2 November 2023 – Chapel – Drew Theo Chapel

Gathering Music

“Open the Eyes of My Heart” – Words & Music: Paul Joseph Baloche

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes of my heart
I want to see You
I want to see You

To see You high and lifted up
Shinin’ in the light of Your glory
Pour out Your power and love
As we sing holy, holy, holy

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes of my heart
I want to see You
I want to see You

To see You high and lifted up
Shinin’ in the light of Your glory
Pour out Your power and love
As we sing holy, holy, holy

Holy, holy, holy
We cry holy, holy, holy
You are holy, holy, holy
I want to see you

“Pues Si Vivimos (When We Are Living)” – Words: Roberto Escamilla. Elise S. Eslinger, George Lockwood, translators.

Pues si vivimos, para Él vivimos
y si morimos para Él morimos.
Sea que vivamos o que muramos,
Somos del Señor, somos del Señor.
Somos del Señor, somos del Señor.
When we are living, it is in Christ Jesus,
and when we’re dying, it is in the Lord.
Both in our living and in our dying,
we belong to God; we belong to God.
‘Mid times of sorrow and in times of pain,
when sensing beauty or in love’s embrace,
whether we suffer, or sing rejoicing,
we belong to God; we belong to God.

Call to Worship

Wee Ramirez

Leader: Grace to you and peace
from God, our Creator,
the love at our beginning
in our midst and with us
and without end,

All: God is with us,
here we find new life

Leader: Let us give thanks
for the coming of God’s reign of justice and love.

All: Jesus Christ is good news for the poor,
release for the captives,
hope for sin-sick souls
and liberty for those who are oppressed.

Leader: And on this festival day, let us give thanks for the communion of saints, the quick and the dead, who followed the way of Jesus, the way of peace, of justice, and of revolutionary love.

Opening Hymn

“For All the Saints” – Words: William H. How, Music: Ralph Vaughan Williams

For all the saints, who from their labors rest,
who thee by faith before the world confessed,
thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest.
Refrain:
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Thou wast their rock, their fortress, and their might;
thou, Lord, their captain in the well-fought fight;
thou, in the darkness drear, their one true light. [Refrain]
O blest communion, fellowship divine!
We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
yet all are one in thee, for all are thine. [Refrain]
From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast,
through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
praising Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost:
(Refrain)

Opening Prayer

Marcel Okito

Almighty God,
your saints are one with you
in the mystical body of Christ:
give us grace to follow them
in all virtue and holiness
until we come to those inexpressible joys
which you have prepared for those
who truly love you;
through Jesus Christ,
who is alive with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God now and for ever.
Amen.

Scripture Readings

Isaiah 40:29-31

Faith Gatwiri

29 The Holy One gives power to the faint,
and to those who have no might God increases strength.
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and the young shall fall exhausted;
31 but they who wait for God shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.

Leader: The Word of God for the people of God.
All: Thanks be to God.

Revelation 7:9-17

Andrea Osborne

9After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. 10They cried out in a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12singing, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

13Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” 14I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. 16They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; 17for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Leader: The Word of God for the people of God.
All: Thanks be to God.

Seminary Choir

“Cloud of Witnesses” – Mark Miller

Sermon

“Help!”

Dr. J. Terry Todd

Musical Response

“When the Saints Go Marching In” – Negro Spiritual

O when the saints go marching in,
O when the saints go marching in,
O Lord, I want to be in that number
when the saints go marching in.

O when the sun refused to shine,
O when the sun refused to shine,
O Lord, I want to be in that number
when the sun refused to shine.

Remembering the Saints

Sacrament of Holy Communion

Dr. J. Terry Todd, Lerato Piso, and Adrian Deepak

Leader: May God be with you.
All: And also with you.
Leader: Lift up your hearts.
All: We lift our hearts to God.
Leader: Let us give thanks to the Holy One
All: It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Leader: We praise you and we bless you, holy and gracious God, source of life abundant. From before time you made ready the creation. Your Spirit moved over the deep and brought all things into being: sun, moon, and stars; earth, winds, and waters; and every living thing. You made us in your image, and taught us to walk in your ways. But we rebelled against you, and wandered far away; and yet, as parents care for their children, you would not forget us. Time and again you called us to live in the fullness of your love.
And so this day we join with Saints and Angels in a song of praise like the ones that ring through eternity, lifting our voices to magnify you as we sing:

All: Holy, holy, holy, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

Wonder and honor and praise to you, holy and living God. To deliver us from the power of sin and death and to reveal the riches of your grace, you looked with favor upon Mary, your fierce and brave servant, that she might conceive and bear a son, Jesus the holy child of God. Living among us, Jesus loved us. He broke bread with outcasts and sinners, healed the sick, and proclaimed good news to the poor. He yearned to draw all the world to himself yet we were heedless of his call to walk in love. Then, the time came for him to complete upon the cross the sacrifice of his life, and to be glorified by you.

On the night before Jesus was arrested, he was at table with his friends. He took bread, gave thanks to you, broke it, and gave it to them, and said: “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.” As supper was ending, Jesus took the cup of wine. Again, he gave thanks to you, gave it to them, and said: “Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is poured out for you and for all for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”

Now gathered at your table, O God of all creation, and remembering Christ, crucified and risen, who was and is and is to come, we offer to you our gifts of bread and wine, and ourselves, a living sacrifice.

Pour out your Spirit upon these gifts that they may be the Body and Blood of Christ. Breathe your Spirit over the whole earth and make us your new creation, the Body of Christ given for the world you have made.

In the fullness of time bring us, with all your saints, from every tribe and language and people and nation, to feast at the banquet prepared from the foundation of the world. Through Christ and with Christ and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, to you be honor, wonder and praise, for ever and ever.
All: Amen.

Communion Song

“O Come to the Altar” – CCLI Song #7051511

Are you hurting and broken within
Overwhelmed by the weight of your life
Jesus is calling
Have you come to the end of yourself
Do you thirst for a drink from the well
Jesus is calling

Chorus
O come to the altar
Creator’s arms are open wide
Forgiveness was bought with
The precious love of Jesus Christ

Leave behind your regrets and mistakes
Come today there’s no reason to wait
Jesus is calling
Bring your sorrows and trade them for joy
From the ashes a new life is born
Jesus is calling

Chorus

Oh what a Savior
Isn’t he wonderful
Sing alleluia Christ is risen
Bow down before him
For he is Lord of all
Sing alleluia Christ is risen

Chorus