From Rev. Ben:
After taking a week to join with Presbyterians from across the denomination in a worship that took us around the world, this week we will be returning to our regular (by which I suppose I mean “regular”) practice of doing celebration using a YouTube video play list, which can be found here:
View July 12th Celebration online
You can submit comments and prayer requests via our Comments Form at mpcfamily.org/comments . We’d love to hear from you!
If you are visiting today, we hope you’ll fill out our online Visitor Card at mpcfamily.org/hello .
- Marcia will be playing a prelude, Minuet from “Water Music” GF Handel
- Talitha will welcome us to celebration,
- Liam Gray will lead us in a call to celebration, using a poem by Carl Sandburg,
- The opening hymn is “How Can I Keep From Singing,”
- Nina Senn will lead us in a prayer for peace using an adaption of a prayer by the Nigerian Presbyterian ruling elder Akanu Ibaim,
- Deborah Brooks will read Romans 8:1-11,
- Ben will preach a sermon,
- The MPC brass quartet (Kel Bowen, Dean Elia, William Keys, and Annalise King)
- will play special music, “Holy, Holy, Holy” by Franz Schubert.
- Talitha will lead us in a pastoral prayer,
- The closing hymn is “When We Are Living”, and
- The final video will include announcements, invitations, our charge and a benediction.
HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING
My life goes on in endless song
Above earth´s lamentations,
I hear the real, though far-off hymn
That hails a new creation.
CHORUS: No storm can shake my inmost calm,
While to that Rock I´m clinging.
Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth
How can I keep from singing?
Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear that music ringing,
It finds an echo in my soul.
How can I keep from singing?
(Chorus)
What though my joys and comforts die?
I know my Savior liveth.
What though the darkness gather round?
Songs in the night he giveth.
(Chorus)
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
a fountain ever springing!
All things are mine
How can I keep from singing?
(Chorus)
WHEN WE ARE LIVING
- When we are living, it is in Christ Jesus,
and when we’re dying, it is in the Lord.
Both in our living and in our dying,
we belong to God; we belong to God. - Through all our living, we our fruits must give.
Good works of service are for offering.
When we are giving, or when receiving,
we belong to God; we belong to God. - ‘Mid times of sorrow and in times of pain,
when sensing beauty or in love’s embrace,
whether we suffer, or sing rejoicing,
we belong to God; we belong to God. - Across this wide world, we shall always find
those who are crying with no peace of mind,
but when we help them, or when we feed them, we belong to God; we belong to God.