Welcome Message
HELLO! WELCOME TO WPC
from WPC on Communion Sunday, November 7th – Get Sermon
Westminster Presbyterian Church of Los Angeles invites you to experience Virtual Worship. Scroll the page to participate in Virtual Sunday Worship and join us on Sunday’s at noon for the Video Chat Coffee Hour on Zoom. See you soon.
Shhh, Virtual Worship is Starting
Opening Prayer:
Those who have given your last dime, come. Those who are holding back out of worry and fear, come. Those who have given your all and have come up empty, come. When you’ve weighed in and keep coming up short, do not worry.
When God’s addition, subtraction, and multiplication is beyond our calculations and understanding, your wrestling is welcome. Choose not to live with clenched fists, holding back your gifts, and unable to open your hands to receive the abundance God has for you. Today, choose to wrestle with God about your lack, and ask God to open your hearts and hands to receive God’s abundance.
Amen.
Opening Praise:
“Every Praise” by Hezekiah Walker
CHURCH NEWS & GIVING
Announcements:
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Next FELLOWSHIP COFFEE HOUR via Zoom
on Sunday, November 14th at 12:00 p.m. / Noon
No Fellowship, Sunday, November 7th due to Sunday Drive-In Worship
Fellowship with your Westminster Family. Let’s join one another for a check in and fellowship following the morning virtual worship service via zoom. Join the Zoom Coffee Hour Meetings – Let’s Chat! – CLICK HERE
Attention Westminster Family
~ ANNOUNCEMENT HIGHLIGHTS ~
- Wednesday Bible Study online 1:00 pm
- Prayer Meeting via phone 5:30 pm
- Thursday Food Give Away in Parking Lot 11:00 am
- 1st Sunday worship 10:00 am in the Parking Lot
PRAYER MEETING:
Wednesdays at 5:30pm
Please join us for the via conference call.
Phone: (339) 209-4324 – (no code is needed)
BIBLE STUDY
Wednesday at 1:00 p.m.
As of Wednesday, September 9th, we will meet for our Bible Study at 1pm as to not conflict with the food giveaway ministry. Join Pastor Rhoden for our weekly zoom virtual Bible Study. – CLICK HERE
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BIBLE STUDY & PRAYER:
Wednesdays at 12 Noon
Interaction Based discussions/Scripture Translation will continue until the end of the summer. – GET DETAILS!
*** FOOD GIVE AWAY ***
Thursdays at 11:00 a.m.
We know that times are tough. Thanks to our partnership with Immanuel Presbyterian Church, we’re giving away FREE FOOD to the community. Come and get your free box of food in the parking lot of Westminster Presbyterian Church of Los Angeles on Thursdays.
LEARN MORE ~ Click Here
Prayers of the People:
Almighty and merciful God, our souls thirst for You both day and night. You are the author of our salvation, and You give us everything we need for fruitful living. Now we come into this House of Thanksgiving to offer praise to Your holy Name and to sing our songs of Thanksgiving.
By the grace of baptism, You have adopted us as Your children. You have made us heirs to eternal life and incorporated us into Your family which we call the Church. But we become a forgetful people and do not honor You. We take great delight in showing off our works of mercy to gain the approval of others and forget that our privilege is to do works in Your Name and for Your glory alone. Forgive our selfish ways and make our works live.
We know the good news of how Christ offered himself to bear the sins of the world, and You have entrusted us with the mission to spread the word throughout the world. Send us out in the power of Your Holy Spirit to accomplish our task with joy to the end that all may come to worship You.
We lift up before You those whose bread is comprised of tears because of their suffering. We know of people who feel their souls cast down for want of peace in their hearts and minds. Some are poured out from the hard work of dying. Speak Your gracious word of comfort and grant them release.
Answer us, O merciful God, for our prayers are joined with the One who stands before You in heaven, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Offering Song:
“My Tribute” sung by Wintley Phipps
Offering Prayer:
Lord,
Sometimes we feel like we have nothing to give. Sometimes we feel like this world just takes. It drains us dry, Lord. We sometimes feel like we just don’t have enough to go on. Not enough money, not enough energy, not enough hope.
But we know better. We might not have cars and fame and bling; we might not have titles and positions; we might not have a home to call our own; we might not have a lot of free time. But we have You, and You give.
Lord, You give us so much. You give us shelter and daily bread. You give us families and friends. You give us hope, love, and faith. You give us yourself. You meet us where we are. It might be in prison. It might be in the boardroom. It might be in the ditch. It might be in the courtroom. It might be in a judge’s chamber. It might be on the streets. It might be in our homes. It might be in a homeless shelter. It might be in a Cathedral. It might be a storefront. You meet us and You give.
So, what we have, we give to You. Like the widow who gave all she had, we know we can’t beat Your giving. We have enough, and we give to You in Jesus’ named. Amen.
Tithes and offerings:
SERMON MESSAGE
Sermonic Songs:
“The Battle Is Not Yours” by Yolanda Adams
Sermon:
“The WORD does it’s work!”
~ Mark 7:31-37 ~
SCRIPTURE READING
SERMON
SERMON by Pastor Carlton Rhoden
Did you miss any of the Virtual Worship today? If so, Click Here and start from the top.
And we’d love to here your thoughts. Leave a comment below for our moderator to approve.
HOLY COMMUNION
Call to Reconciliation:
We are good at rules: making them and then breaking them. Paul reminds us that, when we gain Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we receive exactly what we need – forgiveness, grace, hope. Let us confess our sins to God, that we might know God’s healing love for us!
Prayer of Confession:
If we were to name all the gods we have before you, Rock of Redemption, we would be here a very long time. We elevate politicians into saviors, though they are as broken as we are. We misuse your name so much during the day, we have trouble speaking to you in prayer at night. We are so busy, we do not notice how creation witnesses to your goodness and grace.
Forgive us, God our Hope. Help us to let go of what we value most, so we may open our emptiness, our hearts, our lives to the healing and loving presence of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Assurance of Pardon:
Persistently, patiently, lovingly, God pours out grace and joy into our lives,
healing our brokenness, forgiving our sin.
Loved, we are sent to love;
forgiven, we are freed to forgive;
graced, we can offer our gifts to everyone we meet.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Communion Song:
“Thank You Jesus for the Blood” – Charity Gayle
Communion:
Communion with Westminster Presbyterian Church of Los Angeles
CLOSING PRAYER
Remember that abundance in accounts does not equal spiritual prosperity. Remember those who experience poverty in their purses still can possess the power of generosity. We do not measure God’s abundance by comparing our materials to those of our neighbors. While we are counting and comparing our change, God is found measuring our motives. God’s goodness and generosity tip the scales of humanity—as you go from this place, may your actions do likewise.
Amen.
We hope you enjoyed Virtual Sunday Worship.
ADD YOUR COMMENTS BELOW, SHARE THE WORSHIP,
& JOIN US FOR OUR NEXT COFFEE HOUR on ZOOM at NOON on Sunday, November 14th.
MEET PASTOR RHODEN
Rev. Carlton A. Rhoden
Westminster Presbyterian Church / Los Angeles
Rev. Carlton A. Rhoden became the Pastor/Head of Staff of the Westminster Presbyterian Church in April, of 2014. Rev. Rhoden comes with a wealth of experience, having formerly served as Senior Minister of the First Baptist of Los Angeles from 2006 until 2013. Rev. Rhoden earned a Masters of Divinity from the American Baptist Seminary of the West in Berkeley California in 2005. Upon graduation Rev. Rhoden was awarded “The J. Alfred Smith Sr. Award for Outstanding Ministry in the Black Church”. He is also a graduate of the Harvard Divinity School Summer Leadership Program class of 2005. Rev. Rhoden received a Bachelor of Science in Social Work with a minor in African American Studies from the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey in 1999. While at Stockton, Rev. Rhoden was a member of the Men’s Basketball team, a member of Student Government, and pledged Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.
He is also active in community organization, most recently with Oakland Community Organizations. He is nationally recognized for his expertise in this field and has provided advice and consulting for community organization groups from coast to coast.
Carlton is married to Nikki Thomas-Rhoden. Nikki holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. They have two children, CJ and Maya. Nikki is a Social Worker who has a great concern for children in need. She is a graduate of Richard Stockton College of N.J. (B.A.), and a Master’s of Public Administration from Cal State Hayward. She is currently employed at Penny Lane Centers as a Site Director of Wrap Around. She is devoted to her family and the ministry of Westminster Presbyterian Church Los Angeles. Most importantly she is the best wife and mother a man and his children (Maya and C.J.) can have.
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