Order of Service – Sunday 27 March 2022 – LENT 4
Click the link below to download the Order of Service.
CALL TO WORSHIP
Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, His holy mountain.
It is beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth. Like the utmost heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the Great King.
God is in her citadels; He has shown himself to be her fortress!
Within Your temple, O God, we meditate on Your unfailing love. Like Your name, O God, Your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is filled with righteousness.
For this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end. (Psalm 48:1-3, 9-10 &14)
HYMN: 216 “Rejoice, The Lord Is King” (Tune 108)
RESPONSIVE READING
Come, let us worship God, who has called us to be holy people, and has established an everlasting covenant through Jesus Christ our Lord.
We come in spirit and in truth.
Let us adore the God of love: who created us; who continually preserves and sustains us; who has loved us with an everlasting love and given us the light of the knowledge of His glory in the face of Jesus Christ.
We praise You, O God, we acclaim you as Lord.
Let us glory in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: though He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor; He was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin; He went about doing good and preaching the gospel of the kingdom; He became obedient to death, death on the cross; He was dead and is alive for evermore; He has opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers; He is seated at God’s right hand in glory; He will come again to be our judge.
You are the king of glory, O Christ.
Let us rejoice in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life; whose witness confirms us; whose wisdom teaches us; whose power enables us. By the Spirit we are born into the family of God and made members of Christ’s body.
All praise to You, O Holy Spirit.
SONG: “In His Time”
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
In penitence and faith, and in a period of silence, let us confess our sins to Almighty God. Let us pray. (Silence)
We acknowledge before God the Lord the wretchedness of our world and the sins of our hearts and minds. Our times are full of evil and we are but children of our times. We have seen the light and we are still in darkness. We have seen the truth and we are half-hearted. We are disciples, but poor disciples, unable to give sight to our neighbour who is blind to where blessing lies. We confess all these things with shame and pray God forgive and redeem. Amen.
PRAYER OF FORGIVENESS
O Lord, who hast mercy upon all, take away from me my sins, and mercifully kindle in me the fire of your Holy Spirit.
Take away from me the heart of stone, and give me a heart of flesh, a heart to love and adore You, a heart to delight in You, to follow and to enjoy You, for Christ’s sake. Amen. Ambrose of Milan (339-33-97)
HYMN: 693 “Come as You Are”
PRAYER
Mighty God, in whom we know the power of redemption, You stand among us in the shadows of our time.
As we move through every sorrow and trial of this life, uphold us with knowledge of the final morning when, in the glorious presence of Your risen Son, we will share His resurrection, redeemed and restored to the fullness of life and forever freed to be Your people.
Creator of the universe, You made the world in beauty, and restore all things in glory through the victory of Jesus Christ.
We pray that, wherever Your image is still disfigured by poverty, sickness, selfishness, war and greed, the new creation in Jesus Christ may appear in justice, love, and peace, to the glory of Your name.
O God, Your Son remained with his disciples after his resurrection, teaching them to love all people as neighbours.
As His disciples in this age, we offer our prayers on behalf of the universe in which we are privileged to live and our neighbours with whom we share it.
Prayers of the people (in silence)
Open our hearts to Your power moving around us and between us and within us, until Your glory is revealed in our love of both friend and enemy, in communities transformed by justice and compassion, and in the healing of all that is broken. Amen.
Prayers of the people (in silence)
Guide us in the path of discipleship, so that as You have blessed us, we may be a blessing for others, bringing the promise of the kingdom near, by our words and deeds. Amen.
Prayers of the people (in silence)
Receive these prayers, O God, and transform us through them, that we may have eyes to see and hearts to understand not only what You do on our behalf, but what You call us to do so that Your realm will come to fruition in glory.
We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We ask You, hear our prayers. Amen!
LENT PRAYER
Dear God, in this season of Lent, we’re reminded of our own difficulties and struggles. Sometimes the way has seemed too dark. Sometimes we feel like our lives have been marked by such grief and pain, we don’t see how our circumstances can ever change. But in the midst of our weakness, we ask that you would be strong on our behalf. Lord, rise up within us, let your Spirit shine out of every broken place we’ve walked through. Allow your power to be manifest through our own weakness, so that others will recognize it is You who is at work on our behalf. We ask that you trade the ashes of our lives for the beauty of your Presence. Trade our mourning and grief for the oil of joy and gladness from your Spirit. Trade our despair for hope and praise. We choose to give you thanks today and believe that this season of darkness will fade away. Thank you that you are with us in whatever we face and that you are greater than this trial. We know and recognize that you are Sovereign, we thank you for the victory that is ours because of Christ Jesus, and we are confident that you have good still in store for our future. We thank you that you are at work right now, trading our ashes for greater beauty. We praise you, for you make all things new. In Jesus’ Name. Amen!
THE LORD’S PRAYER
THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM
Gracious God, Your word is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword.
Today, when we hear Your voice, deliver us from hardness of heart. Help us to put away everything that keeps us from persevering in Your way, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
BIBLE READINGS – Frank Knowles
2 Corinthians 5:16-21 (Page 1145) Luke 15:1-2, 11b-32 (Pages 1035-1036)
SERMON: “My Place – My Home” Krikor Youmshajekian
HYMN: 233 “I Will Sing the Wondrous Story”
NOTICES – Working Bee – Wednesday 30 March from12:30 pm.
– Movie/Pizza Night – Tuesday 5 April 6:30 pm.
The movie will be Woman in Gold.
OFFERING – Give generously and with great joy, not for obligation!
DEDICATION OF THE OFFERING – PRAYER
HYMN: 210 “O for A Thousand Tongues to Sing”
BENEDICTION
To Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy, to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore!
| Remember Daylight Saving ends on the 3rd of April, please make sure to change your clocks backwards. |
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