Worship Service – November 8, 2020

The Building is Closed and the Church is Open

While we have restricted access to the building, Peace Church is very much open to ministry—working to respond to our own congregation, as well as the needs of our neighbors and community.  Please consider giving either to Peace Church general fund or the Gabriel Fund – which is used to meet the needs in the community.

We recognize that in this time, people’s financial situations may have changed. We ask you to prayerfully consider what you can give.  If you use electronic giving, we thank you for your constancy of support.  If you would like to give through our online form, we would be grateful. For all the contributions from our members and friends—whether financial, time, or prayer—we ask God’s blessings on those gifts that Peace Church may be healing balm in this time when we are living in our own Gilead.

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November 8, 2020  ⁂  10:30 am

Liturgists
The People of Peace Church
Cindy McLean, Lay Leader
Judy Hlina, ASL Interpreter
Jim Pospisil, Music Director
Nathan Holst, Faith Formation Minister 
Rev. Kathryn Nelson 

Prelude   Violin Concerto by Dvorak  ~ Mia Kraker, violin

Announcements and Ringing of the Peace Bells

God is Revealed as We Gather

Responsive Call to Worship 

God has gathered us together in this virtual space
to hear stories that show us some of what the realm of God is like.
God calls us together, connected yet physically distant 
so we can learn how to better live into that realm of justice and love. 

*Opening Hymn  “Awake, Awake to Love and Work”   (#89)

Unison Prayer of Confession

You call us to wait on You, O God, but we get tired of waiting. Your answers to our prayers seem to take so long. You tell us to watch for Your coming, O God, but we’re not sure how to prepare for a bridegroom coming in the night at an undisclosed time. 

Yet, something inside whispers that You’re not all that hard to find. That You’re always coming to us, and that both the waiting and the watching are more about being open to You now, than about trying not to be surprised in the future.

And so we will keep waiting, and we’ll try to stay alert, so that we can catch the glimpses of Your beauty that fill our day, every day.   Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

Story for All Ages Nathan Holst, Faith Formation Minister

God is Revealed in the Word

God’s Word in the Epistles:   I Thessalonians 4:13–18

Special Music:  Adagio & Presto from Sonata in g minor by Bach

God’s Word in the Gospel:   Matthew 25:1–13

Sermon      “Tending Love’s Light”

Hymn    “Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning”   (#369)

We Respond to God’s Presence

Stewardship Mission Moment                ~ Lisa Brown

Sharing Our Prayer Concerns, Silent Prayer, Pastoral Prayer, the Lord’s Prayer, and Choral Amen

Sharing our Offerings

Offertory    “Mary”    ~ sung by Madeline Carpenter

*The Thanksgiving   “Take My Gifts”    (#562, 1 verse)

*Unison Prayer of Dedication
Bless these offerings, O God, returned to you.  Multiply and use them to bring the word and the touch of Jesus to this place and throughout  the world.  Amen.

*Closing Hymn   “I Want To Be Ready”      (#616)

*Benediction

*Postlude    Caprice No. 20 by Paganini