ST. LUKE'S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

OCTOBER 19, 2025      

TWENTY-NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME                                                                       

SILENT MEDITATION: 

“Within the triune God we discover mutual love, mutual fellowship, mutual dependence, mutual honor,

  mutual submission, mutual dwelling, and authentic community…The church is an organic extension of

  the triune God…” –Frank Viola

GATHERING MUSIC  

GREETING  

PRELUDE: “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”                      

Arr.  Larry Shackley

CONGREGATIONAL HYMN No. 660 “God Is Here”                                                            

ABBOT’S LEAIGH

God is here! As we your people meet to offer praise and prayer,
may we find in fuller measure what it is in Christ we share.
Here, as in the world around us, all our varied skills and
arts wait the coming of the Spirit into open minds and hearts.

Here are symbols to remind us of our lifelong need of grace;
here are table, font, and pulpit; here the cross has central place.
Here in honesty of preaching, here in silence, as in speech,
here in newness and renewal, God the Spirit comes to each.

Here our children find a welcome in the Shepherd's flock and fold;
here as bread and wine are taken, Christ sustains us, as of old.
Here the servants of the Servant seek in worship to explore
what it means in daily living to believe and to adore.

Lord of all, of church and kingdom, in an age of change and doubt
keep us faithful to the gospel; help us work your purpose out.
Here, in this day’s dedication, all we have to give, receive;
we, who cannot live without you, we adore you! We believe!

CALL TO WORSHIP 

One: I am the church; you are the church.

All:    We are the church together.

One: We depend on our seniors and long-time members

         to remember where we came from and where we have been.                      

All:    We are the church together.

One: We depend on our children to retell our sacred stories as they grow.       

All:    We are the church together.

One: We depend on our youth and young adults

         to ask us why we do things this way and to suggest something new.

All:    We are the church together.

One: We need each other to be the church.

All:    We are the church together.

CALL TO CONFESSION

PRAYER OF CONFESSION (Unison)

O God, you have called us by your name; we are your children. You have set us together in community with one another. Forgive us when we have failed to be mindful and true to that call. You ask us to ease the burdens others carry, but we add to their burdens. You call us to joy in your inclusive realm, but instead we create our own walls of division. Extend to us—pardon and peace. Restore us and let us be the body of Christ in our world. Amen

ASSURANCE OF PARDON
 

GLORIA PATRI

Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen. Amen.

MOMENTS WITH MINNIE 

PASTORAL PRAYER and THE 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 sins as we forgive those
who sin 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.  Amen.

SPECIAL MUSIC“Seek Only the Perfect Way”                                   

Arr.  Bill Ingram

SCRIPTURE: I Corinthians 12:12-27

SERMON: “We Are The Church Together!”

CONGREGATIONAL HYMN  No. 558 “We Are the Church”                                                      

PORT JERVIS

Refrain: I am the church! You are the church! We are the church together!

All who follow Jesus, all around the world! Yes, we’re the church together!

The church is not a building, the church is not a steeple,

the church is not a resting place, the church is a people. (Refrain)

We’re many kinds of people, with many kinds of faces,

all colors and all ages, too, from all times and places. (Refrain)

Some times the church is marching, sometimes it’s bravely burning,

sometimes it’s riding, sometimes hiding, always it’s learning. (Refrain)

And when the people gather, there’s singing and there’s praying,

there’s laughing and there’s crying sometimes, all of it saying: (Refrain)

At Pentecost some people received the Holy Spirit and told the

Good News through the world to all who would hear it. (Refrain)

STEWARDSHIP REFLECTION
CALL TO STEWARDSHIP  
THE BEAUTY OF SHARED GIFTS “Jesus, Come to Us”                                                  

David Haas

CELEBRATING STEWARDSHIP — DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God above, ye heavenly host:
Creator, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

PRAYER OF DEDICATION (In Unison)       

Bless, O God, these gifts and offerings, that they may be a sign of our intent to serve you. May these gifts, the words of our worship and the thoughts of our hearts be acceptable and useful in making your presence known as we live and serve together as the Body of Christ. Amen

CONGREGATIONAL HYMN No. 98 “To God Be the Glory”                                    

TO GOD BE THE GLORY

To God be the glory, great things he hath done! So loved he the world that he gave us his Son,
who yielded his life an atonement for sin, and opened the lifegate that all may go in.

Refrain: Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear his voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice!
O come to the Gather thru Jesus the Son, and give him the glory, great things he hath done.

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood, to every believer the promise of God;
the vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives. (Refrain)
 
Great things he hath taught us, great things he hath done, and great our rejoicing thru Jesus the Son: but purer, and higher, and greater will be our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see. (Refrain)

BENEDICTION  

POSTLUDE “I’ve Got the Joy”                                         

Arr.  Mark Hayes

The Liturgist today is Tiffany Alger-Trussell.
Thank you to John Kritos for accompanying the hymns.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

HALLOWEEN PARTY
The children’s Sunday School program will have a Halloween party on Sunday, October 26th, during Sunday
School. They will “Trick or Treat” the adult classes and have games and crafts. They are encouraged to wear
their costumes. Adults are asked to bring candy to pass out.

TOTENFEST

St. Luke’s UCC will observe its annual Totenfest Service on November 2nd, during worship. You are invited to turn in the names of family or friends who have died in the past year for Pastor Paul to read during the service. Please have the names turned in by the beginning of the service on November 2nd.

Totenfest is German for “Festival for the Dead.” It was begun as a day to remember Prussian soldiers who died in the Prussian War. It became the tradition of the Evangelical Church to devote a Sunday of the liturgical church year to remembering church members who have died during the year. As part of our heritage, St. Luke’s United Church of Christ maintains this tradition. In the spirit of ecumenism, the observance of Totenfest is observed in conjunction with All Saints Day

HVAC FUND

There is an HVAC Fund established for the replacement of the HVAC system.  Support for that fund is being accepted to soften the hit when contracts have been secured to replace the existing system. You may donate in person by marking your donation HVAC and placing in the offering box or by donating online or via the app.

SAVE THE DATES

November 16 - Lunch and Advent Movie

SHARING TABLE
Take time on Sundays, or anytime during normal office hours, to SHOP at the sharing table. There are Bibles and some old hymnals available if you would like to take one or even more.