Firelands Presbyterian Church

www.firelandschurch.org
August 22, 2021
2626 East Harbor Road Port Clinton, OH 43452
419-734-6211 https://www.facebook.com/firelandschurch
Pastor David Aber [email protected]
 Welcome to Firelands Church, a community of believers gathered by the Holy Spirit and committed to serving God and growing
together in Jesus Christ.
We invite all of our worshippers to stay for fellowship following the service
so that we might become better acquainted.

THE ORDER OF THE LITURGY

*Those who are able are invited to stand.

GATHERING

Prelude Kay McIntosh

Welcome and Announcements

*Call to Worship Psalm 150

(Drum Beat Starts)
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary!
Praise him in his mighty firmament!
Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness!
Praise him with the sound of the trumpet;
(Trumpet begins)
Praise him with lute and harp!
(Piano begins)
Praise him with timbrel and dance;
Praise him with strings and pipe!
(Clarinet begins)
Praise him with sounding cymbals;
(Cymbal crash)
Praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
(Another cymbal crash)
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!

*Prayer of Invocation
We are welcomed into your presence this day by your gracious hospitality, O God. Grant that we will lay aside our cares and
anxieties to concentrate our thoughts on you alone. Open us to the teaching and guidance for living which we receive, that
we will be strengthened to walk with you and follow wherever you lead us. Through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Savior. Amen.

*Hymn Amazing Grace Hymnal #649

Call to Confession
We turn to God in prayer not because we are compelled but because God invites us. We come to God not because of our
righteousness but because of God’s grace. In that spirit, we offer this prayer of confession and unburdening.
Prayer of Confession
Awesome and disturbing God, You breathed life into us and each day fill us with the power of Your Spirit. We are filled with
Your courage and yet act with caution and timidity. We know Your intentions for justice, yet keep silent too often or yield to
the complexity of issues and do nothing. We are overwhelmed with Your love, yet are hesitant to mention Your name to
another. We have been forgiven much, yet harbor old resentments, hold on to past hurts and turn away from reconciliation.
Wondrous God, restore us to clear thinking, give us compassionate hearts, and lead us to bold actions. Let Your forgiving love
cleanse fear and timidity from us. Set us on Your path with Your wind at our backs. Amen.

Silent Confession

Assurance of Pardon
The God of creation is a God of mercy. God is quick to forgive and God’s promise of restoration is for all people. Friends, believe
the Good News of the Gospel. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. Thanks be to God! Amen.

WORD
Prayer for Illumination
O Lord our God, your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Give us grace to receive your truth in faith and love, that
we may be obedient to your will and live always for your glory; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

First Reading Joshua 24: 1 - 2a, 14 - 18

1 Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel.
And they presented themselves before God. 2 And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, 'Long
ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods.
14 "Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served
beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you
will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you
dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." 16 Then the people answered, "Far be it from us that we should
forsake the Lord to serve other gods, 17 for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out
of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all
the peoples through whom we passed. 18 And the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land.
Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God."

Second Reading Psalm 84

1 How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!
2 My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.
3 Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of
hosts, my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! Selah
5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
6 As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools.
7 They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.
8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
9 Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your anointed!
10 For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than
dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does God withhold from those who
walk uprightly.
12 O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!

Gospel Reading John 6:56 - 69

56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because
of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not
like the bread the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever." 59 Jesus said these things in the
synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.
60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself
that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, "Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son
of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have
spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe." (For Jesus knew from the beginning who
those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can
come to me unless it is granted him by the Father." 66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with
him. 67 So Jesus said to the Twelve, "Do you want to go away as well?" 68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we
go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."
God, we thank you for Your Word.
The story of Your Grace

Sermon

Musical Interlude What a Wonderful World Theile/Weiss

*Affirmation of Faith
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under
Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he
ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick
and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the
body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

*Hymn Just a Closer Walk with Thee Hymnal #835

Prayers of the Church

The Lord’s Prayer (debts and debtors) p. 35

Communion

Invitation and Narrative

Friends, this is the joyful feast of the people of God! They will come from east and west, and from north and south, to sit
at table in the kingdom of God. According to Luke, when our risen Lord was at table with his disciples, he took the bread, and
blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him. This is the Lord’s table. Our
Savior invites those who trust him to share the feast which he has prepared.
Prayer Of Consecration

THE BREAD Because there is one loaf, we, many as we are, are one body; for it is one loaf of which we all partake. When
we break the bread, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? The body of Christ, given for you.

THE CUP When we give thanks over the cup, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The blood of Christ, shed for you.

The Prayer of Thanksgiving

Sending

*Hymn: What a Friend We have in Jesus Hymnal #465

*Charge
Go out into the world in peace; have courage; hold onto what is good; return no one evil for evil; support the weak; help the
suffering; hoor all people; love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.

*Benediction

Postlude Amen/Saints

Ministers in This Sunday’s Service Ministers in Next Sunday’s Service

Preacher: Rev. David Aber Preacher: Rev. David Aber
Reader: Ed Bettendorf Reader: Karen Coffin
Musician: Elders of Jazz Musician: Kay McIntosh
Facebook Recorder: Ed Bettendorf Facebook Recorder: Ed Bettendorf
Greeter: Ginny McCook Greeter: Dave Wahlers
Fellowship host(s): Kay & John McIntosh Fellowship host(s): Bob & Maxine Wilsons
Deacon of the Month: Karen Dietz Deacon of the Month: Karen Dietz

THIS WEEK AT FIRELANDS

Today WORSHIP 9:30 AM
followed by Fellowship
Monday Office Open 9:30- 12:30 PM
Racial understanding and Reconciliation Study 2:00-3:30
Knitwits 7-9 PM
Tuesday Dulcimer Group 3:00-5 PM
Reservoir group 4-5 PM
Wednesday Office Open 9:30-12:30 PM
Reflections on Sermons 10:30 AM
Thursday
Friday Office Open 9:30-12:30 PM
Saturday
Next Sunday WORSHIP 9:30 AM
followed by Fellowship
Vespers in Pavilion 5:30 PM
 The Church Office is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings 9-12 unless otherwise noted on the calendar above
and/or the calendar on the firelandschurch.org website.

Prayer Concerns
Christopher Longaker, Janet Miller, Ruth, Ron, Eric Pott, Tom Roush, Diane Jordan, John & Karen Vardyan, Margo, Jean Witkowski,
Jacqui, Jim & Patti, Barbara and John & Linda Fulton,

If you have a name to add to the prayer list, please contact the office. Names remain on this list for up to one month unless they are
resubmitted.

Sunday Evening Vespers

Sunday August 29th at 5:30 PM (note the time change)
August Vespers will be in the Pavilion music by the Firelands Folk. Please bring a snack to share.

Create a Garden for the Cure

Help us create a Garden for the Cure! This year we are creating a giant poster garden to honor and remember those who have battled
cancer.
This year we are asking you to select one of our handcrafted flowers to post on our board in honor or in memory of a family member
or friend.
Choose 1 flower = $3.00 or 2 flowers = $5.00 AND 5 flowers $10.00
Make checks to: Firelands Presbyterian Church and write American Cancer Society on the Memo Line.

Thank You
Dear Firelands Friends,
I was truly amazed and surprised by the birthday party that you planned for me last Sunday!
The cake, the ice cream, the cards—all made me feel very special.
I am grateful for your kindness over the years and your friendship on this special day.
Harold Brown

We welcome the Elders of Jazz

The Elders of Jazz, a group from Cleveland’s west side, was founded over 40 years ago by pastors and elders from the Presbyterian
church playing for everything from church potluck suppers to Presbytery meetings to General Assembly. In the past several years we
have lost two of our members (Al Hart-Trombone and Ron Lorenz -Tuba) to that heavenly traditional band, but we still love playing
in their honor and memory, continuing the tradition of making a joyful noise.

Members:
Jim Traxler -Trumpet Ken Hayden-Trombone

Dalton Love- Clarinet Kim Kazda- Drums

Kay McIntosh- Piano Terry White --Alto Sax

Special Guest Tim Work-Trombone