Approaching God
Welcome & announcements
Prelude
Gathering
Call to Worship
Liturgist:
Praise be to the Lord, our
Rock, who teaches us His holy ways and leads us in the world.
People:
The Lord is our loving God
and living strength. He is our shield and deliverer.
Liturgist: Let us
worship God, in whom we take refuge. Let us serve Him together as one people
before His Holy throne. Amen.
First Hymn
Prayers of Adoration and Confession
Guide:
Everlasting Father, in whose presence we
exist, we come before You looking for peace and love, as well as for wholeness
and strength. We seek security in this sanctuary and acceptance in Your arms.
We aim to please You with our praises and delight You with our songs.
People:
Almighty Lord, You fully know our hearts and completely understand our minds.
You have seen the secrets that make us sick and the sins that cause us shame. When
we have gone astray or deliberately defied Your purpose for us, please forgive
us. When we have rebelled against Your words and selfishly chosen to make bad
choices, please pardon us. Hear us now, as we inwardly confess our sins to You
alone.
- SILENCE -
Guide: Gracious God, we know that we can only find rest and redemption, as well
as forgiveness and assurance in Christ Jesus our Lord. Without His mercy, we
are lost. Without His grace, we are cast away from You forever. Grant His peace
to our hearts and minds, as we unite our spirits with Him, through the praying
of His precious words:
“Our Father...THE LORD'S PRAYER” (debts/debtors)
Promise of the
Gospel
Guide:
Christ works within us each day to show us God’s ways in the world. By
forgiving us of sin, He grants us a new opportunity to begin our lives and to
faithfully serve His kingdom. Let us rejoice and be glad, for Jesus is our
Savior and we are completely assured of salvation, both now and always. 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 approach the Lord with our prayers and petitions; let us look to Him to
fulfill His promises. As we bring to the Lord our worries and burdens, He will
listen to our cries and pleas for help.
People: We
come before God with our requests, remembering His glorious deeds and powerful
ways. The Lord graciously hears the prayers of our hearts. He knows and
understands all of our anxieties, and all of our cares.
Pastor:
O
Lord, we cherish You and ask for Your mercy. Heal us and all our loved ones.
Grant strength and recovery, rest and renewal to those who are weary, ill, and
troubled. Listen to our silent prayers, O Lord. Hear the deep and personal
petitions from our hearts and souls.
Silent Prayers for ourselves and others. A candle is
lit
Pastor:
Praise
be to God, who has not rejected our prayers or withheld His love from us. In
Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen. (Healing
Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 66)
Singing of '"Sanctuary" (Choir leads this)
Prayer of
Illumination
Reader:
Holy Spirit, do not hold
our sins against us, but rather open our hearts and minds to Christ’s message
that will change us today. Prepare us to accept and apply His words at this
holy time and throughout our lives. In Jesus’ Name, we ask. Amen.
Scripture Readings
The
Message and the Apostles' Creed
Serving God
Offering
& Offertory
Dedication (in unison – led by pastor): Lord Jesus, we live in a material world that
is obsessed with possessions. Each week, You give us an opportunity to cast off
the chains of greed and avarice, insecurity and selfishness by contributing
tithes, gifts, and alms to this congregation. Allow us to be open handed and
generous, so that Your work in this church will be supported, augmented, and
fulfilled. In Your Holy Name, we joyfully
give and cheerfully pray. Amen.
Closing
Hymn
Benediction (unison): May
Christ reveal to us His work every day of our lives; may the Father help us to
recognize where we need to be in His Kingdom; and may the Holy Spirit remove
all barriers from our hearts, so that we may fully serve the One, Triune, and
Living God in this world, and the next. From this time forth and forevermore.
Amen.
Doxology
and Postlude
