Bread and More Soup Kitchen continues to serve a free to-go meal every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 5:30-6:15.
Thrift Shop: We will be closed the month of January to clean and restock. Please save your donations till February. Thank you for your support.
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
First Sunday after Christmas
Service of the Word
December 28 2025 ✦ 10am
OPENING WORDS:
We open our hearts to the presence of God and worship together.
PRELUDE: Go Tell It on the Mountain John W. Work III
(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: Praise God, all who dwell on this earth.
Praise God in the heights and depths of life.
Many: We will recount the deeds of God.
Surely God has shown us goodness and mercy.
One: Praise God, sun and moon and stars.
Praise God, fire and hail, snow and frost.
Many: Men and women, young and old, together.
Let us praise and honor our Creator.
One: Let God’s name be praised and exalted.
God’s glory is above heaven and earth.
ALL: By God’s steadfast love, we are drawn to worship.
Our gracious Savior leads us in new ways.
*HYMN: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing No. 144
WELCOME
PRAYER OF INVOCATION:
Redeemer of all who put their trust in you, we seek your presence here. Only our own attitudes can separate us from you. Re-create us in your own image so we may be true to your intentions for us and in time with your purposes for our life together. In our times of distress, pour out your pity and your love that we may know we are not alone. Lift us up and carry us when our strength fails. Now, in the midst of this congregation, we would praise you and honor your name. Amen.
PASSING OF THE PEACE
ANNOUNCEMENTS, CELEBRATIONS & CONCERNS:
Joint Board Meeting: The Board of Trustees has called a Joint Board Meeting to be held in the Fellowship Hall immediately after church on January 4th 2026.
Thrift Shop: We will be closed for the month of January. Please speak with Nancy Repp about the reorganization schedule in January.
A TIME OF PRAYER:
❖ Pastoral Prayer
God of the prophets, God of our dreams and our waking moments, God of our times of weeping and our days of gladness, lead us, we pray, from all that would destroy the best you have placed within us. Lead us toward those times and places where we can grow in the likeness of Jesus. Help us to discern the warnings and the invitations that come from you so our lives may be a beacon to lead others to fulfillment and joy…
❖ 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
OFFERING & OFFERTORY: How Will We Know Him?
Jay Althouse
*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:
❖Isaiah 63:7-9 OT Page 653
❖ Psalm 148 HYMNAL Page 721
❖Hebrews 2:10-18 NT Page 193
❖Matthew 2:13-23 NT Page 22
SERMON: “Sometimes It’s Messy”
Here’s hoping that your Christmas celebrations were good ones, without any complications or ugh-moments, or at least as few as possible. We count ourselves blessed when all goes well. Yet we know that’s not always the case, and when it comes to the birth of Jesus, regardless if we go with the way Luke tells it or the way Matthew does.
Mind you, there are similarities. Both feature Mary, Joseph, and, of course, Jesus. But in Matthew’s gospel there’s no census, inn, or manger, no shepherds in the fields abiding, or no signing angels.
When it comes to the way Matthew recounts the birth narrative, at least there’s the Wise Men. Luke’s account doesn’t include those guys. But, unfortunately, that’s about the only really likeable detail Matthew has. Contrary to Luke’s narrative, with all those lovely seasonal touches, Matthew’s account is stark. And what’s worse, he’s got the completely horrific death of the innocents. It’s hard to love the way Matthew tells the story.
It’s said that among the last things that we learn about each other are the details of our birth. I’m just going out there and saying that the memory of your birth is as fuzzy as mine is. To learn of another’s birth story would definitely take some digging.
One aspect that’s oddly clear in both of the narratives, is that it wasn’t a care-free go of things. Although we tend to turn the challenges that Mary and Joseph faced in Luke’s gospel into picturesque scene and a quaint story, it had to be seriously tough for them. They had to make a long journey to Bethlehem with Mary oh-so-pregnant, and then there’s the – ugh – no room at the inn, and a very rustic, to say the least, setting for the birth of the child. But I do think those challenges are paled in comparison to a wicked king who orchestrates the killing of all the children 2-years and younger that were born in and around Bethlehem.
Fortunately, Joseph and Mary and the baby Jesus escape, but that required what’s known as the flight to Egypt. But that flight was certainly not on an airplane. The going there had to be very difficult, too, especially with a newborn.
What is oddly clear in the story of Jesus’ birth is that sometimes life is messy. It can be fraught with challenges and struggles, and certainly in the case of the older Jesus, even genuine suffering, as the author of Hebrews reminds us when he writes, “It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” And then he adds, “Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.”
And despite the brevity of the lesson from Isaiah today, there again is the notion of the struggles. Isaiah writes, “He became their savior in all their distress. It was no messenger or angel but his presence that saved them; in his love and pity it was he who redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.”
Although all the lessons carry a note of the messiness of life – the sufferings, testing, distress – each of them carries the Good News of God who saves, who comes to the rescue to lift up the suffering and comfort the distressed. God finds a way through.
This theme of God's presence amid difficulty is a reminder that hope and grace are not absent in the hardest moments. In fact, the heart of the Christmas story is that God enters into the very real, complicated, and sometimes painful realities of human experience. Rather than sidestepping the messiness, God moves in, bringing light and comfort exactly where it’s needed most.
It’s the lesson we’re called to carry forward with us and we make our way past the struggles of the days and year gone by and into this new year to come.
As we step into the new year, it’s worth remembering that the journey ahead may also hold its share of unpredictability and challenges, just as those first steps in Bethlehem and Egypt did. Yet, the promise woven throughout these stories is that we do not face life’s messiness alone. The same presence that walked with Mary, Joseph, and Jesus continues to walk with us, offering strength, guidance, and compassion. With this assurance, we can move forward, trusting that grace meets us in every moment—messy or otherwise—and that hope is always within reach, ready to illuminate our path as we embrace all that lies ahead.
*HYMN: What Child Is This No. 148
https://youtu.be/4s9ghpx-b3o
*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: Angels We Have Heard On High
Trad. French Carol
Fourth Sunday of Advent
A Service of the Word
December 21, 2025 ✦ 10am
We open our hearts to the presence of God and worship together.
PRELUDE: Allemande from BWV 825 J.S. Bach
*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: Come away from times of weariness.
Dare to accept the energy God offers you.
Many: Restore our energy, O source of all power.
Let your goodness flow through us.
One: Come away from all your insignificant distractions.
Dare to let God show you a larger picture.
Many: Help us to examine the flow of our lives.
Reveal to us what is really important.
One: Come away from the scorn of enemies.
Dare to laugh with those who have laughed at you.
All: Lead us to think of others in new ways.
Let us find grace and peace in Emmanuel.
*HYMN: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel No. 116 (vv.1-4)
https://youtu.be/UH7asSGxAxA
WELCOME
PRAYER OF INVOCATION:
Shepherding God, whose signs are everywhere, restore in us your light that we may discern what you are about. Shine upon this assembly to give life to our tired routines. Fill our longing hearts with quiet confidence. Awaken the child in us to experience your revelation. By your presence with us, deepen the prayers we utter, and turn our fears to eager anticipation. Touch us to lend strength and confidence as we reach out to one another for help and healing. Amen.
PASSING OF THE PEACE
ANNOUNCEMENTS, CELEBRATIONS, CONCERNS
Christmas Eve: Our Christmas Eve Service of Carols and Candles is Wednesday, December 24th at 8:00 p.m. To connect via Zoom, the meeting ID is 868 9706 5711 and the Passcode is 7272621.
Maureen’s Haven Christmas Wishlist: We are collecting grace-filled gifts for those most in need.
*Warm clothes: Hats, gloves, scarves, socks and men’s winter clothing.
*Sundry items: Backpacks, toiletries (soap, deodorant, first-aid items, etc.), snacks.
*Supplies for the house: Paper products (plates, cups, napkins, paper towels), Warm-drink makings (coffee, filters, tea, cocoa, sugar), and cleaning supplies (pretty much any and all including garbage bags).
A TIME OF PRAYER:
❖ Pastoral Prayer:
…Righteous God, whose gifts of grace and peace are delivered in strange and unexpected places, let your promise of Emmanuel be a sign to us of salvation near at hand. Restore us so that quality of life and relationships which has been your intention for humanity since the beginning of time, that we may be saints who serve, for the sake of all your hurting children…..
❖ 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, and the glory, now and forever. Amen.
CHILDREN'S TIME: Lighting of our Advent Wreath
Pastor Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent – the Sunday of Love.
God’s love is the source of our lives. Because God loves us,
we are created and sustained; we are healed and forgiven.
People: Scripture reminds us that God loves us; it reminds us that
God loves righteousness, mercy and justice as well.
Pastor: The coming of Jesus is the assurance of God’s love.
Christ inspires us to live righteously, to act mercifully,
and to be just.
People: Today we light this candle proclaiming God’s love to all and
for all. As we light this candle, we acknowledge that God’s
love challenges us to live as disciples of Jesus in the world
today.
(The fourth candle is lit)
ALL: Loving God, in the glow of the light of this candle may our vision of your love be broadened beyond our personal hopes and aspirations. May our vision include your love for all people. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
MISSION MOMENT: The Christmas Fund
OFFERTORY: Still, Still, Still (arr. By Norman Luboff)
SCRIPTURE LESSONS:
❖ Isaiah 7:10-16 OT Page 596
❖ Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 Hymnal Page 672
❖ Romans 1:1-7 NT Page 132
❖ Matthew 1:18-25 NT Page 1
SERMON: “Show the Love”
Of the great five pillars of virtue of our Christian faith that are represented in our Advent candle, if there is one which the church is most expected to represent by most accounts, it is that of love. Jesus is remembered having told the earliest followers that all the commandments are fulfilled by love: love the Lord your God, with your heart, soul, mind and strength, and your neighbor as yourself. Paul in his famous passage of 1 Corinthians names but three great virtues, and yet there too we see the primacy of love: hope, faith, love, abide these three, but the greatest of these is love.
I am not an authority on love, but I know what it is and sometimes I can even be led to assert I understand it. I say this even as I know that love is not really rational; it doesn’t follow clearly marked lines of neatly formulated logical concepts complete with well-ordered rules and regulations. Yet illogical as it sometimes is, I know it can always be sensed, and even, sometimes, understood.
How any of us understand that we are loved will be both similar and different for each one of us. More than anything, I think we just sense it; we just know it. And it’s not about how many presents are under the tree, or how many people are around the Christmas table, or how good Christmas dinner turns out. Love is bigger than that. Its logic transcends the merely rational as even it embraces truth.
Today’s lessons focus on our God with us, and how God shows the love. The signs of God’s love appear in surprising ways. For Ahaz, the sign is a child who becomes a harbinger of hope. God’s love appears NOT in the absence of war or a blissful state, for Israel and Judah will be captured by Assyria and the Jewish people would long know suffering, but love becomes known in a buoyancy of faith, faith that God remains through it all, faith that God helps the people in spite of evil leaders or enemy occupation or even hate campaigns and gas ovens. Immanuel means God with us, and with God comes eternal, even sometimes hard to see, love.
Signs of God love came to Ahaz in the assurance that God remains in control in spite of a changing world always at war with sin and hate. Paul, too, in spite of shipwrecks and beatings, quarrels, divisions, and persecutions, would long hold onto the signs of God’s love that he knew was always with him. He could sense it in prayer; he could sense it in the people around him who took Jesus to heart. Our Gospel lesson focuses on Mary, an unmarried young woman, who’s pregnant, undoubtedly confused and afraid; how could that have happened? What would become of her? Her husband-to-be could have her stoned to death. At the very least, she must have contemplated, he would put her away and leave her to fend for herself. But Joseph gave ear to an angel; Joseph allowed God to come to him even in this irrational way. Joseph took in a sign of God’s love that came to him as the promise of a child, Jesus, a child he knew was not his alone, in the womb of his yet to be wife. And Joseph went on to show God’s love by honoring the call.
These signs of God’s love are not rational; not easily understood. But those of us with eyes of faith can see them too: in the odd workings of God in our world through the people around us. In love, our love for each other and God’s love for us, there is a spiritual light that shines; it is a light that manages to surprise us even on a bleak winter’s day. In terms of faith, this love is reflective of a deep conviction anchored in certitude of the existence of an omnipotent and omnipresent listening God, our savior who is able to transport us from this earthly reality into a place that knows no bounds but the goodness and mercy of its foundation. Love counters cold and impartial rationalism that leads to nihilism, self-defeat and disconnectedness from God and others. Signs of God’s love go beyond the simple painful utterance of “Why? Why?” born of suffering which seeks clear and just answers filled with valid explanations. These signs, if we let them, can come to us as spiritual and emotional hopefulness that trusts in a redeeming God who can overcome all obstacles and who shines as bright as the sun which even sparkles on the face of muddy waters.
The challenge remains to recognize the ways that our God shows the love, even when we, like Ahaz, don’t ask for a sign. For many of us, love is best understood in the face of our own little child. A loving mother or father will do everything possible to protect that young one from harm and to help the child in every endeavor. The parent brushes away the tears and helps soothe the wounds. In spite of any temper tantrum, any long fit of misbehavior, the parent will still love, forgive, and embrace the little one who struggles to make her or his way in the world. That is the love God has for us. And that is the love, in spite of any disappointment or hurt we experience from another, that we are called to have for each other. Can we show the love?
Obviously, one way in which we demonstrate love is by extending compassion and support to those who are suffering or isolated, offering a thoughtful ear and a reassuring presence. These days, rather than just family around the Christmas table, I always have those whom I know would otherwise be alone. Some, I know, like Paul, take to showing the loving by writing cards and taking the time to reconnect with others. Even simple gestures—such as exchanging heartfelt greetings or helping with the burdens of daily life—can have a profound impact, reminding others that they are esteemed and cared for, just as the birth of Christ reminds us of God’s abiding love for all.
We are called to be different than those who have no faith. The way of the world is to hold grudges, bicker and complain about others. The way of the world is to tell stories about how bad another one is, or dismiss him or her because of hurt received. The way of the world is to react like a little child and in the face of seemingly unfair treatment by the parent to utter things like, “I hate you.” This is not the way that Jesus sets for us. The way of heaven is to love, to love deeply and profoundly, so that all evil and harm is overcome with love, love based in faith, love based in our loving God who loved us so much to even take on the flesh and to come to us as a little child, love that even went to the cross for us in spite of all our sin and shortcomings, in spite of our mistreatment of God’s child.
Show the Love. Let us endeavor to truly love one another as even God loves us
*HYMN: Silent Night, Holy Night No. 134
https://youtu.be/sme8N2pzRx8
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: Sonata in d minor, K.9 Domenico Scarlatti
Second Sunday of Advent
Service of Word and Sacrament
December 7, 2025✦ 10am
OPENING WORDS:
We open our hearts to the presence of God and worship together.
PRELUDE: Elevation Cesar Franck
(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: Rejoice together, people of God.
Let all the earth praise our Creator.
Many: We have gathered to honor our God.
In awe and reverence, we seek God’s Word.
One: Welcome one another as Christ welcomes you.
Let each other know of Christ’s presence.
Many: Surely Christ has come to change us.
Christ is coming still to redirect us.
One: This is a time to take delight in the Spirit.
This is the hour to seek knowledge and counsel.
All: We are ready to learn what the Spirit teaches.
We are awakening to the Spirit’s gifts.
*HYMN: Angels, From the Realms of Glory No. 126
WELCOME AND PRAYER OF INVOCATION
Come, Spirit of God, to rest on our community, embracing the poor, bringing equity to the meek, turning away all expressions of evil. Come into this congregation to enliven our worship, to immerse us in righteousness, to prompt our faithfulness. Rain on us your hope and joy and peace, filling the whole earth with your glory.
PASSING OF THE PEACE
ANNOUNCEMENTS, CELEBRATIONS & CONCERNS
Christmas Eve: Our Christmas Eve Service of carols and candles is Wednesday, December 24th at 8:00 p.m.
Poinsettia Orders: Poinsettias may be ordered in memory or in honor of loved ones for Christmas. The cost of each plant is $14. They are due by December 21st. You can mail the orders (see insert) with payment to the church at 103 First Street, Riverhead, NY 11901 or place the order in the collection plate. Please mark the envelope : “Poinsettia Order.”
CHILDREN’S TIME: The lighting of the Advent Wreath
Pastor: Today is the Second Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of Peace.
People: The Spirit of God is in our midst, as peace enters in.
Pastor: The promised Christ is full of wisdom and understanding in the Spirit of God.
People: Fear will fade, and comfort will come. Enemies will be transformed to friends.
ALL: As we trust in God, we find our peace. Let us—with peace—kindle the light of the Lord.
(The second candle is lit)
Pastor: Let us pray to our God-with-Us:
ALL: Heavenly One, Author of Hope and Peace, we seek your
peace that passes all understanding. Come and comfort.
Come and heal. Help our hearts to be transformed by you.
Saving God, lead the people in the ways of peace.
A TIME OF PRAYER:
❖ Pastoral Prayer
Just and righteous God whose wondrous deeds cause love to abound, and whose steadfast love and encouragement grant us to live in harmony with one another through our Savior Jesus Christ, open our spirits to receive your gracious gifts so peace may flourish within and among us until your glory fills all the earth….
❖ 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: All of These Craig Curry
*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
❖ Isaiah 11:1-10 OT Page 600
❖ Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19 Hymnal Page 667
❖ Romans 15:4-13 NT Page 143
❖ Matthew 3:1-12 NT Page 2
*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: “Be an Agent of Peace”
Sometimes I know I tend to over-complicate a sermon. Then, as I think, “Will anyone but me really care about that?” I spend about much time redacting – as in deleting stuff – than I do on composing. Given that we have communion to come and that we’ll be decorating the sanctuary after worship, I went into this thinking “not today.”
I surprised myself thinking, now that’s a good idea, as sometimes the basic – the elemental – tends to be the most important. And to not disappoint, the message of the day is actually rather basic: Be an Agent of Peace.
As I looked back at some sermon titles, I noticed I’ve done the: “A Purer People of Peace,” “Partner with Peace,” “Repent, Forgive, Forget and Find the Way of Peace,” “Let There Be Peace,” even “Strive to Be Found at Peace” to name a few, but I never backed up enough to go simply enough with “Be an Agent of Peace” which, it occurred to me, is really needed message, for us and for all.
Yet unraveling what it might mean to be an agent of peace is a little more complicated as the very notion of peace is more complex than merely an absence of armed warfare.
When we consider peace, it’s easy think only in terms of avoiding conflict or staying out of trouble. Yet, Scripture invites us into a much deeper and richer vision of peace, one that’s proactive, transformative, and grounded in God’s promises.
Isaiah paints a breathtaking picture of God’s coming kingdom: “The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid… and a little child shall lead them” (Isaiah 11:6). This vision is not just the absence of violence, but the presence of harmony, justice, and restoration. Working on ways to restore harmony to creation is an often-overlooked way to be an agent of peace. Yet if we were to go to a beach that is littered with the remains of the day, we know it would wage war against our notion of a peaceful setting. To work on a harmony of creation is to do what we can to keep our spaces clean and safe.
In our second lesson, peace is clearly tied to acceptance of others, especially those whom we were taught were so completely other. In the case of ancient Palestine, the Gentiles, of course, were the unclean others for the Jews. Yet Paul urges the believers to “welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” Being an agent of peace means fostering communities of mutual acceptance and hope, where differences are not erased but embraced, and where we actively build each other up in love and understanding. Our calling is not passive; it is an invitation to embody Christ’s radical hospitality and to become living witnesses of hope. Today, the others in our society tend to be those outside the Judeo-Christian faith traditions. The mistrust of Arabs by Jews, and vice-versa, continues. To be an agent of peace is to seek to bring reconciliation and acceptance to divided parties. It is to help people unite by fostering understanding of all that unites us, for as a human family unto God we have much more that unites us than separates us.
In our Gospel lesson, we get a glimpse of one who would likely be considered to be a very odd agent of peace. John the Baptist, with his radical ways, desert living, odd diet, and one who even calls others, “a brood of vipers,” doesn’t appear to be the posterchild of peace. Yet his message is a call to transformation, urging the Jews in high positions and even us to turn away from the patterns of this world and toward the life God desires for the good of all. John challenges his listeners to bear fruit worthy of repentance, emphasizing that true peace sometimes requires a change of heart and always a commitment to justice. As agents of peace, we are invited to examine our own lives, to repent of the ways we have contributed to division or injustice, and to step courageously into the work of healing and renewal. Knowing we are forgiven and that God calls us to forgive others, even as we have been forgiven, goes a long way to foster peace.
We all do well to strive to be agents of peace. To consider well, our words and our actions, and to ask of our selves “is this that I say or do suitable for one who is called to be an agent of peace?” Rotary has formulated a “four-way test” that words well for those who seek to be agents of peace: 1) Is it truth? 2) Is it fair to all who are concerned? 3) Will it build goodwill and better connections 4) Will it be beneficial to all who are concerned?
To be an agent of peace means seeking reconciliation in our relationships, standing up for those who are marginalized or hurting, and creating spaces where God’s kingdom values—justice, mercy, and love—take root. It means being willing to listen, to forgive, and to hope, even when the world seems divided and peace feels far away. In all of this, we remember that we do not act alone. The Spirit empowers us, Christ leads us, and God’s vision guides us forward.
May we leave this place today committed to being agents of peace—rooted in God’s promises, shaped by Christ’s example, and empowered by the Spirit to make peace real in our lives and in our world. Amen.
OUR ORDER OF COMMUNION
The Invitation and Time of Confession:
❖ Call to Confession
❖ Silent Confession
❖ Unison Prayer of Confession:
Awesome God, we are prone to disregard your Word and
fail to inquire after your will for us. At times we ignore the
needy, defend our advantages, and neglect our prayers. We
have not appreciated or witnessed to your sustaining love.
We destroy the resources of the earth wit little regard for
those who follow us. We value our prosperity more than
the harmony you envision for your people O God, deliver us
and forgive us we pray. Amen.
❖ Words of Assurance
Thanksgiving:
Pastor: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.s
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: It Came Upon the Midnight Clear No. 131
*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: Capriccio in D George Bohm
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
Open today | 09:00 am – 12:00 pm |
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)
.jpg/:/rs=w:370,cg:true,m)
