Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Sunday worship prayers for Lent 3A - March 23

Approaching God

Welcome and Announcements

Prelude
Gathering Song

Call to Worship

Liturgist:               Let us come to the Lord with our thanksgiving songs and grateful prayers.
People:                 We acknowledge the One, Triune, and Living God as the Everlasting King of the Universe.
Liturgist:               Let us worship His wonderful deeds; let us declare our faith in Him forever. Amen.

First Hymn

Guide:                  Loving Lord, whose mighty acts reveal to us Your power, creativity, and sovereignty over the entire cosmos, we praise and adore You as our Creator and Sovereign. Your ways have been known to our people across the centuries and throughout all nations, therefore we approach You with awe and reverence, as well as dedication and devotion.
People:                Gracious God, You seek to instruct us and guide us by Your holy counsel every day. Sometimes we foolishly ignore Your advice and end up doing our own selfish things. Forgive our sinful and faithless ways. Pardon us for making the wrong choices and being self-centered. Hear us now as we silently confess our sins to You alone.

- Silent Confessions -

Guide:                  Merciful Father, You have given us Jesus, Your Holy Son, to reclaim our lives, to teach us Your ways, and to save our souls. His obedience and sacrifice have won our salvation. We thank You for restoring us to Your everlasting love, and in the words of Christ, we continue praying, “Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER” (debts/debtors).


Promise of the Gospel
Guide:                  Jesus is the Christ of our lives, the Anointed and Holy One of God. He alone has the authority to forgive our sins. By His grace, we are cleansed of our sinful past and returned to God's favor. Let us rejoice and be glad in Him, our King of Kings and Lord of lords, both now and forever. 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

Anthem

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor:                 Let us call upon the Lord in the midst of all our troubles, for He will answer us. O Lord, You are the source of all our hope; You are the One who brings us healing. Have mercy upon us, for we are frail and fearful. Grant us strength and restoration at this time.
People:                 In Your Holy Presence, Lord, we live our lives. We need Your help and long for deliverance from sickness and suffering; pain and discomfort; or anxiety and stress. We seek Your peace and pray that You will heal us, and each of our loved ones, from all that harms us in body, mind, heart, and soul.
Silent Prayers for others and ourselves. A candle is lit.

Pastor:  Loving Lord, speak Your peace to us this day and fill our hearts with hope. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.
(Healing prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 120)

Singing of ‘Sanctuary.’

Prayer for Illumination
Reader:                Holy Spirit, may Christ speak to our hearts and may God increase our hope through the blessing of these scriptures. May we receive and share the gifts of faith, strength, and love that we encounter throughout these biblical texts.  In Jesus' Name, we pray.  Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message and Apostles' Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (in unison – led by pastor): Lord Jesus, all that we are has been fulfilled and accomplished by Your grace. Take these tithes and gifts that we freely offer to You, and use them for the preaching of Your Word, the enhancement of Your Church, and the glorifying of Your Name Amen.


Closing Hymn:

Benediction (unison):    May Christ urge and inspire us to fulfill His ministry in our lives; may the Father's great and everlasting love be treasured in our hearts and explicit in our deeds; and may the Holy Spirit keep us loving and serving the One, Triune, and Living God, both now and evermore.  Amen.

Doxology & Postlude


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