Second Presbyterian Church

Second Presbyterian Church Oil City

1 day ago

Order of service Oct 4, 2026@11am Eastern

October 4, 2026 World Communion Sunday

A Joint service of First and Second Presbyterian Churches

World Communion Sunday (originally called World Wide Communion Sunday) originated in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). In 1936, for the first time, the first Sunday in October was celebrated in Presbyterian churches. From the beginning, it was had an ecumenical focus., After a few years, the idea spread beyond the Presbyterian Church. The Federal Council of Churches (a predecessor body of the National Council of Churches) was first associated with World Wide Communion Sunday in 1940. Today, Christians all over the world will break bread together and remember Jesus through the celebration of Communion--a powerful sign that Christ’s table transcends denominational lines.

Prelude Tech Team
Welcome and Announcements

Call to Worship (based on Psalm 80)
L/ Restore your people, Lord; make your face shine upon us that we may know we are saved.
P/ You planted the vine which you rescued from slavery in Egypt. You saved us and made us to grow into all the world.
L/ Restore your people, Lord; make your face shine upon us that we may know we are saved.
P/ Watch over us as the vine you planted and unite us together as your people. Lord; make your face shine upon us that we may know we are saved.

Hymn of Praise: # 1 Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee

Confession and Assurance
L/ Let us take a moment of silence to reflect on our need for forgiveness…
P/ Loving God, through Jesus Christ, you taught us, “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21) Yet we continue to put our faith in earthly treasures, hoarding up possessions that moth and rust will destroy, clinging to power and privilege whenever we can. Set us free from greed and fear. Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Teach us to trust in you alone; through Jesus Christ, our true redeemer. Amen
L/ Hear these words of scripture: “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have had the sinful nature crucified with its passions and desires and now we live by te Spirit. Keep step with the Spirit.” (Galatians 5: 24-25) Beloved this is the Good News! Jesus has come and washed us in His blood and we are free now to love and serve Him! Amen!
Passing of Peace
Doxology “Glory be to the Father…”

Children’s Chat Tammy Botts

Reading Scripture
Prayer for Illumination
Old Testament: Micah 6: 3-8
New Testament: Philippians 3: 4b-11

Sermon Reflections by CP Josh Botts and Rev. Dr. Tim Harmon

Affirmation of Faith: (180, The Apostles’ Creed, PCUSA Book of Confessions 2.1-2.3)
All/ I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son and our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell. On the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

We Offer Our Tithes of Time, Talent, and Resources
Hymn: Praise God from Whom All Blessing Flow
Prayers of the People

Sacrament of the Lord’s Table
Words of Institution 1 Corinthians 11: 23-26

Invitation
L/ The Lord be with you P/ And also with you
L/ Lift your hearts P/ We lift them to God
L/ Let us give thanks P/Praise and thanks to our God

L/ It is right and our greatest joy to give you thanks and praise, loving God, creator and sustainer of life. You planted the first fields — wheat, barley, rice, and maize — and made us in your image to care for your creation. You fed your people in the wilderness with manna from heaven, leading them to a land of milk and honey. When human greed trampled the poor you spoke through the prophets, calling us to worship you with justice and peace.
L/ Then, in the fullness of time, you sent Jesus Christ, the living bread, to lift up the oppressed and lowly and fill the hungry with good things. Therefore, we praise you, joining the faithful who hunger and thirst for righteousness and singing the hymn of the whole creation:

P/ Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, Heaven and earth are full of your glory. (Isaiah 6: 3; Revelation 4:8) Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is the one that comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest! (Psalm 118:25; Matthew 21:9)

L/ We praise you, most holy God, for Jesus Christ, your Word made flesh. He taught us to share the abundance of your love, feeding the multitude, eating with sinners and strangers, offering his own body to save us, and pouring out his life for the world. When the risen Christ appeared to his disciples, he made himself known to them in the breaking of the bread.
L/ Even now Christ sets the table for us, inviting all to taste and see that you are good. We remember on the night he was betrayed…
L/ And after the supper, as was the custom, he took the cup of blessing… As His disciples today we share in this feast and the call to spread unity, love, and justice.

P/ By eating this bread and drinking this cup we remember…we celebrate…we proclaim Christ’s love and coming again.

L/ Gracious God, pour out your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these your gifts of bread and wine that the bread we break and the cup we bless may be the communion of the body and blood of Christ. By your Spirit make us one with Christ, and one with all who share this meal, a great multitude from every nation.
L/ Keep us faithful to Christ’s teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers, sharing our goods with one another, and giving our possessions to those who are in need, so that all people may have their daily bread.

P/ Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is Yours Almighty Father,
forever and ever. Amen. (Romans 11:36)

Lord’s Prayer (using debts, debtors)
Communion
The Elders and Deacons will bring the bread and cup. Please take and pass, holding each until we can eat or drink them together. We do not limit age but leave that to parents. All may receive who seek Jesus.

Prayer of Thanksgiving (from our Reformed Heritage)
L/ We sing with praise-- There is only one Christ, one Lord, and one body. There is only one Church and one baptism. And yet, by division after division, we have erected walls that make our unity invisible to the world and to ourselves. We do not see a way we can, in our own power, fix what has been broken. But for you, O Lord, all things are possible. We ask that you repair our divisions and bring your Church together in love, even as we remember your death and resurrection in bread and wine, looking forward to the day when we do it in perfect unity with you. We ask that you use us to accomplish your plan, teaching us what it means to be a people who are known by our love for our brothers and sisters. Amen. (Stuart Strachan, PC(USA) Pastor, 2026)

Benediction
Closing Hymn: # 587 All Praise to Our Redeeming Lord ... See MoreSee Less