Sunday worship prayers: 5th Sunday in Lent - Lent 5 - 29 Mar

Approaching God

Welcome and Announcements

Gathering Song & Prelude

Hymn:

Confessional Prayer
Guide: Lord of all the Earth and King of every nation, we applaud Your glorious deeds and exalt Your Name above all others. Your power has been praised by every generation. You have enhanced our lives with hope and faith.

People: Glorious God of the Universe, we seek to serve You in this sacred sanctuary; we look to laud and honor You with our hearts and lives. Merciful Father, You know everything about us. You have seen us sin and have watched us yield to temptation. We crave Your forgiveness of all our faults and we plead for pardon of our past mistakes. Hear us now as we silently confess to You alone.

- SILENCE -

Guide: Gracious Lord, Your sovereignty extends over all our lives. You are above and beyond all that we can ever experience or know. Without Your mercy, our lives are meaningless. Without Your Son, we have no salvation. We make these petitions in the Name of Jesus, the Holy One whose sacrifice cleanses our sins. In His own words, we now pray, saying, “Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts/debtors)

Promise of the Gospel
Guide: We can only go to Jesus for forgiveness, for He alone has the authority to restore us to God; He alone has the words of eternal life. So let us rejoice and be glad, for Jesus is our Savior and Lord 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.

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

Encountering God

Minute for Mission – Nominations

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor: O LORD, You teach us lessons of faith in times of trouble. Hear us now as we pray. O God, grant us relief from sickness and suffering; help us to hold on to hope and courage.
People: In the face of fear, never forsake us. In times of isolation, be our Comforter. Help us and heal us, O Lord. Strengthen and support us, console our spirits and lighten our burdens.

Pastor: Loving Lord, when we are overcome with worry or weariness, grant us peace of mind and rest for our souls. Gracious God, when we are anxious about our families and friends, bring them wholeness and healing to generate joy in their lives. Hear us now as we pray.

Silent Prayers for others and ourselves. A candle is lit

Pastor: The LORD is our fortress of faith and the rock, in whom we take refuge. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

(Healing Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 94)

Choir Anthem

The Message: Part #1

Singing of ‘Sanctuary’

Prayer for Illumination:
Reader: Holy Spirit, may we continue to praise God for all that happens in these scriptures. May these stories and events draw us closer to His ways and enable us to share our faith with other people. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message: Part #2 & The Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory:
Dedication (unison): Lord Jesus, You have clearly called us to be here today. We have learned of Your ways and studied God's Word. Bless these offerings and tithes to Your continuing work in this world. May our gifts enhance Your mission to spread the Gospel throughout our community and all over the earth. In Your Holy Name, we give and pray. Amen.

Hymn:

Benediction (unison): May Christ enable us to live each day for Him alone; may the Father free us from fear and keep us in His constant care; and may the Holy Spirit bolster our faith, so that we may belong to the One, Triune and Living God, both now and always. Amen.

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

Sunday prayers: 4th Sunday in Lent - Lent 4 - 3/22

Approaching God

Announcements & A Word of Welcome
Gathering Song & prelude


First Hymn:

Guide: Loving Lord, whose mighty acts and wondrous deeds reveal to us Your power, creativity and sovereignty over the entire universe, we praise and adore You as our Creator and King. Your ways have been known to our people across the centuries and throughout all nations; we approach You with awe and reverence, dedication and devotion.

People: Gracious God, each day of our lives, You seek to instruct us and guide us by Your holy counsel. Sometimes we rebelliously ignore Your advice and seek to do our own sinful and selfish things.
Forgive our foolish and faithless ways. Pardon us for making wrong choices and self-centered mistakes. Hear us now as we silently confess our sins to You alone.

- Silent Confessions -

Guide: Merciful Father, You have given us Jesus, Your Holy Son, to reclaim our lives, to teach us Your ways, and to save our souls. His obedience and sacrifice has won our salvation. We thank You for restoring us to Your everlasting love, and in the words of Christ, we continue praying, "Our Father, …THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts/debtors)


Promise of the Gospel

Guide: Jesus is the Christ of our lives, the Anointed and Holy One of God. He alone has the authority to forgive our sins and by His grace, we are cleansed of our sinful past and returned to God's favor. Let us rejoice and be glad in Him, the King of Kings and Lord of lords, now and forever. Amen. (John 7: 41)

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

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor: We call upon the Lord, in the midst of all our troubles, and He answers us. Save us, O Lord, from false ways and self-deception. Help us to cling to Your truth.

People: O Lord, You are the source of all our hope; You are the One who brings us healing. Have mercy upon us, O Lord, for we are frail and fearful. Grant us strength and renewal.

Pastor: In Your Holy Presence, Lord, we live our lives. We need Your help and long for deliverance from sickness and suffering; pain and discomfort; anxiety and stress. We seek Your peace and pray that You will heal us, and each of our loved ones, from all that harms us in body, mind, heart, and soul.

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

Pastor: Loving Lord, speak Your peace to us this day and fill our hearts with hope. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.
(Healing prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 120)

Choir Anthem

The Message: Part #1

Singing of ‘Jesus, Draw Me Close.’

Reader: Holy Spirit, may Christ speak to our hearts and may God resurrect our hopes through these scriptures. May we receive and share the blessings of faith, strength and love that we encounter throughout these biblical texts. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message: Part #2 & The Apostles' Creed

Serving God
Offering & Offertory

Dedication:

Lord Jesus, all that we are has been fulfilled and accomplished by Your grace. Take these tithes and gifts that we freely offer to You, and use them for the preaching of Your Word, the enhancement of Your Church, and the glorifying of Your Name Amen.


Closing Hymn:

Benediction: May Christ urge and inspire us to fulfill His ministry in our lives; may the Father's great and everlasting love be treasured in our hearts and explicit in our deeds; and may the Holy Spirit keep us loving and serving the One, Triune and Living God, both now and evermore. Amen.

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

Sunday prayers: 3rd Sunday in Lent - Lent 3 3/15

Approaching God

Welcome and Announcements

Gathering & Prelude

Hymn:

Confessional Prayer

Guide: Lord of Life and Creator of the Universe, we proclaim You as our One, True and Holy God. We serve You as Your called and chosen people. We revere Your wonderful ways and are constantly amazed by Your powerful deeds.

People: Heavenly Father, we seek to please Your heart and follow Your will. Yet we allow pride and bitterness, prejudice and anger to hurt other people, to have our own way, and to fulfill our selfish desires. When we fall into temptation, we separate ourselves from Your Love and deaden our spirits to Your commands. Forgive us for rejecting Your words and damaging our faith. Hear us now as we humbly confess our sins to You alone.

- SILENCE -

Guide: Merciful God, You graciously have given Your Son Jesus to die for our failures, faults and fallen ways. By His wounds, we are healed. By His sacrifice, we are forgiven and restored to You. We bring these prayers in Christ’s Name and through His own words, we unite our hearts with Him, saying, “Our Father, … THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts/debtors)

Promise of the Gospel
Guide: Jesus saves us from sinful destruction and the eternal wrath of God. He wants us to choose life over death, faith over fear, and obedience over defiance. When we sincerely come to Him for forgiveness, He grants us mercy and grace. Let us rejoice and be glad, for Jesus our Savior rescues us 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.

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

Minute for Mission

Encountering God

Choir Anthem

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor: The LORD reigns, he is robed in majesty and is armed with strength. God establishes our world and sustains our lives.
People: Eternal God, we are finite and frail, in need of help, healing and wholeness. We lift up our voices of prayer to You, from our weary hearts and troubled minds.

Pastor: Mighty Redeemer, have mercy upon us and heal us of all that harms us in body, mind, heart and spirit. We also bring to You our families and friends, colleagues and neighbors who need Your Loving touch and holy healing. Hear us now as we pray.

Silent Prayers for others and ourselves. A candle is lit

Pastor: The LORD is merciful and holy; just and faithful. He hears our prayers in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
(Healing Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 93)

The Message: Part #1
Singing of ‘Jesus, Draw me Close’

Prayer for Illumination:
Reader: Holy Spirit, help us to see what Christ is doing amongst us. Enable us to hear His words from these holy passages. Teach us His ways so that we may tell others of His ministry, mission and kingdom. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

Scripture Readings, The Message Part #2, and The Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory:
Dedication (unison): Lord Jesus, we have worshipped You in song and praised You with our music. We have gathered our tithes and offerings and placed them before Your throne. Take these lifeless tokens and bless them, so that they may bring life to Your words by ministering in our congregation, across our community, and throughout this country. In Your Holy Name, we freely give and pray. Amen.

Hymn:

Benediction (unison): May Christ remind us that our lives are not our own, but chiefly belong to Him; may the Father bestow His favor upon all that we do; and may the Holy Spirit reside in our hearts, so that we may die to sin and live for faith in the One, Triune and Living God, both now and always. Amen.

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

Sunday prayers: First Sunday in Lent - Lent 1 - March 01

Approaching God

Welcome and announcements

Gathering and Prelude

Hymn:

Confessional Prayer

Guide: Almighty Lord of power and peace, we approach You as servants and students, as devotees and disciples, and as seekers and sinners looking for Your love. You called us from the comfort of our homes to experience Your presence in this sanctuary. You have brought us to this peaceful place to touch our hearts, change our ways, and challenge our lives.

People: Heavenly Father, we know that we are imperfect and unholy; we recognize that we have weaknesses and faults. Help us to seek Your mercy and grace. Teach us to rely upon Your favor and blessing. Hear us now as we silently confess our mistakes and wrongdoing. Forgive us for neglecting our faith, ignoring Your words, and for being selfish.

- SILENCE -

Guide: Merciful God, without Christ’s passion, we could not approach You for grace. Without His brutal sacrifice, we could not stand in Your Holy Presence to ask for mercy. We dedicate our lives to Him and unite our hearts with His, through the saying of Christ’s own prayer, “Our Father,…THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts/debtors)

Promise of the Gospel
Guide: Christ tells us that no one can come to Him unless God has enabled it to occur. Today, God has brought us to this place to be received by Jesus, renewed in spirit, and restored to the Kingdom. When we confess our sins and dedicate our lives to Christ, we are completely forgiven and totally reunited to God’s love, both now and always. 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: Lord, we dwell in Your shelter and rest beneath Your comforting shadow. You are our refuge and our strength, the God in whom we trust

People: We seek the Lord to free us from our fears and protect us from all evil. O Lord, cover us with Your love; heal us from all that harms us in body, mind and soul.

Pastor: The faithfulness of God grants us freedom; the passion of the Lord brings us peace. O Lord, save us from anxiety and attack, depression and disease, illness and injury. We ask this for ourselves and all our loved ones, for whom we now silently pray
Silent Prayers for others and ourselves. A candle is lit

Pastor: The Lord is with us in times of sickness and trouble. He will deliver us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
(Healing Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 91)

Choir Anthem

The Message: Part #1

Singing of ‘Jesus, Draw Me Close’

Prayer for Illumination:
Reader: Holy Spirit, remind us that Christ’s ways are radical and that His words often challenge our ideals. Enable us to receive these holy verses into our hearts, so that we may apply this teaching throughout our daily lives. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message: Part 2 & The Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory:

Dedication: Lord Jesus, You have once again given us a sacred opportunity to hear Your voice and to follow Your ways. We bring these gifts and tithes as a witness to the effectiveness of Your power over our lives. Take this offering and please bless it for the advancement of Your Kingdom, as well as the upbuilding of Your church on earth. In Your Holy Name we pray. Amen.

Communion

Hymn:

Benediction: May Christ judge us to be good and worthwhile servants; may the Father enable us to master our weaknesses and overcome our sins; and may the Holy Spirit strengthen our faith, so that one glorious day, we can proudly stand in the presence of the One, Triune and Living God, both now and always. Amen.

Doxology Praise God, from whom all blessings flow & Postlude

Sunday prayers: Transfiguration of the Lord - February 22

Approaching God

Welcome and Announcements

Gathering & Prelude

Hymn:

Confessional Prayer

Guide: Almighty and Infinite God, Majestic and All-Powerful Creator, we approach You with awe and reverence; we gather in humility and service. Your Hands have formed our universe; Your Will sustains our lives. What are we that You are mindful of us? Who are we to receive Your compassion and care?
People: Gracious Lord, nothing is hidden from Your gaze; no secrets can be kept from Your heart. We have shamefully sinned and selfishly centered our lives upon greed, power, desire and deceit. We have also neglected our faith, spoken harsh words, passed by people in need, and put You to the back of our minds. We are guilty of many sins, so we seek Your forgiveness and ask for mercy. Hear us now as we solemnly pray.

- SILENCE -
Guide: Loving Father, we are unworthy to receive grace and yet You have given to us Your Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our mistakes, to take the punishment due for our sins, and to sacrifice Himself for all the wrong things we have said and done.

People: Without our Savior, we are unforgiven. Without Christ’s obedience, we are unrestored. Hear us now as we unite our hearts with His, through Christ’s own words, saying “Our Father,…THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts/debtors)

Promise of the Gospel
Guide: Christ knows all of our secrets and everything that goes on in our minds, hearts and lives. Only He can fully offer us salvation. Only He can restore us to the One, True and Living God. When we honestly believe in Him and sincerely confess our sins, He will forgive us and bring us back to God. So let us rejoice and be glad, for Jesus has pardoned our foolish ways and re-established our everlasting relationship with the LORD, both now and always. 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: Lord, You have been our dwelling place and healing source throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born, or the Earth was brought in being, You existed.
People: O LORD, how long shall we suffer? Have compassion upon us and heal all Your servants. Satisfy our prayers with Your unfailing love, so that we may praise and glorify You every day.
Pastor: Make us glad by restoring our health; bring peace, hope and healing to all our loved ones.
May Your compassionate deeds be shown to us; may the splendor of Your strength be experienced by all, for whom we now pray.

Silent Prayers for others and ourselves. A candle is lit

Pastor: May the favor of the LORD rest upon us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
(Healing Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 90)

Choir Anthem

The Message: Part #1

Singing of ‘Jesus, Draw me Close’

Prayer for Illumination:
Reader: Holy Spirit, open our hearts to Christ’s teaching, and enable us to spread His message amongst the people we know and love, through the applying of these sacred words in our everyday lives. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message: Part #2 & The Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory:
Dedication(unison): Lord Jesus, through the things that we do, we witness to Your ministry. Today, we gather this offering as a true token of our faith and a loving response to Your sacred words. Take these gifts and tithes and bless them for Your continuing work and ways amongst us. In Your Holy Name we pray. Amen.

Hymn:

Benediction(unison): May Christ feed us with faith, hope and love; may the Father look down upon us with compassion and care; and may the Holy Spirit perfectly lead us into the presence of the One, Triune and Living God, where we shall live and be accepted forevermore. Amen.

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