Please use this link for the
Zoom Service July 28, 2024 at 8:30 AM
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81188368778?p30wd=QzZNMlFNNWVRVFIyUXZieWtNWkV0UT09
July 28, 2024
Acton Community Presbyterian Church
P.O. Box 177, 32142 Crown Valley Road, Acton, CA 93510
Message: 661-208-8032 w who ww.actonpc.org
1888 – 2024 Celebrating Heritage and Sharing Hope
“Nothing teaches us about the preciousness of the Creator as much as when we learn the emptiness of everything else.” ― Charles H. Spurgeon
WELCOME, ANNOUNCMENTS, GUESTS AND SPECIAL DAYS
THE TRAVELING PIANOS, 2024 By Sandy Madsen
CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God.
People: Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever.
Leader: The Lord sets the prisoners free, opens the eyes of the blind, and lifts up those who are bowed down.
People: The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord!
Leader: Let us worship God!
OPENING HYMN – #66 To God Be the Glory - Brown hymnal
1 To God be the glory - great things He hath done! So loved He the world that he gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin And opened the Life-gate that all may go in.
Refrain: Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father thru Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory - great things He hath done!
2 O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood! To ev'ry believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes, That moment from Jesus a pardon receives. {Refrain]
3 Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done, And great our rejoicing thru Jesus the Son;
But purer and higher and greater will be Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see. [Refrain]
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Lord God, when confronted by temptations, we are easily overcome. They allure us with promises we find hard to resist. We harbor fantasies of how our lives might have been. Our dreams become pervasive, hiding the truth of your love. Gracious God, have mercy upon us; enable us to discern deception when it appears. Enlighten us to your genuine renewal in Christ.
SILENT CONFESSION PRAYERS FOR GOD’S PEOPLE
OLD TESTAMENT READING: Psalm 50:1-23
The mighty one, God the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. Our God comes and does not keep silence, before him is a devouring fire, and a mighty tempest all around him He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people: ‘Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!’
The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge. ‘Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt-offerings are continually before me. I will not accept a bull from your house, or goats from your folds. For every wild animal of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the air, and all that moves in the field is mine. ‘If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and all that is in it is mine. Do I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High. Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.’ But to the wicked God says:
‘What right have you to recite my statutes, or take my covenant on your lips? For you hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you. You make friends with a thief when you see one, and you keep company with adulterers. ‘You give your mouth free rein for evil, and your tongue frames deceit. You sit and speak against your kin; These things you have done and I have been silent; you thought that I was one just like yourself.
But now I rebuke you, and lay the charge before you. ‘Mark this, then, you who forget God, or I will tear you apart, and there will be no one to deliver. Those who bring thanksgiving as their sacrifice honour me; to those who go the right way I will show the salvation of God.’ The Word of the Lord, Thanks be to God
NEW TESTAMENT READING: Romans 12:1-2
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your
spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world,[c] but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. The Word of the Lord, Thanks be to God
SERMON : Dr. Randy Working “The Mercies of God”
CALL FOR OFFERING–Congregation sings
- be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH: The Nicene Creed
I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten not made, being of one substance with the Father, through Whom all things were made: Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man: Who for us, too, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, suffered, and was buried: the third day He rose according to the Scriptures, ascended into heaven, and is seated on the right hand of the Father: He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom shall have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, Who proceeds from the Father and the Son: Who together with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified: Who spoke by the prophets. And I believe one holy, Christian, and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and life of the age to come. Amen.
HYMN – #371 Have Thine Own Way Lord - Brown hymnal
1 Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way! Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will, While I am waiting, yielded and still.
2 Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way! Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now, As in Thy presence humbly I bow.
3 Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!Wounded and weary, help me I pray!
Power - all power - surely is Thine! Touch me and heal me, Savior divine!
4 Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way! Hold o'er my being absolute sway!
Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see Christ only, always living in me!
HOLY COMMUNION
CLOSING HYMN #379 Take My Life and Let It Be - Brown hymnal
1 Take my life and let it be Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days -
Let them flow in ceaseless praise, Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
2 Take my hands and let them move At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be Swift and beautiful for Thee, Swift and beautiful for Thee.
3 Take my voice and let me sing Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips and let them be Filled with messages from Thee, Filled with messages from Thee.
4 Take my silver and my gold - Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect and use Ev'ry pow'r as Thou shalt choose, Ev'ry pow'r as Thou shalt choose.
5 Take my will and make it Thine - It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart - it is Thine own, It shall be Thy royal throne, It shall be Thy royal throne.
6 Take my love - my Lord, I pour At Thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself - and I will be Ever, only, all for Thee, Ever, only, all for Thee.
BENEDICTION – The Lord Be With You
Congregation sings
God be with you till we meet again, By his counsels guide, uphold you, With his sheep securely fold you God be with you till we meet again.
**Offerings
1. May be deposited in the Offering Box by the Narthex.
2. Processed through “E-Give” online at actonpc.org
3. Send a check to Acton Presbyterian Church P.O. Box 177 Acton, Ca. 93510
THE TRAVELING 
PIANOS 2024
As presented by Sandy Madsen
Pastor Randy introduced the “new piano” in church a couple Sundays ago. Here is how it happened.
When an Acton resident called the church line with an offer to donate his late mother’s piano to the church, Dottie contacted me and asked me to look into it which I did. The piano in question played well and was a better quality piano than we currently had. My piano tuner came and gave his assessment, which included some inner work that was needed. The black lacquer exterior needed some spiffing up from a piano restorer expert, who incidentally, had refinished my grand piano some years ago. We then consulted with the piano mover for moving costs, resulting in the total cost the church would incur if we were to accept the gift, which Session ultimately voted to do.
Note: As part of this acceptance, I suggested sending our “old” piano to Lancaster as it was in better condition that theirs, and gifting the Lancaster piano to a church member who wanted it so his son could learn to play, thus successfully completing all the moves.
Addendum: Last week I happened to run into a man who is a friend of the donor. In conversation I discovered, which I had not known throughout this whole transaction, that the piano had belonged to one of our church members, Marilyn Morgan (and husband Ron) whom I had known for many years. It was Marilyn’s son who had contacted us with this gift. I believe Marilyn’s piano is exactly where it belongs, making music in our church. Incidentally, the Morgans were instrumental in getting the organ for our church and gave a generous donation toward its purchase.
