Dear Congregation,
This week’s Pastoral Notes are being sent by the Pastor’s wife!
Peter is spending the next few days with Rex in Yushu, and can’t send the notes from there. I’ll let him tell of his experience when he returns. Becca and I are hanging out at home with the kids. We do have a bit of shopping to do while we are here…
Last week, Becca and I and the girls made the trip to Yushu by ourselves–talk about girl road trip–that was a blast! The mountains are Amazing. The lakes are many, and filled with birds and ducks that I haven’t seen before. And yak. Yak are Everywhere. They wander the hillsides, and the roads. We had to keep a constant look out so that we didn’t run into one on the road. Besides the damage to the vehicle, the money you have to pay to the owner is quite a lot–and you don’t even get to keep the meat…
One of our days in Yushu, Lorna and I followed Becca and her girls up the side of a mountain pass that was 14,800 ft at the top. Gorgeous. Awesome. And eventually you gather enough oxygen to make it all the way up…It was a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
It has been neat to see very similar landscape here in China as in Scotland. It was yet another way that we saw the unity of creation here–the same God that made Scotland , made China–and used a lot of the same mountain shapes, rock formations, peat moss and even gorse bushes in both places! Two very different places–but yet very alike. We know that He has made us all, but to see His image in each person is something that we often miss. It has been a joy to meet so many others here that know Him, and those that don’t–but to remember that God’s presence and His mercy is here. He has not left this place, He created this place for His glory as well. We pray that He will continue to make is presence known to the people here.
We are enjoying our time here and feel blessed to see and know what life looks like here for Rex and Becca. We see God working in the people here, and yet at the same time we cry with our brothers and sisters, “Come Lord Jesus, make this world right!” We seek His mercy and we cling to the Hope that is ours in Christ Jesus!
Looking forward to seeing you all soon!!
For His Glory,
Ginger, Peter and Lorna
Sermon Series
This Sunday morning we will have the Rev. Dr. Mark VanderHart preaching for us, and Joel will preach this Sunday evening.
In the morning service, I am preaching through the book of Exodus. After finishing Exodus, I will preach Philemon in October and then Book Four of the Psalms from November-January.
In the evening I am preaching through Lamentations and then Daniel (Joel will continue preaching once a month during the school year).
Prayer Requests
-
- For rulers and those in authority
- For the spread of the gospel
- Missionaries
- Will Traub (Dundee, Scotland)
- Jamie & Julia Thornton (Ukraine)
- Nell (France)
- C family (that place over there)
- Bruce and Pat (France)
- Markus & Sharon Jeromin (Uruguay)
- Lee & Emma DeHoog (North Africa)
- PCA Ministries
- Mission to the World, Mission to North America, Reformed University Ministries, Interchurch Relations, Christian Education & Publications, Covenant College and Seminary, etc.
- Missionaries
-
- Great Lakes Presbytery
- Pastor Wallace serves on the Mission to North America Committee (church planting & Reformed University Fellowship)
- Mark Hanson serves on the Administrative Committee (reading session minutes, stewardship, and nominating members for committee service)
- Joel Irvin serves on the Candidates & Credentials Committee (examining and overseeing candidates for the ministry)
- Michiana Area Churches
- Grace Reformed OPC (Walkerton) — Pastor Matt Barker
- Elkhart RPCNA (Elkhart) — Pastor Wade Mann
- Grace Fellowship Church (Bremen) — Pastor Jon Hueni
- Grace Baptist Fellowship (Warsaw) — Pastor Aaron Hoak
- Fulkerson Park Baptist Church (Niles) — Pastor Brian Hedges
- Hillsdale OPC — Pastor Everett Henes
- New City EPC (South Bend) — Pastor Luke Potter
- Greater Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church (South Bend) — Pastor Earl Hairston
- All churches where Christ is preached.
- Great Lakes Presbytery
-
- Pastor Peter and pastoral intern Joel
- Preaching Christ faithfully
- Discipleship and imitating Christ (as husband, father, and pastor)
- Writing and teaching projects
- MCPC Elders and Deacons
- for wisdom in leading the congregation
- praise for cash offer for the former LaPorte church building
- Elders: Jay, Mark, Rex, Joel, Stephen, and Jacob
- Deacons: Hugh, Mihkail, Jake, Dan, Matthew, and Bob
- That we would be salt and light in our community
- Pastor Peter and pastoral intern Joel
- For those who are suffering, pray both for relief and for grace to endure in the midst of trials
- hurricanes in the southeast and wildfires in the northwest
- in our community
- Patty (Jamie Irvin’s mother) — recovery from transplant
- Myrle Rowley’s great-grandson, Isaac (leukemia)
- in our congregation
- Bob Taylor (traumatic brain injury)
- loss of loved ones
- wisdom that we might always number our days
- For students, wisdom to prepare effectively for future service
- Students away from home:
- Immanuel Deliyannides (Calvin)
- Olivia Deliyannides (Calvin)
- Lena Wallace (Bethel)
- Students away from home:
- For those who are looking for employment, that God would provide them with gainful employment so that they might provide for their households and be useful in the kingdom of God:
- Alli Smiley
- For teachers, wisdom to train students for that service
- For the Michiana Covenant Academy as we seek to provide assistance to home schoolers
- For other area Christian (e.g., Covenant, Elkhart, and Granger Christian Schools) and public schools
- For home school teachers and students
- For husbands and wives; parents and children
- Lynns — with Audrey’s transition
- Longs — living in Germany, Maria’s schooling
- For those who desire children
- Irvins (fostering)
- For pregnant mothers
- Margaret McMillan
- Margaret McCarthy
- For those seeking to adopt
- For singles, both wisdom to devote themselves fully to Christ’s service and also (for those who desire it) a godly spouse
- For those preparing for marriage
If you would like a particular prayer request to appear in the Pastoral Notes, please let me know.
Here is the order of worship for Sunday.
Morning Worship
“You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God…”
*Call to Worship (Psalms 65, 66, Habakkuk 2:20)
Pastor: Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise!
People: All earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.
Pastor: Come and see what God has done, he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.
People: By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.
Pastor: Blessed is the one you choose and bring near to dwell in your courts!
People: We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!
Pastor: The LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him!
*Hymn of Approach PHSS 225 “We Have Come to Zion’s Mount”
Preparation for Confession
Prayer of Confession with Lord’s Prayer (from Daniel 9)
O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and mercy with those who love you, and with those who keep your commandments, we have sinned against you, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by ignoring your commands and judgments. Nor have we heeded your servants, who spoke in your Name to our fathers and all nations.
We have forgotten you, O Lord, who made us, gave us breath, life, and all things which we enjoy. We have not obeyed your voice, to walk in your ways, which you set before us. O Lord, according to all your righteousness, we ask remove your anger from your people, for our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, who atoned for our iniquity, put an end to sin and brought everlasting righteousness.
Now therefore, our Father, hear the prayer of your servants, and for Christ’s sake turn your face to us and have mercy upon us. O our God, turn your ear and hear; open your eyes and see our desperate condition which we are unable to change; for we do not present our requests before you because of our righteous deeds, but because of your great mercies and promises.
O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for your own sake, O Father, for your church and your people are called by your Name. And this we ask in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray, “Our Father…”
Declaration of Pardon
*Hymn of Praise Psalm 47 “All Nations, Clap Your Hands and Shout”
*Offertory Prayer
Offering
*Doxology Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Praise him all creatures here below! Praise him above, ye heavenly hosts! Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost! Amen.
“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts…”
Old Testament Reading 2 Samuel 12:1-15 (p. 60)
*Psalm of Response Psalm 51 “Have Mercy on Me”
New Testament Reading Romans 3:21-4:8 (p. 1008)
Sermon “God Justifies the Ungodly” Rev. Mark Vander Hart
- Our Sorry Condition
- God’s Perfect Provision
- Mine Through Faith Alone
*Hymn of Praise TH 461 “Not What My Hands Have Done”
“Now therefore, O LORD, let your word be confirmed…”
Congregational Prayer
*Nicene Creed (p.846)
Lord’s Supper
Exhortation & Blessing
Pastor The Lord be with you
People And also with you
Pastor Lift up your hearts
People We lift them up to the Lord
Pastor Let us give thanks to the Lord our God
People It is right to give him thanks and praise
Pastor prays: It is indeed right, and a good and joyful thing . . .
The Peace
Communion (We use wine as the element commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ. We provide grape juice in the outer ring for those who conscientiously abstain from wine.)
Prayer of Thanksgiving (from the Canadian Reformed)
Merciful God and Father, we thank you that in your boundless mercy you have given us your only-begotten Son as our Mediator. We praise you that he is the sacrifice for our sins and that through him you have drawn us into fellowship with you and with one another. And now we ask that we, being strengthened in faith through this sacrament, might bring forth the fruit of thankfulness in our whole life, until that glorious day, promised by our Lord Jesus Christ, when we will drink of the fruit of the vine in the kingdom of his Father, to whom be all glory, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
*Closing Hymn TH 421 “Soul, Adorn Yourself with Gladness”
*Benediction
