South Church in Andover
United Church of Christ

THE WORSHIP OF GOD
ORDER FOR THE SERVICE

July 23, 2006
 

Let the prelude be a curtain of music which brings us into the sanctuary to worship God.
 Let necessary conversation be gentle and the preparation we make together be prayerful.

PRELUDE     Arioso     George F. Handel      

WELCOME       
     Introduction of Visitors and Guests
     Announcements  
     Exchange of Peace

     The peace of Jesus Christ be with you.
         And also with you.

ORGAN INTROIT              When Peace, Like a River     Horatio Spafford

CALL TO WORSHIP     

Day after day, an abundance of God’s love

Morning by morning, new signs of blessing

A gentle rain, an awesome sunset,

A friend’s embrace, a child’s smile

A new insight, a sense of peace,

A shared meal, a treasured moment

A refreshing swim,

A healing walk.

All around us and deep within us are signs of God’s presence.

How can we not sing of God’s faithfulness?

* HYMN   O Lord our God, How Excellent (Psalm 8)  #162 red

INVOCATION AND THE LORD’S PRAYER       (debts/debtors)

SCRIPTURE               Psalm 46         (response reading #79) Page 523 blue

LET THE CHILDREN COME        

* HYMN      How Firm a Foundation     #372 blue
     During the hymn, children may move, with adult volunteers, to summer Sunday
      school. Parents may pick up their children after the service on the North lawn.

 SCRIPTURE   Mark 6:30-44     printed in bulletin

SERMON     Listen to Your Life--Hear God Speak   Dr. Mutti

VIOLIN/PIANO DUET         Prelude in C  J.S. Bach

Pastoral prayer     

OFFERING OF OUR GIFTS IN THANKSGIVING

Invitation

Offertory  Gavotte  J.B. Lully

*Doxology    

*Dedication Prayer       

* HYMN God of Compassion, in Mercy Befriend Us  #261 red

* BENEDICTION

* POSTLUDE        Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren
                       Johann G. Walther

* Those who are able may stand

Participating in Today’s Service:
Greeters: Jan Holden and daughters
 Carolyn and Katie
Deacon: Holly Benzenhafer Redford
Violin: Sally Lincoln-Vogel
Piano: Richard Lincoln-Vogel

The flowers this morning are given in loving memory of
Nellie E. Berry by the Berry Trust Fund.

Scriptures for This Day           New Revised Standard Version

     Mark 6:30-44

The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, ‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.’ But he answered them, ‘You give them something to eat.’ They said to him, ‘Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?’ And he said to them, ‘How many loaves have you? Go and see.’ When they had found out, they said, ‘Five, and two fish.’ Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. And all ate and were filled; and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.