Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
October 8, 2006

Unity, Reconciliation and Justice
A worship series based upon the Belhar Confession
From the Uniting Reformed Churches in Southern Africa
The Approach to God
The Prelude
The Church Bell
The Introit: “Come All You People”
The Call to Worship
L: Jesus, Risen Lord,
P: we gather in your name.
L: Jesus, Good Shepherd,
P: we gather in your name.
L: Jesus, Word of life,
P: we gather in your name.
L: Jesus, friend of the poor,
P: we gather in your name.
L: Jesus, source of all forgiveness,
P: we gather in your name.
L: Jesus, Prince of peace,
P: we gather in your name.
Lord Jesus Christ,
you call us together in faith and love.
Breathe again the new life of your Holy Spirit among us
that we may hear your holy word,
pray in your name,
seek unity among Christians
and live more fully the faith we profess.
All glory and honor be yours
with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever.
* The Hymn: No. 442 “The Church’s One Foundation”
* The Salutation -- from Philippians 1:2
L: Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
U: AMEN!
The Prayer of Confession
L: There are many ways to be unfaithful to what we have become through baptism, to our commitment and our obedience to God.
We offer him now our prayers of repentance.
U: We confess to you, living God,
our failure to live as brothers and sisters, and as your children.
We confess to you, loving God,
that we have not loved you as you have loved us.
Kyrie Eleison -- Please see Kyrie at end of prayer.
U: We confess to you, gracious God,
that we have doubted your word and failed to obey its teaching.
We confess to you, merciful God,
our desire to own you and contain you within our doctrines and theologies.
Kyrie Eleison -- Please see Kyrie at end of prayer.
U: We confess to you, almighty God
that we do not acknowledge you as Lord of all the earth.
Forgive us and redeem us
for we have not allowed your presence to shine among us.
L: There are many ways in which we have failed in our commitment and obedience to our fellow men and women. We turn towards our neighbors and our friends and offer them our prayers of repentance.
Kyrie Eleison






The Words of Assurance
L: God of grace, we grieve that the church,
which shares one Spirit, one faith, one hope, and one calling.
has become a broken communion in a broken world.
The one body spans all time, place, race, and language,
but in our fear we have fled from and fought one another,
and in our pride we have mistaken our part for the whole.
Yet we marvel that you gather the pieces to do your work,
that you bless us with joy, with growth, and with signs of unity.
Forgive our sins and help us to commit ourselves
to seeking and showing the unity of the body of Christ.
P: Amen.
The Law of God -- from Matthew 22:37-40
L: What is the great and first commandment?
P: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
L: What is the second commandment like it?
P: Love your neighbor as yourself.
L: What does this mean?
P: Love is the fulfilling of the law.
L: To what does this call us?
P: To a life of faith working through love.

The Word of God
The Children’s Sermon
* The Hymn: “When the Church of Jesus” . . . . . . . .Please see insert.
The Lessons
Deuteronomy 10:17-19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 186
John 17:20-26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 116
L: The Word of the Lord.
P: Thanks be to God.
The Sermon: “Living the Prayer”
* The Affirmation of Faith -- Unison
We believe that Christ’s work of reconciliation is made manifest in the Church as the community of believers who have been reconciled with God and with one another; that unity is, therefore, both a gift and an obligation for the Church of Jesus Christ.
We believe that this unity of the people of God must be manifested and be active in a variety of ways: in that we love one another; and that we experience, practice and pursue community with one another.
Excerpt; The Belhar Confession
The Anthem: “One Spirit, One Church” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .K. Keil
The Response to God
Presentation of Tithes and Offerings
* The Doxology -- Tune: Nun Danket
All praise and thanks to God
the Father now be given,
the Son, and him who reigns
with them in highest heaven,
the one eternal God,
whom heav'n and earth adore;
for thus it was, is now,
and shall be evermore.
* The Prayer of Dedication
God of unfailing love, in your holy mysteries
you have graciously fed us with the body and blood of your dear Son.
We pray that we and all who faithfully receive him
may grow together in the communion of the body of Christ
and finally attain to the glory of the resurrection,
through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
The Life of the Church
Our Gratitude Expressed
Our Concerns Raised Up
The Church’s Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . using ‘debts’ and ‘debtors’
L: Lord of heaven and earth, we have begun to listen to your Holy Spirit, calling us to unity in Christ:
P: We thank you, O Lord.
L: May we be more attentive to your inspiration and more ready to listen to one another.
P: We ask you, O Lord.
L: We have begun to dialogue with one another, celebrating our common faith and seeking to understand our differences:
P: We thank you, O Lord.
L: May the patient work of pastors, theologians and Christian people continue to progress and bear lasting fruit:
P: We ask you, O Lord.
L: For the agreements reached on matters of theology and pastoral life:
P: We thank you, O Lord.
L: That we may be able to face and resolve the difficult issues which still divide us:
P: We ask you, O Lord.
L: For common witness in Christ which we have given in times of crisis, for justice, peace and humanitarian aid:
P: We thank you, O Lord.
L: That our unity may one day become such that the whole world may believe in the Christ you have sent:
P: We ask you, O Lord.
L: For progress in inter-religious dialogue throughout the world:
P: We thank you, O Lord.
L: That engaged in this dialogue, we may sense the urgency of full communion among Christians as a witness to other believers:
P: We ask you, O Lord.
L: For all living witnesses of personal communion in the love of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
P: We thank you, O Lord.
L: May their family life contribute to the Christian joy of the members of their churches:
P: We ask you, O Lord.
L: May the hope of one day sharing the same table and drinking from the same cup, increase our desire to do your will so as to receive from you this gift:
P: We ask you, O Lord.
L: We raise before you the concerns raised before us this day:
* The Hymn: No. 241 “Behold the Goodness of Our Lord”
After singing verse 3 please sing verse 1 again.
* The Benediction
* The Choral Response: “Go With Us Lord”
* The Postlude


Pultneyville Reformed Church
7784 Hamilton Street
P.O. Box 94
Pultneyville, NY 14538
315-589-2703
prc@pultneyville.org
www.pultneyville.org