Bulletin

Welcome to United Christian Parish! Use the bulletin as guidance as you worship.
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NOVEMBER 1 ORDER OF WORSHIP

PRELUDE

WELCOME

CALL TO WORSHIP
One: We gather with gratitude for those who have gone before us.
All: Their love and faithfulness continue to shape our lives.
One: We gather with hope for all that God is still calling us to do.
All: Each of us has gifts to share and a place in God's unfolding story.
One: Like Solomon, we ask God for wisdom and understanding.
All: Open our hearts to listen, our minds to discern, and our lives to serve. Let us worship God together!

OPENING SONG *
“For All the Saints” (#637, verses 1, 2,5)
For all the saints, who from their labors rest,
who thee by faith before the world confessed,
thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest.
Alleluia, alleluia!

O blest communion, fellowship divine!
We live and struggle, they in glory shine;
yet all are one in thee, for all are thine.
Alleluia, alleluia!

From earth's wide bounds, from ocean's farthest coast,
through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
singing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost:
Alleluia, alleluia!

CALL TO CONFESSION *

PRAYER OF CONFESSION *
One: God of wisdom and grace, forgive us when we listen only to ourselves and fail to hear the needs of others.
All: Forgive us when we hold tightly to what we have instead of sharing generously, or when we forget the people whose faithfulness helped bring us to this place.
One: Give us listening hearts, willing spirits, and the courage to use our gifts wisely.
All: Faithful God, we give you thanks for the people whose lives have helped shape our faith—those who taught us, encouraged us, challenged us, and showed us what it means to love. 
One: As we remember them today, open our hearts to your wisdom.
All: Help us learn from the past, care for one another in the present, and work together toward the future you envision for us.
One: May our worship deepen our gratitude for the past and renew our commitment to the future we are building together.

MOMENT OF SILENCE

ASSURANCE OF PARDON *
One: God's love is greater than our failures, and God's grace invites us to begin again. We are not called to be perfect, but to keep growing in wisdom, generosity, and love. Friends, hear the good news: In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and made new.
All: Thanks be to God! Amen.

GLORIA *
“Glory to God”
Glory to God, whose goodness shines on me,
and to the Son, whose grace has pardoned me,
and to the Spirit, whose love has set me free.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. Amen.
World without end, without end. Amen.
World without end, without end. Amen.
World without end, without end. Amen.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. Amen.

PASSING THE PEACE

OFFERING

DOXOLOGY
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise Christ, all people here below;
praise Holy Spirit evermore;
praise Triune God, whom we adore.
Amen.

CHILDREN’S TIME

BELLS
BEACH SPRING, arr. Michael Helman

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

SCRIPTURE (1 Kings 3:4–9, (10–15), 16–28)

SERMON

REMEMBERING THE SAINTS

PRAYER
One: For all the saints whose lives have blessed ours, For the love they shared and the faith they passed on,
All: We give you thanks, O God.
One: For the promise that nothing can separate us from your love,
All: We give you thanks, O God.
One: God of all generations, we give thanks for these beloved lives, the saints who have gone before us—
for those whose names we have spoken today and for all those whose faith, love, and kindness continue to shape us. Comfort those who grieve, strengthen us through their example, and remind us that in life and in death, we belong to you.
All: We pray for all who grieve, especially those for whom this year has brought loss. May treasured memories bring comfort, and may your love sustain them in the days ahead.
One: We pray for those who lead and serve in our communities and throughout the world. Give them listening hearts, compassionate spirits, and the wisdom to seek justice and peace.
All: We pray for those who are struggling—with illness, uncertainty, loneliness, financial hardship, or difficult decisions. Help us recognize their needs and respond with generosity and care.
One: We pray for our congregation. Thank you for the many people who have built and sustained UCP through the years.
All: Help us honor their legacy, not simply by remembering what they did, but by continuing the work of love and service they began.
One: Give us wisdom as we look toward the future. Help us listen to one another, welcome new voices, and use our gifts faithfully.
All: Remind us that each person has something to offer and that together we can accomplish more than any one of us could alone.
One: We offer these prayers in the name of Jesus Christ, who unites us in love across all generations. Amen.

COMMUNION

INVITATION TO STEWARDSHIP

PRAYER
One: Gracious God, we thank you for welcoming us to your table, where we are reminded that we belong to you and to one another.
All: We give you thanks for all who have brought us to this moment—for the saints who came before us,  for the people who serve among us today, and for the generations yet to come.  May the grace we have received strengthen us to listen with compassion, serve with generosity, and live with wisdom.
One: Generous God, receive these pledges and the commitments they represent. Like the pieces of this mosaic, may our gifts come together to create something beautiful and meaningful.
All: Give us listening hearts to recognize the needs around us, wisdom to use our resources faithfully, and courage to follow where you lead.
One: Bless the ministry we share, that through our life together others may experience your love, justice, and grace. We pray all this in the name of Christ's who taught us to pray saying…

LORD’S PRAYER
All: 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. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

CLOSING SONG *
“The Church's One Foundation” (#272, verses 1-2,5)
The Church’s one foundation
is Jesus Christ our Lord;
we are his new creation
by water and the Word;
from heaven he came and sought us
to be his holy bride;
with his own blood he bought us,
and for our life he died.

Called forth from every nation,
yet one o’er all the earth;
our charter of salvation:
one Lord, one faith, one birth.
One holy name professing
and at one table fed,
to one hope always pressing,
by Christ’s own Spirit led.

We now on earth have union
with God, the Three in One,
and mystic sweet communion
with those whose rest is won.
Oh, happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we
like them, the meek and lowly,
on high may dwell with thee.

CLOSING MESSAGE *
One: As we go from this place, may we carry with us the wisdom of those who have gone before us, the love of those who walk beside us, and the hope of those who will come after us.
All: And may we remember that each of us has a part to play in God's unfolding story.
One: Go in peace, knowing that by God's grace, we are better together. Amen.

POSTLUDE

*Rise in body or spirit