Approaching God
Gathering
Time
Welcome
& Announcements
Prelude
Call to Worship
Pastor: Let us come before our
righteous God and bring to Him our praise and prayers.
People: We come to glorify God by
setting apart this sacred time in our lives.
Pastor: May the light of God shine
upon us; may we be ever blessed by His amazing love. Amen.
Hymn
Prayer of Adoration and
Confession
Guide: Everlasting God, who brought
Life into being and whose will sustains the entire universe, we approach You as
the children of Your Grace and as servants of Your Kingdom. Your ways are mostly
mysterious to us and yet Your love is known by all. Today we glorify Your
greatness and meet to magnify Your Holy Name.
People: Gracious
Father, You know that we struggle with temptation and wrestle with sin each day.
You know all of our weaknesses and can list every mistake that we have ever
made. In Your patience and benevolence, have mercy upon us. Forgive our sinful
and self-centered ways. Hear us now as we silently confess to You.
- SILENCE – Time
of Confession
Guide: Almighty God, we know that cannot
earn salvation for ourselves. We depend upon Jesus to grant us complete and
everlasting forgiveness. Only He can save us from our sins. Only He can restore
us to Your eternal love and favor. Hear us now as we unite our hearts with His,
through the saying of Christ's own words: “Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER” (debts/debtors).
Promise of the Gospel
Guide: Christ
forgives us, even when we betray and deny Him. He has the power to cleanse us
of the past and can restore us to the riches of God's grace. May we be thankful
and rejoice in the Lord, for He has saved our souls and returned us to the
eternal love of God. 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
Prayers for Health and Healing
Pastor: The
LORD reigns, let us all be glad; let those both near and far rejoice. Our petitions
are made directly to Him, for righteousness and justice are the foundations of
His love. Let us place our prayers before God, knowing that He receives all of them from our hearts.
People: O Lord, light up our lives with
Your favor and blessings; let us experience Your strength and know that You
care. We acknowledge Your righteousness and ask for Your compassionate healing in
the lives of our loved ones who are suffering from sickness and injury, unease
and fear, worry and discomfort. Hear us
now as we quietly pray.
Silent
Prayers for others and ourselves. A candle is lit
Pastor: The
light of the Lord's love is shed upon us; His joy is showered upon our hearts. In
Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen. (Healing
Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 97)
Choir Anthem
Singing of
‘Sanctuary’
Prayer for Illumination
Reader: Holy Spirit, may the words of our Sovereign
Lord, who made the heavens and the Earth, penetrate our minds and enter our
hearts. May we gladly receive the blessings of Christ as He teaches us through
His life and ministry, both now and always. Amen.
Scripture
Readings
The Message &
the Apostles’ Creed
Serving God
Offering
& Offertory
Dedication
(unison – led by pastor): Lord
Jesus, we have experienced Your teaching through the preaching of Your word. In
return, we gather before You our lives and offerings. We do this to please You,
asking that You bless all of these resources for the building up of Your
church, the proclaiming of the Gospel, and the praising of God's Name. Amen.
Hymn
Benediction
(unison): May Christ keep us from judging other people's mistakes by helping
us to remember that He has forgiven our own; may the Father bless us with
tolerance and compassion for one another; and may the Holy Spirit bring us to
God's judgment seat as faithful and dutiful servants, both now and forevermore.
Amen.
Doxology &
Postlude
