsive reading of this passage.
As we believe in one God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
so we firmly believe that from the beginning
there has been, now is, and to the end of the world shall be,
one Kirk,
that is to say,
one company and multitude of people chosen by God,
who rightly worship and embrace him
by true faith in Christ Jesus,
who is the only Head of the Kirk,
even as it is the body and spouse of Christ Jesus.
This Kirk is catholic, that is, universal,
because it contains the chosen of all ages,
of all realms, nations, and tongues,
be they of the Jews or be they of the Gentiles,
who have communion and society with God the Father,
and with his Son, Christ Jesus,
through the sanctification of his Holy Spirit.
It is therefore called the communion,
not of profane persons, but of saints,
who, as citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem,
have the fruit of inestimable benefits,
one God, one Lord Jesus, one faith, and one baptism.
Scripture Romans 3:19-28
Now we know that, whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For no human will be justified before him by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.
But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed and is attested by the Law and the Prophets, the righteousness of God through the faith of Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; it was to demonstrate at the present time his own righteousness, so that he is righteous and he justifies the one who has the faith of Jesus.
Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. Through what kind of law? That of works? No, rather through the law of faith. For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.
Response: Holy Wisdom, Holy Word.
Thanks be to God.
Meditation “God’s Reforming Love”
Creed The Heidelberg Catechism, Q 1 (1563)
Introduction:
Meanwhile, over on the mainland, Lutherans and Reformed Christians—what we know now as Presbyterians—were fighting over communion. And so theologians from each camp sat down together in Germany to create a statement they could all agree with, to find words of unity and peace, and to remember that despite faithful disagreements, they ultimately all belonged to Christ. They wrote their confession as a series of questions, formally called a catechism. These questions invite us to proclaim for ourselves the trust we have in Christ. Please proclaim with me the answer to Question # 1 in the Heidelberg Catechism.
What is your only comfort in life and in death?
That I am not my own, but belong—
body and soul, in life and in death—
to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.
He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,
and has set me free from the tyranny of evil.
He also watches over me in such a way
that not a hair can fall from my head
without the will of my Father in heaven;
in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.
Because I belong to him,
Christ, by his Holy Spirit,
assures me of eternal life
and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready
from now on to live for him.
* Hymn #77 W & R (1551)
“I Greet Thee, Who My Sure Redeemer Art” John Calvin
(Public Domain)
I greet thee, who my sure Redeemer art,
My only trust and Savior of my heart,
Who pain didst undergo for my poor sake;
I pray thee from our hearts all cares to take.
Thou art the King of mercy and of grace,
Reigning omnipotent in every place:
So come, O King, and our whole being sway;
Shine on us with the light of thy pure day.
Thou art the life by which alone we live
And all our substance and our strength receive;
Comfort us by thy faith and by thy power,
Nor daunt our hearts when comes the trying hour.
Thou hast the true and perfect gentleness,
Thou hast no harshness and no bitterness:
Make us to taste the sweet grace found in thee
And ever stay in thy sweet unity.
Our hope is in no other save in thee;
Our faith is built upon thy promise free;
Come, give us peace, make us so strong and sure,
That we may conquerors be and ills endure.
Minute for Mission Peg Williams
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.
Hymn #544 W & R (1866)
“The Church’s One Foundation,” Samuel J. Stone, Samuel S. Wesley
(Public Domain)
The Church's one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord;
She is his new creation,
By water and the word:
From heaven he came and sought her
To be his holy bride;
With his own blood he bought her,
And for her life he died.
Elect from every nation,
Yet one o’er all the earth,
Her charter of salvation:
One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses
With every grace endued.
Though with a scornful wonder
We see her sore oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distressed:
Yet saints their watch are keeping,
Their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song.
’Mid toil and tribulation,
And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore,
Till with the vision glorious
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
Shall be the Church at rest.
Yet she on earth hath union
With God, the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won:
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we,
Like them, the meek and lowly,
On high may dwell with thee.
Invitation to the Offering
* Doxology # 145 W & R (verse 1)
“Glory Be to God, Creator,” Richard K. Carlson
©1996, Hark! Productions
Used by Permission. CCLI License #CSPL068847
Glory Be to God, Creator,
Glory be to God the Son,
Glory be to God the Spirit,
Known as three, yet God the One.
* Dedication of the Offering
Creed Declaration of Barmen (1934, Germany)
Introduction:
It was 1934, and the Nazi Party was on the rise in Germany, initiating a reign of cruelty, hate, and terror. Most German Christians found no problem with Hitler’s actions, declaring that their faith and their patriotism went hand in hand, and that Hitler’s rule was God’s will. A few Christians, however, resisted. Representatives from the Reformed, Lutheran, and United churches gathered to create a confession of faith to send to their fellow German Christians, urging them to display their freedom in Christ by standing firm against Hitler’s designs for Germany. Today we confess the eternal truth that the church was not meant to be co-opted by political forces, but clings only to Christ. Please join me in proclaiming the words of our ancestors:
The Christian Church is the congregation of the people
in which Jesus Christ acts presently as the Lord
in Word and Sacrament through the Holy Spirit.
As the Church of pardoned sinners,
it has to testify in the midst of a sinful world,
with its faith as with its obedience,
with its message as with its order,
that it is solely his property,
and that it lives and wants to live
solely from his comfort and from his direction
in the expectation of his appearance.
We reject the false doctrine,
as though the church were permitted
to abandon the form of its message and order
to its own pleasure or to changes
in prevailing ideological and political convictions.
* Hymn #76 W & R (1984)
"We Are Singing, For the Lord Is Our Light,” Hal H. Hopson
©1994, Hope Publishing Company, All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
We are singing, for the Lord is our light.
The Lord is the strength of our lives; of whom should we be afraid?
Though foes may be near to destroy, the Lord will be our light.
We are marching, for the Lord is our light.
One thing have we asked of the Lord, yes, this is the thing we seek:
To dwell in the house of the Lord; to live with God forever.
We are dancing, for the Lord is our light.
When burdens are heavy to bear, our shelter is God alone.
Our feet are lifted high; yes, high upon a rock.
We are praying, for the Lord is our light.
We walk in the strength of the Lord, God’s love is ever sure.
We shout that the world may hear, we sing a joyful song.
We are singing, for the Lord is our light.
Benediction
Creed A Brief Statement of Faith (1983)
Introduction:
It was 1983, and the Northern and Southern Presbyterian churches in America had just reunited for the first time since the outbreak of the Civil War in 1860. Presbyterians celebrated this new church and its future with a new confession, written for use in worship. A Brief Statement of Faith reminds us that the church is not meant to be a hiding place from the world, but a blessing to the world. And so, as we go forth to carry on the legacy of our ancestors, and to write a new chapter in God’s story, hear
these words of our ancestors as today’s charge:
In a broken and fearful world
the Spirit gives us courage
to pray without ceasing,
to witness among all peoples
to Christ as Lord and Savior,
to unmask idolatries in Church and culture,
to hear the voices of peoples long silenced,
and to work with others
for justice, freedom, and peace.
In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit,
we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks
and to live holy and joyful lives,
even as we watch for God’s new heaven and new earth,
praying, “Come, Lord Jesus!”
* As you go forth from this place,
go with the love of God who created you
the peace of Christ you saved you,
and the Holy Spirit who reforms, renews, and refreshes you,
today, tomorrow, and evermore.
Amen.
Postlude Chris Bartlette
“When in Our Music God Is Glorified,” Mark Hayes
©2014, Lorenz Publishing Co., All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
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