*CALL TO WORSHIP (from Psalm 51 The Message)

O God, enter me; conceive a new, true life in me.

Set me to singing.

Tune me in to foot-tapping songs;

set these once-broken bones to dancing.

Set me to singing.

Make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life. Set me to singing.

Breathe holiness in me. Bring me back from gray exile,

put a fresh wind in my sails!

Set me to singing.

Unbutton my lips, dear God;

I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways. I’ll let loose with your praise. COME, LET US SING TOGETHER TO GOD.

*HYMN Purple Hymnal #821 My Life Flows On

INVITATION TO CONFESSION

PRAYER OF CONFESSION (Psalm 51, The Message)

Generous in love—God, give grace!

My sins are staring me down. I know I’ve fallen short.

You’re the One I’ve violated. You’ve seen it all.

You have all the facts before you–how I’ve been out of step with you. Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record.

Scrub away my guilt. Soak out my sins in your laundry.

My sins are staring me down. I know I’ve fallen short.

What you’re after is truth from the inside out.

Enter me, then. Conceive a new, true life in me.

–Silent Confession–

Assurance of forgiveness God soaks us and we come out clean. God scrubs and cleanses us. God gives us a clean bill of health. God commutes our death sentence, and grants us salvation.

Thanks be to God for the Good News: In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.

SCRIPTURE READING 2 Samuel 11:1-5, 12:1-7

HYMN #361 How Firm a Foundation

SERMON You are the man!

WE RESPOND TO GOD

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (from the Confession of 1967 9.25, 9.31)

As the church, we are emissaries of peace. We seek the good of all in cooperation with powers and authorities in politics, culture, and economics. But we have to fight against pretensions and injustices when these same powers endanger human welfare. Our strength is in our confidence that God’s purpose rather than human schemes will finally prevail.

To be reconciled to God is to be sent into the world as God’s reconciling community. Our community, the church universal, is entrusted with God’s message of reconciliation. We share God’s labor of healing the enmities which separate people from God and from each other. Christ calls us as the church to this mission. God gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit. We maintain continuity with the apostles and with Israel by faithful obedience to this call of God. Thanks be to God.

*CLOSING HYMN #562 Eternal Father, Strong to Save