Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost - Sunday, October 19, 2025
Rev. John Merz, Guest Preacher GATHERING IN GOD’S NAME OPENING MUSIC WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS CALL TO WORSHIP One: To know the warmth of love, Many: To have the assurance that someone cares, One: To be confident of our worth, Many: To be bold to love in return, One: To be washed over with grace, Many: To be accepted as we are: One: This is to know a bit of God. Many: Let us then worship our God. ALL: Amen. Alleluia! HYMN #15 All Creatures of Our God and King CALL TO CONFESSION A TIME OF UNSPOKEN PRAYER PRAYER OF CONFESSION ALL: God of grace and mercy, you create a new order for our lives: service above competition, faith before certainty, partnership over independence, the cross over the crown. Forgive us when we fall into patterns of destruction and hubris; when we ignore your call through action or inaction. Instead, merciful God, move us to see the world through the lens of your great love. Forgive us, God, and grant us whole lives. Amen. [*] Please rise in body or in spirit. Bold type signifies a unison response. ASSURANCE OF GRACE One: God forgives us of our sins, Many: not because we are righteous, but because God is good. One: God calls us to try again, Many: not because we are strong, but because God will help us. One: God calls us as disciples, Many: not because we are worthy, but because we are loved. One: God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. ALL: Through the love of God in Christ Jesus, we are forgiven. Thanks be to God! Amen. SHARING THE PEACE OF CHRIST AND THE RITUAL OF FRIENDSHIP One: May the peace of Christ be with you, Many: and also with you! Please greet your neighbor with a sign of Christ's peace. Please also take a moment to record your information at our Sanctuary’s Welcome Table, and grab a name tag, if you haven’t already! SONG OF COMMUNITY PROCLAIMING GOD’S WORD PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION EPISTLE READING 1 Corinthians 12: 27-31 Pew Bible pg. 174 OLD TESTAMENT READING 1 Kings 17: 7-16 Pew Bible pg. 324 SERMON ONE BODY, MANY MEMBERS: CAREGIVERS - Rev. John Merz RESPONDING TO GOD’S WORD HYMN #727 Will You Let Me Be Your Servant OFFERING INVITATION & NEWS OF OUR FAITH IN ACTION ANTHEM Shelter Me, Protégeme, Michael Joncas DOXOLOGY: Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise Christ, all creatures here below. Praise Holy Spirit, evermore. Praise Triune God whom we adore. Amen. PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE & THE LORD’S PRAYER GOING FORTH TO SERVE HYMN #298 Lord, You Give the Great Commission BENEDICTION CLOSING MUSIC TODAY Acknowledgements: Cover art: TWO SPIRITS SHARING BREAD, LORI IVEY ALEXANDER Licenses for music use: CCLI: 3783268 and OneLicense: A-719942. Welcome back Rev. John Merz! While Pastor Nancy participates in Alexis Schutz’s ordination service today in NYC, we welcome Rev. John as our worship leader today. John is an old friend of our Hartford church family and was ordained at FPCH in 1992, to a ministry serving the AIDS/HIV field. His day job is at Advancing Connecticut Together, Inc., a statewide social service agency, where he has worked for almost 28 years as the Executive Director, continuing his commitment to HIV/AIDS, as well as other health and wealth equity efforts. John has been serving as the part-time minister at the First Presbyterian Church in Granby, MA until its recent closing, and is co-chair of the Presbytery’s Commission on Ministry. John lives in Simsbury with his husband, Bill.
