September 6, 2020

 

 

CENTERING

 

GATHERING WORDS

 

Pastor:           Come and be embraced by the love of our God.
People:        Our hearts long for the arms of God.

Pastor:           Come and learn of God’s great love for all.

People:        We open our hearts and minds to God’s love.

Pastor:           Let the love of God flow from you to others.
People:        God’s love moves us to care for the hurts of others. 

 

OPENING HYMN:              O Lord, Your Tenderness                   TFWS  #2143

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND SHARING

 

 

PRAISING

 

CALL TO WORSHIP

 

Pastor:           Where two or three gathered in Christ's name,
People:        We enter this place of worship to meet God.
Pastor:           Where two or three gathered in Christ's name,
People:        We expand our capacity to love.
Pastor:           Where two or three are gathered,
People:        We witness truth together.
Pastor:           Where two or three are gathered in Christ's name, God is here among

                         us.


 OPENING PRAYER

 

We praise you, O God, because you are love. Help us to be wise enough to understand the incredible power of love. Give us the courage to use that power for the healing and wholeness of your world. Amen. 

CHILDREN’S MOMENTS 

CONFESSING

 

CALL TO CONFESSION

 

Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially our failure to love as God loves.

 

GENERAL CONFESSION

 

We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We know you are love and that we were created out of that love, and yet we often act in very unloving ways. You show us grace and continually work to bring us to wholeness, and yet we turn on others and harm them with our words and actions. Call us back to your love, and empower us with your Spirit to act in love as you act in love. Amen.

 

SILENT CONFESSION

WORDS OF ASSURANCE

 

God is love and rejoices when we live in that love for ourselves and for others. Receive God’s grace and power to live in eternal love.

 

 

HEARING

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

 

O Lord, open our eyes, our ears, our minds, and our hearts;

That we might behold wondrous things out of your word.

 

                                                                  

FIRST LESSON                                                                              Romans 13: 8-14

Love for One Another

Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet”; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.

An Urgent Appeal

11 Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; 12 the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; 13 let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks Be to God.

 

 

   

PROCLAIMING

 

SERMON:                              Love in Action”             Rev. Russel W. Shuluga

 

PRAYING

 

JOYS AND CONCERNS

 

PASTORAL PRAYER

 

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, for ever and ever. Amen

 

RESPONDING

 

INVITATION TO OFFERING

 

Pastor:       What time is it?

People:    It is time to express our love for God by giving of

 ourselves with the morning offering.

Pastor:       Salvation is nearer to us now than when we became

                      believers. Let us give generously and with love.

 

 

THE LORD’S OFFERING

 

OFFERTORY PRAYER

 

Heavenly Father, we present our offerings not as meaningless formalities or repetitious habits, but as genuine acts of love and heartfelt sacrifice. Amen.

 

 

SENDING


BENEDICTION

 

Pastor:       God has given you the most powerful tool in the world: Love.

Use it, increase it, and proclaim it.

People:    Amen.

 

 

Closing Hymn:                                     Jesu Jesu                                                 # 432

     
Pastor: Rev. Russel W. Shuluga

            Email: [email protected]

            Phone: 412-735-5072

 

Liturgist: Mary Kilgour

 

 

                                                                                                                                       ZOOM WORSHIP

 

Every Sunday Morning at 11:15 AM

https://zoom.us/j/4127312511?pwd=M091MnJ6WjhmbDloTWcxbmFmTFFlQT09

 

 

Meeting ID: 412 731 2511

Password: 123456

From your phone (312) 626-6799

 

*Please note that the information above for ZOOM service is the same for every Sunday Zoom worship service.

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                  September Mission Opportunity

“Church World Service”

 

Mifflin Avenue is supporting Church World Service by participating in this year’s CROP Walk. The "Virtual CROP Hunger Walk" will be held  week of October 4th to October 11th".
Crop Walkers will step out and step up the walking? A key feature of the Walk this year will be fundraising through social media. the Mifflin Avenue Team is registered.
We encourage you to get out and walk any day during the week of October 4th to October 11th and support the Mifflin Avenue team. Make your check payable to MAUMC and write Sept. Mission on the memo line or on your envelope and mail to the church office. You may also donate via PayPal. You may also donate directly to the CROP Hunger Walk, details in the September Church Talk. Mary Kilgour is listed as the CROP Walk team captain.
 

VIRTUAL CROP HUNGER WALK DAY:

WALK, OR NOT! This is a more inclusive walk because if you can’t physically walk but want to act to end hunger by raising money while rocking or lounging on your favorite chair, please do! It counts! If you can walk, then walk around your block, walk around your neighborhood, walk in a local park, or simply walk around your living room! You can walk individually or with your team. If you do organize to walk with your team, please observe proper social distancing, mask wearing and limit the number of individuals to around 10 or whatever maximum number is permitted by the Department of Health at that time; which may require your team to walk in more than one group.

25% of the Crop Walk proceeds will be directed to Wilkinsburg Community Ministry to fight hunger in our community.