Approaching God
Announcements & A Word of Welcome
Prelude and Gathering
Hymn:
Prayer of Adoration & Confession
Guide: All Powerful Lord, whose ways are always fulfilled and whose words can never be extinguished, we gather before You as Your servants and children, seeking Your wisdom and needing Your grace.
People: Eternal God, whose will sustains the universe and whose sovereignty extends over our lives, we approach You humbly and sincerely, looking for Your favor and asking for mercy.
Guide: Everlasting Father, we have failed to live up to our faith. We have ignored Your advice and sought our own counsel. We have set aside Your commands and have indulged in our own selfish desires. You could punish us for our past mistakes and reject us for elevating our sinful lifestyle choices. We pray that You will show us compassion and grant us Christ’s grace. Hear us now as we silently and sincerely confess our faults to You.
- SILENCE -
Guide: Merciful God, we are unworthy and unholy people, yet You still offer us pardon and restoration, forgiveness and renewal. We place ourselves under Your judgment and put our souls into Christ’s hands.
In His Name and through His words, we continue to pray, saying, “Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts/debtors)
Promise of the Gospel
Guide: We cannot tell Christ what to do or when to forgive us for our sins. We can only confess our faults and lay our lives at His mercy seat, hoping and expecting Him to cleanse our souls and renew our spirits. So let us celebrate this great miracle in each of our lives - the miracle of complete forgiveness and eternal restoration. Amen.
Gloria Patri (sung in unison): 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.
Family Sermon (parents and all children, including Elementary school students come forward)
Encountering God
Choir Anthem
Prayers for Health and Healing
Pastor: Let us joyfully praise and bless the LORD with all the earth. We worship the LORD with gladness and come before Him with our prayers and pleas.
People: We know that the LORD has made us and that He can grant us peace and strength, help and healing. We have come into this holy place with hope. We seek the LORD's favor for ourselves and all our loved ones.
Pastor: The LORD is good and His love endures forever. He is faithful and gracious to all His people. Almighty Lord, we ask for health and healing, peace and calm, strength and salvation to come to us. Heal us and all for whom we pray.
Silent Prayers for others and ourselves. A candle is lit.
A list of the dearly departed is also read at this time.
Pastor: We remember the dearly departed and praise God for His love which endures both here on earth and heaven. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.
(Healing prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 100)
Singing of ‘Jesus, Draw Me Close’
Prayer for Illumination:
Reader: Holy Spirit, kingdoms and powers may rise and fall, but Christ's words will outlast them. Teach us His precious lesson for today and enable us, as we hear these holy scriptures, to receive, ponder and apply them in our daily lives. Through the name of Jesus, our Lord and Anointed One, we pray. Amen.
Scripture Readings
The Message & The Apostles’ Creed
Serving God
Offering & Offertory
Dedication (unison): Lord Jesus, You have blessed us in many ways so that our lives are both faithful and fruitful. Take these tithes and offerings that we give to You. Set them aside for the preaching of the Gospel, the teaching of the truth, and the healing of Your people. In Your Holy Name, we give and pray. Amen.
Hymn:
Benediction (unison): May Christ enable us to be tolerant of one another through His grace; may the Father remove our sinful obstacles and self-imposed barriers through His love; and may the Holy Spirit shower our souls with strength, faith and charity, both now and forever. Amen.
Doxology Praise God, from whom all blessings flow & Postlude
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