Approaching God
Welcome & Announcements
Prelude & Gathering
Hymn:
Confessional Prayer
Guide: Immortal 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 mysterious and yet Your love is known by all; we glorify Your greatness and magnify Your Holy Name.
People: Merciful Lord, You know that we struggle with temptation and wrestle with sin. You know all our weaknesses and can list every mistake we have made. God of patience and benevolence, have mercy upon us. Forgive our foolish and unfaithful ways. Pardon us for our indifference to the needy, and for failing to help those in trouble. Hear us now as we silently pray.
- SILENCE -
Guide: Everlasting God, we cannot bring salvation to ourselves. We depend upon Jesus to grant us pardon. Only He can save us from Your judgment. Only He can restore us to Your favor.
People: Hear us now as we sincerely unite our hearts with Jesus, 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 restore us to the riches of God's grace. So let us 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: 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
Choir Anthem
Prayers for Health and Healing
Pastor: The LORD reigns, let us all be glad; let those both near and far rejoice. Our prayers and petitions are made to Him, for righteousness and justice are the foundations of His love.
People: We will place our prayers before Him, knowing that God receives them from all of our hearts. O Lord, light up our lives with Your favors and blessings; let us see Your compassion and know that You care.
Pastor: Our fears melt our courage and our worries diminish with our faith, yet we still ask the Lord for the healing of all that harms us in body, mind, heart and spirit. We proclaim His righteousness and ask to see His glory in the lives of our loved ones who are suffering from sickness and injury, unease and fear, worry and discomfort. Hear us, O Lord, as we quietly pray.
Silent Prayers for others and ourselves. A candle is lit
All: The light of the Lord's love is shed upon us; His joy is showered upon our hearts.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
(Healing Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 97)
Singing of ‘Jesus, Draw Me Close’
Prayer for Illumination:
Reader: Holy Spirit, may the words of the 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 Gospel, both now and always. Amen.
Scripture Readings & Sermon & The Apostles’ Creed
Serving God
Offering & Offertory:
Dedication: Lord Jesus, we have grasped the meaning of selfless giving through the preaching of Your word. In return, we gather before You our tithes and offerings. We do this to please You, so we ask 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: 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 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; etc & Postlude
No comments:
Post a Comment