Page Updated by Sunday Morning
Sunday, July 26, 2026 -- 10:30am Worship Service
This week’s bulletin art is a painting by American artist, Georgia O’Keefe (1887-1986), “Sky above Clouds IV”, 1965. Housed at The Art Institute of Chicago, this painting spans 8 feet tall by 24 feet wide. It is one painting from a series of cloudscapes produced towards the end of her life as she was facing macular degeneration.
INTROIT 411 - God Is Here Today (first time in English, second time in Spanish)
God is here today;
as certain as the air I breathe,
as certain as the morning sun that rises,
as certain when I sing you’ll hear my song.
Dios está aquí,
tan cierto como el aire que respiro,
tan cierto como la mañana se levanta,
tan cierto como que le canto y me puede oír.
GREETING & ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRELUDE - Be Thou My Vision, arr. Audrey Assad, Ryan and Mary Beth McGuffey, violin
CALL TO WORSHIP
O give thanks to God!
Remember the wonderful things God has done!
Glory in God’s holy name!
Sing of God’s acts and promises!
We will seek God’s presence;
let the hearts of those who seek God rejoice.
+ HYMN 772 -Live In To Hope
+ CONFESSION & PARDON
God of grace, we want to understand what the kingdom of heaven is like, but our minds are clouded by cares and concerns of the world. We fail to trust your power, hidden in all things. We fail to watch for you, working out your purposes in mysterious ways. We fail to be whole-hearted in our faith and discipleship. We fail to put our trust in the treasures of your kingdom instead of the treasures of the world. Gracious God, hidden and manifest, give us eyes to see and ears to hear your good news for the world even here and now. Transform our lives and our world by your grace.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!
Thanks be to God.
RESPONSE TO FORGIVENESS - 581- Gloria Patri
PASSING OF THE PEACE
CHILDREN'S MESSAGE
PRAYER FOR OPENNESS -
Lord God, refresh us with living water, illuminate our path with your light, speak to us with the still small voice, and calm the storms of our lives with your peace. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING - Psalm 105.1-5 OT pg 556 (NSRVUE)
O give thanks to the Lord; call on his name; make known his deeds among the peoples.
Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wonderful works.
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually.
Remember the wonderful works he has done, his miracles and the judgments he has uttered...
ANTHEM - The Lord’s Prayer, A. H. Malotte, Cindi Kupar, soprano
SCRIPTURE READING - Matthew 13.31-33, 44.52 NT pg 14
He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened. The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and reburied; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
SERMON - “The Kingdom is Bigger Than it Looks”, Rev. Greg Kupar
+ STATEMENT OF FAITH - From a portion of the PCUSA’s “Brief Statement of Faith”
In a broken and fearful world the Spirit gives us courage to pray without ceasing, to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior, to unmask idolatries in Church and culture, to hear the voices of peoples long silenced, and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace. In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks and to live holy and joyful lives, even as we watch for God’s new heaven and new earth, praying, “Come, Lord Jesus!”
+ HYMN 714 - God of the Fertile Fields
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE & THE LORD’S PRAYER
OFFERING
• OFFERTORY - How Firm a Foundation, for text see hymnal No. 463
+ • DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessing flow Praise Christ the Word in flesh born low;
Praise Holy Spirit evermore; One God, Triune, whom we adore. Amen.
+ • PRAYER OF DEDICATION
+ HYMN 546 - Lord Dismiss Us With Thy Blessings
+ CHARGE & BENEDICTION
+ BENEDICTION RESPONSE - Hymn 540, Farewell, Good Friends!
Farewell, good friends! Farewell, good friends! Shalom, Shalom!
Till we meet again, till we meet again, shalom, shalom.
POSTLUDE - Hymn Medley, arr. B. C. Dockery, Ryan and Mary Beth McGuffey, violin
INTROIT 411 - God Is Here Today (first time in English, second time in Spanish)
God is here today;
as certain as the air I breathe,
as certain as the morning sun that rises,
as certain when I sing you’ll hear my song.
Dios está aquí,
tan cierto como el aire que respiro,
tan cierto como la mañana se levanta,
tan cierto como que le canto y me puede oír.
GREETING & ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRELUDE - Be Thou My Vision, arr. Audrey Assad, Ryan and Mary Beth McGuffey, violin
CALL TO WORSHIP
O give thanks to God!
Remember the wonderful things God has done!
Glory in God’s holy name!
Sing of God’s acts and promises!
We will seek God’s presence;
let the hearts of those who seek God rejoice.
+ HYMN 772 -Live In To Hope
+ CONFESSION & PARDON
God of grace, we want to understand what the kingdom of heaven is like, but our minds are clouded by cares and concerns of the world. We fail to trust your power, hidden in all things. We fail to watch for you, working out your purposes in mysterious ways. We fail to be whole-hearted in our faith and discipleship. We fail to put our trust in the treasures of your kingdom instead of the treasures of the world. Gracious God, hidden and manifest, give us eyes to see and ears to hear your good news for the world even here and now. Transform our lives and our world by your grace.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!
Thanks be to God.
RESPONSE TO FORGIVENESS - 581- Gloria Patri
PASSING OF THE PEACE
CHILDREN'S MESSAGE
PRAYER FOR OPENNESS -
Lord God, refresh us with living water, illuminate our path with your light, speak to us with the still small voice, and calm the storms of our lives with your peace. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING - Psalm 105.1-5 OT pg 556 (NSRVUE)
O give thanks to the Lord; call on his name; make known his deeds among the peoples.
Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wonderful works.
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually.
Remember the wonderful works he has done, his miracles and the judgments he has uttered...
ANTHEM - The Lord’s Prayer, A. H. Malotte, Cindi Kupar, soprano
SCRIPTURE READING - Matthew 13.31-33, 44.52 NT pg 14
He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened. The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and reburied; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
SERMON - “The Kingdom is Bigger Than it Looks”, Rev. Greg Kupar
+ STATEMENT OF FAITH - From a portion of the PCUSA’s “Brief Statement of Faith”
In a broken and fearful world the Spirit gives us courage to pray without ceasing, to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior, to unmask idolatries in Church and culture, to hear the voices of peoples long silenced, and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace. In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks and to live holy and joyful lives, even as we watch for God’s new heaven and new earth, praying, “Come, Lord Jesus!”
+ HYMN 714 - God of the Fertile Fields
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE & THE LORD’S PRAYER
OFFERING
• OFFERTORY - How Firm a Foundation, for text see hymnal No. 463
+ • DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessing flow Praise Christ the Word in flesh born low;
Praise Holy Spirit evermore; One God, Triune, whom we adore. Amen.
+ • PRAYER OF DEDICATION
+ HYMN 546 - Lord Dismiss Us With Thy Blessings
+ CHARGE & BENEDICTION
+ BENEDICTION RESPONSE - Hymn 540, Farewell, Good Friends!
Farewell, good friends! Farewell, good friends! Shalom, Shalom!
Till we meet again, till we meet again, shalom, shalom.
POSTLUDE - Hymn Medley, arr. B. C. Dockery, Ryan and Mary Beth McGuffey, violin