16th Sunday after Pentecost

Central United Methodist Church in Fayetteville, Arkansas

September 12, 2021
11:00 a.m.
___________________________________________________________________________

CHIMING OF THE HOUR

GREETING AND OPENING PRAYER Rev. Carness Vaughan

OPENING VOLUNTARY Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing arr. Joel Raney
Scott Montgomery, organ

* CALL TO WORSHIP (based on Psalm 27; John 4:23) Dr. Steve Pulliam
Pastor: Let us worship God, our light and our salvation.
People: The Lord is the foundation of our lives.
Pastor: We desire to live in God’s house, and to seek God in his holy temple.
People: We have come with shouts of joy, to sing and to make music to the Lord.
Pastor: Let us worship God in spirit, faithfulness, and truth.
People: Teach us your ways and make straight our paths, in this hour
of worship and always.

* OPENING HYMN 100 God, Whose Love is Reigning o’er Us LAUDA ANIMA
1. God, whose love is reigning o’er us, source of all, the ending true;
hear the universal chorus raised in joyful praise to you:
Alleluia, Alleluia, worship ancient, worship new.
2. Word of God from nature bringing springtime green and autumn gold;
Mountain streams like children singing, ocean waves like thunder bold:
Alleluia, Alleluia, as creation’s tale is told.
3. Holy God of ancient glory, choosing man and woman, too;
Abr’am’s faith and Sarah’s story formed a people bound to you.
Alleluia, Alleluia, to your covenant keep us true.
4. Covenant, new again in Jesus, Starchild born to set us free;
Sent to heal us, sent to teach us how love’s children we might be.
Alleluia, Alleluia, risen Christ, our Savior he!
5. Lift we then our human voices in the songs that faith would bring;
Live we then in human choices lives that, like our music, sing:
Alleluia, Alleluia, joined in love our praises ring!

* AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (The Apostles’ Creed)

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried; the third day he rose from the dead;
he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

* GLORIA PATRI 70 MEINEKE

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.
 CALL TO PRAYER Dr. Steve Pulliam
When we gather to praise God, we remember that we are people who have preferred
our wills to his. Accepting his transforming power to become new persons in Christ,
let us confess our sin before God and one another.

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Almighty, all merciful God, through Christ Jesus you have taught us to love one another,
to love our neighbors as ourselves, and even to love our enemies. In these times of fear
and uncertainty, let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, so that we may not be
overcome with evil but overcome evil with good. Help us to see each person in light of
the love and grace you have shown us in Christ. Establish among us a future where
peace reigns, justice is done with mercy, and all are reconciled. We ask these things in
the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

PASTORAL PRAYER

THE 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 trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,
for Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

MINSITRY SPOTLIGHT Sisterhood of Hope

GIVING OF OUR TITHES AND OFFERING

OFFERTORY Precious Lord, Take My Hand arr. Jack Schrader

Chancel Choir

* DOXOLOGY 95 OLD 100th

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.

SCRIPTURE LESSON Genesis 12: 1-9

The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the
land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name
great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and
Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. He took his wife
Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in
Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. Abram traveled through the
land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the
land. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an
altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him. From there he went on toward the hills east of
Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the
LORD and called on the name of the Lord. Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.

This is the Word of God for the people of God.

Thanks be to God.

SERMON “THE STORY” Rev. Carness Vaughan

God Builds a Nation
* CLOSING HYMN 508 Faith, While Trees are Still in Blossom FOR THE BREAD

1. Faith, while trees are still in blossom, plans the picking of the fruit;
faith can feel the thrill of harvest when the buds begin to sprout.
2. Long before the dawn is breaking, faith anticipates the sun.
Faith is eager for the daylight, for the work that must be done.
3. Long before the rains were coming, Noah went and built an ark.
Abraham, the lonely migrant, saw the light beyond the dark.
4. Faith, uplifted, tamed the water of the undivided sea,
and the people of the Hebrews found the path that made them free.
5. Faith believes that God is faithful: God will be what God will be!
Faith accepts the call, responding, “A am willing, Lord, send me.”

* BENEDICTION

* CLOSING VOLUNTARY Postlude William Mathias

Scott Montgomery, organ
(*) The asterisk indicates to please stand, as you are able.

WORSHIP LEADERS
Rev. Carness Vaughan, Senior Pastor
Dr. Steve Pulliam, Executive Pastor
Dr. Frode Gundersen, Director of Music & Worship
Scott Montgomery, Associate Director of Music & Organist
Amy Hardin, Lawson Templeton, Lukas Croson, A/V
David Lee, Technical Director
Harper Deaton, Acolyte

MINISTRY SPOTLIGHT
Did you know that Central has a window ministry called Sisterhood of Hope? This ministry is for widows of all
ages, both newly and long-time widowed. Sisterhood of Hope is based on Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 where we learn
that two are better than one and with a friend you can face the worst of times. A new bible study for widows
begins today on Zoom and Grief Share for widows begins on Tuesday, Sept 28, both in person and on Zoom.
To get involved, contact the church office. Thank you Central for your continued generosity to make this
ministry possible.