CCLI license #1913561

Welcome: Grace and Peace to you in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ

Questions for Reflection: Consider this quote:   Everything is a gift. The degree to which we are awake to this truth is a measure of our gratefulness, and gratefulness is a measure of our aliveness — DAVID STEINDL-RAST Are thanksgiving and gratitude the same? What responsibilities does each require?

Prelude                      "O PRAISE HIM" CROWDER

Gathering                                                                                                  Psalm 100
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.   Serve the Lord with gladness;
 come into his presence with singing.
 Know that the Lord is God.     It is he who made us, and not we ourselves.
  We are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
 Enter his gates with thanksgiving  and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him; bless his name.
For the Lord is good;    his steadfast love endures forever and his faithfulness to all generations.

Gathering Prayer
Holy God, you have commanded us to not be afraid and assured us of your presence. In the midst of trials and joys, sorrows and dreams grant us courage to take delight in your spirit in all times and all places. Grant us faith, O God, to see the myriad of ways you give life. Grant us hope, O God, to participate in your work in the world. Grant us love, O God, to welcome, respond, and act with compassion in all we say and do. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray.

Hymn               “O Worship the King, All Glorious Above”           #41 GtoG

Call to Confession  
Trusting in God’s goodness to us, let us confess our sin before God and one another.

Prayer of Confession
God of Mercy, we confess that we have grown weary of the work of discipleship. We have been judgmental of others and insistent that we are in the right. We have not honored the tradition of the apostles or imitated the example of your saints. Forgive us, we pray. Show us the way of repentance and strengthen us to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, through whom we pray. Amen

Declaration of Forgiveness
Be at peace, for in Christ we find our way home again where all are forgiven, loved, and restored. God’s grace is given freely. God’s love is steadfast. Receive the good news that you are forgiven, and live liberated from sin to the glory of God.
The peace of Christ be with you. And also with you
   Turn to those near to you—or across the room—and smile, nod your
head, indicating that your share these blessings with one another

Prayer for Illumination   
Comforting God, by your Holy Spirit lift the burdens from our souls through the reading of your Word for us, that we may learn to live in loving relationships with you and with others.  Amen

A Reading from the Hebrew Scriptures            Deuteronomy 26:1-11 ^NRS
When you have come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, ² you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. ³ You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, "Today I declare to the LORD your God that I have come into the land that the LORD swore to our ancestors to give us." ⁴ When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the LORD your God, ⁵ you shall make this response before the LORD your God: "A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. ⁶ When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, ⁷ we cried to the LORD, the God of our ancestors; the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. ⁸ The LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; ⁹ and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. ¹⁰ So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O LORD, have given me." You shall set it down before the LORD your God and bow down before the LORD your God. ¹¹ Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the LORD your God has given to you and to your house.

Hymn(please remain seated) ”My Shepherd Will Supply My Need” GtoG #803

 

A Reading from the Gospels                                                     John 6:25-35

²⁴So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. ²⁵When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” ²⁶Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. ²⁷Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.”
²⁸Then they said to him, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” ²⁹Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” ³⁰So they said to him, “What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? ³¹Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” ³²Then Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” ³⁴They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” ³⁵Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Sermon “A Land Flowing with Milk and Honey” Rev. Lois Robinson Lehman

Affirmation of Faith           from "A Declaration of Faith" PCUS, 1991
We believe that we have been created to relate to God and each other in freedom and responsibility.
God created human beings with a need for community and with freedom to enter into it by responding to their Maker with grateful obedience and to one another with love and helpfulness. Christ calls us to live for our neighbors. Jesus broadened the definition of neighbor to include those ordinarily despised and excluded. His life in behalf of others led to persecution and death. He commanded that his disciples live the same way. We believe Christ gives us and demands of us lives that recognize all people in all cultures as our neighbors on this planet. We are called to live now as God's servants in the service of people everywhere.

Sharing of Joys and Concerns

Statement about Offering our Gifts 
Invitation
    Friends, God is faithful and gracious to, upholds us, and raises us up.  Let us show our thanksgiving by giving generously to support ministries that ease burdens and give rest to those in need.

 Donations can be placed in the offering plate near the baptismal font in the center of the sanctuary.
Or mailed to:
    Lakeview Presbyterian Church, 1310 22nd Av S, St Petersburg, FL, 33705
or given online at:
    lakeviewpresbyterianchurch.org

Special Music I”ll Fly Away/Will the Circle Be Unbroken,/I Saw the Light-Traditional Medley

Prayer of Dedication
Holy God, you have looked upon your people with mercy, generosity, and love. You have granted your favor to your people, offering them redemption, salvation, and wisdom. And so we offer these gifts for your hurting and broken world. May they be multiplied to do your service. May we be strengthened to do your work. In the name of Jesus the Christ, who multiplied small gifts and fed multitudes. Amen

The Sacrament of Holy Communion

The Invitation to the Lord’s Table
This is the joyful feast of the people of God. People will come from north and south, from east and west—from Peoria to Pensacola, from Pakistan to Palm Harbor-- to share in this feast of the kingdom of God.  This is the table of the Lord, who invites us, and welcomes us, to share in this feast which he has prepared.
Come, when you are despairing and depressed, to be made new in love.
Come, when you are fearful, to be made strong in faith.
Come, when you are anguished and broken, and be made whole.
Come, old and young, all are welcome!

The Words of Institution
When Jesus was at supper with his disciples, he took the bread, and after giving thanks, broke it and gave it to them saying, “Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you: do this in remembrance of me.”  After supper he took the cup. Again he gave thanks, and gave it to his disciples saying, “Drink this, all of you: this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sin.  Do this, as often as your drink it, in remembrance of me.

The Great Thanksgiving
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 our thanks and praise.
Blessed are you, strong and faithful God. All your works, the heights and the depths, echo the silent music of your praise. In the beginning your Word summoned light, night withdrew, and creation dawned. As ages passed unseen, waters gathered on the face of the earth and life appeared. When the times at last had ripened and the earth grown full in abundance, you created in your image man and woman, the stewards of all creation. You gave us breath and speech, that all the living might find a voice to sing your praise, and to celebrate the creation you call good. So now, with all the powers of heaven and earth, we sing the ageless hymn of your glory:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
All holy God, how wonderful is the work of your hands! When sin had scarred the world, you entered into covenant to renew the whole creation. As a mother tenderly gathers her children, as a father joyfully welcomes his own, you embraced a people as your own and filled them with longing for a peace that would last and for a justice that would never fail. Through countless generations your people hungered for the bread of freedom. From them you raised up Jesus, your Son, the living bread, in whom ancient hungers are satisfied. He healed the sick, though he himself would suffer; he offered life to sinners, though death would hunt him down. But with a love stronger than death, he opened wide his arms and surrendered his spirit. Death could not bind him, for you raised him up in the Spirit of holiness and exalted him as Lord of creation.
Dying, you destroyed our death; rising, you restored our life
Eternal God, let your Holy Spirit move in power over us and over these earthly gifts of bread and the fruit of the vine, that they may be the communion of the body and blood of Christ, and that we may become one in him. May his coming in glory find us ever watchful in prayer, strong in truth and love, and faithful in the breaking of the bread. Then, at last, all peoples will be free, all divisions healed, and with your whole creation, we will sing your praise, through your Son, Jesus Christ. Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor are yours, almighty Father, forever and ever. Amen.

Hear us now as we pray together (The Lord’s Prayer, sung)

Distributing and Partaking the Elements

Prayer after Communion
God of glory, in this holy feast you have made us one with Christ and with that great multitude of the faithful.
Lead us in the paths of righteousness and guide us to be your faithful servants. Now send us forth in the power of your Spirit that we may proclaim your redeeming love to the world and continue forever in the risen life of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen

*Hymn                          “Our God Our Help in Ages Past”               GtoG # 687

Benediction
Go now to love and serve the Lord, and may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the Communion of the Holy Spirit be with you, now and forever.  AMEN          

Postlude The Blessing Jobe and Carnes

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