Call to worship
(Scripture to set a tone for worshipping the Lord):
Psalm 37:3-4
Trust in the Lord and do what is good;
dwell in the land and live securely.
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart’s desires.
Worship In Song
How Great Thou Art
O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed
(CHORUS):
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
And when I think of God, His Son not sparing
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing
He bled and died to take away my sin
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And lead me home, what joy shall fill my heart
Then I shall bow with humble adoration
And then proclaim, my God, how great Thou art
Holy Spirit
There’s nothing worth more that could ever come close
No thing can compare: You’re our living hope
Your presence, Lord
I’ve tasted and seen of the sweetest of loves
Where my heart becomes free and my shame is undone
Your presence, Lord
(CHORUS):
Holy Spirit, You are welcome here
Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere
Your glory, God, is what our hearts long for
To be overcome by Your presence, Lord
Let us become more aware of Your presence
Let us experience the glory of Your goodness
The Reading Of God’s Word
Luke 9:51-62 (Michael Stott)
51When the days were coming to a close for him to be taken up, he determined to journey to Jerusalem. 52He sent messengers ahead of himself, and on the way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make preparations for him. 53But they did not welcome him, because he determined to journey to Jerusalem. 54When the disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”
55But he turned and rebuked them, 56and they went to another village.
57As they were traveling on the road someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
58 Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 59Then he said to another, “Follow me.”
“Lord,” he said, “first let me go bury my father.”
60But he told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.”
61Another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house.”
62But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
The Proclamation Of God’s Word
Choose Today
Songs Of Response
Oh Come To The Altar
Are you hurting and broken within
Overwhelmed by the weight of your sin
Jesus is calling
Have you come to the end of yourself
Do you thirst for a drink from the well
Jesus is calling
(CHORUS):
O come to the altar
The Father’s arms are open wide
Forgiveness was bought with
The precious blood of Jesus Christ
Leave behind your regrets and mistakes
Come today there’s no reason to wait
Jesus is calling
Bring your sorrows and trade them for joy
From the ashes a new life is born
Jesus is calling
Oh what a Savior; Isn’t He wonderful
Sing alleluia, Christ is risen
Bow down before Him, for He is Lord of all
Sing alleluia, Christ is risen
Bear your cross as you wait for the crown
Tell the world of the treasure you’ve found
It Is Well
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
(CHORUS):
It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
Worship Through Giving:
Those who call Engage home are encouraged to worship through giving. In order to ensure minimal contact, those giving by cash or check are encouraged to drop in the bucket on the back table (not the garbage bucket) discreetly as they depart. To read more about what we believe about giving or to submit an offering online click HERE.
(also available on Venmo: @EngageAlbany)
Benediction
(A word of closing blessing from Holy Scripture)
What, then, are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything? Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
Because of you
we are being put to death all day long;
we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
-Romans 8:31-39