Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Sunday Prayers: Baptism of Christ - Year B - January 11

Approaching God

Welcome & Church Announcements

Prelude
Gathering Song

Call to Worship
Herald:                 Show us Your ways, O LORD, and teach us Your paths.
People:                 Guide us by Your truth and lead us, for You are our God and Savior.
Herald:                 Our hope is in You all day long, therefore we will worship and glorify You forever. Amen.

Hymn:

Prayer of Adoration and Confession

Guide:                  Almighty Creator and Perfect God, we gather in Your House of peace to praise Your Greatness and honor Your Holiness. Your works and mighty acts have blessed our people for generations. Your ways and special words have inspired our spirits across the centuries.
People:                 Gracious Father, we are unworthy of Your blessings. You are righteous and we are sinful. You are upright and truthful; we are weak and deceitful. Our lives are imperfect because we allow pride, greed, and anger to tarnish our souls and influence our choices. Forgive us for being shallow and selfish, faithless and false, as well as hurtful and unholy. Hear us now as we confess our sins to You alone.

- SILENCE -

Guide:                  Loving Lord, we thank You for Jesus, Your Holy Son and our Eternal Savior, in whose Name we make our confessions and continue praying in His words, “Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts/debtors).

Promise of the Gospel

Guide:                  The Christian life is never easy because we are expected to have higher and holier standards than the rest of the world. When we fail to live up to Christ’s teaching, we absolutely need to seek His forgiveness. When we confess our faults and sincerely ask for pardon, Jesus immediately forgives us. So let us rejoice and be glad for we have been shown great mercy and are restored to God’s favor and love. In Christ’s Name. 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:                 Hear, O LORD, our personal prayers and answer us, for we are poor in spirit and need Your care.
People:                 Guard our lives and protect us from illness or injury, for we are dependent upon Your grace.
Pastor:                  Have mercy upon us, O Lord, for we implore You this day to sustain our health and healing. Hear our prayers, O LORD; listen to our cries for help. Heal us and each of our loved ones from all that harms us in body, mind, heart, and spirit.
Silent Prayers for ourselves and others. A candle is lit

Pastor:                 In the day of our trouble we will call to You, O Living God, for we know that You will answer us. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.                    (Healing Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 86)

Singing of ‘Sanctuary.’

Prayer for Illumination
Reader:                 Holy Spirit, encourage us through the living message of these sacred scriptures and open our hearts to receive God’s word. Astonish us with this teaching and enable us to take note of all that God fulfills in the life of Christ. In Jesus’ Name, we read and pray. Amen.

Scripture Readings
The Message & the Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (in unison – led by pastor): Lord Jesus, You have freely given us faith, hope, and love, while knowing that we can never repay You for the sacred debts we owe. Through faith, we gather our offerings and tithes. With hope, we ask for Your blessing on these tokens. In love, we seek Your favor and pray for guidance to use these gifts for the preaching of the gospel, the sharing of the scriptures, and the praising of our God. In Your Name, we give and pray. Amen. 

Hymn:

Benediction (unison):  May Christ help us to live faithful lives which are worthy of His Name; may the Father keep us free from selfish and sinful ways; and may the Holy Spirit grant us love and joy, both now and evermore. Amen.


Doxology & Postlude

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