March 27th, 2022
8:30 am Chapel Order of Service
Gathering and Announcements
Prelude
Call to Worship
The Love that Never Ceases sings with us songs of Liberation.
Where righteousness flows, God is the current.
Where cries for justice ring out, God is the belltower.
Where healing blooms, God is the sunlight.
Come, let us worship God, our Encourager and our Advocate.
Hymn of Preparation Come Ye, Sinners, Poor and Needy 340 UMH
Confession
O God, our protector, we take refuge in you;
you alone are the source of all our good.
We seek to be counted among the godly and upright,
but we confess that we have run after other powers,
and we have brought trouble upon ourselves and others.
O Lord, our portion and our cup,
you sustain us and lead us in good and pleasant ways.
We confess that we have trusted in false wisdom
and set our hearts on short-sighted desires.
Forgive us, God our life.
Help us set you always before us,
and sustain us in your righteousness.
Let our hearts be glad, our spirits rejoice,
and our bodies rest in hope,
for you do not abandon us to our sin
or let your chosen ones dwell in the pit.
In Christ you show us the path of life;
you welcome us into the joy of your presence;
you feed us with pleasures forevermore. Amen.
Words of Forgiveness
Family of God, while we were yet sinners Christ died and rose to show us that death does not win, that love wins, that our sins cannot overcome the good in the world, that darkness does not overcome light. In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven! Glory to God! Amen.
Anthem How Can I Keep From Singing? Robert Lowry
Scripture Reading Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Sermon
Response to the Word: Affirmation of Faith
We believe in God the Creator, infinite in wisdom, power and love, whose mercy is over all creation, and whose will is ever directed to good. We believe in Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of man, the gift of the Creator’s unfailing grace, the ground of our hope, and the promise of our deliverance from sin and death. We believe in the Holy Spirit as the divine presence in our lives, whereby we are kept in perpetual remembrance of the truth of Christ, and find strength and help in time of need.
We believe that this faith should manifest itself in the service of love as set forth in the example of our blessed Lord, to the end that the kingdom of God may come upon the earth.
Amen.
Invitation to Offering
Audre Lorde, speaks of having to “consciously study how to be tender with each other until it becomes a habit...”. Come, let us bring forth our offerings today, that we might practice being tender with each other by meeting each other’s needs.
Offertory
Doxology Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow 95 UMH
Prayer of Dedication
God of Justice and Mercy, support us as we practice how to be in community. Grant us courage to be honest about the impact of our actions. May
the difficulties of life open our hearts instead of closing them, that we might
be tenderhearted with one another. We dedicate our offerings to the needs
of the collective and to our continual learning of how to care. Amen.Holy
Communion and Lord’s Prayer
Invitation to Communion
Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him,
who earnestly repent of their sin and
seek to live in peace with one another.
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.
It is right, and a good and joyful thing,
always and everywhere to give thanks to you,
Almighty God, creator of heaven and earth.
And so, with your people on earth
and all the company of heaven
we praise your name and join their unending hymn.
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest!
Holy are you and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ.
By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection
you gave birth to your church,
delivered us from slavery to sin and death,
and made with us a new covenant
by water and the Spirit.
On the night in which he gave himself up for us,
he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread,
gave it to his disciples and said:
“Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
When the supper was over, he took the cup
gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said:
“Drink from this, all of you;
this is my blood of the new covenant,
poured out for you and for many
for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this as often as you drink it,
in remembrance of me.”
And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving
as a holy and living sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of faith.
Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here,
and on these gifts of bread and wine.
Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ,
that we may be for the world the body of Christ,
redeemed by his blood.
By your Spirit make us one with Christ,
one with each other,
and one in ministry to all the world,
until Christ comes in final victory
and we feast at his heavenly banquet.
Through your Son Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit in your holy church,
all honor and glory is yours, almighty God
now and forever.
Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
And now, with the confidence of the children of God, let us pray:
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 trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil,
for thine is the kingdom,
and the power and the glory forever.
Amen.
Prayer After Communion
Holy God, as we leave this table, help us to remember this moment.
Help us remember that with you, all are invited. Help us remember
that with you, there is a seat for everyone. Help us remember that with
you, there is enough food to go around, that even Judas was invited to
the meal, and that there is manna in the wilderness. Help us remember
so that as we go, we can build tables like this in the world. We need
more tables like this in the world. Gratefully we pray, Amen.
Closing Hymn Great is Thy Faithfulness 140 UMH
Charge and Benediction
Postlude
