Order of Worship
24th of September | 10:30 (Espoo)
Song 1 – His Mercy is More
Hear God call you to worship:
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
—Hebrews 4:14–16
Let us worship the Lord!
Song 2 – I Will Wait For You (Psalm 130)
Song 3 – All My Days (Beautiful Saviour)
Song 4 – Cornerstone
Our welcome team members will pass an offering basket during this song.
For information about giving online, please visit ucclife.fi/give or follow the QR code on the screen. You can also speak to our pastors or leaders for more information about giving and generosity. You can also ask the welcome team for more info.
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him, all creatures here below
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Amen
1 John 1:8-9 says that if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Let us together with one voice confess our sins to our awesome and compassionate God:
Confession of Sin
Awesome and compassionate God,
You have loved us with unfailing, self-giving mercy,
but we have not loved you.
You constantly call us,
but we do not listen.
You ask us to love,
but we walk away from neighbours in need,
wrapped in our own concerns.
We condone evil, prejudice, and greed.
God of grace,
help us to admit our sin,
so that as you come to us in mercy,
we may repent and turn to you.
We gratefully receive forgiveness,
and give you thanks and praise
for the renewing power of your Spirit living in us,
through Jesus Christ our Redeemer.
Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
Hear and receive this assurance of pardon from 2 Corinthians 5:17-18:
“If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: the old life has passed away; everything has become new! All this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.”
Receive the good news of the gospel:
In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
Let us pray.
A warm welcome to all, and especially to any visitors joining us today – if you’d like to get connected or find out more about UCC, please see our digital visitors card or speak to us after the service!
If you have children, they are welcome to now join our Sunday school classes!
Our Scripture reading today is 1 Samuel 1:1-2:11.
The Birth of Samuel
1 There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite. 2 He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3 Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord. 4 On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb. 6 And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. 7 So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. 8 And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
9 After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. 10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 11 And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”
12 As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. 14 And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” 15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.” 17 Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.” 18 And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her.20 And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.”
Samuel Given to the Lord
21 The man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the Lord and dwell there forever.” 23 Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may the Lord establish his word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. And the child was young.25 Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli. 26 And she said, “Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord. 27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
And he worshiped the Lord there.
Hannah’s Prayer
2:1 And Hannah prayed and said,
“My heart exults in the Lord;
my horn is exalted in the Lord.
My mouth derides my enemies,
because I rejoice in your salvation.
2 “There is none holy like the Lord:
for there is none besides you;
there is no rock like our God.
3 Talk no more so very proudly,
let not arrogance come from your mouth;
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
and by him actions are weighed.
4 The bows of the mighty are broken,
but the feeble bind on strength.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.
The barren has borne seven,
but she who has many children is forlorn.
6 The Lord kills and brings to life;
he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
he brings low and he exalts.
8 He raises up the poor from the dust;
he lifts the needy from the ash heap
to make them sit with princes
and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord‘s,
and on them he has set the world.
9 “He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,
but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness,
for not by might shall a man prevail.
10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces;
against them he will thunder in heaven.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
he will give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
11 Then Elkanah went home to Ramah. And the boy was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli the priest.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Looking for the True King
– 1 Samuel 1:1-2:11
- Hannah’s Plight
- Hannah’s Prayer
- Hannah’s Peace
Song 5 – Is He Worthy
Song 6 – Draw Me Close to You
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name;
your kingdom come;
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who have sinned against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen.
24 The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
–Numbers 6:24–26 (ESV)
For all church announcements, please see our digital announcements page: ucclife.fi/announcements
Introduction
Nearly all of us have at some time lived with situations where we feel as though life is out of control or out of the reach of God. Share some examples with one another. How have you felt about God at these times? How have you reacted to Him?
Into the Text
Read through the story in whole and name the places where the action occurs. Is there any pattern to what happens at each location? What is it?
Draw a diagram that captures the dynamics of Elkanah’s family life as presented in verses 1 to 8.
List the words and references that describe the inner emotional state of Hannah and its outward expression in verses 1 to 20. Who or what has caused her to be in that state?
Hebrew narrative often uses a plot pattern that goes something like this:
- Setting
- Test or challenge
- Protagonist’s response
- Divine counter-response and consequences
- Closure
4a. Do you think that this pattern fits with 1 Samuel 1:1-28 & 2:11? Put verse numbers with the various elements of the pattern if you think that they are there.
What are the critical or central verses in the story? Why?
Think it through
Where else in Scripture do we find people acting toward God in the same way as Hannah? How does God respond? What do we learn about God from this?
What else do we learn about God from this passage?
Read Romans 5:1-11. How is our situation as Christians similar to that of Hannah? How is God’s response to that situation similar to and different from how we see Him act here?
Application
Return to those situations you envisaged at the start of this study. Having learnt what you have from 1 Samuel 1:1-28 and 2:11, how do you think God would have you respond to those situations in future? What could you put in place now that would help you respond this way?
Order of Worship
24th of September | 16:00 (Helsinki)
Song 1 – Great is Thy Faithfulness
Hear God call you to worship:
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
—Hebrews 4:14–16
Let us worship the Lord!
Song 2 – Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Song 3 – Indescribable
Song 4 – I Surrender All
Our welcome team members will pass an offering basket during this song.
For information about giving online, please visit ucclife.fi/give or follow the QR code on the screen. You can also speak to our pastors or leaders for more information about giving and generosity. You can also ask the welcome team for info on how to give specifically to our Stewardship Campaign.
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him, all creatures here below
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Amen
1 John 1:8-9 says that if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Let us together with one voice confess our sins to our awesome and compassionate God:
Confession of Sin
Awesome and compassionate God,
You have loved us with unfailing, self-giving mercy,
but we have not loved you.
You constantly call us,
but we do not listen.
You ask us to love,
but we walk away from neighbours in need,
wrapped in our own concerns.
We condone evil, prejudice, and greed.
God of grace,
help us to admit our sin,
so that as you come to us in mercy,
we may repent and turn to you.
We gratefully receive forgiveness,
and give you thanks and praise
for the renewing power of your Spirit living in us,
through Jesus Christ our Redeemer.
Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
Hear and receive this assurance of pardon from 2 Corinthians 5:17-18:
“If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: the old life has passed away; everything has become new! All this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.”
Receive the good news of the gospel:
In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
Let us pray.
A warm welcome to all, and especially to any visitors joining us today – if you’d like to get connected or find out more about UCC, please see our digital visitors card or speak to us after the service!
If you have children, they are welcome to now join our Sunday school classes!
Our Scripture reading today is 1 Samuel 1:1-2:11.
The Birth of Samuel
1 There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite. 2 He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3 Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord. 4 On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb. 6 And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. 7 So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. 8 And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
9 After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. 10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 11 And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”
12 As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. 14 And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” 15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.” 17 Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.” 18 And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her.20 And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.”
Samuel Given to the Lord
21 The man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the Lord and dwell there forever.” 23 Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may the Lord establish his word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. And the child was young.25 Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli. 26 And she said, “Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord. 27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
And he worshiped the Lord there.
Hannah’s Prayer
2:1 And Hannah prayed and said,
“My heart exults in the Lord;
my horn is exalted in the Lord.
My mouth derides my enemies,
because I rejoice in your salvation.
2 “There is none holy like the Lord:
for there is none besides you;
there is no rock like our God.
3 Talk no more so very proudly,
let not arrogance come from your mouth;
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
and by him actions are weighed.
4 The bows of the mighty are broken,
but the feeble bind on strength.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.
The barren has borne seven,
but she who has many children is forlorn.
6 The Lord kills and brings to life;
he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
he brings low and he exalts.
8 He raises up the poor from the dust;
he lifts the needy from the ash heap
to make them sit with princes
and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord‘s,
and on them he has set the world.
9 “He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,
but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness,
for not by might shall a man prevail.
10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces;
against them he will thunder in heaven.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
he will give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
11 Then Elkanah went home to Ramah. And the boy was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli the priest.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Looking for the True King
– 1 Samuel 1:1-2:11
- Hannah’s Plight
- Hannah’s Prayer
- Hannah’s Peace
Song 5 – Lead On, O King Eternal
Song 6 – God is For Us
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name;
your kingdom come;
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who have sinned against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen.
24 The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
–Numbers 6:24–26 (ESV)
For all announcements, please see our digital announcements page: ucclife.fi/announcements
Introduction
Nearly all of us have at some time lived with situations where we feel as though life is out of control or out of the reach of God. Share some examples with one another. How have you felt about God at these times? How have you reacted to Him?
Into the Text
Read through the story in whole and name the places where the action occurs. Is there any pattern to what happens at each location? What is it?
Draw a diagram that captures the dynamics of Elkanah’s family life as presented in verses 1 to 8.
List the words and references that describe the inner emotional state of Hannah and its outward expression in verses 1 to 20. Who or what has caused her to be in that state?
Hebrew narrative often uses a plot pattern that goes something like this:
- Setting
- Test or challenge
- Protagonist’s response
- Divine counter-response and consequences
- Closure
4a. Do you think that this pattern fits with 1 Samuel 1:1-28 & 2:11? Put verse numbers with the various elements of the pattern if you think that they are there.
What are the critical or central verses in the story? Why?
Think it through
Where else in Scripture do we find people acting toward God in the same way as Hannah? How does God respond? What do we learn about God from this?
What else do we learn about God from this passage?
Read Romans 5:1-11. How is our situation as Christians similar to that of Hannah? How is God’s response to that situation similar to and different from how we see Him act here?
Application
Return to those situations you envisaged at the start of this study. Having learnt what you have from 1 Samuel 1:1-28 and 2:11, how do you think God would have you respond to those situations in future? What could you put in place now that would help you respond this way?
