WELCOME
PRELUDE All Creatures Of Our God and King – Keveren
*CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: Let us worship the Lord who has redeemed us from the dark caverns of death.
People: God has rescued us from the deep pit of despair.
Leader: Because of Easter’s miracle, God has turned our weeping into dancing.
People: The risen One has removed the rags of sorrow and clothed us with joy.
Leader: Let us give thanks to the Lord who has blessed us with the fullness of life.
People: Let all people hail the power of the One who has conquered the forces of death
and revealed the way of love.
*HYMN OF PRAISE All Hail The Power of Jesus’ Name #142
All hail the power of Jesus’ name! Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem, And crown Him Lord of all!
Bring forth the royal diadem, And crown Him Lord of all!
Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race, Ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him who saves you by His grace, And crown Him Lord of all!
Hail Him who saves you by His grace, And crown Him Lord of all!
Let every kindred, every tribe, On this terrestrial ball,
To Him all majesty ascribe, And crown Him Lord of all!
To Him all majesty ascribe, And crown Him Lord of all!
O that with yonder sacred throng We at His feet may fall!
We’ll join the everlasting song, And crown Him Lord of all!
We’ll join the everlasting song, And crown Him Lord of all!
PRAYERS OF CONFESSION (Unison)
Merciful God, although the resurrection has opened a new future to us, we have still sinned
and fallen short of Your glory.
On numerous occasions we have been traveling in the wrong direction;
in several instances our words and actions have been threatening;
and more often than we are aware, our hearts have been tainted with evil intentions.
Forgive us, Lord, for neglecting to live as Your disciples.
Change us and challenge us; redeem us and restore us; and set us on the path of faithful
discipleship,
so we may share the message of love and life revealed in Jesus Christ, in whose name
we pray. (Silent)
ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS (adapted from 1 John 2:1-2)
Leader: If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
People: And He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the
sins of the whole world.
Leader: Friends, believe the good news of the gospel:
People: Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!
SCRIPTURE Psalm 30:1-5
1 I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up, and did not let my foes rejoice over me.
2 O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.
3 O LORD, you brought up my soul from Sheol,
restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.
4 Sing praises to the LORD, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name.
5 For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
SCRIPTURE Acts 9:1-19
1 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went
to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he
found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to
Jerusalem. 3 Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light
from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him,
“Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came,
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But get up and enter the city, and you will be told
what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because
they heard the voice but saw no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his
eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him
into Damascus. 9 For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision,
“Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to
the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul.
At this moment he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come
in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered,
“Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints
in Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke
your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen
to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; 16 I myself
will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 17 So Ananias went
and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus,
who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight
and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his
eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking
some food, he regained his strength.
MEDITATION Except . . .
ANTHEM For the Beauty of the Earth – Hayes
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH from The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried;
he descended into hell;
the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost;
the holy catholic Church;
the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body;
and the life everlasting. Amen.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE LORD’S PRAYER
. . . Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will
be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our
debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
INVITATION TO GIVE
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
SACRAMENT OF THE LORD’S SUPPER
We have “open” communion, and therefore all who desire a closer relationship with God and
want to share in the love of Jesus Christ are invited to participate fully in the sacrament.
Invitation to the Table
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Leader: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Leader: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them up to the Lord.
Leader: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Words of Institution and Communion of the People
Prayer after Communion
*HYMN Love Divine, All Loves Excelling #376
Love divine, all loves excelling, Joy of heaven to earth come down,
Fix in us Thy humble dwelling, All Thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, Thou art all compassion, Pure, unbounded love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation, Enter every trembling heart.
Breathe, O breathe, Thy loving Spirit Into every troubled breast!
Let us all in Thee inherit, Let us find the promised rest;
Take away the love of sinning; Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith, as its beginning, Set our hearts at liberty.
Come, Almighty to deliver, Let us all Thy life receive;
Suddenly return, and never, Nevermore Thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing, Serve Thee as Thy hosts above,
Pray, and praise Thee without ceasing, Glory in Thy perfect love.
Finish, then, Thy new creation; Pure and spotless let us be;
Let us see Thy great salvation Perfectly restored in Thee;
Changed from glory into glory, Till in heaven we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee, Lost in wonder, love, and praise.
*BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE I Want Jesus To Walk With Me – Hayes