First Presbyterian Church
Order of Worship

Link to our livestream worship page.

Sunday Worship
November 23, 2025 - 10 a.m. EST

Prelude - Kremser (arr. Craig Phillips)

Ringing of the Church Bell

Invitation to Worship
Kristin Ream

One: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for God has looked favorably on God’s people and redeemed them.

All: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel!

One: For God has called us God’s own beloved and called each of us by name.

All: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel!

One: For God has blessed God’s creation and called us to worship.

All: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel!

Hymn 363 - Rejoice, the Lord Is King

Rejoice, the Lord is King!
Your Lord and King adore!
Rejoice, give thanks, and sing,
And triumph evermore.
Lift up your heart; lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

Our Savior, Jesus, reigns,
The God of truth and love;
When he had purged our stains,
He took his seat above.
Lift up your heart; lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

His kingdom cannot fail;
He rules o’er earth and heaven;
The keys of death and hell
Are to our Jesus given.
Lift up your heart; lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

Rejoice in glorious hope!
For Christ, the Judge, shall come
And gather all the saints
To their eternal home.
Lift up your heart; lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

Prayer of Confession [unison]

Holy God, we confess that we have neglected to declare Jesus the king and model for our lives. We have been quick to call on others to follow the ways of Christ, yet slow to do the same. We have been bold in demanding generosity, mercy, and forgiveness, yet quiet when it comes to offering inclusion, love, and compassion. Forgive us, O God. Restore in us, yet again, the commitment to be more Christlike in word, in deed, and in spirit. Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness

Gloria Patri 581 - Glory Be to the Father

Glory be to the Father,
And to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning,
Is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, amen.

Welcome and Announcements

Sharing the Peace

Epistle Reading - Colossians 1:11-20
Scott Heichel, liturgist

Anthem - All Creatures of Our God and King (arr. Jay Althouse)
Angel Choir, past and present
Joy Hire, director
Meredith Needham, piano

Word with Children

Gospel Reading - Luke 23:33-43
Rev. Kathleen Nice

Sermon - “Jesus in the Book of Who’s Who”

Hymn 309 - Come, Great God of All the Ages

Come, great God of all the ages,
Make Your earthly mission known;
Speak through every deed and person,
Let Your way and will be shown.
Guide the church to true commitment,
Give direction now, we ask;
Fit us for the work of building,
Dedicate us to the task.

Come, Christ Jesus, flesh and spirit,
Sure foundation, cornerstone,
Help us form the church eternal,
May Your vision be our own.
Send a message to each follower,
Lead all people to Your way;
Urge us to strong faith and action
As we build the church today.

Come, great Spirit, in and with us,
Tune our ears to hear Your call;
Through the moving of Your presence.
Let redeeming love recall
Ministry in dedication,
Love embodied in our deeds;
Challenge us to do Your bidding,
See Your purpose, fill all needs.

Come, O come, in celebration,
Household of the one true God.
In commitment and rejoicing
Let us go where Christ has trod;
As we act in faith and reverence.
Let us, Lord, the future see;
Place us in the church triumphant,
Now and for eternity.

Affirmation of Faith [unison]
from “A Brief Statement of Faith”

We trust in Jesus Christ, fully human, fully God. Jesus proclaimed the reign of God: preaching good news to the poor and release to the captives, teaching by word and deed and blessing the children, healing the sick and binding up the brokenhearted, eating with outcasts, forgiving sinners, and calling all to repent and believe the gospel. Unjustly condemned for blasphemy and sedition, Jesus was crucified, suffering the depths of human pain, and giving his life for the sins of the world. God raised this Jesus from the dead, vindicating his sinless life, breaking the power of sin and evil, delivering us from death to life eternal.

Prayers of the People

The Lord’s Prayer [unison]

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. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Offering

Offertory - Beautiful Savior (arr. Thomas Keesecker)

Pledge or give online at granpres.org/give

Doxology 606 - Praise God, from Whom All Blessing Flow

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication

Hymn 268 - Crown Him with Many Crowns

Crown him with many crowns,
The Lamb upon his throne;
Hark, how the heavenly anthem drowns
All music but its own!
Awake, my soul, and sing
Of him who died for thee,
And hail him as thy matchless King
Through all eternity.

Crown him the Lord of love;
Behold his hands and side,
Rich wounds, yet visible above,
In beauty glorified:
No angel in the sky
Can fully bear that sight,
But downward bends his burning eye
At mysteries so bright.

Crown him the Lord of peace,
Whose power a scepter sways
From pole to pole, that wars may cease,
Absorbed in prayer and praise.
His reign shall know no end;
And round his pierced feet
Fair flowers of paradise extend
Their fragrance ever sweet.

Crown him the Lord of years,
the potentate of time;
creator of the rolling spheres,
ineffably sublime.
All hail, Redeemer, hail!
For thou hast died for me;
thy praise shall never, never fail
throughout eternity.

Benediction

Postlude - Postlude on “Darwall’s 148th” (arr. Brenda Portman)
Philip Everingham

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