Service for the Lord's Day

You can hear the service, and offer your own prayer concerns and celebrations, by going to the John Knox Facebook page at 10:30 a.m.  You don't have to have a Facebook account to do this-- when the screen says "sign in or create an account,"  look for the smaller option below it that says "not now," and you will be taken to the page.  Scroll down to the livestream of worship!

Call to Worship    
All who thirst, come to the water.
Come, all who are weary;
come, all who yearn for forgiveness.
Drink deeply of these living waters.
Glory to you, O Lord, glory to you.


Psalm 102: 12-17
12 But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever;
    your name endures to all generations.
13  You will rise up and have compassion on Zion,
     for it is time to favor it;
     the appointed time has come.
14 For your servants hold its stones dear,
    and have pity on its dust.
15 The nations will fear the name of the Lord,
    and all the kings of the earth your glory.
16 For the Lord will build up Zion;
    he will appear in his glory.
17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute,
     and will not despise their prayer.
Gospel Reading:  Mark 13:1-8, 28-37
1 As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” 2 Then Jesus asked him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”
3 When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?” 5 Then Jesus began to say to them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. 6 Many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.
-------------
28 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. 35 Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, 36 or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”

Meditation

Please join with others in listening to the meditation, presented live at 10:30 a.m, on the John Knox Facebook page. 

Offering of Music:    In Christ Alone, arr. by David Wesley— performed as a virtual choir directed by the arranger, this choir is made up of 48 voices from 14 countries.  Please listen to this beautiful hymn performed in an innovative way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RY4CW5pte98

During this time, you may make an offering to John Knox by going to our homepage and scrolling to the bottom where you will see a link to online giving.  When you give this way, consider giving a little extra to defray the cost of this service.  If you prefer, you may mail you offerings to the church directly.  Even though we are far apart, the church's expenses remain the same.  

Prayers of the People* and the Lord’s Prayer
Waiting and Longing
God of the seasons,
God of the years,
God of the eons,
Alpha and Omega,
before us and after us.
You promise and we wait:
we wait with eager longing,
we wait amid doubt and anxiety,
we wait with patience thin
and then doubt,
and then we take life into our own hands.
We wait because you are the one and the only one.
We wait for your peace and your mercy,
for your justice and your good rule.
Give us your spirit that we may wait
obediently and with discernment,
caringly and without passivity,
trustingly and without cynicism
honestly and without utopianism,
Grant that our wait may be appropriate to your coming
soon and very soon,
soon and not late,
late but not too late.
We wait while the world groans in eager longing.

And now with confidence as the children of God, let us pray as Jesus taught his disciples:  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.  Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, now and forever.  Amen.
​
Benediction


Next week: Mark 11— the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

*prayer written by Walter Brueggemann, in Prayers for a Privileged People, Abingdon Press, 2010.