TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24 7:30pm
Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service 2020
South Plainfield Ecumenical Council of Christian Churches
Click here to view Thanksgiving Service
Church of the Sacred Heart – South Plainfield
First Baptist Church of South Plainfield
Wesley United Methodist Church – South Plainfield
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ORDER OF WORSHIP
November 24, 2020 7:30p.m.
Musical Prelude
Welcome
Rev. James Lee, Wesley United Methodist Church
Call to Worship
Leader: Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.
People: God’s love is everlasting.
Leader: Come, let us praise God joyfully.
People: Let us come before God with thanksgiving.
Opening Prayer (in unison)
Gracious God, who supplies us with every blessing in abundance, we lift up our hearts in gratitude and thanksgiving. Open us to remember the gifts we seldom notice, the bounty we take for granted, the rich possibilities you provide. For bread without scarcity, for water that is pure, for houses to live in and friends to enjoy, we give you humble thanks. For beauty and bounty, for healing and hope, for the power of your Word, we lift our voices in joyful praise. Dwell with us now and always. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Musical Selection Meili Chen, Director of Traditional Worship
Wesley United Methodist Church
Prayers of the People Rev. Jesse Nietzer
First Baptist Church of South Plainfield
Leader: Let us give thanks to God our Creator for all the blessings we share this day. For all of those who have gone before, people strong and brave, willing to put their lives on the line for the causes they believe in, we give you thanks.
People: Grant us, our God, the courage to step out in faith for that which is true and right.
Leader: For freedom of speech and of the press, for the avenues open to express ourselves, and for opportunities to effect change, we give you thanks.
People: We pray for those who are voiceless victims of unjust governments.
Leader: For fertile soil, abundant rain, and seasons of refreshment, we give you thanks.
People: We pray for those whose land is parched and whose wells are dry.
Leader: For our families, friends, and the church, who provide us with food and drink for our journey, we give you thanks.
People: We pray for those who are hungry and tired, hopeless and wandering, finding no place to rest.
Leader: For strong bodies and minds, for opportunities that encourage us to grow and become more the servants of thanksgiving you call us to be, we give you thanks.
People: We pray for the sick, for the stagnant who are unwilling to dream or change.
Leader: Help us, O God, to be responsible stewards of your blessings, people who care for the earth and all its people. Keep us connected with all humanity, even though miles and cultures tend to separate us. May we always respond to your call with a true spirit of thanksgiving.
Musical Selection First Baptist Church of South Plainfield
Thanksgiving Call
Psalm Response (Psalm 145) Dan Mahoney, Director Sacred Music
The Church of the Sacred Heart
People: The hand of the Lord feeds us, he answers all our needs.
Leader: The Lord is kind and full of compassion, slow to anger, abounding in love. How good is the Lord to all, compassionate to all his creatures.
People: The hand of the Lord feeds us, he answers all our needs.
Leader: The eyes of all creatures look to you and you give them their food in due time. You open wide your hand, grant the desires of all who live.
People: The hand of the Lord feeds us, he answers all our needs.
Leader: The Lord is just in all his ways, and loving in all his deeds. He is close to all who call him, who call on him from their hearts.
People: The hand of the Lord feeds us, he answers all our needs.
Gospel Reading Luke 17:11-19 Bryant Baidowsky
Wesley United Methodist Church
Sermon Rev. James Lee
Thanksgiving for the Word Rev. John Alvarado
The Church of the Sacred Heart
Leader: Praise and thanks to you, holy God, for by your Word you made all things: you spoke light into darkness, called forth beauty from chaos, and brought life into being. For your Word of life, O God,
People: we give you thanks and praise.
Leader: By your Word you called your people Israel to tell of your wonderful gifts: freedom from captivity, water on the desert journey, a pathway home from exile, wisdom for life with you. For your Word of life, O God,
People: we give you thanks and praise.
Leader: Through Jesus, your Word made flesh, you speak to us and call us to witness: forgiveness through the cross, life to those entombed by death, the way of your self-giving love. For your Word of life, O God,
People: we give you thanks and praise.
Leader: Send your Spirit of truth, O God; rekindle your gifts within us:
renew our faith, increase our hope, and deepen our love, for the sake
of a world in need. Faithful to your Word, O God, draw near to all who call on you; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory forever.
All: Amen.
Musical Selection Jack Bender, Accompanist
The Church of the Sacred Heart
Blessing Rev. Jesse Nietzer
Musical Postlude
