Ordinary 29c prayers - Sunday October 20

Approaching God

Welcome and Announcements

Prelude

Gathering Song

Call to worship

Liturgist:               O Lord, may You always watch over us with love; teach us this day Your holy promises.

People:                 We are Your servants; open our hearts and minds so that we may understand Your sacred ways.

Liturgist:               Come among us, O God, and bless us as we praise and worship Your powerful Name. Amen.

Hymn:

               

Prayer of Adoration and Confession

Guide:                  Heavenly Father, You are the Lord of Life and Bringer of blessings, therefore we adore and applaud Your mighty works of Creation, which remind us of Your majestic Power and inspire us to faithfully place our lives into Your hands. We have set aside this sacred time to reflect upon Your ways, to rejoice in Your deeds, and to regenerate our faith by Your Holy Word. You are the One, True, and Living God; we are privileged to be Your humble servants.

People:                 Merciful Lord, despite our enthusiasm for Your ways, we admit to being partial to our own understanding and are more apt to follow our own desires. Instead of constantly seeking Your guidance, we cherish our own opinions and ideas. Instead of accepting Your wisdom and counsel, we pursue our own paths, which sometimes lead us into temptation and cause our faith to be challenged. Forgive us for those foolish times when we offend You with our sinful acts and selfish deeds. Pardon our mistaken choices which taint our souls with greed, pride, envy, hatred, anger, and indifference. Hear us now as we individually confess our sins to You.

- SILENCE -

Guide:                  Gracious God, our hope is in the Lord and our salvation is in Christ’s hands. By His blood, we are cleansed. By His sacrifice, we are saved. He alone can forgive our past mistakes and restore us to Your Favor.

We make these prayers in Christ’s Name and unite our hearts to Him, saying, “Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER” (debts/debtors)

Promise of the Gospel:

Guide:                  Jesus calls us to be His disciples and we are meant to witness for Him. Through faith, we testify to Christ’s power of forgiveness and His sovereignty over lives. Let us rejoice in Him and express our thanks to Him, by sharing His promises and gospel with all whom we love, and with all whom we also need to forgive. In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Gloria Patri

Children’s Sermon

Encountering God

Anthem

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor:                  We call upon You, O Lord, as the Rock of our salvation. Hear our prayers and grant us peace. Acknowledge our cries for mercy as we call to You for help; listen to our personal pleas in this holy place of prayer.

People:                 We lift up our hearts to You, O Living God, and humbly ask for healing, for You are our strength and shield; our hearts trust in You and we are encouraged by Your love.

Pastor:                  Lord God, be gracious to us and all whom we love. Bless us all with healing and strength, wholeness and peace, as well as renewal and hope. You alone have the strength and power to overcome illness, anxiety, injuries, and insecurities.  Hear us now as we silently pray for ourselves and all those who are precious to our hearts.

Silent Prayers for ourselves and others. A candle is lit

Pastor:                  Heal us as Your people, Lord, and bless us one by one; be our Shepherd of goodness and carry us forevermore. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.  (Healing Prayer based on words and phrases from Psalm 28)

Prayer for Illumination

Reader:                                Holy Spirit, grant our spirits confidence and deepen our faith through these sacred scriptures. Open our hearts to Christ’s amazing love and enhance our minds with His precious teaching. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

Scripture Readings                         

The Message

The Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (in unison – led by pastor)                   Lord Jesus, our hearts are exposed to You at all times, therefore You know completely what we offer and how we give. We pray that these tithes and tokens may be given to You honorably, cheerfully, and faithfully. Grant us the wisdom to use them for the advancement of Your Kingdom through the preaching of the Gospel, the serving of the Church, and the praising of God’s Name, both now and always. Amen.

Hymn                   

Benediction (unison):    May we grow in Christ’s grace each and every day; may we be spiritually fruitful to the glory of our Father in Heaven; and may the Holy Spirit strengthen the foundations of our faith, so that we may continually share the good news of Jesus with the world, to the everlasting glory of the One, Triune, and Holy God, both now and always. Amen. 

Prayers for Ordinary 28c - Sunday Oct 13

Approaching God

Welcome and Announcements

Prelude

Gathering Song

Call to Worship

Liturgist:               O Lord, You are our refuge and shield. We have put our hopes in Your loving words.

People:                 Sustain us according to Your promises, and we will abundantly live.

Liturgist:               Support us, O God, and we will be protected. We will always praise and respect your promises. Amen!

Hymn

               

Prayer of Adoration and Confession

Guide:                  Almighty and Everlasting God, whose ancient power created the Heavens and this Earth, and whose holy word sustains all existing life, we humbly bow before Your sacred presence and seek to please You with our prayers and praises.

People:                 Gracious Father, we know that our lives are imperfect and that sometimes we disappoint You through our bad choices and poor decisions. We allow our faith to be weakened by our passions and pride, our ambitions and ideals, as well as our sinful greed and self-centered goals. Merciful God, please forgive us, for we know that only Your Holy Son Jesus can save us from ourselves, cleanse us of the past, and free us from our sins. Hear us now as we silently confess our mistakes to You.

- SILENCE -

Guide:                  Loving Lord, we thank You for Your mercy and the power of Your peace. We praise You for allowing Christ to enter into our lives. We pray that our Christian faith may settle our fears, and that Christ, our hope, may bring us to a joyful and everlasting reconciliation with You. For we pray this in His Holy Name and unite our souls together, saying, “Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER” (debts/debtors)

Promise of the Gospel

Guide:                  We cannot buy forgiveness nor can we earn God’s mercy. Only Jesus has the power to forgive our sins, direct our paths, and restore us to God’s Kingdom. He knows our hearts and understands the struggles that we endure each day. Let us rejoice in His love and praise His Holy Name.  Amen.

Gloria Patri

Children’s Sermon

Encountering God

Anthem

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor:                  The LORD is our light and our salvation-- whom shall we fear? The LORD is the stronghold of our lives-- of what shall we be afraid? For in the day of trouble,  God will keep us safe in His dwelling.

People:                 Hear our voices when we call, O LORD; be merciful to us and answer our prayers for healing. We seek Your grace and mercy, O Lord; heal us of all that harms us. May our families and friends be confident of Your power and care; may they know Your goodness in their lives. Grant them peace instead of pain, serenity instead of suffering, happiness instead of hopelessness. Hear us now as we silently bring them to You.

Silent Prayers for ourselves and others. A candle is lit

Pastor:                  Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart, and wait for the LORD. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.                (Healing Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 27)

Singing of Sanctuary

Prayer for Illumination

Reader:                                Holy Spirit, make known to us the paths of life through the readings of the scriptures. Fill us with joy in Your presence, through the teachings of our Lord. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

Scripture Readings                         

The Message and Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (unison – led by pastor) :                      Lord Jesus, You have heard our praises and prayers, and You have given us much to think about through Your words. In thanksgiving, we gather, offer, and present these tokens of gratitude to You. We pray that You will guide us to use them for the many ministries and missions that our church seeks to undertake and fulfill in Your Name. Take our time, talents, and resources, so that we may glorify You with our daily deeds. In Your Precious Name, we pray. Amen. 

Hymn                   

Benediction (unison):    May Jesus keep us holy so that we produce fruits of faith; may the Father keep us united to Him through His love and grace; and may the Holy Spirit enable and empower us to reach out to the people of this community, so that God’s Kingdom may be enhanced, both hedre and everywhere. Amen.

Postlude

Sunday prayers for Ordinary 27c -October 6th

Approaching God

Welcome and Announcements

Prelude

Gathering Song

Call to worship

Liturgist:               Your word, O LORD, brightens our lives and guides our paths.

People:                 May our praises be acceptable to You, O God, as You teach us from the scriptures.

Liturgist:               Your ways are our gift forever; they are the joy of our hearts, so we will worship and glorify You, O Living God.

Hymn

               

Prayer of Adoration and Confession

Guide:                  Lord God and King of the Universe, whose gracious words sustain the nations and whose power is almighty, we gather in Your Holy Name and offer our simple praises to Your Everlasting Majesty. Your divine ways cross over into our human lives and affect our decisions each day. All of our thoughts and deeds are known to You. All of our personal mistakes and secret sins are not hidden from You.

People:                 Eternal God, we are guilty of being selfish and proud, stubborn and bitter, as well foolish and sinful. We regret the self-centered choices that we have made, and the times when we have neglected our faith. We are ashamed of those occasions when we have disappointed You, and of those careless moments when we have dishonored the Name of Jesus. Forgive us, Father God, and hear us now as we personally confess our faults and sins to You.

- SILENCE -

Guide:                  Compassionate Lord, we praise You for hearing our prayers and accepting our pleas for forgiveness. We thank You for Your Son Jesus Christ and for His Sacrifice upon the Cross of Shame, which has given us hope, as well as the unequaled opportunity of being restored to Your favor and grace forevermore. In the Precious Name of Jesus, we pray together, saying, “Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts/debtors)

Promise of the Gospel:

Guide:                  Jesus knew that He had to die on the Cross for us. He also knows that we are severely tested by temptation and troubled by weaknesses throughout our lives. He is willing to forgive our sins when we come to Him freely, honestly, and sincerely. So let us exalt His Holy Name and rejoice in His favor forever. Amen.

Gloria Patri

Children’s sermon

Encountering God

Anthem

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor:                  Heal us, O LORD, and enable us to lead faithful lives; help us to trust in You without wavering. Look kindly upon us, LORD; pacify our troubled hearts and ease our anxious minds.

People:                 Your love is always with us; we gain strength from Your Saving Power and Eternal Truth. Heal us from all that harms us so that we may proclaim aloud your praise  and tell of all your wonderful deeds. Hear us now, as we silently pray.

Silent Prayers for ourselves and others. A candle is lit

Pastor:                  May we lead faithful lives and be grateful for the mercy and compassion of the One, True and Living God. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

(Healing Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 26)

Prayer for Illumination

Reader :               Holy Spirit, do not forsake us or cause our faith to diminish. Encourage us through Christ’s words and build up our beliefs with His teaching. Open our hearts to His precious ways, and our lives to His Will. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

Scripture Readings                         

The Message and Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (unison – led by pastor):       Lord Jesus, You are the Head of our church and at the center of our lives. All of the ministries and missions, programs and projects, as well as the experiences and events that we share, are sustained by Your Will and fulfilled through Your Love. Bless this offering so that these tokens may be used to enhance Your Kingdom in this community, and to glorify Your Holy Name.  Amen.

Communion

Hymn :                 

Benediction (unison):    May Jesus continually encourage and embrace us; may the Father forgive us and reconcile us to His ways; and may the Holy Spirit make us acceptable in the sight of the One, Triune, and Living God, forever and ever. Amen.

Postlude

Sunday Prayers 22 September - Ordinary 25c

Approaching God

Welcome and Announcements

Prelude

Gathering Song

Call to worship

Liturgist:               Our souls look for Your favor, O Lord, and we have placed our hopes in Your words.

People:                 All Your promises are trustworthy, O God; help us, in the midst of all that concerns us.

Liturgist:               Fill our lives with an abundance of Your love. May we obey Your will, by praising and glorifying Your Name forever. Amen.

Hymn:

               

Prayer of Adoration and Confession

Guide:                  Almighty Lord, whose holiness and perfection are beyond our comprehension; whose power and glory are infinitely above all that we can ever achieve; we humbly bow in Your Presence, seeking Your Salvation, and the comfort of Your Grace.

People:                 Gracious Father, speak to our hearts and change our foolish ways. In the midst of our problems and struggles with life, be our constant guide. When fear or anxiety threaten our faith, be our strength and shield. When we selfishly fall away from Your influence and care, grasp hold of our souls and return us to Your Love. Hear us now as we make our confessions in Christ’s Name.

- SILENCE -

Guide:                  Heavenly Lord, we thank You the forgiveness of our past mistakes and of our personal sins. We praise You for bringing Jesus into the world and our lives, so that we may have the opportunity of being restored to Your Holy Kingdom. Therefore, in the Name of our Savior, we make these prayers and unite our hearts in His Spirit, saying, “Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER.” (debts/debtors)

Promise of the Gospel:

Guide:                  Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb of God, whose perfect obedience and holy life fulfilled God’s great plan of salvation. Through Jesus, we have the opportunity to be forgiven of our sins, renewed in spirit, and perfectly prepared for God’s Coming Kingdom. So let us rejoice and be glad, for Christ, our Messiah, reigns! 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

Encountering God

Anthem

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor:                  The Earth is the LORD's, and everything in it; the world, and all who live in it. For He founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.

People:                 We have come into God’s Holy Presence, seeking His peace in this sacred place.

May the Lord cleanse our souls and grant healing for our hearts; may He lift up our spirits and lead us by His Truth.

Pastor:                  May we receive these blessings from the LORD and may our loved ones be touched by our Savior’s healing power. May we be united as a generation of those who seek Him, who seek God’s healing in all of our lives. Let us come to the Lord with our personal prayers.

Silent Prayers for ourselves and others. A candle is lit

Pastor:                  The Lord is strong and mighty. He is the King of Glory and the Healer of our lives. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.       (Healing Prayer based on words from Psalm 24)

Singing of Sanctuary

Prayer of Illumination

Reader:                                Holy Spirit, make us glad in our hearts as we rejoice in Christ’s holy words. Enable us to live in hope through the power of the Gospel. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

Scripture Readings                         

The Message and Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Prayer of Dedication (in unison – led by pastor):              Lord Jesus, we follow Your Loving example by sacrificing these gifts from our resources and humbly placing them before Your Holy Throne. Bless these tokens of gratitude for the work of Your church here on Earth. Help us to use these gifts for the proclamation of Your Word, the enhancing of Your Kingdom, and the glorifying of Your Name. Amen.

Hymn                   

Benediction (in unison):                               May Jesus speak to our spirits and lead us throughout our lives; may the Father fortify our faith and send us out into the world to do His work; and may the Holy Spirit empower us to minister to the people we encounter each and every day. Glory to God forevermore. Amen. 

Sunday Prayers 15th September - Ordinary 24c

Approaching God

Welcome and Announcements

Prelude

Gathering Song

Call to Worship

Liturgist:               Your hands made us and formed us, O Lord; give us understanding to learn Your commands.

People:                 May Your unfailing love be our comfort, according to Your promises to us, Your servants.

Liturgist:               Let Your compassion come to us that we may be blessed; for Your law, O God, is our delight. Let us worship and praise the Lord!

First Hymn

Prayers of Adoration and Confession

Guide:                  Almighty God, Your power brought this universe into being, and Your presence sustains life on this planet. We come before You as Your servants and children, seeking to please You with our praise and serve You with our lives. Throughout the years You have led our people and delivered us from our enemies. You have globally grown Christ’s Church through the seeds of faith which Your Son Jesus has sown in billions of hearts and minds.

People:                 Gracious Lord, the harvest of holiness which You desire from us is not always fulfilled or abundantly clear in our lives. We allow ourselves to weaken our faith by falling prey to temptation, or by making selfish choices and doing sinful acts. Be patient with us and have mercy on our souls. Forgive our faults and pardon our foolish ways. Challenge our choices and change our lives. Hear us now as we come to You individually with our prayers of confession.

- SILENCE -

Guide:                  Merciful Father, without Your compassion, we would not have any everlasting hope. Without Your redeeming love, we would have no opportunity to escape eternal punishment. You have given us Jesus, Your Only Son and He has laid down His life for us. We know that we are unworthy to receive such a wonderful and amazing blessing, so we are truly grateful for all that we have been given.

In Jesus’ Name, we praise You forever and through His words of prayer, we unite our hearts, saying, “Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts/debtors).

Promise of the Gospel

Guide:                  Jesus has come into our world and dwells with us. He seeks to influence our spirits with God’s everlasting love. We are blessed through Him because He sacrificed His life for us. Let us rejoice and be glad, for Christ, our Messiah and Redeemer, reigns forevermore. 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:                  The LORD is our shepherd, He knows all of our needs. He makes us rest in His presence, He gives us peace in the midst of our troubles.

People:                 He heals our wounded souls and guides us through our fears. Throughout all that deeply troubles us and in the face of all that harms us, we will not be afraid, for the LORD is with us; His strength and power will restore us to health.

Pastor:                  Lord, spread out the bounty of Your Love before us and anoint us with healing. May your goodness and love be granted to our families and friends. May Your peace be restored to their lives and may You heal them of all that harms them. Hear us now as we silently pray.

Silent Prayers for ourselves and others. A candle is lit

Pastor:                  May we dwell in the Holy Presence of God from this time forth and forevermore. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.                (Healing Prayer based on words from Psalm 23)

Unison singing of “Sanctuary.”

Prayer of Illumination

Reader:                                Holy Spirit, may the words of our Lord Jesus Christ always be with us and be foremost in our minds. May His teaching become our strength and may His gospel enable us to overcome our troubles and fears. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message and the Apostles' Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (in unison – led by pastor): Lord Jesus, by bringing this offering before You, we hope to please You with our gifts. We do this to glorify Your Holy Name and to bring faith, hope, and love into the lives of other people through Your message, ministry, and mission, from this church to the community at large. In Your Holy Name, we give and pray. Amen.

Closing Hymn

Benediction (in unison):               May Jesus keep us focused on His work throughout the world; may the Father bless us with mercy and compassion; and may the Holy Spirit enrich our lives with faith to overcome fear, hope to bring us health, and love to defeat loneliness, both now and forevermore. Amen.

Doxology & Postlude