Order of Service – Sunday 17 May 2020 – EASTER 6
Click the link below to download the Order of Service.
CALL TO WORSHIP
Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.
How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over the earth! He subdued nations under us, peoples under our feet. He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom He loved. God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding trumpets.
Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises.
For God is the King of the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise. (Psalm 47:1-7)
HYMN: 228 “Crown Him with Many Crowns”
PSALTER READING Psalm 66 (Page 570)
A PRAYER OF PRAISE
Worthy of praise from every mouth, of confession from every tongue, of worship from every creature, is Your glorious name.
O Father, Son, and Holy Ghost: who did create the world in Your grace and by Your compassion did save the world.
To Your majesty, O God, ten thousand times ten thousand bow down and adore, singing and praising without ceasing and saying;
Holy, holy, holy Lord God of hosts;
Heaven and earth are full of thy praises;
Hosanna in the highest. (Nestorius 381-451)
HYMN: 134 “Praise, my Soul, the King of Heaven”
FOR THE RENEWAL OF OUR HEARTS
Instruct our mouths, O Lord, with a new song; that, our hearts being renewed, we may always rejoice in Your praise and in the company of Your saints, O God, our Strength and our Redeemer. Amen.
HYMN: 517 “Hallelujah! Sing to Jesus”
PRAYER OF CONFESSION – We Are Human
O God, we are Your very human people and we confess that we do not always expect to be challenged by Your creativity, or Your prophetic word. We often think and act as though we know the future; we know what is expected of us and do what we always do.
Forgive us if we have lost the dream of Your life.
Bring to us Your surprising grace, Jesus Christ. Amen.
ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS
The rock of God’s faithfulness never fails us, the forgiveness of Jesus Christ comes in grace upon grace and the Holy Spirit will lift up our life.
Let us choose to live abundantly! Amen.
CONVOCATION
In every beginning, in every moment, God may surprise us with new possibilities, new courage and wisdom and new dimensions of faith.
This is our God, Creator, Christ and Holy Spirit.
Let us be the people of God this day.
PRAYER OF INTERCESSION
Let us come before God in prayer. Let us pray.
In this time of COVID-19, when we aren’t sure, God, help us be calm;
when information comes from all sides, correct and not, help us to discern; when fear makes it hard to breathe, and anxiety seems to be the order of the day, God slow us down;
help us to reach out with our hearts,
when we can’t touch with our hands;
help us to be socially connected,
when we have to be socially distant;
help us to love as perfectly as we can, knowing that “perfect love casts out all fear.”
We pray for the doctors, for the nurses, the technicians and the cleaners and the aides and the caregivers.
We pray for the researchers and theorists, the epidemiologists and investigators, searching for a vaccine.
We pray for those who are sick, those who are dying and those who are grieving,
We pray for all who are affected, all around the world…
We pray for safety, for health, for wholeness.
May we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked and house those without homes;
may we walk with those who feel they are alone, and may we do all that we can to heal the sick— in spite of the pandemic, in spite of the fear.
Help us, O God, that we might help each other.
In the love of the Creator, in the name of the Healer, in the life of the Holy Spirit that is in all and with all.
We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
BIBLE READINGS –
1 Peter 3:13-22 (Page 1202) John 14:15-21 (Page1068)
AFFIRMATION
In response to the word, let us make our affirmation:
We believe that God is present here, meeting us within our worship, speaking into every heart, offering wisdom for every mind and breathing hope into every soul.
We believe that, in Christ all things are possible and in the Spirit all life is being made new.
This we believe.
HYMN: 154 “Great is Your Faithfulness”
MESSAGE: “Love One Another” Bob Minton
HYMN: 699 “A New Commandment I Give Unto You” (Darwall)
OFFERING – Freely we have received; let us freely give.
HYMN: 216 “Rejoice, the Lord Is King”
SENDING OUT AND BENEDICTION
Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forevermore. Amen.
To contact Krikor call 0418 417 411
Church Website: http://www.longueville.unitingchurch.org.au
Church email: standrewsunite@tpg.com.au
Church Office phone: 9427 4740