United Methodist Church of Vista

October 26, 2008 “24th Sunday after Pentecost” 8:45 am

“We are called to be an authentic and accessible community of God’s love.”

We welcome you to the celebration of good news and the fellowship of this congregation.

We hope that you will be both comforted and challenged by the Word of God for us today.

If you are worshipping here for the first time, we hope you will consider making this your church home.

We welcome the diversity of all God’s children.

SILENT MEDITATION

The man who has no inner life is the slave of his surroundings. -Henri Frederic Amiel

*WELCOME ONE ANOTHER

(Please complete the registration card found in the bulletin and place in the offering.

Prayers and comments may be written on the back of the card.)

PRAISE!

“Great is the Lord” -FWS 2022

Great is the Lord, he is holy and just; by his power we trust in his love.

Great is the Lord, he is faithful and true; by his mercy he proves he is love.

(1) Great is the Lord and worthy of glory! Great is the Lord and worthy of praise.

Great is the Lord; now lift up your voice, now lift up your voice: Great is the Lord!

(2) Great are you, Lord, and worthy of glory! Great are you, Lord, and worthy of praise.

Great are you, Lord; I lift up my voice, I lift up my voice: Great are you, Lord!

“Great Is Thy Faithfulness -UMH 140

Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father; there is no shadow

of turning with thee; thou changest not, thy compassions,

they fail not; as thou hast been, thou forever wilt be. (Refrain)

Refrain: Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see; all I have needed thy

hand hath provided; great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, sun, moon,

and stars in their courses above join with all nature in

manifold witness to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. (Refrain)

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, thine own dear presence

to cheer and to guide; strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! (Refrain)

*CALL TO WORSHIP

Leader: God invites us into the sanctuary of the divine presence.

People: We enter with awe and devotion to meet together with God.

Leader: This is a safe place where we know we are loved.

People: We feel the presence of God’s Spirit and the Spirit of God’s people.

Leader: Here God invites us to look honestly at our own lives.

People: We trust God’s love and open our hearts today.

Leader: Know that God loves you as you are but God sees you as you can be, as well.

People: May we honestly examine our lives so that we can become all that God created us to be.

“Open Our Eyes” –FWS 2086

Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus,

to reach out and touch Him, and say that we love Him.

Open our ears, Lord, and help us to listen.

Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus.

“As the Deer”

As the deer panteth for the water, so my soul longeth after Thee.

You alone are my heart’s desire and I long to worship Thee.

Chorus: You alone are my strength, my shield; to You alone may my spirit yield.

You alone are my heart’s desire, and I long to worship Thee.

You’re my friend and You are my brother even though You are a King.

I love You more than any other…so much more than anything. (Chorus)

I want You more than gold or silver, only You can satisfy.

You alone are the real joy giver and the apple of my eye. (Chorus)

THE WORD FOR THE CHILDREN

PRAY!

SCRIPTURE LESSON Deuteronomy 34:1-12 (The Message) -Ranae Mathias

Moses climbed from the Plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, the peak of Pisgah facing Jericho. God showed him all the land from Gilead to Dan, all Naphtali, Ephraim, and Manasseh; all Judah reaching to the Mediterranean Sea; the Negev and the plains which encircle Jericho, City of Palms, as far south as Zoar. Then and there God said to him, “This is the land I promised to your ancestors, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with the words ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I’ve let you see it with your own eyes. There it is. But you’re not going to go in.” Moses died there in the land of Moab, Moses the servant of God, just as God said. God buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth Peor. No one knows his burial site to this very day. Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eyesight was sharp; he still walked with a spring in his step. The People of Israel wept for Moses in the Plains of Moab thirty days. Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end. Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. The People of Israel listened obediently to him and did the same as when God had commanded Moses. No prophet has risen since in Israel like Moses, whom God knew face-to-face. Never since has there been anything like the signs and miracle-wonders that God sent him to do in Egypt, to Pharaoh, to all his servants, and to all his land—nothing to compare with that all-powerful hand of his and all the great and terrible things Moses did as every eye in Israel watched.

Leader: This is the Word of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

“Surely the Presence of the Lord” -UMH 328

Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place;

I can feel his mighty power and his grace.

I can hear the brush of angels’ wings, I see glory on each face;

surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

OUR 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 trespasses

As we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,

For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

“Surely the Presence of the Lord” -UMH 328

Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place;

I can feel his mighty power and his grace.

I can hear the brush of angels’ wings, I see glory on each face;

surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.

SCRIPTURE LESSON 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 (NRSV) -Ranae Mathias

You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain, but though we had already suffered and been shamefully mistreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.

Leader: This is the Word of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

PROCLAIM!

SPECIAL MUSIC -Praise Disciples

THE MESSAGE “Behind the Masks” -Rev. George Hooper

SERVE!

OFFERING OUR TITHES AND GIFTS TO GOD

Offertory -Praise Disciples

*Doxology “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow” -UMH 94

OFFERTORY PRAYER

“Family of God”

I’m so glad I’m a part of the family of God—

I’ve been washed in the fountain,

cleansed by His blood!

Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,

for I’m part of the family, the family of God.

GOING FORTH

*HYMN OF SENDING “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” –UMH 384

*BENEDICTION

POSTLUDE “The Strong Tower” (Nagel) -Carol Graham

*Please stand if you are able.

“Open Hearts…Open Minds…Open Doors”

Flowers on the altar are given by Art and JaDene Dugas

in honor of their 59^th wedding anniversary.

Go now in peace, go now in peace,

may the love of God surround you everywhere,

everywhere, you may go.

PARTNERS IN MINISTRY

Ministers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Members of the Congregation

Lay Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Norm Corwin/Lynda Mounts

Pastor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rev. George Hooper

Minister of Music of Fine Arts/Facilities Administrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rev. Frank Hallock

Music Coordinator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dan Mahin

Church Organist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carol Graham

Family Ministries Co-Directors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rick Lee/Juna Spitz

Church Secretary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paula Amaro

Bookkeeper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael Murray

Nursery Attendants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cindy Rivera/ Brenda Villalva/Laura Stockdale

Pastors Emeriti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rev. Lanny Arrowsmith/D on Diegelman/Rev. Orlie White

Deaconess . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Zelle Hammond

Clergy from our congregation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rev. Bill Gordon (PAC-NW)/Rev. Laura Rockwell (OR-ID)

Seminary graduate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jaime Kim

The Sanctuary is open after services for personal prayer and meditation.

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                                                                                                             United Methodist Church of Vista
                                                                                                                               490 S. Melrose Dr.
                                                                                                                         Vista, California 92806
                                                                                                                          Phone (760) 726-0442                                                                                                                                  Church Secretary
                                                                                                                                     WEB Master