PRELUDE: Psalm XIX (The Heavens Declare the Glory of God) by Benedetto Marcello
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
CALL TO WORSHIP
HYMN: To God Be the Glory [To God Be the Glory]
PRAYER
INTROIT: The Heavens Declare by Richard Shepherd
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be always acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. [Psalm 19:1, 14]
PRAYER
SCRIPTURE LESSONS: Acts 7:55-60
HYMN: Our Hope, Our Life (Psalm 49) [O Waly Waly]
SERMON: “Seeing our Destination”
ANTHEM: When Stephen, Full of Power and Grace by Richard Peek
When Stephen, full of power and grace, went forth throughout the land, he bore no shield before his face, no weapon in his hand; but only in his heart aflame and on his lips a sword wherewith he smote and overcame the foemen of the Lord. When Stephen preached against the laws and by those laws was tried, he had no friend to plead his cause, no spokesman at his side; but only in his heart aflame and in his eyes a light wherewith God’s daybreak to proclaim and rend the veils of night. When Stephen, young and doomed to die, fell crushed beneath the stones, he had no curse nor vengeful cry for those who broke his bones; but only in his heart aflame and on his lips a prayer that God, in sweet forgiveness’ name, should understand and spare. Let me, O Lord, your cause defend, a knight without a sword; no shield I ask, no faithful friend, no vengeance, no reward; but only in my heart aflame and in my soul a dream, so that the stones of earthly shame a jeweled crown may seem. Amen. [Jan Struther, from Enlarged Songs of Praise, based on Acts 6 & 7, and used by permission of Oxford University Press]
PRAYER
HYMN: Shall We Gather at the River [Hanson Place]
BENEDICTION
BENEDICTION RESPONSE: Grieve Not the Holy Spirit of God by T. Tertius Noble; Mark Waters, tenor solo
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake, hath forgiven you. Amen. [Ephesians 4:32]
POSTLUDE: Tuba Tune in D by C.S. Lang
The flowers are given today by Covenant Youth in honor of all those women who have been spiritual mothers.
Would you like to sponsor flowers for one week for worship? You can place your order for any Sunday throughout 2023 by using this link that takes you to Covenant’s Flowers for Worship form — https://forms.gle/9C98VA1d17SPmTBV8
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