October 19, 2008                 “23rd Sunday after Pentecost”                     10:30 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

     Praise is the means by which God reveals himself to his people.      -C.S. Lewis

  

GATHERING

 

PRELUDE                         “Lord Jesus Christ, Be Present Now” (Walther)      -Carol Graham

 

GREETING AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

 (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.)

 

INTROIT                                      “Amen Siakudumisa”                          -Chancel Choir

 

*CALL TO WORSHIP                                                                             

Leader:         We come from many places to become one congregation.

People:        With different names, faces, histories, we are still one in Christ.

Leader:         Others also gather in Christ’s name.

People:        We share our faith with them.

All:              Make us one, O God, through our worship and praise.

                   

PRAYER AND PRAISE

                                                         

*HYMN OF PRAISE  “All Creatures of Our God and King” (Stanzas 1,2,3 &7)     -UMH 62

 

UNISON PRAYER                                                                               

God of unity, bring to us the Spirit that joins our hearts in love. Help us see beyond ourselves, beyond these walls, beyond this congregation, to understand the way you embrace the entire church as yours. Amen.

 

PROCLAIMING THE WORD

SCRIPTURE LESSON  Exodus 33:12-23 (The Message)                                   -Dorothy Munroe

Moses said to God, “Look, you tell me, ‘Lead this people,’ but you don’t let me know whom you’re going to send with me. You tell me, ‘I know you well and you are special to me.’ If I am so special to you, let me in on your plans. That way, I will continue being special to you. Don’t forget, this is your people, your responsibility.” God said, “My presence will go with you. I’ll see the journey to the end.” Moses said, “If your presence doesn’t take the lead here, call this trip off right now. How else will it be known that you’re with me in this, with me and your people? Are you traveling with us or not? How else will we know that we’re special, I and your people, among all other people on this planet Earth?” God said to Moses: “All right. Just as you say; this also I will do, for I know you well and you are special to me. I know you by name.” Moses said, “Please. Let me see your Glory.” God said, “I will make my Goodness pass right in front of you; I’ll call out the name, God, right before you. I’ll treat well whomever I want to treat well and I’ll be kind to whomever I want to be kind.” God continued, ‘But you may not see my face. No one can see me and live.”  God said, “Look, here is a place right beside me. Put yourself on this rock. When my Glory passes by, I’ll put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with my hand until I’ve passed by. Then I’ll take my hand away and you’ll see my back. But you won’t see my face.”

 

Leader:     This is the Word of the Lord.

People:    Thanks be to God.

 

HYMN OF PREPARATION     “Be Still, My Soul”                                    –UMH 534

 

SCRIPTURE LESSON   1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 (NRSV)                              -Dorothy Munroe

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.  We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.

 

Leader:     This is the Word of the Lord.

People:    Thanks be to God.

  

ANTHEM            "Sing Unto God"  from Judas Maccabaeus (Handel)           -Chancel Choir

Sing unto God, and high affections raise,

To crown this conquest with un-measured praise.

 With un-measured, un-measured praise!

 

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE

 

THE MESSAGE                         "In the Mean Time"                       -Rev. George Hooper

                                               “The Message in Macedonia”                     -Jacque Howard

 

 

RESPONSE TO THE WORD

 

OFFERING OUR TITHES AND GIFTS TO GOD                                          

         

Offertory                                               “Beautiful Savior” (Ore)                                           -Carol Graham

 

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

 

PASTORAL PRAYER

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 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.

 

GOING FORTH

 

*HYMNS OF DEDICATION AND SENDING         

                                                   “Take My Life and Let it Be”                          -UMH 399

                                           “Lord, Dismiss Us With Thy Blessing”                   -UMH 671

*BENEDICTION

 

 POSTLUDE                                    “Harlech” (Held)                                  -Carol Graham

Flowers on the altar are given by Brenda Monce

in memory of family and friends.

 

     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  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Louise Foss

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/Don 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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Christian Copyright Licensing, Inc.

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

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