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Blacknall Worship from Home
November 1, 2020

Invocation

Heavenly Father, we come before you in worship in keeping with your command to honor the Sabbath and to keep it holy. We bless you, we honor you, we bow before you in humble recognition that you alone are God. Everywhere we turn we are reminded that our world is not yet what you would have it be, nor are we. But in your great mercy, meet us here this morning, in the power of your Holy Spirit. Claim us anew and strengthen us in the bonds of faith, hope, and love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Song | “Eternal Light, Shine in Our Hearts”

Eternal Light, shine in my heart (our hearts)
Eternal Hope, lift up my eyes (our eyes);
Eternal Pow’r, be my support (our support);
Eternal Wisdom, make me wise (us wise).

Eternal Life, raise me from death (raise us);
Eternal Brightness, help me see (help us);
Eternal Spirit, give me breath (give us);
Eternal Savior, come to me (come to us).

Until by Your most costly grace,
Invited by Your holy Word,
At last I come before Your face (at last we come)
To know You, my eternal God (our eternal God).

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host:
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!
Amen!

Text of hymn Christopher Idle, 1977, from a prayer by Alcuin, 8th Century.

Scripture Reading | Isaiah 43.1-7

But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.

For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your stead.

Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
nations in exchange for your life.

Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will bring your children from the east
and gather you from the west.

I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the ends of the earth—

everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”

Song | “Do Not Be Afraid” (recording -- listen, and be grateful)

Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you.
I have called you by My name; you are Mine.
When you walk through the waters, I’ll be with you;
You will never sink beneath the waves.
When the fire is burning all around you, you will never be consumed by the flames.
When the fear of loneliness is looming, then remember I am at your side.
When you dwell in the exile of a stranger, remember you are precious in My eyes.
You are Mine, O My child; I am your Father, and I love you with a perfect love.
Do not be afraid; you are Mine.

text derived from Isaiah 43; music by Philip Stopford. Recording of the Blacknall Choir, from Lessons&Carols 2017.

Call to Confession

In Ephesians 4 Paul writes, “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Who among us can say that we have followed this admonition? Let us kneel and confess our sin.

Prayer of Confession

Our Good Father, we hear these words from your servant Paul and we immediately recognize that we have attended to many other calls in our lives, while your voice goes unheeded, drowned out by the shrillness of our public life, the threats of illness and social turmoil, the concerns for success and security. Your calling is not intuitive for us, this call to listen first to you, to trust you in obedience and hope, to live toward others with humility, gentleness, patience and love. Help us to emulate our great Savior, so that your call may ring in our hearts and minds. By your Holy Spirit, empower our wills to choose your way over the ways of this world. Forgive us, we pray, because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on our behalf. In his name we pray, Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

Beloved, our God’s steadfast love is better than life! In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!

Passing the Peace

May the peace of the Lord be with you.
Response: And also with you

Affirmation of Faith | Apostles Creed

We 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 Spirit, 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 living and the dead. We believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

Children’s Blessing

With Leslie Petree.

Children’s Worship

If you would like to receive the Children’s Worship video email, please contact Beth Solie.

Proclamation of the Word | Pastor David Dunderdale

The sermon is provided above in video and audio format.

Ephesians 4:1-6
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Song of Response | “My Worth is Not in What I Own”

My worth is not in what I own, not in the strength of flesh and bone.
But in the costly wounds of love at the cross.

My worth is not in skill or name, in win or lose, in pride or shame.
But in the blood of Christ that flowed at the cross.

I rejoice in my Redeemer, greatest treasure, well-spring of my soul.
I will trust in Him, no other; my soul is satisfied in Him alone.

Two wonders here that I confess: My worth, and my unworthiness.
My value fixed, my ransom paid at the cross.

Words and Music by Keith & Kristyn Getty and Graham Kendrick. CCLI #43066

Presenting Our Gifts | Online Giving

You are invited to respond to God’s Word by giving to the mission God has called us to at Blacknall. Your financial giving includes support of Reality Ministries and campus minister Jennifer Hagin. Read their prayer requests here.

Prayers of Thanksgiving & Intercession

Submit a prayer request Here

(As you pray the following petitions, you are encouraged to pause and lift to the Lord particular concerns or people or events. Read prayer requests from Blacknall members and ministry partners here.)

Father, you sent your Son to be the Light of the world and to bring salvation to this world. You have invited us in your grace to offer you our prayers and intercessions.

Response: Lord, hear our prayer.

Today Lord we give you thanks for those saints who have gone before us in faith, from those first followers who entrusted their lives into your care when no one else understood, to those who have been faithful to us in transmitting the Christian faith through the testimony of their word and life. We name in particular ___________. And we pray that we might bear such faithful witness to those who would come after us. Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for those who are afflicted and suffering in our broken world, for those battling illness both physical, emotional, and spiritual, that you, O Lord, would bring rest, healing, peace, and salvation. Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for those who have yet to trust in you, Jesus Christ, for those in our families, our neighborhoods, and beyond. We pray as well for those who once believed, but who do so no longer, that faith would be rekindled in their hearts. Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for peace in our violent world, that evil and violence would be restrained, that peace and justice would prevail. We pray especially for the election this coming week, for a clear and uncontested result, and for the grace to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Lord, hear our prayer.

On this All Saints Day, and on the day when we especially remember those who are seeking Christ in places where such allegiance is persecuted, we pray for your Church, that she would be faithful to the gospel you have entrusted to us, and that we would be faithful witnesses to the Light of jesus Christ in our living and teaching. Lord, hear our prayer.

And now, O Lord, give us the grace to pray confidently the words our Savior has taught us, saying,

Our Father...

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors;
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen.

Benediction

Song | “He Who Watches Over You”

He who watches over you
Will never slumber nor sleep;
He who watches over you
Will never slumber nor sleep.
O My child, lay your burdens down,
Lay them at My feet.
He who watches over you
Will never slumber nor sleep.