Bread and More Soup Kitchen continues to serve a free to-go meal every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 5:30-6:15.
Church services are held at 10:00 am usually followed by a coffee hour. Please join us. All are welcome.
Thrift Shop: The thrift shop is open Tuesday and Thursday 10-2 and
Saturday 9-1.
Sunday School: Please call our church office at 631-727-2621 if you would like your child to join. Sunday School is held during church services at 10:00.
Bible Study: Please join us from
10:00-11:00 am in the Fellowship Hall. All are welcome.
If you would like to join us on Zoom , please follow the link
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86897065711?
pwd=a0FZcDg5MnRqKz-JMQXRLVzIBTGZFQT09 to start or join a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Meeting ID: 850 1493 9172
Passcode: 7272621
Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost
Stewardship Sunday
A Service of the Word
November 9, 2025 ✦ 10am
OPENING WORDS:
We open our hearts to the presence of God and worship together.
PRELUDE: Verset for the Kyrie A. Boely
(Once the music begins we ask that you would please maintain respectful silence)
*CHORAL INTROIT:
We are here this day to share God's love;
We have come with burdens and cares,
For within this place, we are bound as one
In this fellowship, we share.
*CALL TO WORSHIP:
One: We call on God, who is as near as our next breath.
We gather to meet God, who has promised to bless us.
Many: God is great and greatly to be praised.
Through many generations, God has acted among us.
One: Meditate on the wondrous works of our Creator.
Marvel at the glorious splendor of God’s majesty.
Many: God is the savior of all who seek refuge.
God hears our cries and fulfills our deepest desires.
One: Remember God’s steadfast love and faithfulness.
Make a joyful noise and break forth in song.
ALL: Our mouths will speak the praise of God.
Let all flesh bless God’s holy name.
*HYMN: God Is Here! As We Your People Meet No. 70 (vv. 1-2, 4)
WELCOME & PRAYER OF INVOCATION:
Give ear to our prayers, gracious God, and attend to our cries. We call on you, knowing that you will answer and make your way known to us. We seek to follow the path you show us. We take courage, knowing that you are kind and just in all you do. When we need assurance, you gather us in the shadow of your wing. As we mature in faith, you give us wings to fly on our own. Meet each one of us in our particular need this hour. Amen.
PASSING OF THE PEACE
ANNOUNCEMENTS, CELEBRATIONS & CONCERNS
Hurricane Relief: Following devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, we have started a special fund to help with recovery efforts. The plan is to partner with relief agencies through the United Church of Christ.
Special Congregational Meeting: The Joint Boards are calling a special Congregational Meeting, for the sole purpose of approving the needed expenditures to repair the front of the church, to be held in the Fellowship Hall directly after our Worship Service on Sunday, November 16th. Please make an effort to come.
A TIME OF PRAYER:
❖ Pastoral Prayers
…God of the living and of the dead, whose love embraces countless generations who have looked to you in praise and supplication, lead us beyond divisive debate to eager exploration of your truth. May our lives bear witness to your love, that all flesh may come to bless your holy name forever and ever….
❖ Silent Prayer
❖ 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.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, the glory,
now and forever. Amen.
CHILDREN’S TIME
STEWARDSHIP MOMENT
OFFERING & OFFERTORY: God Breathe
Vicki Jucker Courtney
*DOXOLOGY AND BLESSING OF GIFTS:
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God above, you heavenly host:
Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost.
HEALING PRAYER AND LITANY OF HEALING:
Together we lift our prayers to you, O God of love and healing.
God, our Father and Mother in Heaven, you breathe life into your whole creation.
Help us breathe deeply of your peace and presence.
O God, fill us with your love and peace.
Help us move in concert with your life-giving motion.
Holy Spirit, you move through our lives in unexpected ways.
Help us surrender our fear, pain, and grief to you.
Holy Trinity, One God, accept our thanks and praise for all the blessings
of this life, especially for those blessings that our present circumstances
make difficult to see.
O Lord, hear our prayer.
Shed the light of your healing love on all who are sick in body, mind, or spirit, that they may find new wholeness illumined by your grace.
O Lord, hear our prayer.
Knit together in your love all whose relationships have frayed,
that they may find reconciliation and new beginnings.
O Lord, hear our prayer.
Bless all who work to improve the health of others, that they may bring
hope, care, wisdom, and skill to all they serve.
O Lord, hear our prayer.
Hold in the palm of your hand all who are near death and all who care
for them, that they may know the peace that passes all understanding.
O Lord, hear our prayer.
You are the Lord whose promises never cease.
You are the Lord whose presence never fails.
Gracious God, you are close to us no matter how far we feel from you.
Draw us into the very heart of your grace and help us to live into the truth that nothing in all creation can separate us from your love in
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
SCRIPUTRE LESSONS:
❖ Haggai 2:1-9 OT Page 831
❖ Psalm 98 Hymnal Page 686
❖ 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 NT Page 182
❖ Luke 20:27-38 NT Page 73
SERMON: “Take Courage”
It rather regularly happens that after contemplating the texts of the week, God brings a word or phrase to me. I’m never certain who needs to hear it, but more often than not, I’m told, “thank you” after a service, “I needed to hear that.” And it’s not uncommon when I think, “I needed to hear that too.”
If we had our druthers, none of us would ever need to hear “take courage.” The need for courage only arises in times of challenge, and challenge with an element of danger that prompts concern, if not fear.
As we come into Veterans Day, I’m aware of the courage that was needed for all who served: courage to enlist, courage to learn to listen and obey, courage to live in odd places and travel to lands of conflict. From the stories I’ve heard, I know that for them, “take courage” was something they needed to hear and take to heart more than once. And our thanks continue to go out to them for daring to serve.
Yet even for those of us who are not veterans, those of us who just followed a different call or career path, for those of us who purchased the first house, or started a family, we know that courage has been needed at several junctures in our lives.
“Take courage” is repeated three times in our first reading. It’s the word to the governor, to the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. These are the ones who have returned to a devastated Jerusalem after Cyrus the Great’s decree. They are all struggling to survive, and the temple sits in ruins. The word to them was to take courage to prioritize the temple for the people insisted that priority be given to building houses for themselves, that rebuilding the temple could wait. It was courage that was needed to put God first and to consider community over selves. The task of getting people to reprioritize, to consider giving to God first, was no easy feat. It remains the challenge for all of us as we observe afresh our Stewardship Sunday, as we strive to collect money for hurricane relief, as we step up our hunger-action program here. It takes some daring to give, to look beyond our wants or perceived needs and work for the good of the good of the community of faith and beyond.
Although the phrase “take courage” is not used in our second lesson, Paul clearly touches on the concept as he writes: “Do not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed.” Some of the Thessalonians had been led to believe that the end times had arrived, that “the day of the Lord was already here.” And with that thinking, came the notion of nothing but waiting on God was needed, with proclamation or working with God for the good of others. And so that lesson ends with a prayer, specifically that God will “strengthen them in every good work and word.” They needed to reconsider their good work in the way of Christ, and the word they offer for hope and salvation to others.
Another aspect of courage is touched up in our Gospel them. But there the courage is to speak truth to power. It was Jesus who was challenged, yet again, by the religious leaders of his day, in this case the Sadducees. They wanted to trap Jesus in speaking against the law. Jesus had to dare to share the word of the God of the living, our God of resurrection power, with them. And Jesus dared to do it in a nonconfrontational way, with just an informed and Biblical argument.
The word there is for those who need to have the conversation that builds bridges instead of walls. It’s to take courage for a difficult discussion that aims not for confrontation but for peace and understanding. It’s the word we pray our law makers will hear even as this government shut down continues. It’s the word for the broken families, especially as times of gathering nears.
Take courage. Take courage to examine well and make the changes in priorities that are needed. Take courage to adjust and do what God would have you do, not just for yourself alone but for the good of community. Take courage to embrace every good work and word that the Holy Spirit whispers to your heart. Take courage to be an ambassador of peace and one who works for reconciliation and better understanding. Take courage and be strengthened and blessed by God.
*HYMN: I’m Pressing on the Upward Way No. 442
https://youtu.be/F2emsPPCH4c
*PASTORIAL BENEDICTION
CHORAL BENEDICTION:
May the light of God shine on us today.
May the light of God shine on us today.
May it show us where to travel.
Lead us back if we should stray.
May the light of God shine on us today.
POSTLUDE: All Glory Be to God on High F.W. Zachau
Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost
Service of Word and Sacrament
November 2, 2025✦ 10am
We open our hearts to the presence of God and worship together.
PRELUDE: Prelude in F L. Couperin
*CHORAL INTROIT:
We are here this day to share God's love.
We have come with burdens and cares,
For within this place, we are bound as one
In this fellowship we share.
*CALL TO WORSHIP:
One: We cry out to God for the help we need.
How will we know we have been heard?
Many: God stands with us through life’s trials and temptations.
God sends visions of new possibilities.
One: Here we stand watch for God’s appearing.
Together we seek a presence and aspire after truth.
Many: Surely God is in this place and will give us understanding.
God is recalling us to the values we have neglected.
One: God’s righteousness is everlasting, and God’s law is truth.
Listen to all God would teach us; hear the Word of God.
ALL: We seek to grow in faith and in love for one another.
We would learn to do good and to work for justice.
HYMN: Come, O Fount of Every Blessing No. 459
https://youtu.be/ax_NMWLEb6U
WELCOME
PRAYER OF INVOCATION:
Gracious and loving God, we give you thanks for your support and your provision. All around us, we see trouble and wrongdoing. Our world is consumed by violence and destruction. Even in your church, O God, are strife and contention. The iniquity of this generation hangs heavy upon us. We cannot worship you apart from the turmoil that lies so close at hand. Listen to us, God of all people. Hear our longing for a new day in which your reign of love is established among us. Amen.
PASSING OF THE PEACE
ANNOUNCEMENTS, CELEBRATIONS & CONCERNS:
Food Drive: Especially in light of the suspension of governmental funding of programs that help the needy among us purchase groceries (i.e. SNAP) and with Thanksgiving day quickly approaching, we are making a special effort to collect food this month. Please make an effort to contribute.
Hurricane Relief: Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa this week, we have started a special fund to help with the recovery efforts. The plan is to partner with relief agencies through the United Church of Christ.
Special Congregational Meeting: The Joint Boards are calling a special Congregational Meeting, for the sole purpose of approving the needed expenditures to repair the front of the church, to be held in the Fellowship Hall directly after our Worship Service on Sunday, November 16th. It should be a very short meeting. Please make an effort to attend.
A TIME OF PRAYER:
❖ Pastoral Prayer
…Transforming God, Parent of our Savior Jesus Christ and Parent to each of us, we find ourselves up a tree, seeking to observe you from a distance, while you compel us to come close enough to welcome you into our homes, our work, and our play. Come into our hearts to reorder our priorities and save us from ourselves so we may be a blessing to those who need the love you will offer through us….
❖ Silent Prayer
❖ 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. Lead us not
into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, the glory, now and forever. Amen.
CHILDREN’S TIME
OFFERTORY: A Round of Thanks Donald Moore
*DOXOLOGY AND BLESSING OF GIFTS:
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God above, you heavenly host:
Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost.
SCRIPTURE LESSONS:
❖ Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4 OT Page 824
❖ Psalm 119:137-144 Hymnal Page 704
❖ 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12 NT Page 182
❖ Luke 19:1-10 NT Page 71
*GLORIA:
Glory to the Creator, the Christ, the Holy Spirit,
Three-in-one; as it was in the beginning
Is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen. Amen.
SERMON: “Positioned for Better Vision”
I don’t know about you, but for me, it’s been a very long time since I climbed a tree. Actually, I’m pretty certain the same is true for you. And yet here we have this rich, chief tax collector, who is as they say, “vertically challenged” pictured as climbing a tree. It’s pretty funny if you think of it.
Yet, feeling like we’re up a tree is another story. For those who haven’t heard it, the expression "up a tree" means being in a difficult, trapped, or embarrassing situation where there is no easy escape. It's the feeling of being stymied, like a small animal that has climbed a tree to escape a predator, only to find the predator waiting at the bottom. That’s something we can relate to considerably better.
Experience has taught me that when I’m feeling like that, it’s often a matter of repositioning so that I can get a better vision, which of course is the symbolic message behind the Zacchaeus account, and the message that ties in with the other accounts.
Today’s reading began with Habakkuk. We don’t often hear from that prophet. The book itself centers on a dialogue between the prophet Habakkuk and God during a time of widespread injustice and turmoil in Judah. Habakkuk begins by lamenting the violence, corruption, and suffering he witnesses, questioning why God appears to tolerate wrongdoing and delay justice. Perhaps you’ve been there, or even feel like you are there in today’s world. There God responds to the prophet by revealing that He will use the Babylonians as instruments of judgment. Yet this answer troubles Habakkuk further because the Babylonians become even more ruthless. Consequently, the prophet chooses to position himself at a watchpost and station myself on the rampart where he can watch and await God’s further reply. He moves from a place of insecurity and lament, to one of hopeful expectation, yet one where patience will be needed. In the end, God assures Habakkuk that justice will ultimately prevail, urging him to live by faith and trust in God's timing. The book concludes with a prayer of confidence, as Habakkuk expresses trust in God’s sovereignty and commits to rejoice in the Holy One, regardless of circumstances.
Both Habakkuk and Zacchaeus were seeking clarity amidst confusion—Zacchaeus from his social isolation, Habakkuk from the injustice surrounding him. And both, seemingly “up a tree” had to positioning themselves for better vision means waiting, watching, and trusting, even when the good and loving actions of the Holy One seemed delayed.
Positioning oneself for a better vision means that adjustments are needed. Imagine looking out your window on a foggy morning. The landscape is there—trees, sunlight, maybe the gentle movement of leaves—but your vision is blurred. No matter how hard you squint, the scene remains unclear until you get up, walk to the window, and wipe away the fog. Suddenly, everything sharpens; what was once hidden is now revealed. In our spiritual lives, the “fog” can be doubt, routine, or distraction. Like Zacchaeus, we sometimes need to change our position—perhaps seeking counsel from another or pausing to pray in the middle of our busy day. These small acts can clear our spiritual window, giving us a better perspective of what God is doing around us.
And like Zacchaeus, sometimes in life, we must do the uncomfortable or unusual—change our position, rise above distraction or routine—to gain a clearer vision of God’s presence and purpose for us.
What obstacles blur our vision today? Like Zacchaeus, do we struggle with doubt, fear, or past mistakes? Like Habakkuk, do we feel overwhelmed by injustice and unanswered questions? Let us be intentional to “climb,” to “stand on the ramparts,” to seek God in prayer, Scripture, and community. Sometimes, better vision requires bold action; sometimes, patient endurance.
When we position ourselves with faith and expectancy, God meets us—Jesus calls us by name, as with Zacchaeus, and God answers our deepest cries, as with Habakkuk. The prayer is that we be strengthened to live out God’s calling, transformed by the clarity and hope that only God provides. May we be willing to reposition our hearts so we might see Jesus and experience God’s life-changing presence that is always alive in hope.
OUR ORDER OF COMMUNION
The Invitation and Time of Confession:
❖ Call to Confession
❖ Silent Confession
❖ Unison Prayer of Confession:
All-knowing God, we confess our participation in the
hatred and evil that is consuming this planet. We gladly
accept for ourselves the power and advantages that come
our way. We seldom consider the cost to others of our
prosperity. We tolerate poverty, hunger, and homelessness
for people we do not know. We think our small efforts too
insignificant to make a difference. Wash away, O God, the
evil that paralyzes us, that we may become rescuers of the
oppressed and seekers after justice. Create in us a right
spirit that prompts us to live by faith and to dare great.
things for you. Amen.
❖ Words of Assurance
Thanksgiving:
Pastor: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Pastor: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them up to the Lord.
Pastor: Let us give thanks to God Most High.
People: It is right to give God thanks and praise.
Pastor: We give you thanks, God of majesty and mercy,
for calling forth the creation and raising us from dust
by the breath of your being.
We bless you for the beauty and bounty of the earth and for the vision of the day when sharing by all will mean scarcity for none.
We remember the covenant you made with your people Israel, and we give you thanks for all our ancestors in faith.
We rejoice that you call us to reconciliation with you and all people everywhere and that you remain faithful to your covenant even when we are faithless.
We rejoice that you call the entire human family to this table of sacrifice and victory.
We come in remembrance and celebration of the gift of Jesus Christ, whom you sent, in the fullness of time, to be the good news.
Born of Mary, our sister in faith, Christ lived among us to reveal the mystery of your Word, to suffer and die on the cross for us, to be raised from death on the third day, and then to live in glory.
We bless you, gracious God, for the presence of your Holy Spirit in the church you have gathered. With your sons and daughters of faith in all places and times, we praise you with joy as we say together:
All: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts,
Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory,
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Words of Institution and Communal Proclamation:
Pastor: We remember that on the night of betrayal and desertion,
and on the eve of death, Jesus gathered the disciples for a shared meal of preparation.
Jesus took bread, and after giving thanks to God, broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying: “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way, he took the cup after supper.
Again he gave God thanks and praise and said:
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as
often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
Therefore, we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
All: Christ’s death, O God we proclaim.
Christ’s resurrection we declare.
Christ’s coming, we await.
Glory be to you, O God.
Prayers of Consecration:
Pastor: Eternal God, we unite in this covenant of faith, recalling Christ’s suffering and death, rejoicing in Christ’s resurrection, and awaiting Christ’s return in victory. We spread your table with these gifts of the earth and of our labor. We present to you our very lives, committed to your service on behalf of all people. We ask you to send your Holy Spirit upon this bread and wine, upon our gifts, and upon us. Strengthen your universal church that it may be the champion of peace and justice in all the world. Restore the earth with your grace that is able to make all things new.
All: Be present with us as we share this meal,
and throughout all our lives, that we may know you as
the Holy One, who with Christ and the Holy Spirit,
lives forever. Amen.
Sharing the Bread and Cup:
Pastor: Alleluia! Christ our Passover is offered for us.
People: Therefore, let us keep the feast.
Pastor: The gifts of God for the people of God.
We celebrate the grace of God in our midst.
(Please wait until all have been served and we’ll ingest together)
unison Prayer of Thanksgiving:
We give you thanks, Almighty God, that you have refreshed us at your table through the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Continue to heal us, we pray, and strengthen our faith. Increase our love for one another, and send us forth into the world in courage and peace, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit; we ask these things in the Name of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
*HYMN: We Are People on a Journey No. 340
https://youtu.be/se2uHeJimHw
*PASTORAL BENEDICTION
CHORAL BENEDICTION:
May the light of God shine on us today.
May the light of God shine on us today.
May it show us where to travel,
Lead us back if we should stray,
May the light of God shine on us today.
POSTLUDE: Goldberg Variation 26 J.S. Bach
(please remain seated for the postlude)
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
A Service of the Word
October 26, 2025 ✦ 10am
OPENING WORDS:
We open our hearts to the presence of God and worship together.
PRELUDE: Ubi es o’ Domine Isabella Leonarda
(Once the music begins we ask that you would please maintain respectful silence)
*CHORAL INTROIT:
We are here this day to share God's love;
We have come with burdens and cares,
For within this place, we are bound as one
In this fellowship, we share.
*CALL TO WORSHIP:
One: This is God’s house, a holy temple.
We are in the midst of God’s dwelling place.
Many: My soul longs, yea, faints for the courts of God.
My heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.
One: Happy are those whom God has chosen to be here.
Blessed are all whom God has forgiven and named.
Many: Our voices rise in praise of God’s awesome deeds.
Mountains and seas bow down before the Creator.
One: God crowns the year with a bountiful harvest.
Flocks and grain fill the meadows.
ALL: God’s presence is felt to the ends of the earth.
All creation is God’s dwelling place, God’s home.
HYMN: Wake, O My Soul
WELCOME
PRAYER OF INVOCATION:
….To you, O God, shall our vows be performed. To you we sing our praises and utter our prayers. Come among us to renew your covenant and offer your signs. Pour out your Spirit on your people gathered here, that we may dream and prophesy and follow the vision you set before us. Amen.
PASSING OF THE PEACE
ANNOUNCEMENTS, CELEBRATIONS & CONCERNS
Fall Association Meeting: The Suffolk County Association is scheduled to hold its fall meeting at Orient Congregational Church, 23045 Main Road in Orient (on the north side) on Saturday, November 1st beginning at 9:00 am. Lunch will be served at 11:45 a.m.
Clocks Change: Be sure to turn your clocks back an hour when you hit the sack this Saturday. Daylight Savings Time ends November 2nd.
Litter Clean Up Day: The Riverhead Town Anti-Litter Committee is looking for volunteers to keep Riverhead clean on Saturday, Nov 1st from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Gloves, Bags & Pickers will be available or you can bring your own. Two Community Service Credits will be available upon request. To sign up register yourself or a team by E-mailing Joanne Rizzo, Anti-Litter Chairperson, with your name and contact information at Jrizzohcs@optonline.net. Thank you.
A TIME OF PRAYER:
❖ Pastoral Prayer:
…Merciful God, You who understands our motives and knows our every thought, we seek in these moments to be attuned to your Word and will, that we may be humbly receptive to the proclamation you would have us share with the world. Grant us strength to persevere in our witness, so others may catch a vision of the joy you offer to all who serve you…
❖ Silent Prayer
❖ 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.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, the glory,
now and forever. Amen.
OFFERING & OFFERTORY: How Beautiful Twila Paris
DOXOLOGY AND BLESSING OF GIFTS:
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God above, you heavenly host:
Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost.
SCRIPTURE LESSONS:
❖ Joel 2:23-32 OT Page 801
❖ Psalm 65 Hymnal Page 661
❖ 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 NT Page 186
❖ Luke 18:9-14 NT Page 70
SERMON: “Well-Poised for Goodness to Come”
Again this week, I had occasion to hear the expression, “old age ain’t for wimps.” Those within earshot offered the appreciative chuckle or nodded in agreement. Most of us know well how it goes, especially as so many of our conversations either center on or touch on what doctor, or doctors, we have lined up to see. And if it’s not about us, it’s about our aging partners. Even the once easy tasks or chores we would do alone become more of a challenge, and help is more often needed.
When morning rises become difficult, driving after dark a concern, and opening jars become an exercise in frustration, any regularly positive attitude can seem fleeting. And God knows, it’s not just old age that can get us down, but any of life’s many trials that rattle us and attack our faith with darker thoughts about more problems to come.
The call and the challenge for us is to genuinely more ahead with a positive spirit of expectancy—believing that, despite whatever struggle or uncertainty we have faced, we are well-poised for goodness to come. The readings today—Joel’s message to a recovering people, Paul’s reflection from the brink of his life’s journey, and Jesus’ parable of two prayers—invite us to anchor ourselves in hope and humility as we await the unfolding grace of God.
Joel speaks to a community battered by locusts and drought, yet his words ring with promise: “Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God.” He tells them to look for the rain, the restoration, and the Spirit poured out on all flesh. They are not defined by their losses but by what God is about to do. Even when life has stripped us bare, we are invited to anticipate the abundance that God can bring—healing, renewal, and dreams revived. We, too, can be well-poised for goodness when we trust in the restoration God promises.
Paul, writing near the end of his life, says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Despite moments of loneliness and opposition, he sees his journey as one preparing him for God’s ultimate goodness—a “crown of righteousness.” Paul’s honesty about feeling abandoned reminds us that even faithful people encounter hardship, but he also shows us how to live expectantly, knowing God’s presence and deliverance. In times of transition or uncertainty, Paul’s words encourage us to remain faithful and trust that God’s goodness is still ahead.
Throughout history, there are countless stories of people who faced immense adversity and, by trusting in hope and perseverance, experienced remarkable victory. One such story is that of Nelson Mandela and the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. After spending 27 years in prison for his fight against racial injustice, Mandela emerged not with bitterness, but with a vision for reconciliation and a steadfast hope for his nation’s future. His eventual election as South Africa’s first Black president was not simply a political triumph; it was a testament to the power of faith, endurance, and the belief that goodness can break through even the darkest chapters of history. Like Joel’s people, Mandela and those who stood with him were not defined by their suffering, but by their unwavering anticipation of restoration and justice.
The hope today for the people of Ukraine, for Palestinians, and for all who are suffering after hardship, war, grief, and destruction, is the same. It’s hoping and believing in the goodness of God even when the reality of the day seems so bleak.
On a lighter side, a more contemporary illustration is one that I’ll lift out of these October evenings of ours. I’ve been quite taken with October baseball. Now it’s World Series time. It’s the LA Dodgers again the Toronto Blue Jays. The expectation was that the Dodgers, who are looking for a repeat of their Series Championship of last year, would just roll over the Blue Jays who haven’t made it to the World Series since 1993, that is 32 years ago. And yet, in the first game of the Series this Friday, the Blue Jays absolutely romped the Dodgers, winning 11-4. The Dodgers got a 5-1 victory last night, but that just evens out the Series. The underdogs, might, just might, prove the victors. But even if they don’t take the trophy home, they can still hold their heads up high after a wonderful season, despite the odds.
The ultimate victory story of the day is from our Gospel lesson. Jesus tells the story of two men praying in the temple: one confident in his own righteousness, the other painfully aware of his need for mercy. Jesus names only the humble tax collector as going home justified. Victory is shown to be the award of the seemingly have-nots, the strugglers, and faulters. There, to be well-poised for the goodness that comes means to be open and honest before God, recognizing our need and our dependence on grace. Sometimes, the greatest goodness comes not from our achievements but from admitting our weaknesses and letting God lift us up.
These passages together urge us to stand in hopeful anticipation—not based on our own perfection, but on God’s generosity and grace. Whether we are recovering from hardship like Joel’s people, finishing a difficult chapter like Paul, or seeking mercy like the tax collector, we are invited to trust that God is not done with us yet. We are well-poised for goodness to come when we open our hearts to God’s work, remain faithful in trials, and approach each new day with humility and hope. May we rejoice, remain faithful, and pray with humble hearts, knowing that goodness is indeed on its way.
*HYMN: If You But Trust in God to Guide You No. 410
https://youtu.be/99VRXaTqvb8
*BENEDICTION
CHORAL BENEDICTION:
May the light of God shine on us today.
May the light of God shine on us today.
May it show us where to travel.
Lead us back if we should stray.
May the light of God shine on us today.
POSTLUDE: Toccata in D Minor BWV 565 J.S. BachTwentieth Sunday after Pentecost
A Service of the Word
October 26, 2025 ✦ 10am
OPENING WORDS:
We open our hearts to the presence of God and worship together.
PRELUDE: Ubi es o’ Domine Isabella Leonarda
(Once the music begins we ask that you would please maintain respectful silence)
*CHORAL INTROIT:
We are here this day to share God's love;
We have come with burdens and cares,
For within this place, we are bound as one
In this fellowship, we share.
*CALL TO WORSHIP:
One: This is God’s house, a holy temple.
We are in the midst of God’s dwelling place.
Many: My soul longs, yea, faints for the courts of God.
My heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.
One: Happy are those whom God has chosen to be here.
Blessed are all whom God has forgiven and named.
Many: Our voices rise in praise of God’s awesome deeds.
Mountains and seas bow down before the Creator.
One: God crowns the year with a bountiful harvest.
Flocks and grain fill the meadows.
ALL: God’s presence is felt to the ends of the earth.
All creation is God’s dwelling place, God’s home.
HYMN: Wake, O My Soul
WELCOME
PRAYER OF INVOCATION:
….To you, O God, shall our vows be performed. To you we sing our praises and utter our prayers. Come among us to renew your covenant and offer your signs. Pour out your Spirit on your people gathered here, that we may dream and prophesy and follow the vision you set before us. Amen.
PASSING OF THE PEACE
ANNOUNCEMENTS, CELEBRATIONS & CONCERNS
Fall Association Meeting: The Suffolk County Association is scheduled to hold its fall meeting at Orient Congregational Church, 23045 Main Road in Orient (on the north side) on Saturday, November 1st beginning at 9:00 am. Lunch will be served at 11:45 a.m.
Clocks Change: Be sure to turn your clocks back an hour when you hit the sack this Saturday. Daylight Savings Time ends November 2nd.
Litter Clean Up Day: The Riverhead Town Anti-Litter Committee is looking for volunteers to keep Riverhead clean on Saturday, Nov 1st from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Gloves, Bags & Pickers will be available or you can bring your own. Two Community Service Credits will be available upon request. To sign up register yourself or a team by E-mailing Joanne Rizzo, Anti-Litter Chairperson, with your name and contact information at Jrizzohcs@optonline.net. Thank you.
A TIME OF PRAYER:
❖ Pastoral Prayer:
…Merciful God, You who understands our motives and knows our every thought, we seek in these moments to be attuned to your Word and will, that we may be humbly receptive to the proclamation you would have us share with the world. Grant us strength to persevere in our witness, so others may catch a vision of the joy you offer to all who serve you…
❖ Silent Prayer
❖ 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.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, the glory,
now and forever. Amen.
OFFERING & OFFERTORY: How Beautiful Twila Paris
DOXOLOGY AND BLESSING OF GIFTS:
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God above, you heavenly host:
Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost.
SCRIPTURE LESSONS:
❖ Joel 2:23-32 OT Page 801
❖ Psalm 65 Hymnal Page 661
❖ 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 NT Page 186
❖ Luke 18:9-14 NT Page 70
SERMON: “Well-Poised for Goodness to Come”
Again this week, I had occasion to hear the expression, “old age ain’t for wimps.” Those within earshot offered the appreciative chuckle or nodded in agreement. Most of us know well how it goes, especially as so many of our conversations either center on or touch on what doctor, or doctors, we have lined up to see. And if it’s not about us, it’s about our aging partners. Even the once easy tasks or chores we would do alone become more of a challenge, and help is more often needed.
When morning rises become difficult, driving after dark a concern, and opening jars become an exercise in frustration, any regularly positive attitude can seem fleeting. And God knows, it’s not just old age that can get us down, but any of life’s many trials that rattle us and attack our faith with darker thoughts about more problems to come.
The call and the challenge for us is to genuinely more ahead with a positive spirit of expectancy—believing that, despite whatever struggle or uncertainty we have faced, we are well-poised for goodness to come. The readings today—Joel’s message to a recovering people, Paul’s reflection from the brink of his life’s journey, and Jesus’ parable of two prayers—invite us to anchor ourselves in hope and humility as we await the unfolding grace of God.
Joel speaks to a community battered by locusts and drought, yet his words ring with promise: “Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God.” He tells them to look for the rain, the restoration, and the Spirit poured out on all flesh. They are not defined by their losses but by what God is about to do. Even when life has stripped us bare, we are invited to anticipate the abundance that God can bring—healing, renewal, and dreams revived. We, too, can be well-poised for goodness when we trust in the restoration God promises.
Paul, writing near the end of his life, says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Despite moments of loneliness and opposition, he sees his journey as one preparing him for God’s ultimate goodness—a “crown of righteousness.” Paul’s honesty about feeling abandoned reminds us that even faithful people encounter hardship, but he also shows us how to live expectantly, knowing God’s presence and deliverance. In times of transition or uncertainty, Paul’s words encourage us to remain faithful and trust that God’s goodness is still ahead.
Throughout history, there are countless stories of people who faced immense adversity and, by trusting in hope and perseverance, experienced remarkable victory. One such story is that of Nelson Mandela and the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. After spending 27 years in prison for his fight against racial injustice, Mandela emerged not with bitterness, but with a vision for reconciliation and a steadfast hope for his nation’s future. His eventual election as South Africa’s first Black president was not simply a political triumph; it was a testament to the power of faith, endurance, and the belief that goodness can break through even the darkest chapters of history. Like Joel’s people, Mandela and those who stood with him were not defined by their suffering, but by their unwavering anticipation of restoration and justice.
The hope today for the people of Ukraine, for Palestinians, and for all who are suffering after hardship, war, grief, and destruction, is the same. It’s hoping and believing in the goodness of God even when the reality of the day seems so bleak.
On a lighter side, a more contemporary illustration is one that I’ll lift out of these October evenings of ours. I’ve been quite taken with October baseball. Now it’s World Series time. It’s the LA Dodgers again the Toronto Blue Jays. The expectation was that the Dodgers, who are looking for a repeat of their Series Championship of last year, would just roll over the Blue Jays who haven’t made it to the World Series since 1993, that is 32 years ago. And yet, in the first game of the Series this Friday, the Blue Jays absolutely romped the Dodgers, winning 11-4. The Dodgers got a 5-1 victory last night, but that just evens out the Series. The underdogs, might, just might, prove the victors. But even if they don’t take the trophy home, they can still hold their heads up high after a wonderful season, despite the odds.
The ultimate victory story of the day is from our Gospel lesson. Jesus tells the story of two men praying in the temple: one confident in his own righteousness, the other painfully aware of his need for mercy. Jesus names only the humble tax collector as going home justified. Victory is shown to be the award of the seemingly have-nots, the strugglers, and faulters. There, to be well-poised for the goodness that comes means to be open and honest before God, recognizing our need and our dependence on grace. Sometimes, the greatest goodness comes not from our achievements but from admitting our weaknesses and letting God lift us up.
These passages together urge us to stand in hopeful anticipation—not based on our own perfection, but on God’s generosity and grace. Whether we are recovering from hardship like Joel’s people, finishing a difficult chapter like Paul, or seeking mercy like the tax collector, we are invited to trust that God is not done with us yet. We are well-poised for goodness to come when we open our hearts to God’s work, remain faithful in trials, and approach each new day with humility and hope. May we rejoice, remain faithful, and pray with humble hearts, knowing that goodness is indeed on its way.
*HYMN: If You But Trust in God to Guide You No. 410
https://youtu.be/99VRXaTqvb8
*BENEDICTION
CHORAL BENEDICTION:
May the light of God shine on us today.
May the light of God shine on us today.
May it show us where to travel.
Lead us back if we should stray.
May the light of God shine on us today.
POSTLUDE: Toccata in D Minor BWV 565 J.S. Bach
We're biblical, traditional, yet progressive.
We honor and take pride in our
Congregational roots.
We covenant with one another and with God,
as revealed
in Jesus Christ through the illumination of
the Holy Spirit.
We endeavor to walk humbly with God and
strive for justice and peace.
My house shall be called a house of prayer for all people.
Isaiah 56.7
We are an open and affirming congregation in which all persons regardless of race, ethnic background, economic status, gender, age, or personal ability, are equally affirmed into membership, leadership and employment
and joyfully welcomed.
Our church office is open for phone calls at 631-727-2621. Pastor Sean will return your calls. Our secretary is in the office Wednesday and Thursday mornings.
Our church office is open for phone calls at 631-727-2621. Pastor Sean will return your calls. Our secretary is in the office Wednesday and Thursday mornings.
Worship on Sundays at 10:00am.
No matter who you are or where you are in life's journey, you are welcome here.
103 1st Street, Riverhead, New York 11901, United States
Today | Closed |
Our church office is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:00am-12:00. Church services are held on Sunday at 10:00am, and coffee hour in the fellowship hall following the worship service. Sunday School will be held at 10:00 am. (To run concurrent with our worship service)
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