The Parish Gathering | May 10, 2020 (Fifth Week of Eastertide)
Please participate in the following liturgy, reading aloud all the parts in bold italics.
Call to Worship
Song: King of My Heart
Let the King of my heart
be the mountain where I run
the fountain I drink from
Oh, He is my song
Let the King of my heart
be the shadow where I hide
the ransom for my life
Oh, He is my song
You are good, good, oh
Let the King of my heart
be the wind inside my sails
the anchor in the waves
Oh, He is my song
Let the King of my heart
be the fire inside my veins
the echo of my days
Oh, He is my song
You are good, good, oh
You’re never gonna let,
never gonna let me down
Not Yet
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.” (John 14:1)
And so we pray,
Lord, have mercy and be near to the Patrick family.
God who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow: Have mercy and draw near to Darrin.
And be with their church family as they gather this morning.
And Lord, we pray with
all who are lonely,
all who are depressed,
all who are struggling with thoughts of self-harm or suicide,
and those who don’t know how to ask for help,
in a world that tells us to be strong enough,
when we are often weak.
Have mercy Christ,
Amen.
“But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died.” (Acts 7:55-60)
And so we pray,
Lord, have mercy and be near to the Arbery family.
On this Mother’s Day, we grieve with a mother who does not have her son.
Move on our hearts that we might bear witness to your Kingdom of Peace.
Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world
Have mercy on us.
Grant us peace.
Amen.
Stillness
“In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.” (John 14:2)
Fears, Questions, Pain & Prayers of the People
Lord in Your mercy,
Hear our cry.
As a people heard,
May we walk now,
Away from fear and despair,
Into spacious lands of hope and mercy.
We receive this mercy.
Amen.
Meditation: Into Your Hands I Commit My Spirit
Song: Through & Through
I find that I’m safe and warm
In your loving arms
You see me
And You know me
And You love me
Through and through
Now: Once You Were Not… but Now You Are the People
“But you are… a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9-10)
The Great Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts!
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
And so this day, we join with Saints and Angels
in the chorus of praise that rings through eternity,
lifting our voices to bless you we say:
Holy, Holy, Holy
Lord God Almighty
heaven and earth are full of Your glory,
Glory to you, O Lord most high.
Is the Father with us?
He is.
Is Christ among us?
He is.
Is the Spirit here?
He is.
This is our God.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We are his people.
We are redeemed.
Therefore we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
Sacrament of Desire
Now, in union, O Lord with the faithful at every altar of Your Church,
I present to You my soul and body
with the earnest prayer that I will remain united to you.
And since I cannot now receive You sacramentally,
I pray that you would come to me spiritually.
I unite myself to you, and embrace you with my soul’s affection.
Let nothing separate me from you,
that I may live and die in Your love.
Amen.
Song: Graves Into Gardens
I searched the world, but it couldn’t fill me
Man’s empty praise and treasures that fade are never enough
Then You came along, and put me back together
And every desire is now satisfied
Here in Your love
Oh, there’s nothing better than You
There’s nothing better than You
Lord, there’s nothing
Nothing is better than You
I’m not afraid, to show You my weakness
my failures and flaws
Lord, You’ve seem them all
And You still call me friend
‘Cause the God of the mountain
Is the God of the valley
There’s not a place
Your mercy and grace
Won’t find me again
Oh, there’s nothing better than You
There’s nothing better than You
Lord, there’s nothing
Nothing is better than You
You turn mourning to dancing
You give beauty for ashes
You turn shame into glory
You’re the only one who can
You turn graves into gardens
You turn bones into armies
You turn seas into highways
You’re the only one who can
You’re the only one who can
Oh, there’s nothing better than You
There’s nothing better than You
Lord, there’s nothing
Nothing is better than You
Community Life
The Cross of Christ
All our problems,
We send to the cross of Christ!
All our difficulties,
We send to the cross of Christ!
All the devil’s works,
We send to the cross of Christ!
And all our hopes,
We set on the Risen Christ!
Blessing & Sending
from The Message, 1 Peter 2
Friends of God,
Once you were lost sheep with no idea who you were or where you were going.
But no longer!
Through Jesus Christ, things have been set right with God.
He used his servant body to carry our sins to the Cross
so we could be rid of sin,
free to live the right way.
His wounds become your healing.
Now you are named and kept for good
by the Shepherd of your souls.
Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
