Weekly Program | calvary

Calvary Presbyterian Church of Big Lick
Open to the Spirit… Eager to Welcome… Ready to Serve.

SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
SEPTEMBER 13, 2026

WELCOME and ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRELUDE “Come, Christians, Join to Sing”
CALL TO WORSHIP: (Psalm 149)
One: We will extol You, our God and King; And we will bless Your name forever and ever
Many: Every day we will bless You, and we will praise Your name forever and ever.
PRAYER
* HYMN # 2    "Come Thou Almighty King"
* CALL TO CONFESSION
* PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Merciful God, You have given us life, time, abilities, and resources, inviting us to join in Your care for the world You made and love. To partner with You is exciting, but we confess that we struggle with our priorities.   We are often compelled more by fear than by faith, more by pleasure rather than by Your promises. Forgive us for those things that keep us from serving You and our neighbors with the gifts You have given.  By Your Holy Spirit, take away our fear and heal our selfish ways that we may use what You have entrusted to us to serve our neighbors and bring honor to Jesus' name, we pray, Amen.
(A Time of Silent Confession)
* WORDS OF ASSURANCE (Psalm 130:3, 4)
Hope in the LORD; for with the LORD there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption. Know that in Jesus Christ’s work and through the faith given freely by our heavenly Father, we are forgiven.
* RESPONSE: Hymn # 649 “Amazing Grace” (v. 1)
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now I’m found, was blind but now I see.”
PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION
SCRIPTURE READING:
Luke 15 (NKJV)
15 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. 8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins[a] and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ 28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
One: This is the Word of the LORD.
Many: Thanks be to God.
TIME WITH YOUNG CHRISTIANS
SERMON “The Joy of Finding the Lost and Being Found” Elder David Wood
* AFFIRMATION OF FAITH: The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth,
And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried;
he descended into hell;
the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.
* HYMN # 784 “O Jesus, I Have Promised”
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE: (concluding with the Lord’s Prayer)
… 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.
OUR OFFERING
* THE DOXOLOGY: Hymn 606 “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow”
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.
* PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
* HYMN # 738 “O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee”
* CHARGE AND BENEDICTION (Jude 24-25)
One: Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior who alone is wise, be glory and majesty dominion and power both now and forever.
All: Amen.
* CLOSING: Hymn # 748 “Go With Us Lord,”
“Go with us Lord and guide the way through this and every coming day, that in your Spirit strong and true our lives may be our gift to you.”
* indicates places to stand, if you are able
THE SESSION
Nancy Buchanan Karen Shanks Bill Beckett
Bill Heinsch * Dianne Speicher    Trish Jolley*
Martha Weaver Debby Wilson* Trudy Rauch
Vickie Rhea – Clerk of Session
* = serving second term (and therefore cannot be re-elected)