October 11, 2026
CHIMING OF THE HOUR
WELCOME
PRAYER
Eternal God, we pray that we will make stewardship a way of Life. We acknowledge you as the source of all we have and all we are. Help us to place you, our loving Creator, first in our lives by becoming more prayerful, more focused on loving and caring for our families and our neighbors in need, and by becoming less preoccupied with material things. Help us to hear your call to be good stewards, caretakers, and managers of all your gifts by sharing them for your purposes. Help us make your priorities our priorities and to put our faith into action. Help us plan to “give back” the talents, treasures and time with which we have been blessed. Help us plan to serve our church, our community, and our world with your gifts. May we serve you and pray with a joyful spirit of mind and heart. Amen.
PRELUDE
CALL TO WORSHIP
We gather for worship today to celebrate our gifts.
We are celebrating the gifts we give to this church, the pledges we are making for the upcoming year.
We gather for worship today to celebrate our community.
We are celebrating the love and support that we give to one another; the constant quest that we are on to be united by God’s grace.
We gather for worship today to celebrate our future.
We are celebrating a future full of outreach, a future full of service, a future full of worship and a future full of growth. We are celebrating a future with hope.
We gather for worship today to celebrate our visions.
We are celebrating the visions of those who have come before us, the visions that brought us to where we are today and the visions that we see today for the future.
Let us gather in celebration!
Let us worship God!
*HYMN No. 708 “We Give Thee but Thine Own”
1 We give thee but thine own,
whate’er the gift may be;
all that we have is thine alone,
a trust, O Lord, from thee.
2 May we thy bounties thus
as stewards true receive,
and gladly, as thou blessest us,
to thee our firstfruits give.
3 The captive to release,
to God the lost to bring,
to teach the way of life and peace:
it is a Christ-like thing.
4 And we believe thy word,
though dim our faith may be;
whate’er we do for thine, O Lord,
we do it unto thee.
*CALL TO CONFESSION
When we offer God our confession, we join the beautiful work of reconciliation, which begins with our reconciling with God. Trusting in our Partner in grace, let us make our confession,
*PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Gracious God, thank you for giving human beings authority over your world. It is truly an honor to receive this from you.
Forgive us, Lord, for all the ways we have been poor stewards of the world you’ve entrusted to us. Give us wisdom to know how best to use the authority you have given us. Show us how to use and care for the earth in ways that honor your intentions.
Thank you, Lord, for those who are leading the charge in this area. Thank you especially for wise believers who are helping your church find our rightful role in the matter of caring for the earth and using it well. Thank you for many younger believers who are being trained and educated to lead this charge in the future.
This day, may I care well for the piece of the world you have entrusted to me, using it rightly for your purposes and glory. Amen.
Silence is observed
*ASSURANCE OF PARDON
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.
*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
God has received us, pardoned us and loved us; let us forgive each other in love and share the peace of Christ.
Peace 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
Almighty God open our ears so we may hear your word. Open our hearts so we may understand your word. Open our hands and give us strength to respond to your word. Amen.
SCRIPTURE Acts 2:42-47
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
43 Awe came upon everyone because many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45 they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds[a] to all, as any had need. 46 Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home[b] and ate their food with glad and generous[c] hearts,47 praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
Pause…
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!!
SERMON “Ongoing Ministry”
I want to talk to you this morning about an act of worship that has fallen on hard times of late…times so hard you might not even consider it as worship. I’m referring, of course, to the OFFERING. In the early church, the offering consisted of the people’s gifts of bread and wine for the holy meal. And according to Justin Martyr, after the service, the leftovers were taken to “the orphans and the widows, to those who are needy because of sickness or other cause, and the captives, and the strangers who sojourn among us.” Now that’s not how I grew up thinking about the offering. No, at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Alexandria, VA, the offering was collected by several somber-looking men in dark suits passing plates down every other pew as the organ played softly in the background. You can imagine my shock when I visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo and watched the entire congregation dance their offering to the offering plates at the front of the sanctuary. Dance for the regular offering. Dance for the youth offering. Dance for the building offering. Dance for the deacons offering. The collection must have taken over 30 minutes
Now, I have to confess that sometimes the offering feels to me like the low-energy part of the service – no offence to the musicians who play or the choir that sings – but it sometimes feels like: “OK, we’ve sung a couple of hymns… the choir has offered a beautiful song… we’ve heard a mediocre sermon and been led in prayer… and now it’s time to pay the light bill.” And the truth is the offering feels sort of antiquated in a world of online banking and Venmo and some churches that even have ATM kiosks (MAC machines) in their lobby. So, sometimes I wonder: isn’t there a more efficient way for the church to collect its due? And might there be a better use of those precious worship minutes than passing plates that collect fewer and fewer bills and envelopes each week? Well, having now publicly confessed all my liturgical heresy, I want to say a word in favor of the offering as an important and even necessary act of worship. And here’s why.
The persistent danger, against which we Christians must be eternally vigilant, is the tendency to divorce Sunday worship from the other six days of the week. It is the danger that all our hymns, our anthems, our organ preludes and postludes, our eloquent preaching, our beautiful church buildings… it is the danger that all of those wonderful things might conspire to turn worship into an event that has nothing to do with everyday life. Or looked at another way, unless there is some link between our worship of God and our child’s spilt cereal at breakfast and the incredibly stressful day, we have tomorrow and the test we have scheduled at the hospital next week… then our worship is not only irrelevant to human need, but unfaithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ. And the offering – obligatory and antiquated as it may seem – makes the connection between our Sunday worship and our daily lives.
You see, we must never think that Sunday worship is mostly a “spiritual” affair. Christianity is an incarnational faith – meaning it is “in the body.” There may be religions in which it’s all about what you do in a particular holy place… there may be religions where things like politics and physical health and sex and money are not important. But Christianity is not one of those religions… and Jesus is not some ethereal being. He is a visible, tangible sign that God truly loved us by coming “in the body” – by becoming “incarnate” in the person of a Jewish carpenter’s son from Nazareth. He is the Lord who comes… NOT to take us out of this world… but to give us a way to live fully and abundantly IN this world. And every time we give an offering… I dare say every November when we make a commitment of our time, talent and treasures to the church… we give tangible, visible expression to the everyday-ness and materiality of our faith.
We lift up ordinary things like water and bread and wine… and yes, estimate of giving cards and money…and we say that because of Jesus, these ordinary things take on new significance for us. You all know how in his ministry, Jesus was always taking everyday stuff – like seeds and birds and flowers and coins and even children – Jesus was always lifting them up and setting them in the context of God’s kingdom and thereby giving them redemptive significance. So that after meeting Jesus… after listening to his stories and hearing his teaching… you and I can’t walk by homeless person, we can’t lift up a loaf of bread, pick a flower, or gaze into the eyes of a quite the same way as we did before meeting him… because ours is an incarnational faith. So, tell me – how many times have you felt like your ministers were urging you to “get out there and do something,” but never gave you anything specific to do. Well, now… in the offering… and now, on pledge commitment Sunday… I’m offering you something specific to do.
This is certainly not the ONLY thing you can do… but the offering is a test of our worship – the commitment of gifts is also a test of our worship… a test of what we are about. So, is this a time to sing a few hymns, think a few lofty thoughts, and go home to a big meal? Or is this a time to put our money where our mouth is? Remember how Jesus said that our hearts are usually wherever our money is. So, we should never apologize or be embarrassed by this act of worship we call the offering… because it is the link – it is the connection between the spiritual and the material parts of our lives. I wonder if you heard this connection in our lesson today? The Book of Acts says that after Easter and at the end of Pentecost, the church gathered on a weekly basis. They would devote themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship with each other… they would break bread and pray together. Well, that’s US on Sundays, right? That’s US doing worship like the first apostles. Yet, the scripture continues, “All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.”
THAT’S the link between their worship in church and their lives in the world… that’s the connection between our worship in this building and our worship in daily life… that’s the bridge between Sunday and Monday. You want to know the test of our worship? It’s only partly about how well we sing the songs and pray the prayers and listen to the word. The real test of our worship That singing and praying and listening is able to produce “glad and generous hearts” so that we are together…and together we are concerned with those in need. The real test is how well we connect what we do today with how we live tomorrow… so let it be with glad and generous hearts that we offer ourselves and our gifts to God… every day! How we share the gift of time, talent and treasures for the on-going ministry of Jesus Christ!!!!
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH The Confession of 1967 – Jesus Christ
In Jesus of Nazareth, true humanity was realized once for all. Jesus, a Palestinian Jew, lived among his own people and shared their needs, temptations, joys, and sorrows. He expressed the love of God in word and deed and became a brother to all kinds of sinful men and women. But his complete obedience led him into conflict with his people. His life and teaching judged their goodness, religious aspirations, and national hopes. Many rejected him and demanded his death. In giving himself freely for them, he took upon himself the judgment under which everyone stands convicted. God raised him from the dead, vindicating him as Messiah and Lord. The victim of sin became victor, and won the victory over sin and death for all. Amen.
*HYMN No. 712 “As Those of Old Their Firstfruits Brought”
1 As those of old their firstfruits brought
of vineyard, flock, and field
to God, the giver of all good,
the source of bounteous yield,
so we today our firstfruits bring,
the wealth of this good land:
of farm and market, shop and home,
of mind and heart and hand.
2 A world in need now summons us
to labor, love, and give,
to make our life an offering
that all may truly live.
The church of Christ is calling us
to make the dream come true:
a world redeemed by Christ-like love,
all life in Christ made new.
3 In gratitude and humble trust
we bring our best today,
to serve your cause and share your love
with all along life’s way.
O God who gave yourself to us
in Jesus Christ your Son,
help us to give ourselves each day
until life’s work is done.
COMMITMENT TO THE MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST
Charge to All Stewards
PASTOR: Today is a day of celebration in the life of The Presbyterian Church at Woodbury because today we remember that each and every one of us — young and old — is called by God to be stewards of justice, stewards of creation, stewards of peace, stewards of this family of faith. Stewards give from all aspects of their lives. As we accept this call to be stewards, we each become a living example of Christ’s gospel, proclaiming faith through all that we do and all that we give. As it is written in I Peter, “Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.” (I Peter 4:10)
And so, people of God, I ask you now, do you promise to enter into this covenant together to be God’s stewards with all your mind and heart?
If so, please answer, “I do.”
Litany of Commitment
PASTOR: Gracious God, you have made a world for us and given us incomparable gifts: air and water, family and friends, your steadfast love and forgiveness, and your son Jesus the Christ. For all the gifts and wonders you have bestowed on us.
PEOPLE: We thank you and worship you with renewed gratitude.
PASTOR: O God, you created us to love one another as Christ has loved us. We are concerned about all your children, those who live near us, and those who live far away. We are eager to participate in the work of the whole church and to further the ministry and service of this congregation.
PEOPLE: We are called to be your stewards. We thoughtfully shoulder our personal share of responsibility, and we pledge to witness to the good news of Christ with our hearts and hands and voices.
PASTOR: We are confident in your love and care for us.
PEOPLE: We gladly give back to our Gracious God our whole lives, our time, our talents, and our financial resources.
Completion of The Estimate of Giving Cards
The Commission
O God, throughout the ages you have challenged your people to step out in faith and follow you. You have put purpose and direction in the lives of your people. We have before us a new direction and a new purpose. We have set our feet on the pathway. Be our guide. Whisper in our ears when we need to make decisions. Hold us up if we start to stumble. May your Holy Spirit lead us in joyful song and fill us with eager anticipation. You are our vision, O God; lead us on our journey. This we pray as Christ taught us, saying…
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.
MINUTE FOR STEWARDSHIP Elder Nancy Webster
PASSING OF FELLOWSHIP PADS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
TITHES & OFFERINGS
All that we have belongs to God. We are called to be good stewards. May we give back to God what has been given to us; not only financial resources but also our time and talents. God uses our offerings to make this a better world in which to live. Let us commit ourselves, giving ourselves to 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
We dedicate our gifts to you, O God
Help us to use them to glorify you; to be vessels of your work in this world.
We dedicate our pledges to you, O God.
Guide our leaders as they prepare us financially for the upcoming year.
Use us, O God, to do your work in this world.
Encourage us to see that we are all ministers called into the Body of Christ. Use us in our service.
We pray over these gifts, blessing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
*HYMN No. 716 “God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending”
1 God, whose giving knows no ending,
from your rich and endless store,
nature’s wonder, Jesus’ wisdom,
costly cross, grave’s shattered door:
gifted by you, we turn to you,
offering up ourselves in praise;
thankful song shall rise forever,
gracious donor of our days.
2 Skills and time are ours for pressing
toward the goals of Christ, your Son:
all at peace in health and freedom,
races joined, the church made one.
Now direct our daily labor,
lest we strive for self alone.
Born with talents, make us servants
fit to answer at your throne.
3 Treasure, too, you have entrusted,
gain through powers your grace conferred:
ours to use for home and kindred,
and to spread the gospel word.
Open wide our hands in sharing,
as we heed Christ’s ageless call,
healing, teaching, and reclaiming,
serving you by loving all.
*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