God's Riches and Our Future

Sunday, November 9, 2025
10:30 AM 11:30 AM 10:30 11:30

Union Presbyterian Church 200 E Main St Endicott, NY, 13760 United States (map)

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We go to the Hebrew scriptures today to read a stirring passage preached by a prophet to people without a home. The Babylonian Exile had displaced God’s covenant people for generations. Here, God offers them hope for their future.

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!

32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time 

Stewardship 4

God’s Riches

Psalm 145:1-9; 17-21; Haggai 2:1-9

Union Presbyterian Church 

November 9, 2025 

Sharing the Light of Christ, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow 

Liturgist: Diane Sommerville Preacher: Rev. Pat Raube 

Welcome  

Announcements          Diane Sommerville 

Prelude Chris Bartlette

“Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee,” J.B. Taylor

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.

* Call to Worship

Thanks be to you, O God, that we have risen this day,

to the rising of this life itself.

May the purpose of God be between us and each purpose,

the hand of God between us and each hand,

the pain of Christ between us and each pain,

the love of Christ between us and each love.

O God, who brought us to the bright light of this new day,

bring us to the guiding light of eternity.

* Hymn #262 PH

“God of the Ages, Whose Almighty Hand”

(Public Domain)

God of the ages, whose almighty hand
Leads forth in beauty all the starry band
Of shining worlds in splendor through the skies,
Our grateful songs before Thy throne arise.

Thy love divine hath led us in the past;
In this free land by Thee our lot is cast;
Be Thou our ruler, guardian, guide and stay;
Thy Word our law, Thy paths our chosen way.

From war’s alarms, from deadly pestilence,
Be Thy strong arm our ever sure defense;
Thy true religion in our hearts increase;
Thy bounteous goodness nourish us in peace.

Refresh Thy people on their toilsome way,
Lead us from night to never-ending day;
Fill all our lives with love and grace divine,
And glory, laud, and praise be ever Thine.

Call to New Life

O God of life, our eternity cannot hold you. Yet in the space of our small hearts and in silence, you can come close and repair us. We pray now for God to make all things new.

* Prayer for Wholeness and Peace (responsive)

O God of Life, grant us your forgiveness for our careless thoughts, for our thoughtless deeds, for our empty speech, and the words with which we have wounded; for our false desires, for our hateful actions, for our wastefulness, and for all we have left untended. O loving Christ, hanged on a tree, yet risen in the morning, scatter the sin from our souls as the mist from the hills; begin what we do, inform what we say, redeem who we are. In you we place our hope, our great hope, our living hope, this day and evermore. Amen.

* Words of Assurance

God brings new life where we are worn and tired;

God brings new love where we have grown hard-hearted.

God brings forgiveness where we have been hurt,

and where we have hurt one another.

God brings the joy of the Holy Spirit where we are prisoners of ourselves.

Our gracious God forgives, heals, and makes us whole.

Thanks be to God! Alleluia! Amen!

* Sharing of the Peace

Not an easy peace, not an insignificant peace, not a half-hearted peace,

but the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ is with us now.

May the peace of God be with you. 

And also with you.

Let us share a sign of God’s peace with one another.

Scripture Psalm 145:1-9; 17-21 (NRSVUE)

A responsive reading from the psalter, Psalm 145, selected verses.

I will extol you, my God and King,
    and bless your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless you
    and praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised;
    his greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall extol your works to another
    and shall declare your mighty acts.
They will recount the glorious splendor of your majesty,
    and on your wondrous works I will meditate.
They will proclaim the might of your awesome deeds,
    and I will declare your greatness.
They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness
    and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
The Lord is gracious and merciful,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all,
    and his compassion is over all that he has made.

The Lord is just in all his ways
    and kind in all his doings.
The Lord is near to all who call on him,
    to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desire of all who fear him;
    he also hears their cry and saves them.
The Lord watches over all who love him,
    but all the wicked he will destroy.
My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
    and all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.

Time for Young Disciples Rev. Pat Raube

Music: “Holy, Holy, Holy” (Public Domain)

Anthem Choir

“Beauty for Brokenness,” Graham Kendrick

Beauty for brokenness, hope for despair,

Lord, in Your suffering world, this is our prayer.

Bread for the children, justice, joy, peace,

Sunrise to sunset Your kingdom increase.

God of the poor, friend of the weak,

Give us compassion we pray,

Melt our cold hearts, let tears fall like rain.

Come change our love from a spark to a flame.

Shelter for fragile lives, cures for their ills;

Work for the craftsmen, trade for their skills.

Land for the dispossessed, rights for the weak;

Voices to plead the cause of those who can’t speak.

God of the poor, friend of the weak,

Give us compassion we pray,

Melt our cold hearts, let tears fall like rain.

Come change our love from a spark to a flame.

Refuge from cruel wars, havens from fear;

Cities for sanctuary, freedoms to share.

Peace to the killing fields, scorched earth to green;

Christ for the bitterness, His cross for the pain.

God of the poor, friend of the weak,

Give us compassion we pray,

Melt our cold hearts, let tears fall like rain.

Come change our love from a spark to a flame.

Scripture Haggai 2:1-9

In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai, saying: “Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, and say: Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing? Yet now take courage, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; take courage, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord; work, for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts, according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit abides among you; do not fear. For thus says the Lord of hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land, and I will shake all the nations, so that the treasure of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts. The latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts, and in this place I will give prosperity, says the Lord of hosts.”

Response Holy Wisdom, Holy Word: 

Thanks be to God! 

Sermon “God’s Riches”

* Affirmation of Faith From the Confession of 1967 (Section 9.17)

God has created humanity in a personal relation with Godself that we may respond to the love of the Creator. God has created all humanity and given us a life which proceeds from birth to death in a succession of generations and in a wide complex of social relations. God has endowed humanity with capacities to make the world serve our needs and to enjoy its good things. Life is a gift to be received with gratitude and a task to be pursued with courage. Human beings are free to seek life within the purpose of God: to develop and protect the resources of nature for the common welfare, to work for justice and peace in society, and in other ways to use our creative powers for the fulfillment of human life.

* Hymn # 422 PH

“God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending,” Robert L. Edwards

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.

God, whose giving knows no ending,
From Your rich and endless store,
Nature's wonder, Jesus' wisdom,
Costly cross, grave's shattered door:
Gifted by You, we turn to You,
Offering up ourselves in praise;
Thankful song shall rise forever,
Gracious donor of our days.

Skills and time are ours for pressing
Toward the goals of Christ, your Son:
All at peace in health and freedom,
Races joined, the church made one.
Now direct our daily labor,
Lest we strive for self alone;
Born with talents, make us servants
Fit to answer at Your throne.

Treasure too You have entrusted,
Gain through powers Your grace conferred;
Ours to use for home and kindred,
And to spread the gospel Word.
Open wide our hands, in sharing,
As we heed Christ's ageless call,
Healing, teaching, and reclaiming,
Serving You by loving all.

Minute for Mission: Stewardship Campaign

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  # 352 W & R (verse 2)      

“Spirit Song,” John Wimber     

O come and sing this song with gladness     

As your hearts are filled with joy.    

Lift your hands in sweet surrender to his name.    

O give him all your tears and sadness;     

Give him all your years of pain,     

And you’ll enter into life in Jesus’ name.   

Call for Offering     

* Doxology # 145 W & R (verse 1)    

“Glory Be to God, Creator,” Richard K. Carlson   

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 Offering 

* Hymn # 551 PH

“Come, Ye Thankful People, Come”

(Public Domain)

Come, ye thankful people, come,
Raise the song of harvest home:
All is safely gathered in,
Ere the winter storms begin;
God, our Maker, doth provide
For our wants to be supplied;
Come to God’s own temple, come,
Raise the song of harvest home.

All the world is God’s own field,
Fruit unto God's praise to yield;
Wheat and tares together sown,
Unto joy or sorrow grown;
First the blade, and then the ear,
Then the full corn shall appear:
Lord of harvest, grant that we
Wholesome grain and pure may be.

For the Lord our God shall come,
And shall take the harvest home;
From each field shall in that day
All offenses purge away;
Give the angels charge at last
In the fire the tares to cast,
But the fruitful ears to store
In God's garner evermore.

Even so, Lord, quickly come
To Thy final harvest home;
Gather Thou Thy people in,
Free from sorrow, free from sin;
There forever purified,
In Thy presence to abide:
Come, with all Thine angels come,
Raise the glorious harvest home.

* Benediction 

Postlude Chris Bartlette

“All Creatures of Our God and King,” Lloyd Larson

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.

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 courtesy of “A Wee Worship Book,” from the Wild Goose Worship Group, Iona, Scotland.

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God's Riches and Our Future