september 6,2026
Preacher: Rev. Dr. Boon Lin Ngeo
Please use this Order of Service to easily follow the service online.
CLICK HERE FOR HYMNS (or scroll to the bottom)
Prelude: Debbie Deane
Chalice Lighting: The Light Within Us by Brian C. Lee
We light our chalice as a symbol of the Light within us
and the life that flows through the world around us.
And it is the energy that propels us to action.
May we be kindled by our time together.
Opening Hymn: Oh, I Woke Up This Morning SLT 153
Welcome & Announcements
Call to Worship:
As the sun rises in the morning,
As the cool breeze ushers in the evening,
As the heat of the noonday sun spreads across the land:
God is present with us.
Let us worship God.
Prayer of Invocation:
First Sacred Reading 1 Samuel 17:19-51
19 Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel were in the valley of Elah fighting with the Philistines. 20 David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, took the provisions, and went as Jesse had commanded him. He came to the encampment as the army was going forth to the battle line, shouting the war cry. 21 Israel and the Philistines drew up for battle, army against army. 22 David left the things in charge of the keeper of the baggage, ran to the ranks, and went and greeted his brothers. 23 As he talked with them, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines and spoke the same words as before. And David heard him.
24 All the Israelites, when they saw the man, fled from him and were very much afraid. 25 The Israelites said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. The king will greatly enrich the man who kills him and will give him his daughter and make his family free in Israel.” 26 David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 27 The people answered him in the same way, “So shall it be done for the man who kills him.”
28 His eldest brother Eliab heard him talking to the men, and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David. He said, “Why have you come down? With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down just to see the battle.” 29 David said, “What have I done now? It was only a question.” 30 He turned away from him toward another and spoke in the same way, and the people answered him again as before.
31 When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for him. 32 David said to Saul, “Let no one’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father, and whenever a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after it and struck it down, rescuing the lamb from its mouth, and if it turned against me, I would catch it by the jaw, strike it down, and kill it. 36 Your servant has killed both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 David said, “The Lord, who saved me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine.” So Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you!”
38 Saul clothed David with his armor; he put a bronze helmet on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail. 39 David strapped Saul’s sword over the armor, and he tried in vain to walk, for he was not used to them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I am not used to them.” So David removed them. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in his shepherd’s bag, in the pouch; his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine.
41 The Philistine came on and drew near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. 42 When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was only a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. 43 The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the field.” 45 But David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This very day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head, and I will give the dead bodies of the Philistine army this very day to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel 47 and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not save by sword and spear, for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.”
48 When the Philistine drew nearer to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49 David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground.
50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, striking down the Philistine and killing him; there was no sword in David’s hand. 51 Then David ran and stood over the Philistine; he grasped his sword, drew it out of its sheath, and killed him; then he cut off his head with it.
When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.
Passing of the Peace
Sharing of Our Joys & Concerns
Prayers of the People/Pastoral Prayer
Offering & Doxology: Tis a Gift to be Simple SLT 16
Second Sacred Reading: Bhagavad Gita 2.3
Do not yield to this degrading incompetence, for it does not become you…give up such petty weakness of heart and arise.
Hymn of Reflection: O Lord, Hear My Prayer
Sermon: What Is Your Goliath Now?
Service of Communion:
God is with you
And also with you
Let us open our hearts
Let us open them to God
Let us give God thanks and praise
It is a good and joyful thing to do
Closing Hymn: Shabbat Shalom SLT 214
Benediction: Rev. Dr. Boon Lin Ngeo
Postlude: Debbie Deane
All Souls Bethlehem Church
An Open and Affirming Congregation
Pastor: Rev. Dr. Boon Lin Ngeo
Ministers: All Members of ASBC
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Bill Nye
First Time Visitor?
Please sign our red Guest Book (located near the entrance)
and be our guest at the gathering following the service!
Interested in “Official” Church Membership?
Please speak with Council President Raquel Irizarry about our next New Member gathering!
An All-inclusive, Welcoming Community of Faith
born from the traditions of the:
Disciples of Christ - www.Disciples.org
United Church of Christ - www.UCC.org
Unitarian Universalist Association - www.UUA.org
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