Page Updated by Sunday Morning
Sunday, May 3, 2026 -- 10:30am Worship Service
In celebration of Mother’s Day, this week’s bulletin art is a painting by Nigerian artist, Njideka Akunyili Crosby (b. 1983) titled “Still You Bloom in This Land of No Gardens”, 2021.
Welcome to Maxwell Street! We hope you will consider wearing a nametag so that we might get to know one another better. They can be found in the lobbies outside the sanctuary. You can find more helpful information inside this bulletin.
INTROIT 692 - Spirit, Open My Heart (sing twice)
Spirit, open my heart
to the joy and pain of living.
As you love, may I love,
in receiving and in giving.
Spirit, open my heart.
GREETING & ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRELUDE - The Rejoicing, G. F. Handel (1685-1759)
CALL TO WORSHIP
We gather to celebrate the God of wonder and majesty!
Awesome God, help us to worship you in spirit and in truth.
We gather to celebrate Jesus Christ, who was dead and buried, and now risen indeed!
Jesus, renew our hope in your great power and love.
We gather to celebrate the Holy Spirit, our promised comforter and guide!
Come Holy Spirit! Fill us with your presence and peace.
We gather to celebrate the ancient hope of Christians:
God is with us and will never let us go.
+ HYMN 405 - Praise God for This Holy Ground
+ CONFESSION & PARDON
Ever-present God, we come before you knowing we have ignored your promised Holy Spirit living within us. Therefore, we forfeit peace and bear needless worry. We become confused and deaf to your voice of truth. We struggle with obedience to your Word and fight an overwhelming sense of loneliness. Forgive us! Help us to remember that we are never alone, that you are with us and for us, by the power of your Spirit abiding in us, the Spirit of Jesus the Christ, our Savior and Lord. Listen now as we offer our silent prayers of confession.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!
Thanks be to God.
RESPONSE TO FORGIVENESS - Hymn 588 Alleluia
Choir: Alleluia, alleluia! (repeats)
All: Alleluia, alleluia!
PASSING OF THE PEACE
CHILDREN'S MESSAGE
PRAYER FOR OPENNESS
Come Holy Spirit! As the Scriptures are read and the Word proclaimed, bear witness to the truth in our hearts and minds, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING- Acts 17.22-31 NT pg 137 (NRSVUE)
ANTHEM - I Will Arise, Alice Parker and Robert Shaw, Chancel Choir
SCRIPTURE READING - John 14.15-21 NT pg 108 (NRSVUE)
SERMON - “Closer Than You Think", Zane Kercsmar
+ STATEMENT OF FAITH- FromThe PC(USA)Study Catechism
Question 54: What do you believe when you confess your faith in the Holy Spirit? Apart from the Holy Spirit, our Lord can neither be loved, nor known, nor served. The Holy Spirit is the personal bond by which Jesus Christ unites us to himself, the teacher who opens our hearts to Christ, and the comforter who leads us to repentance, empowering us to live in Christ’s service. As the work of the one Holy Spirit, our love, knowledge, and service of Christ are all inseparably related.
+ HYMN 282 -Come Down, O Love Divine
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE & THE LORD'S PRAYER
OFFERING
• OFFERTORY - Ave Maria, J. S. Bach (1685-1750) & Charles Gounod (1818-1893)
+ • 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 29 - O God, You Search Me
+ CHARGE & BENEDICTION
+ BENEDICTION RESPONSE -Hymn 80, You Shall Go Out With Joy (The Trees of the Field)
You shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace;
the mountains and the hills will break forth before you;
there’ll be shouts of joy, and all the trees of the field
will clap, will clap their hands.
And all the trees of the field will clap their hands;
the trees of the field will clap their hands;
the trees of the field will clap their hands
while you go out with joy.
POSTLUDE- Trumpet Tune in F, Roy Brunner (1945-2024)
Welcome to Maxwell Street! We hope you will consider wearing a nametag so that we might get to know one another better. They can be found in the lobbies outside the sanctuary. You can find more helpful information inside this bulletin.
INTROIT 692 - Spirit, Open My Heart (sing twice)
Spirit, open my heart
to the joy and pain of living.
As you love, may I love,
in receiving and in giving.
Spirit, open my heart.
GREETING & ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRELUDE - The Rejoicing, G. F. Handel (1685-1759)
CALL TO WORSHIP
We gather to celebrate the God of wonder and majesty!
Awesome God, help us to worship you in spirit and in truth.
We gather to celebrate Jesus Christ, who was dead and buried, and now risen indeed!
Jesus, renew our hope in your great power and love.
We gather to celebrate the Holy Spirit, our promised comforter and guide!
Come Holy Spirit! Fill us with your presence and peace.
We gather to celebrate the ancient hope of Christians:
God is with us and will never let us go.
+ HYMN 405 - Praise God for This Holy Ground
+ CONFESSION & PARDON
Ever-present God, we come before you knowing we have ignored your promised Holy Spirit living within us. Therefore, we forfeit peace and bear needless worry. We become confused and deaf to your voice of truth. We struggle with obedience to your Word and fight an overwhelming sense of loneliness. Forgive us! Help us to remember that we are never alone, that you are with us and for us, by the power of your Spirit abiding in us, the Spirit of Jesus the Christ, our Savior and Lord. Listen now as we offer our silent prayers of confession.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!
Thanks be to God.
RESPONSE TO FORGIVENESS - Hymn 588 Alleluia
Choir: Alleluia, alleluia! (repeats)
All: Alleluia, alleluia!
PASSING OF THE PEACE
CHILDREN'S MESSAGE
PRAYER FOR OPENNESS
Come Holy Spirit! As the Scriptures are read and the Word proclaimed, bear witness to the truth in our hearts and minds, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING- Acts 17.22-31 NT pg 137 (NRSVUE)
ANTHEM - I Will Arise, Alice Parker and Robert Shaw, Chancel Choir
SCRIPTURE READING - John 14.15-21 NT pg 108 (NRSVUE)
SERMON - “Closer Than You Think", Zane Kercsmar
+ STATEMENT OF FAITH- FromThe PC(USA)Study Catechism
Question 54: What do you believe when you confess your faith in the Holy Spirit? Apart from the Holy Spirit, our Lord can neither be loved, nor known, nor served. The Holy Spirit is the personal bond by which Jesus Christ unites us to himself, the teacher who opens our hearts to Christ, and the comforter who leads us to repentance, empowering us to live in Christ’s service. As the work of the one Holy Spirit, our love, knowledge, and service of Christ are all inseparably related.
+ HYMN 282 -Come Down, O Love Divine
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE & THE LORD'S PRAYER
OFFERING
• OFFERTORY - Ave Maria, J. S. Bach (1685-1750) & Charles Gounod (1818-1893)
+ • 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 29 - O God, You Search Me
+ CHARGE & BENEDICTION
+ BENEDICTION RESPONSE -Hymn 80, You Shall Go Out With Joy (The Trees of the Field)
You shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace;
the mountains and the hills will break forth before you;
there’ll be shouts of joy, and all the trees of the field
will clap, will clap their hands.
And all the trees of the field will clap their hands;
the trees of the field will clap their hands;
the trees of the field will clap their hands
while you go out with joy.
POSTLUDE- Trumpet Tune in F, Roy Brunner (1945-2024)