Sunday prayers: First in Advent - Advent 1 Nov 30

Approaching God

Welcome & Announcements

Prelude & Gathering Song

Lighting of First Advent Candle

Family: The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world (John 1:9).
People: We light this candle as a sign of the coming light of Christ.
(First candle is lit)
Family: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1).

Hymn:

Confessional Prayer
Guide: Immortal and Almighty Lord, Most Powerful and Everlasting Majesty, we sing of Your greatness and praise Your magnificent ways. Your strength is undiminished and Your words are always fulfilled; we adore Your Holy Presence and devote ourselves to Your Sacred Kingdom.

People: Lord of Salvation and Grace, we are sinful and selfish people. We are sometimes distracted and become deceitful servants. We follow our own desires and damage our faith with pride, greed, and neglect. Tear down the walls of stubbornness and bitterness, foolishness and waywardness that we have built against You. Come into our hearts and help us to seek forgiveness. Hear us now as we personally pray.

- SILENCE -

Guide: Loving Father, without Jesus we would have no hope of ever being forgiven. Without His sacrifice, we would have no salvation. We thank You for this opportunity to sincerely confess our sins, to declare our guilt, and be released by Your grace and favor.

People: For we pray this in Jesus’ Name and through His holy words, we unite our hearts together, saying, “Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts/debtors)

Promise of the Gospel
Guide: When we come to the Lord and feed upon His words, He releases us from the wrath of God. When we ask Jesus to cleanse us by His blood, He restores us to God’s holiness. So let us truly rejoice and give thanks, for Christ is our Savior and we are completely forgiven, from this day forth and forevermore. 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

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor: Let us declare our joy to God, who is our strength; let us proclaim His great and mighty works! Gracious Lord, remove our burdens from us; release us from our deepest worries and concerns.
People: In the midst of our sickness and illnesses, at the time when we are weak and helpless, we look to You, O Living God to answer our prayers. Give us patience to wait for You; grant us mercy for all of our requests.

Pastor: Subdue our fears and heal us of all that harms us in body, mind, heart and spirit. Merciful Father, heal us and all our loved ones with Your healing Hands. Hear us now as we silently pray.

Silent Prayers for ourselves and others. A candle is lit

Pastor: The Lord will feed us with hope and strength; with His goodness and grace, we shall experience healing, hope and salvation. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.
(Healing Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 81)

Anthem

Prayer for Illumination:
Reader: Holy Spirit, bring us into Christ’s Presence and let Him answer all our questions about life. Show us how powerful God’s love is and enable us to apply these lessons of faith in our daily lives. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

Scripture Readings & Sermon & The Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory:
Dedication: (unison) Lord Jesus, there have been many times when this church has become a sanctuary to us and we have been supported by the love of Your people. We trust You to work among us each week, and we hope that we serve You faithfully, diligently and sincerely. Take our tithes and offerings and bless them for the life, work and ministry of this church, to help our congregation reach out to the wider community. In Your Name, we give and pray, both now and forever. Amen.

Hymn:

Benediction: (unison) May we give thanks to Christ each day for all that we personally owe Him; may we respect and revere God’s work throughout today’s world; and may we honor the guidance and counsel, the power and direction of the Holy Spirit, in this life and the one to come, to the glory of the One, Triune and Living God, both now and always. Amen.

Doxology & Postlude

Sunday Prayers: Christ is King Sunday Nov 23

Approaching God
Welcome & Announcements

Prelude & Gathering

Hymn:

Confessional Prayer
Guide: Almighty and Everlasting God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, we gather before You as worshippers and servants, devotees and disciples. We long to please You with our lives and hope to honor You with our praises.

People: Loving Lord, we know that we are not all that we should be. We admit to making mistakes, surrendering to sin and yielding to temptation. Pardon our pride and forgive our fallen ways. Show us how shallow our faith is and reveal to us our sinful errors. Hear us now as we silently confess our past mistakes to You alone.

- SILENCE -

Guide: Merciful God, we remember that we are mere dust and hopelessly deluded at times. We rely upon Jesus to rescue us from Your wrath. We look to Him to cleanse our souls, acquit us of our sins, and restore us to Your favor. We make these prayerful requests and heartfelt confessions in Christ’s Name. We unite ourselves to Him by saying His Holy words together, “Our Father…” THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts/debtors)

Promise of the Gospel
Guide: Only Jesus can grant us eternal life through the forgiveness of our sins. He truly guides us each day and leads us to the point where we completely rely upon His grace. His body was broken for our mistakes; His blood was shed for our sins. He is our Lord and Redeemer, both now and forever. 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

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor: Hear us, O Living Lord, as we call upon Your Name. Be our shepherd and guide us in the midst of our troubles. Come amongst us, Gracious God, and touch us with Your Healing hands. Save us from our sickness and deliver us from despair.
People: Restore us, O Lord, to health and strength. Look favorably upon us and grant us hope with peace. Hear our prayers, LORD God and give us patience to wait upon Your answer.

Pastor: Listen to the cries of our hearts and heal us, and those of all our loved ones. Protect us from all that harms us in body, mind, heart and spirit. In the midst of our discomfort and pain, grant us rest. At the time of our greatest anxieties and deepest concerns, be our strength and solid foundation. Hear us now as we silently pray.

Silent Prayers for ourselves and others. A candle is lit

Pastor: Restore us, O God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be healed.
In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.
(Healing Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 80)

Anthem

Prayer for Illumination:
Reader: Holy Spirit, no matter who we are or what we have done, You will always have a message for us, each time we read the scriptures. Today, we humbly pray, that You will touch our hearts and minds with God’s Word and Christ’s action. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

Scripture Readings & Sermon & The Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory:
Dedication: Lord Jesus, we thank You for Your precious love and for the many ways You protect us from evil. We rejoice in Your Life, we celebrate Your Truth, and we are here to support Your Way. Take these gifts and bless them for the continuing ministry that You have ordained amongst us. May these tithes and offerings bring blessing to this community and glory to Your Most Holy Name, both now and forever. Amen.

Hymn:

Benediction: May we pay our debts to Christ each day through our love, faith, and devotion; may we serve the Father as dedicated disciples and devoted servants; and may the Holy Spirit govern our choices and guide all of our decisions, both now and always. Amen.

Doxology Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; etc & Postlude

Sunday prayers: 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - Nov 16

Approaching God

Welcome & Announcements

Prelude & Gathering Song

Hymn:

Confessional Prayer
Guide: Lord of bounty and blessing, God of Creation and wonder, we have come here to Your Holy house of prayer, seeking refuge and looking for hope. We lift up our hearts and voices to praise and honor You. We are called to be disciples and servants of Your kingdom, so we rejoice in this sacred place of peace and power.

People: Almighty Father, You know everything about us. You are aware of our sinful deeds and selfish ways. You have seen our arrogant acts and experienced our intolerant pride. You have witnessed our bitterness and shallowness, our indifference and lack of compassion. Forgive our sins and pardon our foolish mistakes. Save us from temptation and rescue us from doing wrong. Hear us now as we humbly approach You with our personal confessions and individual prayers.

- SILENCE -

Guide: Everlasting God, we cannot avoid Your judgment. No matter how independent we have become, we still are indebted to You. Only Your Son can heal the breach between us; only Jesus can restore us to the joy of Your Kingdom. We place our lives into His hands and seek the blessing of His forgiveness.

People: We make these petitions in the Name of Jesus Christ our Savior, who taught us to pray saying, “Our Father…” THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts/debtors)

Promise of the Gospel
Guide: How can Jesus save us from our sins? By giving His life as a ransom for our own and by shedding His blood to cleanse us from our mistakes. By sacrificing Himself on the Cross, so that we may be forgiven and restored to God’s favor and grace. So let us rejoice and be thankful, for Christ our Savior has fulfilled all that was necessary to save our souls, both now and for ever. 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

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor: How long, O LORD, must we suffer and experience discomfort? How long will our ailments continue? Do not leave us without hope. May Your mercy come quickly to us, for we are in desperate need.

People: Help us, O God, our Savior, for the glory of Your Name; deliver us from harm and restore us to health. We humbly ask to You to send forth Your Holy Spirit to touch us and all our loved ones with Your healing grace, Your bountiful blessing, and Your compassionate love.

Pastor: May the cries of our hearts and the prayers of all our loved ones come before You; may You strengthen and preserve them, delivering them from despair and healing them from all that harms them in body, mind , heart and soul. May our faith in You be realized through the healing of our lives. Hear us now as we silently pray.

Silent Prayers for ourselves and others. A candle is lit

Pastor: We are Your people, the sheep of Your pasture. We will praise You forever. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.
(Healing Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 79)

Anthem

Prayer for Illumination:
Reader: Holy Spirit, meet with us today in this sacred place and enable us to encounter Jesus through these holy words. Penetrate our hearts and minds with the true meaning of these scriptures and help us to apply these eternal truths in our daily lives. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

Scripture Readings, Sermon, & The Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory:
Dedication: (unison) Lord Jesus, from the bounty of our resources, we give back to You these gifts. You have blessed us each day and enabled us to offer our time, talents and treasures to the glory of God. We seek Your approval of our pledges, tithes and offering, praying that we may use them for the life, work and ministry of this church in Your Sacred Name, both now and forever. Amen.

Hymn:

Benediction: (unison)May we submit to Christ’s authority each day; may the Father preserve us from punishment by giving us His grace; and may the Holy Spirit keep us conscientious and faithful as Christian people, who worship, glorify, and adore the One, Triune God, both now and always. Amen.

Doxology & Postlude

Sunday prayers; 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - 9 Nov

Approaching God

Welcome & Announcements

Prelude & Gathering Song

Hymn:

Confessional Prayer
Guide: Almighty God, whose ways are mysterious and whose works are marvelous, place Your Hand upon us that we may have rest and peace in our lives. We gather beneath Your heavenly throne in this holy place. We seek to please You with our praises and delight You with our devotion.

People: Everlasting Father, whose justice brings joy to the oppressed and despair to the wicked, we confess our mistakes and misdeeds, our falsehoods and failures, our selfish and stubborn ways. We seek Your forgiveness and pardon for our foolish deeds. Hear us now as we personally confess our sins to You alone.

- SILENCE -

Guide: Immortal Majesty, You could trample over our all hopes and shatter each of our dreams. You could banish us to oblivion and exile us to a lonely eternity. Instead, through Your love and grace, in Your Holy Son Jesus Christ, You cleanse us of the past and restore us to Your Kingdom.
People: Humbly, we bow before Your Sacred Presence and unite our spirits with Christ our Lord by praying, “Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts/debtors)

Promise of the Gospel:
Guide: Christ is our living bread and He promises us eternal life. If we accept His ways and apply His words; if we receive Him as Savior and know Him as our Lord, then His Sacrifice at Calvary pays the full price for our sins and completely pardons us of our past mistakes. Let us rejoice and be glad, for Christ is our King, both now and always. Amen.

Gloria Patri (sung): 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: We are called to be God’s people, to listen to His words and to apply His teaching. For generations, our people have known the bounty of hope and the blessing of healing from the LORD.

People: O LORD, we seek to experience Your Holy touch; we pray for recovery, renewal and restoration. We call upon You, O Living God, to show us Your wonders by healing our hearts, mending our minds, and strengthening our spirits

Pastor: Eternal Lord, let miracles of hope and health, of blessing and healing be granted to us now and all whom we pray for on this holy day. May all our loved ones and neighbors, our friends and colleagues trust in Your word and experience deliverance from pain, discomfort, suffering and disease. Hear us now as we quietly pray.

Silent Prayers for ourselves and others. A candle is lit

Pastor: May the Lord shepherd us to salvation and lead us towards an abundance of health, wholeness and healing. In Jesus’ Name, we ask and pray. Amen.
(Healing Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 78)

Anthem

Prayer for Illumination:
Reader: Holy Spirit, as we read and hear this sacred message, may we fully believe and receive its teaching. Open our hearts and fill our minds with Christ’s ways so that our faith may be enhanced and our trust in God increased. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

Scripture Readings & Sermon & The Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory:
Dedication (unison): Lord Jesus, in response to Your loving ways, we freely give to You our tithes and offerings. We seek to please You with these gifts and pray that You will bless them for the continuous ministry of this church. We ask that You will help us to patiently grow our faith and grant us the confidence to truly place our time, talents and resources into Your Hands. In Your Holy Name, give and we pray Amen.

Hymn:

Benediction (unison): May Christ keep us focused on serving God’s Kingdom; may the Father prevent us from diminishing our faith; and may the Holy Spirit steer us from all wrong and guide us to do good, in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, One God forevermore. Amen.

Doxology & Postlude