GATHERING MUSIC

Hyerim Yu

CALL TO WORSHIP

Esther Inuwa 

Leader: Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
All: We belong to God.
Leader: When we feel overwhelmed,
All: God is by our side.
Leader: When we are afraid,
All: God is with us.
Leader: Our help is in the name of God, who made heaven and earth.
All: Blessed be God’s name!

OPENING SONG    

“If It Had Not Been For the Lord”

by Mark Miller

If it had not been for the Lord,
by our side
If it had not been for the Love
That was our guide
If it had not been
We surely would have died

Blessed be the name…
Blessed be the name…
Blessed be the name of the Lord!

May I never forget
What the Lord has done
May I always remember
The victory won!

In the struggle for our freedom
God will make a way
And in our deepest valley
We will always pray

SCRIPTURE READING – Psalm 124

1 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side
—let Israel now say—
2 if it had not been the Lord who was on our side,
when our enemies attacked us,
3 then they would have swallowed us up alive,
when their anger was kindled against us;
4 then the flood would have swept us away,
the torrent would have gone over us;
5 then over us would have gone
the raging waters.

6 Blessed be the Lord,
who has not given us
as prey to their teeth.
7 We have escaped like a bird
from the snare of the fowlers;
the snare is broken,
and we have escaped.

8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.

REFLECTION

Beth Quick

PRAYER

Led and written by Tapiwa Manyonga

Our Gracious Creator, most loving and forgiving. We thank you for the gift of life, we thank you for your mercy and love that are new every morning. 

We kindly ask you for wisdom and knowledge so that we will be able to make good decisions which will not harm others. We kindly ask for all the strength we need to do good things unto others, we do not want to grow weary oh God. In this world may we keep doing our best to bring peace unto others, to help others, to stretch our hands without complaining but with praises in our hearts. 

Just as the Israelites said, “Our deliverer is the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth”, we say the same too and may all who are oppressed and marginalized be able to say the same as well after being delivered. We remember them, may your peace and love reign on this earth so that we will all be able to love one another with all our differences. Let love conquer all in our lives. Just as you love us, teach us God to love everyone without conditions. 

We need you every minute, every hour, everyday, 

We love you God.

In the name of Jesus Christ

Amen. 

MUSICAL RESPONSE 

“Surrounded by Love”

by Mark Miller, Justin Gonzalez, soloist

When you come to the desert alone
and you feel your strength is gone
and the fear overshadows the dawn
You are still surrounded by love.

When your world seems to fall apart
all that’s left is a broken heart
and you’re not even sure where to start
you are still surrounded by love.
We will still surround you with love.

Still..
Still…
we will still surround you with love
Still..
Still…
we will still surround you
Love has never left you
we will still surround you with love.

BLESSING

Beth Quick

God has created all things. God has rescued us from sin and suffering.
Let us go forth, trusting that God is by our side.
Jesus finds us when we wander far from God.
Let us go forth, seeking to be by God’s side.
The Holy Spirit empowers us to welcome all into the kin-dom community of God’s love.
Let us go forth, seeking to be on God’s side, bringing the love of Christ everywhere we go. Amen.

Worship Notes:

Call to Worship adapted from Mary Petrina Boyd, Ministry Matters
Blessing adapted from Amy B. Hunter, Ministry Matters