Sunday Worship Prayers - Easter 5C - April 28

Approaching God

Welcome and Announcements

Prelude

Gathering Song

Hymn

Prayer of Adoration and Confession

Guide:                  Everlasting Father, whose deeds throughout the generations have sustained our people; whose ways across the centuries have enhanced our faith; we worship and adore You forever. Living God, whose purposes are never thwarted and whose plans are always fulfilled, we look to You for favor and blessing, mercy and grace.

People:                 Immortal Lord, we know that we are weak and human; our bodies are frail and our minds are constantly distracted. Forgive us when we allow our wants and desires to overcome our souls, causing damage to our spirits. Deliver us from deceitful and dishonorable deeds; pardon us for making poor choices and persistently opposing Your power over our lives.  Hear us now as we silently confess our sins.

- SILENCE -

Guide:                  Almighty God, refresh us with Your loving kindness; restore us through Your Holy Son. May Christ claim authority over our lives, by cleansing our souls and renewing our faith in You. For we make our requests in Jesus' Name and with His own holy words, we continue to pray, saying, “Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER” (debts/debtors)

Promise of the Gospel

Guide:                                  Our Lord Jesus placed Himself in harm's way and died upon a lonely Cross, so that we may be forgiven and restored to God's love. We deserve God's punishment for our mistakes, yet Christ shields us from God's wrath and brings us back into His Holy Presence and Everlasting Favor. Let us rejoice and glorify our Savior 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.

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

Encountering God

Choir Anthem

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor:                 Let us come to the Lord with praise and thanksgiving, for He has done marvelous things. The Lord has made His salvation known to us and revealed His righteousness to all our people. May the Lord remember His love for us as we present our petitions; may His faithfulness to us grant us courage and hope. May we jubilantly proclaim God's healing amongst us; may we shout for joy when He answers our prayers.

People:                 O Lord, take our prayers and reshape our lives. Take our sicknesses and reclaim our health by Your gracious love. Be near to us and all our loved ones. Heal us from all that harms us in body, mind, heart and spirit. Hear us now as we quietly pray.

Silent Prayers for others and ourselves. A candle is lit

Pastor: Let our hearts resound in faith; let our hopes be realized through God's favor and blessing. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.       (Healing Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 98)

Singing of ‘Sanctuary.’

Prayer for Illumination

Reader:                 Holy Spirit, may Christ speak to us through the words of the Gospel. May all that You inspired long ago to be written about Jesus become holy and sacred, meaningful and mighty in each of our lives today. In Jesus' Name, we ask. Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message and the Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (unison – led by pastor):       Lord Jesus, may we excel in faithfulness, as we give these gifts to build up the church. May we eagerly serve You with our time, talents, and tithes, as we contribute our resources, treasures, and money to You this day. Bless these gifts and guide us to use them wisely for the life, work, and ministry of Your Kingdom here on Earth. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Hymn

Benediction (unison):  May Christ write His ways across our hearts; may the Father teach us to worship reverently; and may the Holy Spirit empower us to confess our faith in the One, Triune, and Eternal God, both now and always. Amen.

Doxology and Postlude

Sunday Worship Prayers - 5th Sunday in Easter - Easter 5A - May 22

Approaching God

Announcements & A Word of Welcome

Prelude

First Hymn:

Prayers of Adoration and Confession

Guide:                         LORD God Almighty, whose power is greater than thunder and earthquake, whose strength is mightier than windstorm or tempest, we gather before You in reverence and awe. Your authority extends across all time and space; Your dominion is boundless and infinite. Humbly, we gather together to worship and glorify Your Holy Name.

People:            Merciful God, we confess that we are unworthy of Your grace and have lived unholy, sinful and selfish lives. We have constantly discarded Your words and frequently ignored Your commands. We have neglected Your charitable ways and disparaged some of Your holiest of works.

Guide:                         Gracious Lord, forgive our foolish actions and fallen ways. Pardon our pride and pretense. Absolve us from our arrogance and avarice, and protect us from our godlessness and greed. Hear us now as we personally pray.

- Silent Confessions -

Guide:                         Blessed Father, whose favor and blessings we yearn, we humbly thank You for providing us with Jesus, our Perfect Savior and Only Lord. We are truly grateful for His sacrifice and we are overwhelmed by His Grace. We praise You for the forgiveness of all our mistakes through the powerful presence of Christ in our lives. We offer these prayers in His Victorious Name, saying, Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts/debtors)

Promise of the Gospel

Guide: Jesus came to fulfill the law and the prophets, removing the curse of sin and the wrath of God over us. We are liberated from everlasting punishment and eternal separation from God, through Christ alone. So let us rejoice in His grace and praise Him forevermore. Amen.

Gloria Patri(sung – 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.

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

Encountering God

Choir Anthem

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor:             When illness oppresses us and anxiety overwhelms us, we call upon God for healing. In the midst of our suffering and sickness, may the Lord bring us strength and recovery.

People:                        The Lord is righteous and merciful. He can free us from our pain and distress. May our God grant us healing and wholeness, peace and protection, restoration and renewal.

Pastor: When we depend upon the Lord, He will not fail nor forsake us. When we call upon His Name, He will hear our prayers. May our God heal us and all our loved ones from everything that harms us in body, mind, heart, and soul. May He gather us in His arms and embrace us in the midst of our troubles.

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

Pastor:             May the blessings of the Lord be upon us all. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.

(Healing prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 129)

Singing of 'Jesus, Draw Me Close.’

Prayer of Illumination:

Reader:            Holy Spirit, let these words from God inspire our hearts and minds. May we find ourselves serving Him through the power of these scriptures, by applying Christ's message in our lives. In Jesus' Name, we pray.  Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message & The Apostles' Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (unison):

Lord Jesus, we praise You for the lessons You have taught us today and for the blessings You have bestowed upon our spirits. We bring before You our tithes and offerings as thanksgiving tokens of our service and symbols of our dedication to You alone. Bless them for the continuing work of Your ministry here on Earth. In Your Holy Name, we give and pray. Amen. 

Closing Hymn:

Benediction (unison): May Christ enable us to serve Him faithfully each day; may the Father empower us to witness to His ways; and may the Holy Spirit embrace us as servants and children of the One, Triune and Living God, both now and forevermore. Amen.

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

Sunday Worship Prayers - 5th Sunday in Easter - Easter 5 - May 2

Approaching God

Announcements & A Word of Welcome

Gathering Song & Prelude

Hymn:

Confessional Prayer

Guide: Almighty God, whose power controls the Universe and whose kingdom never ends, we humbly approach You as servants and children of Your grace, as seekers and followers of Your ways. You know all of our secrets and see all that happens in our lives. At this sacred time, we focus our minds on You alone; we devote our hearts to Your divine will.

People:  Merciful Father, we have failed to live by our faith. We have neglected to support the needs of other people. We have omitted to set aside time to worship You each day. We have followed our own selfish ways and have chosen to fulfill our sinful desires. Have mercy upon us and forgive our foolish deeds. Be patient with us and pardon us for the mistakes that we make, the faults that we have, and the sins that we commit. Hear us now as we silently make our personal confessions.

- SILENCE -

Guide: Compassionate Lord, instead of causing us to hide from Your anger and flee from Your wrath, You graciously allow us to seek forgiveness from Jesus Christ, Your Holy Son. His mercy endures forever and we are thankful for His grace. In Christ's name, we pray and through His own precious words, we unite our hearts saying, “Our Father…” (THE LORD’S PRAYER – debts/debtors)

Promise of the Gospel

Guide:  Christ is our shelter from sin and we abide in His mercy. He deletes our past mistakes and opens our lives to the love of God. He calls us by name, so that we may celebrate, feast, and rejoice in His goodness, grace and glory. So let us be truly glad and worship our Savior 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.

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

Teacher Appreciation

Choir Anthem

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor: The LORD reigns over all the nations. He sits enthroned above the earth. Great is the LORD throughout the earth. He is exalted above all others.

People:                        We praise the great and awesome name of God. We seek His holiness and healing. The LORD is our mighty King. We pray for His favor, help, and strength

Pastor:  As we exalt the LORD, may He hear and bless our prayers. As we worship His ways, may He heal us by His love. O LORD our God, we ask that You will answer our prayers. Release us from our restless ways. Save us from sickness. Deliver us from distress and disease. Heal us and all our loved ones from all that harms us in body, mind, heart and soul. Hear us now as we quietly pray.

Silent Prayers for others and ourselves. A candle is lit

Pastor: Let us praise and worship our God in this holy sanctuary, for He is gracious and merciful, benevolent and compassionate. In Jesus' Name, we ask. Amen.

                        (Healing Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 99)

Singing of ‘Jesus, Draw Me Close’

Prayer for Illumination:

Reader:             Holy Spirit, may we take our stand with Jesus, the King of all the Earth. May these scriptures help us to gather our thoughts together, so that we may focus on His teaching, His Truth, and His Life. In the name of Jesus, our Lord, and Anointed One, we pray. Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message & the Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (unison): Lord Jesus, You have spoken to us through Your Gospel. We have interpreted Your words and seek to apply Your ways in our daily lives. In response, we bring to You our gifts and tithes. We ask that You will bless these tokens of gratitude for the purpose, work, and ministry of Your Kingdom in this community and throughout the world. In Your Holy Name, we give and pray. Amen.

Communion

Hymn

Benediction (unison):  May Christ enable us to give our lives to Him alone; may the Father keep us accountable for all that we seek to do in His Name; and may the Holy Spirit lead, guide, and counsel us each day, so that we may glorify the One, Triune God both now and always. Amen.

Doxology         Praise God, from whom all blessings flow  & Postlude

Sunday prayers for 5th Sunday of Easter - Easter 5 - 10 May

Approaching God

Welcome & Announcements

Gathering Song & Prelude

Hymn:

Confessional Prayer

Guide: Eternal Creator of Life, whose precious words gave birth to the Universe and whose wonderful ways sustain this planet we call Earth, we approach You with our prayers and praises, asking that You will hear our heartfelt cries and be pleased with our songs of salvation.

People: Loving Lord, Your power is displayed throughout the nations of the world and Your will can never be diminished nor thwarted. We give You thanks for being mindful of our needs, our concerns and cares. We also confess that we have committed sinful deeds and omitted to do charitable acts. We have harbored ill-thoughts and spoken injurious words. We have disappointed our loved ones and diminished our faith before them.

Guide: Gracious God, forgive our foolish ways and grant us Your pardon. We regret the mistakes we have made, the disappointments we have caused, the responsibilities we have neglected, and the opportunities we have wasted. Help us to glean Your goodness in our lives by yielding our hearts and humbling our pride to Your Son Jesus Christ, our Savior. Hear us now as we intentionally confess our sins to You alone.

- SILENCE -

Guide: Compassionate Lord, thank You for hearing our prayers and petitions. Thank You for bringing Jesus into our lives. We know that His Sacrifice has canceled all our sins and created clean hearts, new lives, and faithful spirits within us all. Hear us now as we pray Christ’s own words saying, “Our Father,…THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts/debtors)

Promise of the Gospel:
Guide: Jesus is the Bread of Life that we seek to nourish our souls and strengthen our spirits. He alone has the power and authority to forgive our sins, in order to restore us to God’s favor and grace. Let us celebrate His goodness and glorify His love, both now and forever. 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.

Children’s Sermon

Encountering God

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor: Be merciful to us, O God, for worries constantly burden us. All day long we are under pressure; when we are anxious, we will trust in You.

People: O God, whose words we praise, take away our fears and grant us peace of mind. We place our lives, our loved ones, our prayers and concerns into Your healing hands.

Pastor: We pledge ourselves to Your Kingdom and humbly ask that You will heal us, and all whom we pray for, from all that harms us in body, mind, soul and spirit. Deliver us from despair and keep us from falling into fear or frustration. Hear us as we sincerely pray.

Silent Prayers for ourselves and others. A candle is lit

Pastor: May we walk before the Lord in the light of life and His love. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.
(Healing Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 56)

Anthem

The Message: Part #1

Singing of Jesus, Draw Me Close

Prayer for Illumination :
Reader : Holy Spirit, may we walk with Christ as we read and hear the sacred scriptures. May we be drawn nearer to Him, so that we may praise and glorify His wonderful ministry on earth. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message: Part #2 & The Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory:

Dedication (unison): Lord Jesus, we all belong to the Your body of believers and we each are called to honor and bless Your continuing work in the world. Take our gifts and set them apart for the life, ministry and mission of Your Church here on Earth. In Your Holy Name, we give and pray. Amen.

Hymn :

Benediction: May Christ’s grace keep us humble; may the Father’s blessings keep us faithful; and may the Holy Spirit keep us loving and serving the One, True, Triune God, both now and always. Amen.

Doxology Praise God, from whom all blessings flow & Postlude

Sunday prayers: 5th Sunday of Easter - April 20, 2008

Approaching God

Welcome & Announcements

Prelude & Gathering

Hymn:

Confessional Prayer
Guide: Immortal God, who brought Life into being and whose Will sustains the entire universe, we approach You as the children of Your Grace and as servants of Your Kingdom. Your ways are mysterious and yet Your love is known by all; we glorify Your greatness and magnify Your Holy Name.
People: Merciful Lord, You know that we struggle with temptation and wrestle with sin. You know all our weaknesses and can list every mistake we have made. God of patience and benevolence, have mercy upon us. Forgive our foolish and unfaithful ways. Pardon us for our indifference to the needy, and for failing to help those in trouble. Hear us now as we silently pray.

- SILENCE -

Guide: Everlasting God, we cannot bring salvation to ourselves. We depend upon Jesus to grant us pardon. Only He can save us from Your judgment. Only He can restore us to Your favor.
People: Hear us now as we sincerely unite our hearts with Jesus, through the saying of Christ's own words: “Our Father…” THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts/debtors)

Promise of the Gospel
Guide: Christ forgives us, even when we betray and deny Him. He has the power to cleanse us of the past and restore us to the riches of God's grace. So let us be thankful and rejoice in the Lord, for He has saved our souls and returned us to the eternal love of God. 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: The LORD reigns, let us all be glad; let those both near and far rejoice. Our prayers and petitions are made to Him, for righteousness and justice are the foundations of His love.
People: We will place our prayers before Him, knowing that God receives them from all of our hearts. O Lord, light up our lives with Your favors and blessings; let us see Your compassion and know that You care.
Pastor: Our fears melt our courage and our worries diminish with our faith, yet we still ask the Lord for the healing of all that harms us in body, mind, heart and spirit. We proclaim His righteousness and ask to see His glory in the lives of our loved ones who are suffering from sickness and injury, unease and fear, worry and discomfort. Hear us, O Lord, as we quietly pray.

Silent Prayers for others and ourselves. A candle is lit

All: The light of the Lord's love is shed upon us; His joy is showered upon our hearts.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
(Healing Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 97)

Singing of ‘Jesus, Draw Me Close’

Prayer for Illumination:
Reader: Holy Spirit, may the words of the Lord who made the heavens and the earth, penetrate our minds and enter our hearts. May we gladly receive the blessings of Christ as He teaches us through His Gospel, both now and always. Amen.

Scripture Readings & Sermon & The Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory:

Dedication: Lord Jesus, we have grasped the meaning of selfless giving through the preaching of Your word. In return, we gather before You our tithes and offerings. We do this to please You, so we ask that You bless all of these resources for the building up of Your church, the proclaiming of the Gospel, and the praising of God's Name. Amen.

Hymn

Benediction: May Christ keep us from judging other people's mistakes by helping us to remember that He has forgiven our own; may the Father bless us with tolerance and compassion for one another; and may the Holy Spirit bring us to God's judgment seat as faithful and dutiful servants, both now and forevermore. Amen.

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