Sunday Prayers - Advent 2 - Dec 6

Approaching God

Welcome & Announcements

Prelude

Advent 2 Call to Worship

Advent 2 Reader:             “Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.””

All:    In the beginning was the Word—spoken and breathed, a promise made and kept. God’s promise is true! The Word was in the beginning, and through Him all things come into being.

Advent 2 Reader:     Eternal and near at hand, already and not-yet, God’s promise is the foundation of all life. Speak out, giving voice to God’s peace that passes all understanding.

~2 Purple Advent candles are lit~

Hymn

Prayer of Adoration and Confession

Guide:                  Eternal God, whose power is absolute and abounds throughout the universe, we gather before You in this peaceful place of praise and prayer. We have set apart this time in our lives to worship and adore You. We have responded to Your call and continue to bless Your Holy Name.
People:                 Precious Father, we confess all of our sins to You. For years, we have stored up bitterness in our hearts and allowed pride to damage our souls. We have hurt other people with our spite and disappointed You with our misdeeds. We have sinfully fulfilled our selfish desires by casting aside Your sacred commandments. Forgive us, Gracious God, for we repent of our ugly ways and tarnished faith. Hear us now as we personally seek forgiveness from You.

- SILENCE -

Guide:                  Merciful Lord, You permit us to call upon Your Son Jesus for help, healing, and wholeness. He alone grants us forgiveness and salvation through His sacrificial death on the Cross. In Christ, we are pardoned and forgiven, reconnected to Your Kingdom and restored to Your everlasting favor. In Christ’s own precious words, we continue to pray, saying, “Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER” (debts/debtors).

Promise of the Gospel

Guide: Jesus is the King of Creation and the Lord of our lives. We did not give this honor to Him. God bestowed upon Jesus all authority on Earth and in Heaven to forgive our sins, to restore us to God’s blessing, and to be welcomed into His Eternal Kingdom. So let us rejoice and be truly thankful, for Jesus is our One, True, and Only Savior, both now and always. 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.

Anthem

Children’s Sermon

Encountering God

Prayers for Health and Healing
Pastor:                 Your healing love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your strength is like the mighty mountains, and Your justice like the great deep. We humbly pray that You will preserve our lives and our loved ones. Your unfailing love and mercy is precious to us. May our families and friends find refuge in Your presence and the healing of all that harms them.
People:                May we regain our health and strength from the abundance of Your power; may You grant us our petitions and delight us with Your grace. For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light; through Your peace, we are released from pain; by Your love we are set free from our fears. Hear us now as we pray.

Silent Prayers for ourselves and others.

Pastor:                 Living and Gracious Lord, continue sending Your love to those who need You, and allow Your healing to be granted to those most cherished in our hearts. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.
(Healing Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 36)


Prayer for Illumination
Reader :               Holy Spirit, challenge and change us through the truths that these sacred scriptures reveal. Move our hearts and show us how to fulfill Christ’s message in our daily lives. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (unison – led by pastor):       Lord Jesus, You know us completely and perfectly understand everything about our lives. We often fail to fulfill our service and devotion to You, and yet You still allow us to receive the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation. With humble and sincere thanks, we offer You our time, talents, and money. Take these tokens of our gratitude and bless them for the continuing life, work, and ministry of Your Church in this community, across this nation, and throughout the world. In Your Precious Name, we pray. Amen.

Communion

Hymn

Benediction (unison):    May Christ protect us from our sinful nature and keep us on His Holy path; may the Father continually cultivate our faith through His Love and Grace; and may the Holy Spirit enable us to go out into the world to effectively witness to God’s kingdom, glory, and power. Both now and forever. Amen.

Doxology & Postlude

Prayer for Christ the King Sunday - November 22

Approaching God

Welcome & Announcements

Prelude

Call to Worship

Pastor:                  We have come to God’s Holy House to bless His Name and venerate His ways.

People:                 We will open our hearts and minds to the Lord’s presence and teaching.

Pastor:                  Let us worship and glorify the Lord God and Christ our King! Amen.

Hymn:

Prayers of Adoration & Confession

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

People:                 Loving Lord, we know that we are unholy and imperfect. We admit to making mistakes, surrendering to sin, and yielding to temptation. Pardon our pride and forgive our fallen ways. Hear us now as we silently confess our past mistakes to You alone.

- SILENCE -

Guide:                  Merciful God, we rely upon Jesus to save us from ourselves. We look to Him to cleanse our souls, acquit us of our sins, and restore us to Your favor. In His Holy words, we unite ourselves in prayer, saying: “Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER” (debts/debtors).

Promise of the Gospel

Guide:                  Only Jesus, our King, can give us eternal life through the forgiveness of our sins. He truly guides us each day and leads us to the point where we can 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 (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.

Choir Anthem

Family Sermon (parents and all children, including Elementary school students come forward)

Praise Song

Encountering God

Minute for Mission: PW Thank Offering

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. 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.

People:                 Listen to the cries of our hearts and heal us, as well as all our loved ones, from everything 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 anxiety and deepest concern, be our strength and source of healing. Hear us now as we silently pray.

Silent Prayers for ourselves and others. A candle is lit

Pastor:                 Restore us, O God Almighty, to health by granting us Your shalom; 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)

Singing of “Sanctuary”

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 Teaching.  In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (unison – led by pastor):       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 for our church. May these gifts bring blessing to our community and glory to Your Most Holy Name, both now and forever. Amen. 

Hymn

Benediction(unison):      May we serve Christ our King each day with love, faith, and devotion; may we worship the Father as His 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 & Postlude

Sunday Prayers - Ordinary 33B - November 15

Approaching God

Welcome & Announcements

Prelude

Call to Worship

Pastor:                  May we dedicate this time to God, as well as devoting our lives to His Son.

People:                 We will sing praises to the Living Lord and offer our prayers to Him.

Pastor:                  Let us freely and cheerfully worship the One, Triune, and Living God! Amen.

Hymn:

Prayer of Adoration and Confession

Guide:                  Lord of every bounty and blessing, we have come to Your holy house of prayer, seeking refuge in Your presence and looking for hope from Your words. We lift up our hearts and voices to praise and honor You. We know that 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 witnessed our bitterness and shallowness, as well as 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 are eternally 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. In His words, we now pray saying:  “Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER” (debts/debtors).

Promise of the Gospel

Guide:                  Jesus saves us from our sins by giving His life as a ransom for our own. His blood cleanses us from all our mistakes. His sacrifice on the Cross allows us to 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 needed to save our souls, both now and forever.  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.

Anthem

Family Sermon (parents and all children, including Elementary school students come forward)

Praise Song

Encountering God

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor:                 How long, O LORD, must we endure pain and experience discomfort? How long will our illnesses continue? Please do not leave us without hope. May Your mercy come quickly to us, for we are in real need of Your compassion. Graciously send forth Your Holy Spirit to touch us and all our loved ones with Your healing power, Your bountiful blessing, and Your everlasting love.

People:                 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. Hear us now as we silently pray.

Silent Prayers for ourselves and others. A candle is lit

Pastor:                 Living Lord, We are blessed to be Your people, therefore we will praise You forever. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

(Healing Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 79)

Singing of “Sanctuary.”

Prayer for Illumination

Reader:                 Holy Spirit, come among 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 their eternal truths in our daily lives. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (unison – led by pastor):       Lord Jesus, from the bounty of our resources, we give back to You these gifts. You have blessed us each day and encouraged us to offer our time, talents and treasures to the glory of God. We seek Your approval of our gifts 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 evil 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, and Living God, both now and always. Amen.

Doxology & Postlude

Sunday Prayers - Ordinary 32B - Nov 08

Approaching God

Welcome & Announcements

Prelude

Call to Worship

Pastor:                  Let us come into the holy presence of God to worship His Holy Name.

People:                 We are called to be here, where we can praise and honor the Lord.

Pastor:                  May our hearts be filled with God’s love and our lives be blessed with His grace. Amen.

Hymn

               

Prayer of Adoration and Confession

Guide:                  Almighty Father, who created the land, sea, and air, we gather here to worship Your wonderful ways and praise Your Everlasting Name. You are the King of Glory, whose words produce Life, and whose thoughts sustain the entire Universe.

People:                 Gracious Father, become a river of life to us, cleansing us of our past mistakes, freeing us from our personal sins, and pardoning us of our selfish deeds. We know that we have disappointed You with our poor choices and mistaken ways. Hear us now as we personally confess our faults to You.

- SILENCE -

Guide:                  Father God, without Jesus, we have no hope of forgiveness. Without His sacrifice, we have no way to be forgiven. We therefore place our sinful selves into His Hands, and pray that His power will restore us to Your Favor and Eternal Kingdom. In Christ’s own words, we pray, saying “Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER” (debts/debtors).

Promise of the Gospel

Guide:                  Jesus has the authority to forgive our sins, to purify our souls, and to give us God’s blessings. When we truly believe that He is the Son of God and place our lives into His Keeping, we are guaranteed absolution for our sins and given God’s everlasting love. So let us rejoice and be glad, for Jesus is our One, True, and Living Savior, both now and always. 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.

Anthem

Children’s Sermon

Encountering God

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor:                  We will exalt you, O LORD, for You lift us out of the depths of our despair, and will not let our troubles overwhelm us. We cry out to You for help, for You alone can truly heal us. We feel secure in Your Presence and safe in Your Love. Strengthen our faith and diminish our fears. Fill us with peace and free us from pain.

People:                 O Lord, show Your favor to our friends and families. Grant them health and healing; release them from dismay and depression. Bring to them hope and happiness. Be merciful to us and all our loved ones, for You alone have the power to help us. Turn our worries into cheers; remove our sadness and replace it with joy. Hear us now as we silently pray.

                               

Silent Prayers for ourselves and others. A candle is lit

Pastor:                  O LORD our God, may our hearts constantly sing to You and never be silent. May we give You praise and thanks forevermore. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

(Healing Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 30)

Singing of ‘Sanctuary’

Prayer for Illumination

Reader:                                Holy Spirit, You know the future of each of our lives. You know the joys we will celebrate and the problems we have yet to encounter. Prepare our hearts and minds for those forthcoming times by enabling us to hear Christ’s words, to receive them in our hearts, and apply them in our daily lives. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

Scripture Readings                         

Sermon

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (unison – led by pastor):                       Lord Jesus, may we all give of our lives to Your ministry in this church, community, and nation. May we freely give to You of our time, talents, and money in ways and means that will honor and glorify Your Name. May You favorably bless these tokens and pledges, these gifts and offerings for the life, work, and mission of Your church at Erin, and throughout the world. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen. 

Communion

Hymn                   

Benediction (unison):    May Christ enable us to go out into the world in service, ministry, and mission; may the Father establish strong and firm roots of faith in our hearts, souls, and minds; and may the Holy Spirit empower us with godly gifts, so that we may witness to Christ’s grace, God’s love, and the Spirit’s compassion, both now and always. Amen.

Doxology and Postlude