Prayers for Pentecost - 27 May

Approaching God

Welcome and announcements

Prelude

Gathering Song

Call to Worship

Youth:             Lord, You have been our safe haven and dwelling place for many generations.

People:           Even before the mountains were born, or the Earth was ever created, You ruled the universe,

Youth:             From people to people, and from nation to nation, You are praised throughout this world. We                             will worship and glorify Your Spirit forever!

First Hymn

Prayers of Adoration and Confession

Guide:              Everlasting God, whose kingdom is above all the nations, and whose dominion extends throughout all of creation, we come to worship Your ways and praise Your sacred Name. Your words are constantly being fulfilled and You ways can never be diminished. We approach You humbly and reverently, seeking to please You with our songs and to petition You with our prayers.

People:           Gracious Lord, we are sometimes troubled by temptation and besieged by sin; we are continually fighting against faithless ways and selfish choices. In the midst of all our restless and misguided ways, forgive us for failing You, for neglecting the needs of others, and for imposing our sinful demands on those around us.  Hear us now as we make our sincere confessions.

- Silent Confessions -

Guide:              Compassionate Lord, You have given us Your Son Jesus to save us from our mistakes and faults. He alone can cleanse us of the past. By His merciful promises, we can prevail; through the work of the Holy Spirit, we can be restored. In Christ, we place our lives and souls, seeking mercy and absolution, forgiveness and salvation. In His Name, we pray, saying, "Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts/debtors)

Promise of the Gospel

Guide: Jesus came into the lives of many people and brought them God’s goodness. His words were full of healing and holiness, as well as challenge and change. We have come to Him this day with our confessions and He has received our prayers. Let us give thanks and rejoice, for Christ is our everlasting Savior and merciful King. 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.

Minute for Mission

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

Encountering God

Choir Anthem

Memorial Day:            List of the dearly departed in the last year and a time of respectful silence

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor:             We cry to the Lord in the midst of our troubles; we come to Him with our worries and fears. The Lord listens to our voices and is attentive to our prayers for health and strength, peace and healing. Through the Holy Spirit, we find forgiveness and compassion, grace and love. He is the source of our strength and the center of our existence.

People:           We wait for the Lord to be merciful. We call upon His Holy Name and seek salvation through Him alone. We place our hopes for healing in Him; we offer our family and friends into His unfailing love. May we each be healed of all that harms us in body, mind, heart, and soul.

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

Pastor:             God Himself will answer our prayers and set us free from all our fears. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.

(Healing prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 130)

Singing of 'Sanctuary’.

Prayer of Illumination

Reader:           Holy Spirit, persuade us by the power of these sacred words to apply Christ's teaching in our lives. Enable us to grasp the meaning of today's message and to seek ways with which to practice its importance. In Jesus' Name, we pray.  Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message & the Apostles' Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (unison):              Lord Jesus, we give You thanks for all that You have done on our behalf and especially for granting us salvation. We place before You our tithes and offerings, humbly asking that You bless them for the growth of Your church, the advance of faith in our community, and the expressing of the Gospel throughout the world. In Your Holy Name, we give and pray. Amen.

Closing Hymn:

Benediction (unison):            May we remain in Christ and continue to honor Him each day; may the Father captivate our hearts and minds, so that we may serve Him with our gifts and talents; and may the Holy Spirit keep us true to our faith in the One, Triune, and Living God, both now and forevermore. Amen.

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

Sunday Worship Prayers - Pentecost - June 12

(please note the change of order during the summer months)

Approaching God

Prelude

Announcements & Welcome

Gathering

Call to Worship

Pastor:             Holy Spirit, You are our Promised Comforter and Advocate. We seek Your sacred and powerful presence as we worship today.

People:            You have protected our people and guided our ways. You are the source of our faith and the strength of the Lord in our lives.

Pastor:             Let us acclaim the Holy Spirit as God in our hearts and the Divine presence in our church! Amen.

First Hymn:

Prayers of Adoration and Confession

Guide:                         Almighty Creator, whose Spirit sustains the universe by a sacred word and who fills the cosmos with love, we call upon Your Sacred Name and glorify Your everlasting grace.

People:            Lord of Life and King of all Creation, You feed our souls with true faith and nurture our spirits with holiness. We worship Your wonderful deeds and praise Your unlimited power.

Guide:            Merciful Father, we hunger for Your favor and thirst for Your blessing. We shamefully confess our failings and humbly ask forgiveness for all our mistakes. We know that we have offended and disappointed You. We recognize that we have made the wrong decisions, taken the wrong paths, and disobeyed Your words. Have mercy upon us and hear us as we repent and pray.

- Silent Confessions -

Guide: Loving Lord, even though we have rebelled against You, You have given us Jesus, to save us from our sins and return us to Your kingdom. On this wonderful day, We gratefully receive Your Holy Spirit and pledge our lives to Your Only Son, our Savior and Lord, in whose words we continue to pray, saying, 

"Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts/debtors)

Promise of the Gospel

Guide: Christ hears our prayers and releases us from God's condemnation. He reveals to us God's purpose for our lives and has promised us the coming of the Holy Spirit into our lives. Let us rejoice and be grateful for Christ’s mercy and grace. In Jesus' Name, we pray. 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)

Baptism 

Encountering God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication:

Lord Jesus, we give You thanks for the many ways we can express our faith. You bless us each day and we are deeply grateful for the salvation of our everlasting souls. Before Your throne, we gather our tithes and offerings, asking that You will take and bless them for the life, work and ministry of Your church at Erin and throughout the earth. In Your Holy Name, we give and pray. Amen. 

Children leave for Enrichment

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor:             Our hearts are not too proud to call upon You, O Lord, for healing and wholeness. We look to Your Spirit for strength and support, encouragement and restoration.

People:                        You know the concerns that we carry in our hearts; You understand the fears that trouble our spirits. O Spirit of the Living God, we pray that Your healing peace will quieten our anxious souls.

Pastor:             We come before You, Loving Spirit, as servants in need of compassion, comfort, and care. We call upon You to heal us and our loved ones of all that harms, hurts, and hinders us in body, mind, heart, and soul. Hear us now as we silently and sincerely pray.

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

Pastor:             We will put our hopes in the Lord, both now and forevermore. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.

(Healing prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 131)

Unison Singing of ‘Jesus, Draw me Close’.

Prayer of Illumination:

Reader:            Holy Spirit, enable us to rejoice in Christ's teaching and leave this sacred place strengthened by His words and renewed to His cause. In Jesus' Name, we pray.  Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message & The Apostles' Creed

Serving God

Closing Hymn:

Benediction (unison):             May Christ mold us and keep us strong as a family of faith; may the Father’s outstanding and amazing love sustain us each day; and may the Holy Spirit enhance our devotion and increase our service to the One, Triune and Living God, both now and always. Amen.

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

Prayers for Pentecost - Pentecost prayers - Worship Prayers - May 23

Approaching God

Announcements & A Word of Welcome

Prelude & Gathering

First Hymn:

Prayers of Confession

Guide: Holy Spirit, on this sacred day of Pentecost we praise You for creating the Church and sustaining its Life across the centuries. We thank You for gathering Christians all over the Earth to make us The Faith Community of Christ’s Kingdom. Your ways are often mysterious, but Your works reveal God’s glory to us. We are truly blessed to be here, in Your Sacred and Powerful Presence.

People: Holy Spirit, You enter into our lives, our minds, and our hearts. You convict us of our mistakes and sins, faults and errors. You teach us that we are selfish creatures and that we need God’s grace to pardon our foolish ways. You lead us to Jesus  and reveal Him as our Savior and Lord. Hear us now as we silently confess to Christ through You.

- Silent Confessions -

Guide: Holy Spirit, without Your Comfort and Guidance we would be lost and miserable. Without You as our Advocate and Counselor, we would constantly fail to live as God’s people and dishonor Christ each day. Your Presence allows us to find hope in Christ and encourages us to begin each day as forgiven followers of His Way. Thank You for leading us to Jesus, in whose Holy Name  we make these confessions and continue to pray, saying, "Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts/debtors)

Promise of the Gospel

Guide: The Holy Spirit inspired Christ’s followers from long ago to write down the events, experiences and teachings of Christ. These Sacred Gospels contain promises of salvation and hope, forgiveness and everlasting life. Let us rejoice in the Lord and give thanks, for we are completely forgiven and restored to God’s Eternal Favor! 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

Minute for Mission – Pentecost offering

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor: Holy Spirit, there are times when Life beats us down and we feel as though we are losing ground. Our physical and emotional wounds exhaust our spirits and we become weary of this world. In those bewildering times and wilderness moments, be our Guide and show us God’s goodness.

People:                        Holy Spirit, set us free from sickness and depression. Release us from the bonds of bitterness, loneliness, and despair. Grant our loved ones help and healing, strength and well being.

Pastor:              Holy Spirit, may the blessings of God’s favor be bestowed upon us. May our prayers be heard and our anxieties diminished. May we know the love of God in our lives. Hear us now as we silently pray.

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

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

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

Singing of ‘Jesus, Draw Me Close’.

Prayer of Illumination:

Reader:            Holy Spirit, open our minds to Christ’s teachings and our hearts to His love as we read and hear these sacred scriptures. In Jesus’ Name, we pray.  Amen.

Scripture Readings

Sermon & The Apostles' Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (unison): Holy Spirit, we are truly thankful for Your Presence among us today. You have comforted our souls and given guidance to us. We cheerfully offer our tithes and gifts in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord. We ask that You will bless and use them for the proclaiming of the Gospel and the praising of God’s Name. Amen. 

Closing Hymn:

Benediction (unison): May the Holy Spirit lead us to Christ each and every day; may the Spirit show and reveal to us the gift of the Father’s amazing love; and may the Holy Spirit inspire our souls so that we may continue to serve the One, Triune and Living God, both now and forever. Amen.

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

Sunday prayers: Pentecost May 31

Approaching God

Welcome and Announcements

Gathering Song & Prelude

Hymn:

Confessional Prayer

Guide: All Powerful Lord, whose ways cannot be thwarted and whose words can never be extinguished, we gather before You as servants and children, as followers and disciples seeking Your wisdom and needing Your grace. Your will sustains the universe and Your sovereignty extends over our lives. We approach You humbly and sincerely, looking for Your favor and asking for mercy.

People:  Everlasting Father, we have failed to live up to our faith. We have ignored Your advice and sought our own counsel. We have set aside Your commands and indulged our own desires. We regret our past mistakes and for relying upon our selfish opinions and sinful ideas about life. We pray that You will enable us to recall Your greatness and honor Your sacred ways. Hear us now as we silently and sincerely confess our faults to You alone.

- SILENCE -

Guide: Merciful God, we are unworthy and unholy people, yet You still offer us pardon and restoration, forgiveness and renewal. We expose ourselves to Your judgment and place our souls into Your hands. For we know that our Savior Jesus has given His life for all our sins and that we are cleansed of all our sins and foolish ways. In His Name and through His words, we now pray, saying,  “Our Father, etc…THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts/debtors)

Promise of the Gospel

Guide:  We cannot tell Christ what to do or when to forgive us for our sins. We can only confess our faults and lay our lives at His mercy seat, hoping and expecting Him to cleanse our souls and renew our spirits.  So let us celebrate this great miracle in each of our lives - the miracle of complete forgiveness and eternal restoration.  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:            Let us joyfully praise and bless the LORD with all the earth. We worship the LORD with gladness and come before Him with our prayers and pleas.

People:            We know that the LORD has made us and that He can grant us peace and pasture, help and healing. We abide in this holy place and wait for hope. We seek the LORD's favor for ourselves and all our loved ones.

Pastor:            The LORD is good and His love endures forever. He is faithful and gracious to all His people. Almighty Lord, we ask for health and healing, peace and calm, strength and salvation to come to us. Heal us and all for whom we pray from all that harms us in body, mind and spirit. Hear us now as we quietly pray.

 

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

 

Pastor:            We remember the dearly departed and praise God for His love which endures both here on earth and heaven. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

                        (Healing prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 100)

Choir Anthem

The Message: Part #1

Singing of ‘Jesus, Draw Me Close’

Prayer for Illumination:

Reader:           Holy Spirit, kingdoms and powers may rise and fall, but Christ's words will outlast them. Teach us His precious lesson for today and enable us who hear these holy scriptures to receive, ponder, and apply them in our daily lives. Through the name of Jesus, our Lord and Anointed One, we pray. Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message: Part #2  & The Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication(unison): Lord Jesus, You have blessed us in many ways so that our lives are both faithful and fruitful. Take these tithes and offerings that we cheerfully give to You. Set them aside for the preaching of the Gospel, the teaching of the truth, and the healing of Your people. In Your Holy Name, we give and pray. Amen.

Hymn:

 

Benediction(unison):  May Christ enable us to be tolerant of one another through His grace; may the Father remove our sinful obstacles and self-imposed barriers through His love; and may the Holy Spirit shower our souls with strength, faith, and charity, both now and forever. Amen.

 

Doxology        Praise God, from whom all blessings flow  & Postlude

Sunday Prayers : Pentecost May 11, 2008

Approaching God

Welcome & Announcements

Prelude & Gathering

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: Merciful Father, we know that our lives are not perfect, nor are we fully faithful or thoroughly devoted to You. We have gone astray and fallen into temptation, letting sin overtake our souls and permitting greed to damage our spirits. Gracious God, forgive the mistakes we have made, the disappointments we have caused, the responsibilities we have neglected, and the blessings we have wasted. Help us to yield our hearts and humble our pride through the pledging of our lives to Your Son Jesus Christ, our Savior. Hear us now as we 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 all of us. We make our prayers in Jesus’ Name and unite our hearts with Him, saying, “Our Father...THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts/debtors)

Promise of the Gospel:
Guide: Jesus is the Bread of Life that we need to nourish our souls and strengthen our spirits. He alone has the power and authority to forgive our sins and restore us to God’s favor and grace. So let us celebrate His goodness and glory in 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 – Kids & parents come down to front of the church

Baptism

Encountering God

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor: Be merciful to us, O God, for our worries burden us, especially when we are under pressure. O Lord, when we are anxious and afraid, help us to trust in You.
People: O God, whose words we praise, take away our fears and grant us peace of mind. We place our lives, and our loved ones into Your Holy 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, heart and spirit. Hear us now as we personally pray.

Silent Prayers for ourselves and others. A candle is lit

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

Anthem

Prayer for Illumination :
Reader : Holy Spirit, may we walk with Christ as we read and hear these 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 & Sermon & The Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory:
Dedication : Lord Jesus, we all belong to Your body of believers and we are called to support Your continuing ministry in our community and throughout the earth. Sanctify our tithes and gifts, so that they may be used for the life, work and mission of Your church. 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’s guidance keep us loving and serving the One Living Triune God, both now and always. Amen.

Doxology & Postlude