Sunday prayers - 5th in ordinary Time - ordinary 5 - February 8

Approaching God

Announcements & A Word of Welcome

Gathering & Prelude

First Hymn:

Confessional Prayer

Guide: Everlasting Lord and Glorious Majesty, who speaks to all creation, and with one Word sustains the entire universe, we worship and adore Your wonderful ways. We are blessed with Your presence and strengthened by Your love. Come among us and sanctify our worship, for You are the One True and Living God

People: Gracious Father, You command us to listen to Your voice and to follow Your commands. We confess that we have disobeyed You and rebelled against Your rules. We are weak, mortal, and imperfect; You are holy, immortal, and almighty. Forgive our faithless and selfish ways; pardon our wrong acts and sinful deeds. Hear us now as we silently pray.

- Silent Confessions -

Guide: Loving God, enable us to pay attention to You and hear what You have to say through Jesus Christ, Your Holy Son. In Him, our spirits are reunited to You. Through Him, we are saved from eternal destruction. In His Name and by His words, we conclude these prayers, saying, saying, "Our Father,…THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts/debtors)

Promise of the Gospel

Guide: We thirst for Jesus and His soul-refreshing words. He is the Savior of our souls and the healer of our hearts. Let us rejoice and be glad, for Christ has overcome sin and death, bringing to us eternal blessings of faith, hope, and love 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 call to You, with all of our hearts, O LORD; answer us and we will obey Your decrees. We call upon You to save us and heal us. We will follow Your counsel and accept Your ways.
People: Each day, Lord, we ask You for help; we place our hope in Your words. Hear our prayers, Lord, in accordance with Your love; preserve and sustain us, in accordance with Your compassion.
Pastor: You are near to us, O Lord, and Your promises are true. We bring before You our loved ones, our neighbors, other people and ourselves, who need You to heal us of everything that harms us in body, mind, heart, and soul. Hear us now, as we faithfully pray.

Silent Prayers for others and ourselves. A candle is lit.

Pastor: Lord God, long ago Your words were established and our people faithfully followed You. Grant us healing in Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.,
(Healing prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 119:Qoph)

Choir Anthem

The Message Part #1 -

Singing of ‘Jesus, Draw me Close’.

Prayer of Illumination
Reader: Holy Spirit, let these words of scripture send us a meaningful message today. Enable our hearts to receive Christ's teaching, and open our minds to His ways. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message Part #2 & The Apostles’ Creed

Serving God
Offering & Offertory

Dedication (unison): Lord Jesus, You come among us to display God's good works in our lives and throughout the world. You also call upon us to faithfully serve Your ministry and mission. Take these gifts as our cheerful response to that invitation, and bless them for the life and work that our church undertakes and fulfills to the glory of God’s Kingdom. Amen.

Closing Hymn:

Benediction (unison): May Christ enable us to please God throughout our days; may the Father continually direct our lives in purposeful ways; and may the Holy Spirit empower us to make meaningful contributions of ourselves, to the glory of the One Triune and Living God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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