PRELUDE Paul Flyger, guest organist
“Communion” Richard Purvis
“Organ Hymn” Raymond Haan
GREETINGS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS The Rev. Beth Neel
This is the day the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
AN ACT OF PRAISE
INTROIT
“O Lord, Our God, How Excellent” Fred R. Anderson
*WESTMINSTER CHIMES
*INVITATION TO WORSHIP Junha Kim
In the morning, as the clouds gather and break,
We open our eyes and stretch our arms to a new day.
As we gather, and the papers rustle and the pews creak, and old friends whisper together,
We become the beloved community again.
In our hearts, in our words and songs and silence and prayers,
We open ourselves to wonder, and gratitude, and praise.
Let us worship God.
*HYMN #667
“When Morning Gilds the Skies” LAUDES DOMINI
When morning gilds the skies,
My heart awaking cries:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Alike at work and prayer
To Jesus I repair:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Does sadness fill my mind?
A solace here I find:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Or fades my earthly bliss?
My comfort still is this:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Let earth’s wide circle round
In joyful notes resound:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Let air and sea and sky
From depth to height reply:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Be this, while life is mine,
My canticle divine:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Be this the eternal song
Through all the ages long:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
*INVITATION TO CONFESSION The Rev. Gregg Neel
It is in our confession where we realize our desire for God and our hope for God’s mercy. It is in admitting the truth of our lives that we take the first step toward wholeness and healing. So let us make our confession, first in silent prayer.
*SILENT PRAYER
*RESPONSIVE PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Holy God, in our beginnings and endings we take stock, of what we have done and what we have left undone. Hear then our prayer.
For work begun not completed,
Lord, have mercy.
For expectations not met,
Lord, have mercy.
For wounds not healed,
Lord, have mercy.
For gifts not shared,
Lord, have mercy.
For promises not kept,
Lord, have mercy. Amen.
*ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS
Friends in Christ, know this: the mercy of God is from everlasting to everlasting, and I remind you of this surpassing grace – in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.
Alleluia! Amen.
*THE PASSING OF THE PEACE
The peace of Christ be with you all.
And also with you.
AN ACT OF PROCLAMATION
THE SCRIPTURE READING The Pastors, Junha Kim, and the congregation
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.
Do not worry about anything,
but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, beloved,
whatever is true,
whatever is honorable,
whatever is just,
whatever is pure,
whatever is pleasing,
whatever is commendable,
if there is any excellence
and if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things.
Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me,
and the God of peace will be with you.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
MOMENTS WITH CHILDREN Junha Kim
ANTHEM Christina Mata, soloist
“We Are Not Alone” Pepper Choplin
We are not alone. We are not alone, God is with us.
We are never alone, for God is with us.
Now, through all our days, always,
For ever and ever, we are never alone.
And God will make us strong. For God is with us.
We, we will press on, for God is with us.
Now, through all our days, always.
For ever and ever, we are never alone.
Our God is with us now.
SERMON The Rev. Beth Neel
“Keep On”
A MOMENT FOR SILENT REFLECTION
AN ACT OF RESPONSE
*HYMN #702
“Christ Be Beside Me” BUNESSAN
Christ be beside me; Christ be before me;
Christ be behind me, King of my heart.
Christ be within me; Christ be below me;
Christ be above me, never to part.
Christ on my right hand, Christ on my left hand,
Christ all around me, shield in the strife.
Christ in my sleeping, Christ in my sitting,
Christ in my rising, Light of my life.
Christ be in all hearts thinking about me;
Christ be on all tongues telling of me.
Christ be in the vision in eyes that see me;
In ears that hear me Christ ever be.
SHARING JOYS & CONCERNS The Rev. Lindsey Hubbard-Groves
(At the conclusion of spoken joys, let us pray together, “Thanks be to you, O God.”
For concerns, let us make them our own by praying, “Lord, hear our prayer.”)
PASTORAL PRAYER AND 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.
OFFERING OURSELVES AND OUR GIFTS
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OFFERTORY ANTHEM
“The Road Home” Tune: “Prospect” from Southern Harmony 1835; adapted by Stephen Paulus
Tell me where is the road I can call my own,
That I left, that I lost, so long ago?
All these years I have wandered, Oh when will I know
There’s a way, there’s a road that will lead me home?
After wind, after rain, when the dark is done,
As I wake from a dream in the gold of day,
Through the air there’s a calling from far away,
There’s a voice I can hear that will lead me home.
Rise up, follow me, come away is the call,
With love in your heart as the only song:
There is no such beauty as where you belong.
Rise up, follow me, I will lead you home.
*DOXOLOGY – Hymn #606
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.
-OR-
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God above, ye heavenly host;
Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
DISSOLUTION OF THE PASTORAL CALL
Introduction Clerk of Session Jan Poujade
Words of Thanks The Rev. Beth Neel
Prayer The Rev. Brian Craker, Transitional Executive Presbyter
Litany of Dissolution
Rev. Craker: Do you the members and friends of Westminster release the Reverend Beth Neel from service as your pastor?
Congregation: We do, with thanks to God.
Rev. Craker: Beth, do you recognize and accept the completion of your ministry
with this congregation?
Beth: I do, with thanks to God.
Prayer
FAREWELL TO THE REVEREND BETH NEEL
Marcia Jory, Debbie Glaze, Lewis Sprunger
*HYMN #540
“Farewell, Good Friends!” SHALOM, CHAVERIM
(We will sing the hymn in English, then Hebrew, then English.)
Farewell, good friends! Farewell, good friends!
Shalom, shalom!
Till we meet again, till we meet again,
Shalom, shalom.
Shalom, chaverim! Shalom, chaverot!
Shalom, shalom!
Lehitraot, lehitraot,
Shalom, shalom.
Farewell, good friends! Farewell, good friends!
Shalom, shalom!
Till we meet again, till we meet again,
Shalom, shalom.
*BENEDICTION The Rev. Beth Neel
*BENEDICTION RESPONSE
“Kia Hora” Christopher Tin
May peace be widespread,
May the sea glisten like greenstone,
And may the shimmer of light guide you.
May peace be widespread,
Now and forever more.
Peace!
*POSTLUDE
“Toccata in G” Theodore Dubois