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Sunday, April 27, 2025 -- 10:30am Worship Service
Introit - Hymn 664, Morning Has Broken
1 Morning has broken like the first morning; blackbird has spoken like the first bird.
Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning! Praise for them, springing fresh from the Word!
3 Mine is the sunlight! Mine is the morning, born of the one light Eden saw play!
Praise with elation; praise every morning, God’s re-creation of the new day!
Greeting & Announcements
Call to Worship - Based on Psalm 66
You are to be praised, O God.
You visit the earth and water it abundantly;
You drench the furrows and smooth out the ridges;
with rain, you soften the ground and bless its increase.
You crown the year with goodness, and your paths overflow with plenty.
May the fields of the wilderness be rich for grazing, and the hills be clothed with joy.
May the meadows cover themselves with flocks and the valleys cloak themselves with grain;
Let them shout for joy and sing.
+ Hymn 249 - Because You Live, O Christ
+ Call to Confession
+ A Prayer of Confession - from the Iona Abbey Worship Book
O God, your fertile earth is slowly being stripped of its riches,
OPEN OUR EYES TO SEE.
O God, your living waters are slowly being choked with chemicals,
OPEN OUR EYES TO SEE.
O God, your clear air is slowly being filled with pollutants,
OPEN OUR EYES TO SEE.
O God, your creatures are slowly dying and your people are suffering,
OPEN OUR EYES TO SEE.
God our maker, so move us by the wonder of creation,
THAT WE REPENT AND CARE MORE DEEPLY.
So move us to grieve the loss of life,
THAT WE LEARN TO CHERISH AND PROTECT YOUR WORLD.
Hear now our silent prayers of confession.
• Assurance of Pardon
• Response to Forgiveness: Hymn 582, Glory to God, Whose Goodness Shines on Me
Passing of the Peace
Children’s Message
Prayer for Openness
Blessed are you, O Lord, Redeemer God. You destroyed the bonds of death and from the darkness of the tomb drew forth the light of the world. You made us children of light singing Alleluias and dancing to the music of new life. Pour out your Spirit upon us that dreams and visions bring us ever closer to the kingdom of Jesus Christ, our risen Savior. Amen.
Scripture Reading - 8.18-27, NT pg 158
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God, for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its enslavement to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning together as it suffers together the pains of labor, and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what one already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with groanings too deep for words. And God, who searches hearts, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
This is the written testimony to the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God
ANTHEM - A Hymn to God: Creator, John Ferguson, Chancel Choir
Scripture Reading - John 20.19-31, NT pg 115
Sermon - Happy Are Those Who Don’t See And Yet Believe - Rev. Matt Falco
Statement of Faith - PC(USA) The Brief Statement of Faith: Line 27-40 and 72-76
We trust in God, whom Jesus called Abba, Father. In sovereign love God created the world good and makes everyone equally in God’s image, male and female, of every race and people, to live as one community. But we rebel against God; we hide from our Creator. Ignoring God’s commandments, we violate the image of God in others and ourselves, accept lies as truth, exploit neighbor and nature, and threaten death to the planet entrusted to our care. We deserve God’s condemnation. Yet God acts with justice and mercy to redeem creation. In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks and to live holy and joyful lives, even as we watch for God’s new heaven and new earth, praying, “Come, Lord Jesus!”
+ HYMN 23 - God, You Spin the Whirling Planets
Prayers of the People & THE LORD’s PRAYER - from the New Zealand Book of Common Prayer
Eternal Spirit, Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be,
Father and Mother of us all,
Loving God, in whom is heaven:
The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and forever.
Amen.
Offering
• INVITATION
• Offertory - This is My Father’s World, arr. Bish
• Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessing flow Praise Christ the Word in flesh born low;
Praise Holy Spirit evermore; One God, Triune, whom we adore. Amen.
• Prayer of Dedication
Hunger Offering
On the fourth Sunday of the month, we collect a special Hunger Offering to support the Hunger Ministries of Maxwell Street. We offer a community meal every Thursday night, support area programs such as a backpack program for Maxwell Street Elementary and the Big Blue Pantry on the UK Campus. You can support these programs on our online giving webpage, MSPC app, or by check with Hunger Ministries in the memo line.
+ HYMN 713 - Touch the Earth Lightly
Charge and Benediction
Response - Hymn 295, Go To the World (verses 3 and 4)
Go to the world! Go struggle, bless, and pray; the nights of tears give way to joyous day.
As servant church, you follow Christ’s own way. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Go to the world! Go as the ones I send, for I am with you till the age shall end,
when all the hosts of glory cry “Amen!” Alleluia. Alleluia.
Postlude - Alleluia, Alleluia, Whitworth
1 Morning has broken like the first morning; blackbird has spoken like the first bird.
Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning! Praise for them, springing fresh from the Word!
3 Mine is the sunlight! Mine is the morning, born of the one light Eden saw play!
Praise with elation; praise every morning, God’s re-creation of the new day!
Greeting & Announcements
Call to Worship - Based on Psalm 66
You are to be praised, O God.
You visit the earth and water it abundantly;
You drench the furrows and smooth out the ridges;
with rain, you soften the ground and bless its increase.
You crown the year with goodness, and your paths overflow with plenty.
May the fields of the wilderness be rich for grazing, and the hills be clothed with joy.
May the meadows cover themselves with flocks and the valleys cloak themselves with grain;
Let them shout for joy and sing.
+ Hymn 249 - Because You Live, O Christ
+ Call to Confession
+ A Prayer of Confession - from the Iona Abbey Worship Book
O God, your fertile earth is slowly being stripped of its riches,
OPEN OUR EYES TO SEE.
O God, your living waters are slowly being choked with chemicals,
OPEN OUR EYES TO SEE.
O God, your clear air is slowly being filled with pollutants,
OPEN OUR EYES TO SEE.
O God, your creatures are slowly dying and your people are suffering,
OPEN OUR EYES TO SEE.
God our maker, so move us by the wonder of creation,
THAT WE REPENT AND CARE MORE DEEPLY.
So move us to grieve the loss of life,
THAT WE LEARN TO CHERISH AND PROTECT YOUR WORLD.
Hear now our silent prayers of confession.
• Assurance of Pardon
• Response to Forgiveness: Hymn 582, Glory to God, Whose Goodness Shines on Me
Passing of the Peace
Children’s Message
Prayer for Openness
Blessed are you, O Lord, Redeemer God. You destroyed the bonds of death and from the darkness of the tomb drew forth the light of the world. You made us children of light singing Alleluias and dancing to the music of new life. Pour out your Spirit upon us that dreams and visions bring us ever closer to the kingdom of Jesus Christ, our risen Savior. Amen.
Scripture Reading - 8.18-27, NT pg 158
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God, for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its enslavement to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning together as it suffers together the pains of labor, and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what one already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with groanings too deep for words. And God, who searches hearts, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
This is the written testimony to the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God
ANTHEM - A Hymn to God: Creator, John Ferguson, Chancel Choir
Scripture Reading - John 20.19-31, NT pg 115
Sermon - Happy Are Those Who Don’t See And Yet Believe - Rev. Matt Falco
Statement of Faith - PC(USA) The Brief Statement of Faith: Line 27-40 and 72-76
We trust in God, whom Jesus called Abba, Father. In sovereign love God created the world good and makes everyone equally in God’s image, male and female, of every race and people, to live as one community. But we rebel against God; we hide from our Creator. Ignoring God’s commandments, we violate the image of God in others and ourselves, accept lies as truth, exploit neighbor and nature, and threaten death to the planet entrusted to our care. We deserve God’s condemnation. Yet God acts with justice and mercy to redeem creation. In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks and to live holy and joyful lives, even as we watch for God’s new heaven and new earth, praying, “Come, Lord Jesus!”
+ HYMN 23 - God, You Spin the Whirling Planets
Prayers of the People & THE LORD’s PRAYER - from the New Zealand Book of Common Prayer
Eternal Spirit, Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be,
Father and Mother of us all,
Loving God, in whom is heaven:
The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and forever.
Amen.
Offering
• INVITATION
• Offertory - This is My Father’s World, arr. Bish
• Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessing flow Praise Christ the Word in flesh born low;
Praise Holy Spirit evermore; One God, Triune, whom we adore. Amen.
• Prayer of Dedication
Hunger Offering
On the fourth Sunday of the month, we collect a special Hunger Offering to support the Hunger Ministries of Maxwell Street. We offer a community meal every Thursday night, support area programs such as a backpack program for Maxwell Street Elementary and the Big Blue Pantry on the UK Campus. You can support these programs on our online giving webpage, MSPC app, or by check with Hunger Ministries in the memo line.
+ HYMN 713 - Touch the Earth Lightly
Charge and Benediction
Response - Hymn 295, Go To the World (verses 3 and 4)
Go to the world! Go struggle, bless, and pray; the nights of tears give way to joyous day.
As servant church, you follow Christ’s own way. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Go to the world! Go as the ones I send, for I am with you till the age shall end,
when all the hosts of glory cry “Amen!” Alleluia. Alleluia.
Postlude - Alleluia, Alleluia, Whitworth