You can view or download the full weekly bulletin below.
During the season of Easter, Matt will be utilizing writers and resources from the Celtic tradition in our worship services. The Wednesday Kerygma class is currently studying this tradition. It is informed by a deep reverence for creation, something many of us are mindful of during the month of April because of Earth Day. Sources and authors are noted. If you have a favorite Celtic resource that inspires your faith, please share it with Matt so that he might incorporate it into our worship services in the coming weeks.
WELCOME
GREETING & ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRELUDE - The Cuckoo, Louis Claude D’ Aquin (1694-1772)
CALL TO WORSHIP(Inspired by George MacLeaod’s poem “The WHole Earth Shall Cry Glory”)
Almighty God, Creator:
The morning is Yours, rising into fullness.
The spring is Yours, flowing into summer.
Eternity is Your’s dipping into time.
The vibrant grasses, the scent of flowers, the moss on the rocks;
All are yours.
Gladly we live in this garden of your creating
Let us worship our Creator together
+ HYMN 802 - The King of Love My Shepherd Is
+ CALL TO CONFESSION
+ PRAYER OF CONFESSION - Iona Abbey Worship Book
O God, gladly we live and move and have our being in you. Yet always in the midst of this creation-glory, we see sin’s shadow and feel death’s darkness: around us in the earth, sea, and sky, the abuse of matter; beside us in the broken, the hungry and the poor, the betrayal of one another; and often, deep within us, a striving against your Spirit. O Trinity of love, forgive us that we may forgive one another, heal us that we may be people of healing, and renew us that we also may be makers of peace. Hear now our silent prayers of confession… (A time of silent confession.)
• ASSURANCE OF PARDON
• RESPONSE TO FORGIVENESS: Hymn 587, Alleluia!
PASSING OF THE PEACE
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
PRAYER FOR OPENNESS
God of mercy, you promised never to break your covenant with us. Amid all the changing words of our generation, speak your eternal word that does not change. Then may we respond to your gracious promises with faithful and obedient lives; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING - 1 John 3:16-24
We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us — and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?
Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.
And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.
This is the written testimony to the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
ANTHEM - So the Day Dawn, K. Lee Scott, Chancel Choir, Susan Carey, piano
SCRIPTURE READING - Acts 4:5-12
SERMON - - Rev. Matt Falco
+ HYMN 300 - We Are One in the Spirit
+Affirmation of Faith: A portion of the Belhar Confession
We believe that this unity of the people of God must be manifested and be active in a variety of ways: in that we love one another; that we experience, practice and pursue community with one another; that we are obligated to give ourselves willingly and joyfully to be of benefit and blessing to one another; that we share one faith, have one calling, are of one soul and one mind; have one God and Father, are filled with one Spirit, are baptized with one baptism, eat of one bread and drink of one cup, confess one name, are obedient to one Lord, work for one cause, and share one hope; together come to know the height and the breadth and the depth of the love of Christ; together are built up to the stature of Christ, to the new humanity; together know and bear one another's burdens, thereby fulfilling the law of Christ that we need one another and upbuild one another, admonishing and comforting one another; that we suffer with one another for the sake of righteousness; pray together; together serve God in this world; and together fight against all which may threaten or hinder this unity…
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE & THE LORD’S PRAYER
OFFERING
• OFFERTORY - Largo, Henri Eccles (1670-1742)
• 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
+ HYMN 761 - Be Thou My Vision
+ CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
+ BENEDICTION RESPONSE - Hymn 240, Alleluia, Alleluia! Give Thanks
Alleluia, alleluia! Give thanks to the risen Lord.
Alleluia, alleluia! Give praise to his name
1 Jesus is Lord of all the earth. He is the King of creation. (Refrain)
2 Spread the good news o’er all the earth: Jesus has died and has risen. (Refrain)
POSTLUDE - Praeludium, Johann Krieger (1651-1735)
WELCOME
GREETING & ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRELUDE - The Cuckoo, Louis Claude D’ Aquin (1694-1772)
CALL TO WORSHIP(Inspired by George MacLeaod’s poem “The WHole Earth Shall Cry Glory”)
Almighty God, Creator:
The morning is Yours, rising into fullness.
The spring is Yours, flowing into summer.
Eternity is Your’s dipping into time.
The vibrant grasses, the scent of flowers, the moss on the rocks;
All are yours.
Gladly we live in this garden of your creating
Let us worship our Creator together
+ HYMN 802 - The King of Love My Shepherd Is
+ CALL TO CONFESSION
+ PRAYER OF CONFESSION - Iona Abbey Worship Book
O God, gladly we live and move and have our being in you. Yet always in the midst of this creation-glory, we see sin’s shadow and feel death’s darkness: around us in the earth, sea, and sky, the abuse of matter; beside us in the broken, the hungry and the poor, the betrayal of one another; and often, deep within us, a striving against your Spirit. O Trinity of love, forgive us that we may forgive one another, heal us that we may be people of healing, and renew us that we also may be makers of peace. Hear now our silent prayers of confession… (A time of silent confession.)
• ASSURANCE OF PARDON
• RESPONSE TO FORGIVENESS: Hymn 587, Alleluia!
PASSING OF THE PEACE
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
PRAYER FOR OPENNESS
God of mercy, you promised never to break your covenant with us. Amid all the changing words of our generation, speak your eternal word that does not change. Then may we respond to your gracious promises with faithful and obedient lives; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING - 1 John 3:16-24
We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us — and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?
Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.
And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.
This is the written testimony to the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
ANTHEM - So the Day Dawn, K. Lee Scott, Chancel Choir, Susan Carey, piano
SCRIPTURE READING - Acts 4:5-12
SERMON - - Rev. Matt Falco
+ HYMN 300 - We Are One in the Spirit
+Affirmation of Faith: A portion of the Belhar Confession
We believe that this unity of the people of God must be manifested and be active in a variety of ways: in that we love one another; that we experience, practice and pursue community with one another; that we are obligated to give ourselves willingly and joyfully to be of benefit and blessing to one another; that we share one faith, have one calling, are of one soul and one mind; have one God and Father, are filled with one Spirit, are baptized with one baptism, eat of one bread and drink of one cup, confess one name, are obedient to one Lord, work for one cause, and share one hope; together come to know the height and the breadth and the depth of the love of Christ; together are built up to the stature of Christ, to the new humanity; together know and bear one another's burdens, thereby fulfilling the law of Christ that we need one another and upbuild one another, admonishing and comforting one another; that we suffer with one another for the sake of righteousness; pray together; together serve God in this world; and together fight against all which may threaten or hinder this unity…
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE & THE LORD’S PRAYER
OFFERING
• OFFERTORY - Largo, Henri Eccles (1670-1742)
• 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
+ HYMN 761 - Be Thou My Vision
+ CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
+ BENEDICTION RESPONSE - Hymn 240, Alleluia, Alleluia! Give Thanks
Alleluia, alleluia! Give thanks to the risen Lord.
Alleluia, alleluia! Give praise to his name
1 Jesus is Lord of all the earth. He is the King of creation. (Refrain)
2 Spread the good news o’er all the earth: Jesus has died and has risen. (Refrain)
POSTLUDE - Praeludium, Johann Krieger (1651-1735)