Sunday Worship Prayers - Easter 7C - May 12

Approaching God

Welcome & announcements

Prelude

Gathering

Call to Worship

Liturgist:               Praise be to the Lord, our Rock, who teaches us His holy ways and leads us in the world.
People:                 The Lord is our loving God and living strength. He is our shield and deliverer.
Liturgist:               Let us worship God, in whom we take refuge. Let us serve Him together as one people before His Holy throne. Amen.

First Hymn

Prayers of Adoration and Confession
Guide: Everlasting Father, in whose presence we exist, we come before You looking for peace and love, as well as for wholeness and strength. We seek security in this sanctuary and acceptance in Your arms. We aim to please You with our praises and delight You with our songs.

People: Almighty Lord, You fully know our hearts and completely understand our minds. You have seen the secrets that make us sick and the sins that cause us shame. When we have gone astray or deliberately defied Your purpose for us, please forgive us. When we have rebelled against Your words and selfishly chosen to make bad choices, please pardon us. Hear us now, as we inwardly confess our sins to You alone.

- SILENCE -

Guide: Gracious God, we know that we can only find rest and redemption, as well as forgiveness and assurance in Christ Jesus our Lord. Without His mercy, we are lost. Without His grace, we are cast away from You forever. Grant His peace to our hearts and minds, as we unite our spirits with Him, through the praying of His precious words:

“Our Father...THE LORD'S PRAYER” (debts/debtors)     

Promise of the Gospel

Guide: Christ works within us each day to show us God’s ways in the world. By forgiving us of sin, He grants us a new opportunity to begin our lives and to faithfully serve His kingdom. Let us rejoice and be glad, for Jesus is our Savior and we are completely assured of salvation, 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.

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

Encountering God

Anthem

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor:                 Let us approach the Lord with our prayers and petitions; let us look to Him to fulfill His promises. As we bring to the Lord our worries and burdens, He will listen to our cries and pleas for help.

People:                 We come before God with our requests, remembering His glorious deeds and powerful ways. The Lord graciously hears the prayers of our hearts. He knows and understands all of our anxieties, and all of our cares.

Pastor:                 O Lord, we cherish You and ask for Your mercy. Heal us and all our loved ones. Grant strength and recovery, rest and renewal to those who are weary, ill, and troubled. Listen to our silent prayers, O Lord. Hear the deep and personal petitions from our hearts and souls.

Silent Prayers for ourselves and others. A candle is lit

Pastor:                 Praise be to God, who has not rejected our prayers or withheld His love from us. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.       (Healing Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 66)

Singing of '"Sanctuary" (Choir leads this)

Prayer of Illumination

Reader:                Holy Spirit, do not hold our sins against us, but rather open our hearts and minds to Christ’s message that will change us today. Prepare us to accept and apply His words at this holy time and throughout our lives. In Jesus’ Name, we ask. Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message and the Apostles' Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (in unison – led by pastor):  Lord Jesus, we live in a material world that is obsessed with possessions. Each week, You give us an opportunity to cast off the chains of greed and avarice, insecurity and selfishness by contributing tithes, gifts, and alms to this congregation. Allow us to be open handed and generous, so that Your work in this church will be supported, augmented, and fulfilled.  In Your Holy Name, we joyfully give and cheerfully pray. Amen.
Closing Hymn

Benediction (unison):    May Christ reveal to us His work every day of our lives; may the Father help us to recognize where we need to be in His Kingdom; and may the Holy Spirit remove all barriers from our hearts, so that we may fully serve the One, Triune, and Living God in this world, and the next. From this time forth and forevermore. Amen.

Doxology and Postlude

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 - Easter 4C - April 21

Approaching God

Welcome & Announcements

Prelude

Gathering Song

Call to Worship

Youth:                   Almighty God, we come into Your Holy House to praise and glorify Your Everlasting Name.

People:                 We have been called to be here today, to sing our songs of praise and make our loving prayers.

Youth:                   May we please You with our praises and be blessed with Your Sacred Presence. Amen.

Hymn

Prayers of Adoration and Confession

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 to us, and yet Your love is known by all. Today we glorify Your greatness and magnify Your Holy Name.

People:  Merciful Father, You know that we struggle with temptation and wrestle with sin. You know all of our weaknesses and can list every mistake that we have ever made. In Your patience and benevolence, have mercy upon us. Forgive our foolish and selfish ways. Hear us now as we silently pray.

- SILENCE -

Guide:                  Everlasting God, we cannot earn salvation for ourselves. We depend upon Jesus to grant us complete forgiveness. Only He can save us from our sins. Only He can restore us to Your eternal love and favor. Hear us now as we unite our hearts with His, 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 can restore us to the riches of God's grace. May we 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 (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:                 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:                 Let us place our prayers before God, knowing that He 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 meddle with our faith, yet we will continue to ask the Lord for the healing of all that harms us in body, mind, heart, and spirit. Heavenly Father, we proclaim Your righteousness and ask to see Your glory in the lives of our loved ones who are suffering from sickness and injury, unease and fear, worry and discomfort.  Hear us now as we quietly pray.

Silent Prayers for others and ourselves. A candle is lit

Pastor:                 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 ‘Sanctuary’

Prayer for Illumination

Reader:                 Holy Spirit, may the words of our Sovereign 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 life and ministry, both now and always. Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message and the Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (unison – led by pastor):       Lord Jesus, we have grasped the meaning of Your giving through the preaching of Your word. In return, we gather before You our tithes and offerings. We do this to please You, asking 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 (unison):    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 and Postlude