Prelude: Mosso Moderato, Michael Gotthard Fischer - Steven Frank, organ WE APPROACH OUR GOD Welcome and Announcements Call to Worship L: In the midst of life’s storms, God is there. P: What have we to fear? L: In the darkness and terror, God is with us. P: Of whom shall we be afraid? L: Rise up, people of God, for you are loved and saved. P: Thanks be to God who cares deeply for us. Hymn of Praise: How Firm a Foundation, Foundation - KIMBERLY IANNUZZI AND IZABELA GRAJNER-PARTYKA How firm a foundation, you saints of the Lord, Is laid for your faith in his excellent word: what more can he say than to you he hath said to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled? Fear not, I am with you; O be not dismayed, for I am your God and will still give you aid: I’ll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand, upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand. When through the deep waters I call you to go, the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow, for I will be with you in troubles to bless and sanctify to you your deepest distress. Call to Confession Fear, anxiety, worry and distrust are common experiences of contemporary life. They are peddled for profit in the marketplace and used to manipulate us at every turn. But, in the presence of God, we are reoriented to the truth: God's perfect love trumps all our fear. In trust and confidence let us go to the Lover of our souls to confess our sin. Prayer of Confession God of love and power, we listen to the stories of miracles and doubt that these things can happen today. We look at the waves of misfortune, distress, misery, distrust, and anger and wonder how we can still those waves. We feel the pressures of power and fear flooding into our lives, threatening to drown us and wonder where you are. Forgive us for the littleness of our faith. Forgive us for our doubts. Help us to place our trust in you, Lord Jesus. Help us to fix our eyes on you and on the ministries to which you have called us. For we ask these things in Jesus’ Name. Amen! Words of Assurance L: Fear not! God is with us, stilling the storms and raging fears in our lives. P: God listens; God helps. Now is the day of salvation. L: Place your trust in God always. Open wide your hearts and receive God’s forgiveness. Amen. The Christian Way - 1 John 4:7b-8;21 Love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also. Passing the Peace L: A word of peace can have awesome power. Let us share signs of this peace in the name of the One we follow. The peace of Christ be with you. P: And also with you. L: Extend the sign of peace to each other. WE LISTEN TO GOD’S WORD **Children’s Sermon ** Hymn of Preparation: Be Still and Know That I Am God, Roberta Bitgood - REUVEN ARISTIGUETA Be still and know that I am God. My soul wait thou in silence for God only; I will hear what the Lord will speak. He will speak peace, He will speak peace to his people and His saints . . . The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him in truth. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, My strength and my Redeemer. Scripture Reading – Mark 4:35-41 35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. 37 A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” Message: Why are you afraid? We find Jesus and the disciples in another risky moment. They're packed into a boat sailing across the notoriously volatile Sea of Galilee. Mark 4:38 (NRSV) Mark 4:40 (NRSV) We are far too focused on our circumstances. Jesus makes it clear that our faith must not be in the ground on which we stand, but in the person with whom we're standing. Our faith could not be contingent upon circumstance, but must be clinging to the company of Christ. Jesus walks alongside us, guiding us in valleys of death, despair and personal tragedy. The lesson Jesus gave to his seasick and scared disciples, is the same for us today. Their journey, and our journey, is more than an opportunity for God to demonstrate divine power. It is a lesson on the nature and substance of faith itself. And Jesus is asking you and me the same question today. Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith? And he is saying to you and me, pull your eyes from the location of your feet to the beauty of your company. Jesus joins those of us who follow of him, in every dark moment. He does not take his people where he does not reside with his people. Matthew 28:20 (NRSV) WE RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD Celebrating our Graduates Time of Offering and Thanksgiving https://tithe.ly/give?c=1332203 Offertory Music: Andante, Arcangelo Corelli - Steven Frank, organ Prayer of Dedication/Offering 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 debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and power, and the glory, forever. Amen. Closing Hymn: He Leadeth Me, Aughton - CHERYL WARFIELD, KIMBERLY IANNUZZI, IZABELA GRAJNER-PARTYKA,AND REUVEN ARISTIGUETA He leadeth me: O blessed thought! O words with heavenly comfort fraught! Whate'er I do, where'er I be; still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me. Refrain: He leadeth me, He leadeth me; by His own hand He leadeth me: his faithful follower I would be, for by His hand He leadeth me. Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom, sometimes where Eden's bowers bloom, by waters calm, o’er troubled sea, still 'tis His hand that leadeth me. Refrain And when my task on earth is done, when by thy grace, the victory's won, e’en death's cold wave I will not flee, since God through Jordan leadeth me. Refrain Blessing