Welcome – Pastor Gayle
Bringing in the Light – Acolyte
Call to Worship – Choir
Song – Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee – UMH 89
We will sing verses 1-3, organ interlude between verses 3 and 4
Joyful, joyful, we adore thee, God of glory, Lord of love;
hearts unfold like flowers before thee, opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark of doubt away.
Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day!
All thy works with joy surround thee, earth and heaven reflect thy
rays, stars and angels sing around thee, center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea,
chanting bird and flowing fountain, call us to rejoice in thee.
Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blest,
well-spring of the joy of living, ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our brother, all who live in love are thine;
teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine.
Interlude
Mortals, join the mighty chorus which the morning stars began;
love divine is reigning o’er us, binding all within its span.
Ever singing, march we onward, victors in the midst of strife;
joyful music leads us sunward in the triumph song of life.
Praises and Prayer
Prayers of the People – Pastor
Prayer for Illumination: Let us pray together.
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hidden. Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Scripture Reading – Philippians 3:7-16
Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal, but I press on to lay hold of that for which Christ has laid hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have laid hold of it, but one thing I have laid hold of: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal, toward the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us, then, who are mature think this way, and if you think differently about anything, this, too, God will reveal to you. Only let us hold fast to what we have attained.
L: The Word of God in scripture; for the Word of God within us and for the Word of God among us we say:
All: Thanks be to God.
Message – Pastor Gayle
Prayer of Confession – UMH 8
Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart. We have failed to be an obedient church. We have not done your will, we have broken your law, we have rebelled against your love, we have not loved our neighbors, and we have not heard the cry of the needy. Forgive us, we pray. Free us for joyful obedience, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Passing the Peace: The Peace of Christ be with you.
Offering
Offering Song – As a Fire Is Meant for Burning – TFWS 2237
The Great Thanksgiving – UMH 9
The Lord’s Prayer – UMH 895
Passing the Peace – May the peace of Christ be with you.
Sharing the Bread and Cup All are invited to the Lord’s table to receive the bread (the body of Christ, the Bread of heaven) and the cup (the blood of Christ, the cup of salvation).
Announcements
Song – The Lord Bless and Keep You – TFWS 2280
The Lord bless and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine on you
and be gracious, gracious.
The Lord bless and keep you, the Lord lift his countenance on you
and give peace, give you peace. Shalom. Shalom
Benediction
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This Week at Cokesbury
Front porch sitting and prayer Wednesdays 5:30pm
Friday with Friends October 20th and every Third Friday at 11 am. Bring a bag lunch. Food and conversation.
Spiritual formation groups Sunday 11:30am
Weekend food packing after worship in fellowship hall.
Choir practice Saturdays at 1pm adults. 2:30pm children.
English Language Class Saturdays at 10am
Later this month
Church yard sale Saturday October 21st
Charge Conference Sunday October 22nd at 11am
Fall Fun Fest Saturday October 28th
Next month
Welcome Table Potluck November 12th and every Second Sunday 11:30 am.
Loving Our Neighbors
Featherstone and Rippon Schools:
Weekend food bags. See shopping list for needed items. Also, gallon size zip lock bags.
Clothing. See list.
Community Garden Update: Mid-October preparing for next year
Connect with Cokesbury:
703.494.5400
Gmail : CokesburyUMC@gmail.com
Website : CokesburyUMC.church
Facebook : facebook.com/cokesburywoodbridge
Instagram : instagram.com/cokesburyumc_woodbridge/
Contact Pastor Gayle: 703.980.1029. Mondays are her sabbath.
Prayer List: Brenda, Benita, Genevieve, Mary, Beadnell and Carosi families, Israel, Palestine, Kyle, Lyn M., Barbara H., Marc T., Lily, Blanche, Bob and Kathy, Laura, Nalo, Fred and Beth W., Wenona, Mary J., Mark Y., Marian I., Al. Requests will be kept on the list for 4 weeks and then may be re-submitted. Send prayer requests to Pastor Gayle- prayer cards or email cokesburyumc@gmail.com