Worship Guide

September 27, 2026

Gathering & Welcome

Call to Worship

Psalm 47:4-8

God has gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
For God is the King of all the earth;
Sing praises with a psalm!
All: God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne.

Who Is Like The Lord Our God

Our Father, He lifts from the ashes.
He raises the poor and the lost.
He seats them to dine at his table,
To feast without money or cost.
The lonely he settles in families.
The barren, a mother he makes.
O happy the heart of the stranger
Who’s welcomed by this King of Grace.

Who is like the LORD our God?
Who with glory fills the sky?
But humbles himself
With the broken to dwell;
Who is like our God?

Though equal to God in His glory,
Christ Jesus became like a slave;
He humbled himself in obedience
To Death, and the Cross, and the Grave.
Victorious, he rose to the highest;
In glory, the Savior was raised.
His name above all names exalted;
The heavens and earth sing His praise.

O Saints, fix your eyes on the Savior
And count all your righteousness lost.
Be found in his love and his favor,
And share in his death on the cross.
That all of his power in victory,
Imparted to you, may abound;
And sharing the suff’rings of Jesus,
You share in his glory and crown.

All Creatures of Our God and King

All creatures of our God and King,
Lift up your voice and with us sing:
Alleluia, alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam,
O praise him, O praise him,
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Thou rushing wind that art so strong,
Ye clouds that sail in heav’n along,
O praise him, alleluia!
Thou rising morn in praise rejoice,
Ye lights of evening, find a voice,
O praise him, O praise him,
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

And all ye men of tender heart,
Forgiving others, take your part,
O sing ye, alleluia!
Ye, who long pain and sorrow bear,
Praise God and on him cast your care,
O praise him, O praise him,
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship him in humbleness,
O praise him, alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, three in one,
O praise him, O praise him,
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Words: Francis of Assisi, ca. 1225; Trans. by William Draper, 1926. Music: German Tune, 1623.

Old Testament Reading

2 Kings 2:1-14

Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he said, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”

Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”

Then Elijah said to him, “Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. Fifty men of the sons of the prophets also went and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. Then Elijah took his cloak and rolled it up and struck the water, and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, till the two of them could go over on dry ground.

When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.” And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.” And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more.

Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. And he took up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, saying, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.

Ministry Update

Pastoral Prayer

Giving

As the giving baskets are passed, children ages 4 through 2nd grade are dismissed for children’s worship and the musicians will lead us in song.

We Labor Unto Glory

My God, my God, where e’er I go – glory.
Where I reap and where I sow – glory.
And my hands, they grip the thorn – glory
In the still and in the storm – glory, glory.

Oh, we labor unto glory
‘Til heaven and earth are one.
Oh, we labor unto glory
Until God’s kingdom comes.

The sun, it shines and then goes down – glory.
Rain, it pours and beats the ground – glory.
Dust, it blows and ends my days – glory.
Hearts, they burn beneath Your gaze – glory, glory.

My heart, my hands, they’re kingdom bound – glory.
Where thorns no longer curse the ground – glory.
Trim the wick, ignite the flame – glory.
My work, it will not be in vain – glory, glory.

The Porter’s Gate, 2017

Sermon

Why are you standing there?
Acts 1:1-11

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.

Be Thou My Vision

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that thou art—
Thou my best thought by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word;
I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.

Be thou my battle shield, sword for my fight;
Be thou my dignity, thou my delight,
Thou my soul’s shelter, thou my high tow’r:
Raise thou me heav’n-ward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance now and always:
Thou and thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my treasure thou art.

High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heav’n’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.

Ancient Irish Hymn / Public Domain

Benediction

All songs: CCLI License #11029770