Dear Congregation,
The Great Lakes Presbytery had a profitable meeting in Traverse City last weekend. It was especially good to see how the wives of the pastors and elders have been building connections. I am hopeful that this will also help us develop better our connections across the presbytery.
Please remember Gloria Kling in your prayers. Gary’s funeral will be on Monday at noon at the church building.
Ginger, Lorna, and I will be leaving on Tuesday. Please pray for safety as we travel and for a good visit with Rex and Becca and their family.
We will have two professors from Mid-America preaching for our morning services in my absence: the Rev. Dr. Mark Beach will preach for us next Sunday morning, followed by the Rev. Mark Vander Hart — while in the evening service we will have the Rev. Matthew Barker of Grace Reformed OPC in Walkerton on October 1, followed by Joel on October 8.
Sermon Series
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).
Lamentations is especially appropriate as we consider the sorrow and suffering of so many in our world — and in our own community. It also has a particularly appropriate connection to the end of the book of Exodus: Exodus 40 tells us how the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle — as the LORD came to dwell with his people. Lamentations mourns over the departure of the LORD — and particularly how the LORD scorned his altar, disowned his sanctuary. Together, both passages demonstrate our need for Jesus — because only in Jesus do we find a temple that God will never disown!
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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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)
- 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.
Blessings,
Pastor Peter
Morning Worship
“You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God…”
*Call to Worship Psalm 148
Pastor: Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in all the heights!qPraise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts! Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!
People: Let them praise the name of the LORD! For he commanded and they were created. And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.
Pastor: Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word! Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! Beasts and all livestock, creeping things and all birds! Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! Young men and maidens together, old men and children!
People: Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven. He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his saints, for the people of Israel who are near to him!
All: Praise the LORD!
*Hymn of Approach PHSS 188 “Only-Begotten, Word of God Eternal”
Preparation for Confession
Prayer of Confession with Lord’s Prayer (From Psalm 80)
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead your people like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth. Stir up your might, and come to save us! Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved! Do not be angry, Lord, but hear our prayer. For we have sinned against you and done what is evil in your sight. We have turned aside from your glory, and have walked in darkness, preferring the lies of the world, the flesh and the devil, to the light of your glorious truth. Restore us, O Lord God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved! Forgive us for our sins, through the blood of the righteous one, Jesus Christ, and grant to us your Holy Spirit, that we might more and more die unto sin, and live unto righteousness, through him who loved us and gave himself for us, even our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray, “Our Father…”
Declaration of Pardon
*Hymn of Praise Psalm 29 “Now Unto the LORD”
*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 Exodus 38:21-40:38 (p. 60)
*Psalm of Response Psalm 68 “God Shall Arise” (stanzas 1, 2, 5, 7, 9)
New Testament Reading Matthew 17 (p. 1008)
Sermon “The Glory of the LORD” – Pastor Peter Wallace
1. The Records of the Tabernacle (38:21-31)
2. “As the LORD Had Commanded Moses”: Making the Priestly Garments (39:1-31)
- The Ephod (v1-5)
- The Onyx Stones of Remembrance (v6-7)
- The Breastpiece (v8-21)
- The Robe (v22-26)
- The Garments for the Priests (v27-29)
- The High Priest’s Crown (v30-31)
3. “Then Moses Blessed Them”: Final Summary of the Work (39:32-43)
4. The Assembly of the Tabernacle (40:1-33)
- Tabernacle Before Priest: The LORD Explains the Process (v1-15)
- “So Moses Finished the Work” – As the LORD Had Commanded (v16-33)
5. The LORD Dwells with His People (40:34-38)
*Hymn of Praise TH 598 “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah”
“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 Martin Bucer)
Almighty, gracious, heavenly Father, we give you eternal praise and thanks that through your holy Gospel and Sacrament, you have again offered and presented to us your most precious treasure: the true bread of heaven and the food of eternal life, our Lord Jesus Christ. Grant, O Lord, that we may receive Him and partake of Him in true faith both now and forever, and so be nourished by his flesh and blood that we may be set free from all evil and increase daily in all goodness, to your glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
*Closing Hymn TH 420 “At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing”
*Benediction
Evening Worship
*Call to Worship
*Prayer of Invocation
*Hymn of Praise – Psalm 75 “We Give You Thanks, O God”
Psalms and Hymns
Scripture Reading Lamentations 2 (pp. 531, 810)
Sermon “Grief, Guilt, and the Need for Prayer” Pastor Peter Wallace
1. The Fierce Anger of the Lord against Daughter Zion (v1-8)
- Cast Down
- Has Not Remembered
- Swallowed Up
- Broken Down
- Cut Down
- Withdrawn
- Burned
- Bent His Bow
- Laid Waste
- Scorned
2. The Distress of the City (v9-12)
- Her Gates
- Her King and Princes
- Her Prophets
- The Elders and Young Women
- My Eyes Weep
- as Babies Die
3. A Lament for You, O Virgin Daughter Zion (v13-19)
- What Comfort?
- Your Prophets Deceived You
- Those Around You Mock and Rail Against You
- The LORD Has Done What He Purposed
- So Cry Out to the Lord for the Sake of Your Children!
4. A Plea from Zion for Her Children (v20-22)
Congregational Prayer
*Apostles’ Creed (p.845)
*Hymn of Praise Psalm 79 “LORD, the Nations Have Invaded”
*Benediction
