Approaching God
Announcements & A Word of Welcome
Prelude & Gathering
Hymn:
Confessional Prayer
Guide: Most Noble and Righteous God, Almighty and Everlasting Creator, on this sacred day, we gather before You as a church community and family of faith. You know us completely and despite our faults and failures, You have called us to be here, in Your Holy House, to experience Your strengthening Spirit and powerful presence.
People: Gracious God, we know that we are unworthy of Your blessings and that our lives contain moments of sin, shame and selfishness. Forgive us for being impatient and impersonal with others; pardon us for being self-centered and shallow; have mercy upon us for breaking promises and creating disappointments. Hear us now as we silently confess our sins.
- SILENCE -
Guide: Eternal Lord, thank You for pardoning us of all our resentful and bitter deeds, as well as our faithless and foolish ways. We are humbled by Your gracious love; we are grateful for Christ's complete obedience and perfect sacrifice. In His Name, we make these prayers and untie our hearts with His by saying, “Our Father…” THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts/debtors)
Promise of the Gospel
Guide: Christ publicly died for our hidden sins. He endured a humiliating death, so that we may be joyfully restored and welcomed by God. We are unworthy of Christ's blessings, but we rejoice in the fact that His Life, Death, and Resurrection grants us the eternal opportunity to be received by God as His adopted heirs and blessed children, both now and always. 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: Let us quietly approach the LORD of love and justice; let us prayerfully call upon His name. Let us faithfully ask for His blessings and we will hopefully discover His favor.
People: We set our hearts on receiving His perfect power; we proclaim His wonderful deeds. We will draw closer to our loving God; we will place our prayers before Him.
Pastor: The LORD knows the cares of our hearts and understands the burdens on our minds. Gracious Lord, dwell within us so that our strength may return. Come amongst us, so that our bodies may be renewed. Heal us and all our loved ones from all that harms us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Hear us now as we personally pray.
Silent Prayers for others and ourselves. A candle is lit.
All: May the Lord be gracious unto all of us. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
(Healing prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 101)
Singing of ‘Jesus, Draw me Close’
Prayer for Illumination:
Reader: Holy Spirit, show us Christ's faithful ways through the reading of these sacred scriptures. Open our hearts to the relevant messages and teach our minds the personal truths that we can express in our daily lives. In Christ's Name, we pray. Amen.
Scripture Readings & Sermon & The Apostles’ Creed
Serving God
Offering & Offertory
Dedication: Lord Jesus, You have strengthened our spirits with Your words of goodness and grace. In response, we cheerfully give You our tithes and offerings. May these tokens be blessed and become fruitful for the preaching of Your word, the growing of Your church, and the healing of the world. In Your Precious Name, we give and pray. Amen.
Closing Hymn:
Benediction: May Christ be within our hearts, each and every day; may the Father guide and bless us always; and may the Holy Spirit keep us sacred and sanctified to the glory of the One, Triune and Living God, both now and forever. Amen.
Doxology & Postlude
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