The First United Presbyterian Church of Mingo Junction Celebration Service - Sunday, February 28, 2021

Here's a copy of the order and the podcast of the worship service I led in the First United Presbyterian Church of Mingo Junction, Ohio on Sunday, February 28, 2021. Below was our order of worship.

Welcome and Announcements 

Opening prayer

Our Call to Worship: Psalm 22:25-31

Leader: From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him.

People: The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord.  May your hearts live forever!

Leader: All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.

People: For dominion belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.

Leader: To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him.

People: Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord, and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it.

Congregational Song 

Prayer of Confession

Merciful God, we confess that we've sinned against you. In your word, you’ve given us the chance to understand the mission of your son and his call to us. Sadly, we don’t always claim this opportunity. Instead, we trust in our own limited vision. As a result, we lead ourselves astray. Father, have mercy on us and help us to use your word so that we might follow your will. 

Words of Forgiveness

Gloria Patri

Special Music

Joys and Concern/ Prayers of the People/The Lord's Prayer

Offering Our Gifts to God

Doxology

Scripture Lesson: Mark 8:31-38, Contemporary English Version

Jesus began telling his disciples what would happen to him. He said, “The nation’s leaders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law of Moses will make the Son of Man suffer terribly. He will be rejected and killed, but three days later he will rise to life.” Then Jesus explained clearly what he meant.

Peter took Jesus aside and told him to stop talking like that. But when Jesus turned and saw the disciples, he corrected Peter. He said to him, “Satan, get away from me! You are thinking like everyone else and not like God.”

Jesus then told the crowd and the disciples to come closer, and he said:

If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me. If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me and for the good news, you will save it. What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? What could you give to get back your soul?

Don’t be ashamed of me and my message among these unfaithful and sinful people! If you are, the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Sermon: An Eye in the Sky

Congregational Song

Charge and Blessing 

End with “Surely the Presence of The Lord”