PRELUDE: Trumpet Tune (From Voluntary No. 1 in D) by William Boyce; Andrew Rodman, trumpet
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
CALL TO WORSHIP
INTROIT: Walk With Us, Holy God arr. by J. Jerome Williams and Kelly T. Grooms
Throughout these many decades Your people raised their prayers; they laid their hopes before You, their praises and their cares; and You, O gracious Father, whose mercies never cease, O, bless Your favor, Your pardon and Your peace. Your hand has gently led us where living waters flow; Your changeless Word has fed us that in You we might grow; and when in selfish service our hearts have gone astray, Your Shepherd’s staff returned us to follow in Your way. With grateful hearts and voices this hymn to You we raise; and humbly we surrender ourselves in thanks and praise. The years now stretch before us, a path as yet untrod. Direct us on our journey; walk with us, holy God. Here in this house of worship we gather in Your name; great Father, Spirit, Your glory to proclaim, ‘til like those gone before us, who worshipped in this place, we’ll join the heavenly chorus and see You face to face. Alleluia! Amen. [Catherine Fischer]
PRAYER
HYMN: Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise [St. Denio]
PRAYER
SCRIPTURE LESSON: Mark 1:35-39
HYMN: Thy Mercy and Thy Truth, O Lord [Tallis’ Ordinal]
SERMON: “The God Who Gets Away”
ANTHEM: Hands of God by Michael Austin Miller; Andrew Rodman, trumpet
We gather around the water, the Word, the wine, the wheat. Repentant and forgiven, from bondage we are freed. Singing songs of gladness, of mercy, grace, and love, then we are sent from this place to be the hands of God. Baptized in the water and nurtured by the Word, then fed at the table where bread and wine are served. Blessed to be a blessing with strength to heed the call, we are sent form this place to be the hands of God. Hands of God, hands of faith, offering hope, offering grace. Hands of blessing, hands of love; we are the hands, the hands of God. From every land and nation, every tribe and every tongue, united by the Spirit, in Christ we join as one with saints who’ve gone before us, whose spirits still live on, then we are sent from this place to be the hands of God. If we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing; the righteous One is by our side, the One of God’s own choosing. Hands of God, offering blessing, hands of faith, offering love, offering hope, hands of God, offering grace, hands of faith, hands of blessing, offering hope, hands of love; offering grace, we are the hands, the hands of God.
CELEBRATION OF HOLY COMMUNION
INVITATION AND WORDS OF INSTITUTION
PRAYER
RECEPTION
PRAYER
HYMN: We Will Go Out with Joy [We Will Go Out with Joy]
BENEDICTION
RESPONSE: In the Light of Hope by Mark Patterson
Deep in the darkness that sometimes seems to surround us, when anger and anguish seem far too heavy to bear, there is a light shining, there is a voice, calling. God reaches out with love, with love that meets us anywhere. We are called to live in the light of hope, called to walk as a witness to God’s unbounded love. We are called to rise, called to rise above storms that surround us, the fears that confound us. We are called to live in the light of hope. When mercy and kindness and truth seem lost and forsaken, when hatred takes hold and the world’s too busy to care, hold on with faith that’s stronger, sing out with hope that’s brighter, live out your life with love, for all God’s people everywhere. Just take a step, find the light, let the saving love of Christ shine down through the shadows of your life.
This link will take you to the youth sponsored Covenant’s Souper Bowl of Caring to benefit COA — https://map.tacklehunger.org/donate/covenant
This link will take you to the Annual Congregational Meeting that will be held at 11:30 a.m., immediately following 10:30 virtual worship on Sunday, February 7th — https://meet.google.com/goe-umjn-wgq. To call in by phone please dial 1-209-781-9485 and enter the PIN: 443 527 177#.
This link will take you to Covenant’s Flowers for Worship form — https://forms.gle/9C98VA1d17SPmTBV8
DOCKET FOR THE ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING
Covenant Presbyterian Church, Long Beach
February 7, 2021
Via Google Meet Video Conferencing
Declaration of Quorum, Call to Order and Opening Prayer
Approval of the Minutes of the 2020 Congregational Meetings – pp. 6-8
Receipt of the Annual Reports
Report of the Pastors– pp. 4-5
Report of the Clerk of Session – p. 6
Financial Report of the Board of Deacons – p. 8
Report of Presbyterian Women in the Congregation – p. 9
PWC Financial Report – Appendix, p. 10
Church Financial Reports – Appendix, pp. 1-9
Report of Rising TIDE – Appendix
RT Financial Report – Appendix
Grateful prayer for church members and friends who in 2020 entered glory:
Marel Fields, Harriet Fischer, Sandee Peasley, Silas Thomas, Barbara Billberry, Roslyn Billberry, Joan Muenzer and Polly Johnson
Adjournment of the Meeting of the Congregation and Convening of the Meeting of the Corporation
Adjournment of the Meeting of the Corporation and Reconvening of the Meeting of the Congregation
Vote on the 2021 Terms of Call for the Pastors – Appendix p. 2
Other Business
Adjournment and Closing Prayer
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