Worship Saturday

Saturday Worship

Denominational Welcome

Cumberland Presbyterian Church

Gathering Song

For Everyone Born

For everyone born, a place at the table,

For everyone born, clean water and bread,

A shelter, a space, a safe place for growing,

For everyone born a star overhead.

Refrain: And God will delight when we are creators of justice and joy,

compassion and peace,

Yes, God will delight when we are creators of justice, justice and joy.

For all who share life, a place at the table,

Revising the roles, deciding to share,

With wisdom and grace, dividing the power,

For all who share life, a system that’s fair. (Refrain)

For those we neglect, a place at the table,

A voice to be heard, a part of the song,

The hands of a child in hands that are wrinkled,

For those we neglect, the right to belong. (Refrain)

For all who have breath, a place at the table,

A covenant shared, a welcoming space,

A rainbow of race and gender and color,

For all who have breath, the chalice of grace. (Refrain)

For you and for me, a place at the table,

Though wounded and sore, with need to forgive,

In anger, in hurt, a mindset of mercy,

For everyone born, the right to be free. (Refrain)

For everyone born, a place at the table,

To live without fear, and simply to be,

To work, to speak out, to witness and worship,

For everyone born, the right to be free. (Refrain)

Call to Worship

Rev. Michael Sharpe
Cumberland Presbyterian Church

One: On the road to Emmaus, two weary travelers wrestled with shattered hopes and unanswered questions.

All: Yet Christ walked with them, unseen, stirring their hearts with the promise of something more.

One: In our journey of faith, we wrestle with imagination, daring to dream of a world remade by God’s love.

All: We seek the courage to envision a more beloved community, shaped by hope and justice.

One: When our eyes are opened to God’s presence, we find new strength for the road ahead.

All: When our hearts are moved within us, we are inspired to act with love and boldness.

One: So let us come together to worship the One who stirs our souls, opens our eyes, and sets our hearts on fire.

All: Let us worship with hope, imagination, and a deep longing for the beloved community!

Songs of Praise

Let All Creation’s Wonders

Let all creation’s wonders and countless angel hordes

unite in ceaseless worship to praise the Lord of lords:

he spoke, and formed the cosmos; he set the stars in place;

his voice defines the contours of interstellar space-

let sun and moon extol him and every planet sing;

across the constellations let alleluias ring.

From far beneath the oceans let joyful songs arise,

while hail and wind and lightning toss psalms across the skies.

You beasts of farm and jungle, let nature’s hymn be heard;

Tell out your maker’s greatness, each insect, every bird;

You peoples and you rulers, acknowledge him as King-

From every generation let alleluias ring.

So let us lift our voices for all that we are worth

To God whose timeless splendor surpasses heaven and earth:

In love he chose and called us, a people of his own,

and gave to us a Savior to make his mercy known.

His name alone we honor; our life-long praise we bring;

from deep within our spirits let alleluias ring!

Oh, Rejoice in All Your Works (Psalm 104)

Every mouth that cries for food, every lung that yearns for breath,

Every eye that searches through the dark for light:

All creation looks to you for its breath and for its food.

From the goodness of your hand we’re satisfied.

Refrain: Oh, rejoice in all your works, King of heaven, King of earth.

Every creature you have made declares your praise.

We rejoice in all you’ve made, God of all sustaining grace.

With the mountain, sky, and sea, we sing your praise.

Every tree that thirsts for rain, every bird that seeks its nest,

Every heart that waits in hope to be made glad:

All creation looks to you for its breath and for its food.

From the goodness of your hand we’re satisfied. (Refrain)

May the ponderings of my heart and the song upon my lips

With the chorus of creation join in praise

To the God who made all things, to the Spirit who sustains,

To the Son who over all creation reigns. (Refrain)

Call to Confession

Prayer of Confession

God of infinite creativity and limitless grace, we confess that our imaginations often fall short of your vision. We see obstacles instead of possibilities, and we settle for the status quo rather than striving for the beloved community you call us to build.

Forgive us for our fear of change,

for our reluctance to dream boldly,

and for the ways we limit your Spirit’s work in us.

Challenge us to wrestle with new ideas, to embrace your call to justice and peace, and to trust in your power to do far more than we can ask or imagine.

In your mercy, guide us beyond what we can see,

that we might faithfully follow where you lead.

silence for personal prayer and reflection

Sung Response

Take, O Take Me as I Am

Take, O take me as I am; summon out what I shall be;

Set your seal upon my heart and live in me.

Assurance of Forgiveness

Song of Response

Take, O Take Me as I Am

Take, O take me as I am; summon out what I shall be;

Set your seal upon my heart and live in me.

Sharing of the Peace of Christ

One: The peace of Christ be with you.

All: And also with you.

Prayer for Illumination

Scripture

Luke 24:13-35

Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see him.” Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem, and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Sermon

Rev. Dr. Lillian Lammers

Sacrament of Communion

One: The Lord be with you.

All: And also with you.

One: Lift up your hearts

All: We lift them up to the Lord

One: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

All: It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Song During Distribution

We Will Feast in the House of Zion

Congregation on Refrain:

We will feast in the house of Zion.

We will sing with our hearts restored.

“He has done great things”—we will say together,

We will feast, and weep no more..

Benediction

Sending Song

Go, My Friends, in Grace

Go, my friends, in grace, beneath the blessed sky.

Where you go, God is there, beneath the blessed sky.

Walk, my friends, in peace, within this fallen world.

Where you walk, God is there, within this fallen world.

Serve, my friends, in love, your neighbors and your foes.

Where you serve, God is there, in neighbors and in foes.

Come again, my friends, to worship and to pray.

When we meet, God is here, Benedictus Deus.*

*Translation: Blessed be God