September 20, 2026
CHIMING OF THE HOUR
WELCOME
PRAYER
Almighty God,
you are indeed the Alpha and the Omega,
the beginning and the end.
We give thanks
that you have revealed yourself in Jesus Christ,
whom we have come to know only by your grace.
Christ prayed for the world to know
your loving care through his disciples.
Inspire us to serve as one among them.
Make our lives examples
of your steadfast love for your people. Amen.
PRELUDE
CALL TO WORSHIP
The Lord is sovereign; let the earth rejoice!
Righteousness and justice
are the foundation of God’s throne.
The mountains melt like wax before the Lord.
The heavens proclaim God’s righteousness,
and all peoples behold God’s glory.
For the Lord is most high over all the earth;
God is exalted above all gods.
Let us worship God!
*HYMN No. 702 “Christ Be Beside Me”
1 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.
2 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.
3 Christ be in all hearts
thinking about me;
Christ be on all tongues
telling of me.
Christ be the vision
in eyes that see me;
in ears that hear me
Christ ever be.
*CALL TO CONFESSION
Having defeated sin and conquered death,
the risen Christ beckons to us,
welcoming our confession and promising new life.
Trusting in the promise of the gospel,
let us confess our sin.
*PRAYER OF CONFESSION
I am more and more convinced
every day
that the world is spinning faster;
do you feel it?
There are a million and one
things that pull on my attention,
that distract and discourage;
so in the fast moving blur of it all
my mother tells me to take a deep breath.
My father tells me to remember who I am.
My gut tells me there is something more here,
and they are right. They are all right.
So on Sundays, I reorient myself.
I pull prayers from my pockets and give them to God,
because fear cannot stand when it’s standing in the light.
I pull money from my pockets and give it to God
because cynicism cannot grow when it is met with hopeful action.
I pull doubt from my pockets and give it to God
because doubt met with love cannot stay where it started.
And bit by bit, I move to holy ground.
The world is spinning slower now.
This ritual of giving reorients me,
in an off-kilter world, it helps me see.
I give and am returned to the center of me,
to the center of God, to a place that is free.
Thanks be to God for the reorienting.
Thanks be to God, again, on repeat.
Silence is observed
*ASSURANCE OF PARDON
Neither sin nor doubt nor death,
nor anything else in all creation can separate us
from the love of God in Jesus Christ.
This is good news!
In Jesus Christ we are forgiven!
*RESPONSE NO. 4, v. 4
“Holy God, We Praise Your Name”
Holy Father, Holy Son,
Holy Spirit: three we name you,
while in essence only one;
undivided God we claim you,
and adoring, bend the knee
while we own the mystery.*
*PASSING OF THE PEACE OF CHRIST
Jesus says: ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
If you love me, rejoice because I am going to the Father.’ Alleluia.
The peace of the Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Worshippers are invited to briefly “pass the peace” of Christ to those directly seated around them thus keeping our worship time “decent and in order” with a focus upon being part of God’s community.
MUSIC
THE CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
UNISON PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION
Gracious God, Living Word,
as you revealed yourself to Mary
that Easter morning,
so reveal yourself to us.
By the power of your Spirit,
give each of us faith,
that hearing your Word
we, too, may proclaim,
“I have seen the Lord!” Amen.
UNISON SCRIPTURE Acts 16:16-34
16 One day as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a female slave who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. 17 While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 18 She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.
19 But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. 20 When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, “These men, these Jews, are disturbing our city 21 and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us, being Romans, to adopt or observe.” 22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. 23 After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. 24 Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was an earthquake so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them outside and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 They spoke the word of the Lord[c] to him and to all who were in his house. 33 At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. 34 He brought them up into the house and set food before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God.
Pause…
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!!
SERMON “Paul & Silas in Prison”
The Shawshank Redemption is one of those movies that I will watch, if I flip on it as I am changing channels. Andy, the main character in the movie, suffers sexual assault, beatings, and brutality in prison. Shawshank does not sugar-coat the harsh possibilities of prison life. But then during the course of the movie the prison warden discovers that Andy has considerable accounting ability. And in light of his skill, the warden takes Andy into his personal service. Always nice to have a tax advisor and financial expert at your disposal. So, the warden takes Andy into his service and along with it provides him with a cushy job in the prison library.
As part of his work Andy receives and processes donations that come into the library from the outside. Mostly books. One day along with the books, someone sends a recording of Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro. Wonderful music. Despite the prospect of certain retaliation, Andy finds that he cannot keep this treasure to himself. So, at a strategic moment, Andy barricades himself in the prison broadcast room. He turns on the intercom system that the warden regularly uses to frighten and browbeat the prisoners. And as Andy cranks up the volume, the hauntingly beautiful Duetino, Sull’Aria fills the prison air. A stunning, soprano voice. Everyone stops. Stunned. A hush falls over the entire prison. For a moment beauty unimaginable washes over and transforms the dull grey realities of prison life.
But the warden as you might remember is not amused. For a few moments he stands outside the broadcast room ordering Andy to open the door. Stop. But Andy, deaf to his commands, refuses. So, the warden orders a team of guards to batter down the door, and carry Andy off to solitary confinement. The music ends and the prison once again descends into its dull grey squalor.
Now our Bible reading for this morning has its major movement in the dull grey squalor of the prison in the ancient city of Caesarea Philippi. Darkness has fallen and Paul and Silas sit together in solitary confinement, legs in stocks. Scant hours before, the two missionaries had been on their way to a prayer meeting. As they walk along, a demonically crazy young woman who’d been stalking them for days shows up again. Paul finally turns around, and addresses the demonic, fortune telling spirit within her. And at Paul’s word, the resurrection power of Jesus routs the demon. In the process though, what Paul does also eliminates her ability to predict the future, which infuriated her owners. They drag Paul and Silas before city the magistrates, and accuse them of inciting anti-government unrest. And the magistrates order Paul and Silas stripped and beaten, and thrown into prison. There, that ought to teach those traveling Christians to poke their noses into situations where they didn’t belong.
So, there they sit. Unjustly accused, beaten bloody, and legs in stocks. Here they’d been preaching how Jesus was Lord of the world, Savior of the cosmos, every square inch belongs to Him….. and now it had come to this. Sitting in the inky darkness of this damp prison.
And, of all things, Paul suggests that they try to sing. Sing? Well, okay says Silas unenthusiastically, you start. So, Paul launches into a rendition of Psalm 9 (probably from the old blue hymnal, it was a long time ago): Wholehearted thanksgiving to thee I will bring, in praise of thy marvelous deed I will sing…” You can hear Paul’s unremarkable bass belting out the words. And then Silas joining in with his uncertain tenor. ..For joy I will shout and exultingly cry, they name I will praise O Jehovah Most High.” Two middle aged Hebrew men feeling their way through a duet in a darkened prison far from home in a hostile world. You must wonder. Jesus is Lord of the whole world; every square inch belongs to him….really.
Now you might wonder along similar lines when you think about our own singing together week to week in an often-dull grey world. We too proclaim Jesus as Lord of the entire universe, Savior of the world, He is Lord of everything in heaven above and the earth below, we say. And yet we too, often find ourselves like Paul and Silas singing from prison. Singing as we listen to new stories of renewed violence in Israel, fighting about health care, and thousands of child refugees at our southern border. Singing in a country with cities where young men murder each other in the course of gang rivalry and violence.
Struggling to sing in a world of broken families and all too rampant addiction. Struggling to sing in a country where we can’t seem to find a way to bring the homeless home. In a world with too few jobs and not enough human kindness. And way too much incarceration. Jesus is Lord, but the world seems so big and broken and corrupt. So untransformed by Jesus’ power after all these years, whole square miles of it. And it’s possible for the church to feel like its forever imprisoned at times in a world like ours.
I certainly don’t mean to compare the music here to that of a couple of middle-aged men singing in prison. The music today seems in many ways way above average, but it still really can’t compete with what is out there in the world. Power and glory are most obvious in the world and not in the church. Political fundraisers at the Hyatt Regency or the members-only Country Club social gatherings seem so much more significant than Bible studies in prison or social gatherings with fellow believers. Look at these little bread and grape juice receptions we have here from time to time. Not much to them. Singing in the dark. When you look at the church, especially the church behind bars, in contrast to the larger world, you can feel imprisoned by a feeling of hopelessness or insignificance.
As they sit there in that dark prison, the apparent insignificance of Paul and Silas stands in sharp contrast to the power of the city magistrates. Yes, they are singing, but the Psalms they sing hardly seem to penetrate the darkness. As Paul still takes the lead they launch into the final stanza of Psalm 9, “Arise, Lord, let sinners not think themselves strong, let people be judged in your presence for wrong, strike terror within them, O Lord make them see, that nations though pompous, must still bend the knee.” Still dark. But then as the last few words of their song died away, you might not quite believe what happens. An earthquake shakes the prison so hard it breaks chains from the walls and loosens all the doors. Whew
The earthquake also jars the jailer from his sleep. He rubs his eyes. Through his middle of the night haze, he sees the prison door standing open wide. Fearing dereliction of duty charges, he decides to kill himself. But Paul calls him off. “Don’t do it, we are all here.” Eyes wide now, perspiration dotting his forehead, the jailer calls for lights. He brings Paul and Silas out, and drops to his knees. “Sirs, what must I do, he says, to be saved?” Saved by, saved from this earth-shaking God.
And so the TRANSFORMATION begins….
So Paul tells him. “Believe on the Lord, Jesus Christ and you will be saved, you and your whole household.” And Paul explains who Jesus is and what following in Jesus mean. And the jailer commits himself to following right then and there. And after the Jailer’s servants clean up Paul and Silas’ and dress their wounds, the jailer and his whole household are baptized. Brought into the family of God
And so the TRANSFORMATION continues….
And after that the jailer welcomes Paul and Silas into his house, and he breaks out a midnight feast. Oil lamps blazing. And as they eat, the Holy Spirit gives them to feel the presence of the risen Jesus deep within and among them. An almost giddy joy at now belonging to the one true God overtakes them. To know that God had made a home for them in what often seems like such a cold, dark world.
And so the TRANSFORMATION continues….
As we gather here that same Holy Spirit envelops us with joy in the presence of Jesus. Warm handshakes. Smiles. Ministry together. Do you sense it? And even though these little tokens of word and Spirit may seem like inadequate fair, don’t be fooled. Like those little pieces of bread and sips of juice we eat and drink from time to time, these tokens point to a future reality. Little samples of the future.
An ongoing TRANSFORMATION…
You see, whatever is good about Church, the potlucks, the music, gathering like family with friends, meals together, service projects, unusual acts of generosity, enjoyment of food and drink; lingering embraces in the face of grief, praying together all of these sorts of things point to God’s future. They’re samples, foretastes. All of those fleeting moments of joy and glory points to the day that is coming like an earthquake. To the day when God will make everything that is wrong with the lives of his children and this world right again. And then as Julian of Norwich put it, all will be well and all manner of things will be well.
That TRANSFORMATION began with two believers in prison, an earthquake and sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. May we be TRANSFORMED and proclaim the Lordship of Jesus Christ, so that ALL may be TRANSFORMED!
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH The Apostles’ Creed – Ecumenical Version
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I 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.
*HYMN No. 703 “Jesus, Thy Boundless Love to Me”
1 Jesus, thy boundless love to me
no thought can reach, no tongue declare;
O knit my thankful heart to thee,
and reign without a rival there!
Thine wholly, thine alone, I’d live;
myself to thee entirely give.
2 O grant that nothing in my soul
may dwell, but thy pure love alone;
O may thy love possess me whole,
my joy, my treasure, and my crown!
All coldness from my heart remove;
may every act, word, thought be love.
3 O Love, how gracious is thy way!
All fear before thy presence flies;
care, anguish, sorrow melt away
where’er thy healing beams arise.
O Jesus, nothing may I see,
nothing desire, or seek, but thee.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE & THE LORD’S PRAYER
Creator, your love is beyond our knowledge and understanding. We are full of wonder at your boundless mercy. We put our faith in this love as we come to you today to express our communal prayers for the world, knowing that you hear us.
God of all peoples, we pray for the world. Please be at work in places that are full of violence and suffering. We pray, in particular, for the people of Israel and Palestine, Ukraine and Iran. Please show us a pathway to peace. Put the right people in the right places to make decisions not just for themselves but also for others.
We pray for those affected by natural disasters, including the flash flood and landslide in Nepal and Tibet. In rooms full of raw anger and grief, we ask that those who are hurting might feel your presence. Bless those who are working to rebuild. And help us as a human race to make the appropriate changes to stop such climate-based disasters from happening in the future. Forgive us for the destruction we have caused.
We pray for our own country, God. Help us to balance your desire for justice and equality with your call to love our neighbor. May our churches be spaces of welcome where we can have faithful conversations that push all of our understanding. Please be with our political leaders, [name local and national leaders in your area].
Almighty, you tell us time and again in your Word that you care for the poor, for the abused, for the cast out. We pray for those people now. We pray for those who are houseless. We pray for those who are struggling to make ends meet. We pray for new immigrants to this country seeking asylum. We pray for the lonely. We pray for the sick. We pray for grieving. If we are to play a role in providing these needs, Heavenly Parent, spark our hearts toward action.
Lastly, God, we lift up our specific community. We pray for [insert the prayer concerns for your congregation]. We know that you see us and hear us, and so it is in the name of Jesus Christ that we pray together, “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. Forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
STEWARDSHIP MOMENT David Platt
PASSING OF FELLOWSHIP PADS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
TITHES & OFFERINGS
As God gave us Christ,
the first fruits of creation,
let us humbly offer
the substance of our lives
in thanksgiving to our God.
OFFERTORY ANTHEM
*RESPONSE N0. 619, v. 4
“Praise, My Soul, the God of Heaven”
Angels, teach us adoration;
you behold God face to face.
Sun and moon and all creation,
dwellers all in time and space:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise with us the God of grace!
*PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Almighty God, we thank you for all the gifts You have given us: our lives, our loved ones, all that we have and all that we are. Most of all, we thank You for Jesus, your Son and our Redeemer, who came among us to show us the way to eternal life. Jesus was the perfect steward of your gifts, showing that complete trust in You is necessary, and that giving of self is a most important part of following Him. May the offerings of our time, our talents, and our material resources be made in the same spirit of sacrifice that Jesus taught us by His life and death for us. Amen.
*HYMN No. 839 “Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine!”
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.
Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.
Perfect communion, perfect delight,
visions of rapture now burst on my sight.
Angels descending bring from above
echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
Refrain
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.
Perfect submission, all is at rest.
I in my Savior am happy and bless’d,
watching and waiting, looking above,
filled with his goodness, lost in his love.
Refrain
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.
*BENEDICTION Professor Carson Brisson’s Closing Blessing
“Belov’ed, oh may joy and nothing less, the peace of God, find you on the way. Oh may she find you over, over, and over again.
Belov’ed, may you be blessed, oh may you be now the blessing you are being called into becoming forever.
And, belov’ed, may Light, Love’s own Crucified-Risen Light, guide you and me and countless others, out of every darkness, all the way home.”
*POSTLUDE