Approaching God
Welcome & Announcements
Prelude
Call to Worship
Pastor: Loving God, we come here as Your servants and seek to please You with our praise.
People: May Your sacred words inspire us and Your Holy Spirit embrace us.
Pastor: You are worthy of our devotion, O Lord, therefore we worship and glorify Your Name. Amen.
First Hymn
Prayers of Adoration and Confession
Guide: Almighty Lord of the Universe, we humbly gather in Your Holy House and joyfully seek to praise Your Name. We want to serve You with our entire lives and praise You always from our hearts. You have always been true to us and we are thankful for Your gracious love.
People: Merciful God, we confess that we have failed to keep Your commands and sometimes struggle with our faith. We allow sinful and selfish ways to spoil our relationship with You. We break our promises and disappoint others. We neglect to do good deeds for those in need. We impair our Christian witness with our pride and prejudices. Forgive and hear us now as we inwardly confess our personal mistakes to You alone.
- Silent Confessions -
Guide: Heavenly Lord, cleanse us with Christ’s Living water. Let the streams of His salvation wash our unclean souls.
Heavenly Father, forgive our sins through the divine mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. We cleave to Him as our King and we pray His own holy words, saying: “Our Father...THE LORD'S PRAYER” (debts/debtors).
Promise of the Gospel
Guide: Jesus sets us free from the eternal consequences of our sins. He restores to God’s everlasting love and favor. In Christ, we are liberated from sin and united to Him, both now and forevermore. Amen.
Gloria Patri (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)
Encountering God
Prayers for Health & Healing
Pastor: Be merciful to us, O God, when our problems and worries burden us. Each week, we experience different pressures, so when we are anxious, help us to fully trust You. Allay our fears and grant us peace of mind. We humbly place our lives, our loved ones, our issues and concerns into Your healing hands.
People: As servants of Your Kingdom, we humbly ask that You will heal us, and all whom we pray for, from everything that harms us in body, mind, heart, and spirit. Deliver us from despair and keep us from being fearful or frustrated. Hear us now as we personally pray.
Silent Prayers for ourselves and others. A candle is lit.
Pastor: May we confidently walk before the Lord in the light of His life and love. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.
Singing of ‘Sanctuary.”
Prayer of Illumination
Reader: Holy Spirit, make us realize that these scriptures are meant to draw us nearer to God and seek our salvation from Christ alone. Rescue and redeem us with these precious and sacred words. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.
Scripture Readings
The Message
Offering & Offertory
Dedication (unison – led by the pastor): Lord Jesus, You are the One, True and Living Savior of all the Earth. We gather before You our tithes and gifts as a combined offering. Take them and bless them for the continuing work of Your church, as well as the glorifying of God’s Kingdom. In Your name, we cheerfully give and thankfully pray. Amen.
Communion
Serving God
Closing Hymn
Benediction (unison): May Christ set His seal of ownership upon each of our souls; may the Father shower our spirits with His many blessings; and may the Holy Spirit fully enter into our hearts, so that we may praise the One, Triune, and Living God, both now and always. Amen.
Doxology & Postlude
