Approaching God
Prelude
Welcome & Announcements
Gathering Song
Call to Worship
Pastor: O Lord, our God, You are almighty and everlasting, all-powerful and majestic.
People: We will sing to the Lord all of our lives; we will praise His Name forever.
Pastor: May our meditations be pleasing to Him, as we rejoice in the Lord.
First Hymn:
Prayers of Adoration and Confession
Guide: Gracious and Merciful God, who judges the Earth and all of its inhabitants, we come before You, seeking Your peace and in need of Your strength. Your power sustains our lives; Your ways are holy and perfect; we look to You for mercy and we pray to be forgiven.
People: Heavenly Father, we have been ensnared by sin and trapped by temptation. We have arrogantly allowed ourselves to be distracted and deceived by our pride, greed, and self-centered choices. Forgive our faithless and fallen ways. Pardon our constant mistakes and destructive sins. Hear us now as we confess our faults to You alone.
- Silent Confessions -
Guide: Immortal God, whose wisdom has granted us a Savior and whose mercy has given us salvation, we praise You for sending Jesus into our world and for His supreme sacrifice, which has paid for all our sins. To Christ, we offer our gratitude and thanksgiving. In His holy words, we now pray, saying, "Our Father, Who art in heaven...THE LORD’S PRAYER"
Promise of the Gospel:
Guide: Christ asks us to change our lives and follow His ways. He does not come to condemn, but instead He seeks to save us from perdition and restore us to God's Kingdom. Let us rejoice and praise Him forever. Amen.
Gloria Patri (sung): 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: Praise be to the LORD our Rock, who prepares us to face our fears and overcome our anxieties. He is our loving God and fortress, our stronghold and deliver, in whom we take refuge.
People: O Lord, what are we that You should care so much for us? Why are You so constantly involved in our lives? We know that we are weak and frail; that our time is precious and our lives are limited.
Pastor: Yet You still come down among us, Lord. You still listen to our cries and prayers. We ask that You send forth Your Holy Spirit to heal our lives. Bless our loved ones with recovery and strength, peace and wholeness. Hear us now as we inwardly pray.
Silent Prayers for others and ourselves. A candle is lit.
Pastor: O Lord, reach down Your hand from on high, and deliver us from all that harms us in body, mind, heart, and soul. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.
(Healing prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 144)
Singing of 'Jesus, Draw Me Close.’
Prayer of Illumination:
Reader: Holy Spirit, keep us from taking God's Word for granted or from misusing it to justify our selfish choices and sinful ways. Keep us focused on what Christ has to say to our spirits, so that we may honor Him with our lives. Amen.
Scripture Readings
The Message & The Apostles' Creed
Serving God
Offering & Offertory
Dedication (unison): Lord Jesus, You have revealed Your purpose for our church through Your holy scriptures and sacred presence. In Your Name, we gather our tithes and offerings. We ask that You will accept these tokens of our gratitude and help us to apply them to the life, work, and ministry of Your Church in the world. Amen.
Closing Hymn:
Benediction (unison): May Christ empower us to work for His glory; may the Father greet us each day with love; and may the Holy Spirit reshape our lives so that we may honor, serve, and glorify the One, Triune and Living God, both now and forever. Amen.
Doxology Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; etc & Postlude
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