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Covenant-First Presbyterian Church • 717 Elm Street • Cincinnati, OH 45202 covfirstchurch.org • office@covfirstchurch.org • 513-621-4144 Covenant-First Presbyterian Church Our mission is to praise the Father, proclaim the Son and submit to the perfecting power of the Holy Spirit. June 29, 2025 • 10:30 AM Worship So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. — 1 Samuel 17:50
Welcome to Covenant-First Presbyterian Church Whether you attend Covenant-First Presbyterian Church on a regular basis or are here for the first time, we are glad you are here. Covenant-First Presbyterian Church was founded in 1790, and has been a part of downtown Cincinnati ever since. Our almost 2,000 pound tower bell is from the Paul Revere Foundry in Boston, and first rang from the steeple of one of our earliest buildings. This building was completed in 1875, and the Austin Pipe Organ dates to 1915, with its approximately 3,500 pipes. We have traditional worship with Bible-based preaching each week. Our music program is enhanced by our Music Scholar program and we are excited to have them lead in worship most Sundays. If you need help with directions to restrooms, the fellowship hall, or to the lower level nursery, the person who greeted you this morning will be glad to help you. Children and worship We delight in children, and your children are always welcome to stay with you in worship. However, if you would prefer nursery care for your infants and toddlers, we do have a professionally staffed nursery in the lower level. We invite children ages 2 years to 5 years to participate in Junior Church. If your child wants to participate in Junior Church, you may escort them to the lower level during the singing of the Doxology. You may then pick your child up following the service from the downstairs classrooms. Parking Validated parking is available in the adjacent garage for all worship services. Please pick up a validation stick-er and apply the sticker to your parking ticket to use for validation. Then simply scan your ticket with the sticker at the parking gate on your way out of the garage. If you are unsure how to obtain your parking stick-er, any greeter or our security personnel will be happy to assist you. Fellowship Time After worship, we invite you to gather with us in Metzger Hall for a reception featuring coffee, treats, and encouraging conversation. Many of us travel from a distance to join together in worship on Sunday morn-ings, and we find this weekly fellowship time to be a valuable and enriching time for us to catch up and meet new people. Please join us! About us If you are interested in learning more about Covenant-First Presbyterian Church, see your morning greeter, help yourself to any of the literature located on the back tables, contact the church office at 513-621-4144, or visit our website at covfirstchurch.org.
Pre-Service Music Aria Flor Peeters Joan McConnell, Organist Concerns of the Congregation Call to Worship Zach Burnham One: We come trembling at the edge of battle—facing giants we name but cannot master. Yet you, O God, summon us to stand in the wild trust of your name. Prelude Children of the Heavenly Father Setting by Benjamin M. Culli Joan McConnell, Organist Ringing of the Revere Tower Bell Let the ringing of the bell call our attention away from ourselves and onto the living Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. *Hymn #35 Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise *Invocation Zach Burnham All: O God of unlikely heroes and unmeasured might, speak now through the silence of our fear. Rouse faith within us as in David not by sword or spear, but by the breath of your daring Spirit. *Prayer of Confession Rev. Dr. Dan Turis All: We confess, Lord, we’ve watched giants mock your name and we said nothing. We cowered behind armor you never gave us, hiding from risks you called holy. We trust in size, in steel, in our own strategy. But you desire trust. Forgive our fear. Forgive our forgetfulness. Renew our courage in you. *Moments of Silent Confession *Assurance of Pardon One: Hear this, weary soul: The Lord does not save by sword or by spear—but by grace! The stone is cast, the boastful silenced, the victory already won in Jesus Christ, the truer David. Though you feared, he stood in your place. Though you fled, he ran toward death. Now rise forgiven, beloved and brave, for in Christ the giants fall and mercy shouts louder than guilt. Service for the Lord’s Day
*Gloria Patri #575 Glory Be to the Father Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, Amen. Special Music Love Divine, All Love Excelling John Stainer Lauren Albano, Soprano; Zach Burnham, Tenor Love divine, all loves excelling, joy of heaven to earth come down; fix in us thy humble dwelling; all thy faithful mercies crown! Jesus, thou art all compassion, pure unbounded love thou art; visit us with thy salvation; enter every trembling heart. Come, Almighty to deliver, let us all thy grace receive; hasten to return and never, never more thy temples leave. Thee we would be always blessing, serve thee as thy hosts above, pray and praise thee without ceasing, glory in thy perfect love. Prayers of the People Lord’s Prayer All: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen. Call for the Offering (If you would like to give online see the back of the bulletin.) Offertory Seek Ye First The Kingdom of God Karen Lafferty Lauren Albano, Soprano; Zach Burnham, Tenor; Yolanda Ortiz-Parker, Alto Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you, Allelu, alleluia. Ask, and it shall be given unto you. Seek and ye shall find. Knock and it shall be opened unto you Allelu, alleluia. *Doxology #572 Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow At this time all children are invited to go to Children’s Church Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. *Prayer of Dedication *Hymn #219 O Word of God Incarnate
Scripture Lesson 1 Samuel 17:1-11, 32-51 Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Sokoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Sokoh and Azekah. 2 Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. 3 The Philis-tines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them. 4 A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span. 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels; 6 on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. 7 His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hun-dred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him. 8 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our sub-jects and serve us.” 10 Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.” 11 On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified. 32 David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” 33 Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you.” 38 Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. 39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. 41 Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. 42 He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him. 43 He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!” 45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is (Continued on page 6)
6 not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” 48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. 49 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. 50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. 51 David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. One: This is God’s Word for God’s people. All: Thanks be to God. Sermon One Stone, One Name Rev. Dr. Dan Turis *Hymn #407 Dear Lord and Father of Mankind *Benediction Postlude Trumpet Voluntary John Bennett Joan McConnell, Organist *Those who are able, please stand. The flowers on the communion table are given to the glory of God by Jamie Jewel in loving memory of those that have gone before. * * * * * * * * Today we welcome back Joan McConnell to the organ. Joan is ministering with us on the organ while Andrew is vacationing with his family in Minnesota.
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