Order of Worship

April 28, 2024 - 10 a.m. EDT

Prelude - Streams of Life (Jason W. Krug)
Festivo Bells

Ringing of the Church Bell

Invitation to Worship
Wendy McCormick

Hymn 267 - Come, Christians, Join to Sing
Daniel Yang, acolyte

Come, Christians, join to sing:
Alleluia! Amen!
Loud praise to Christ our King:
Alleluia! Amen!
Let all, with heart and voice,
before his throne rejoice;
praise is his gracious choice:
Alleluia! Amen!

Come, lift your hearts on high:
Alleluia! Amen!
Let praises fill the sky:
Alleluia! Amen!
He is our guide and friend;
to us he'll condescend;
his love shall never end:
Alleluia! Amen!

Praise yet our Christ again:
Alleluia! Amen!
Life shall not end the strain:
Alleluia! Amen!
On heaven's blissful shore
his goodness we'll adore,
singing forevermore:
Alleluia! Amen!

Prayer of Confession (unison)

Holy God, in Christ you draw us into interdependent and life-giving community, enriching our lives by interconnectedness. Yet we are constantly pulled by the world’s message to go it alone, to think first of ourselves and our security, to define ourselves by personal accomplishment. We turn to you bearing our worldly success but feeling empty inside. Draw us near to you and to our sisters and brothers in faith. Restore our connections to you that we may know the fullness of living in your presence always. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness

Response 587 - Alleluia!

Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Sharing the Peace

Welcome and Announcements

Scripture Reading - Acts 8:26-40
Molly Bruce

Anthem - Love Divine, All Loves Excelling (arr. Thomas Keesecker)
Chancel Choir
Hild Peersen, clarinet
Meredith Needham, piano

Word with Children
Jenni Whitford

Scripture Reading - John 15:1-8

Sermon - “Growing Things”

Hymn 450 - Be Thou My Vision

Be thou my vision,
O Lord of my heart;
naught be all else to me,
save that thou art;
thou my best thought,
by day or by night,
waking or sleeping,
thy presence my light.

Be thou my wisdom,
and thou my true Word;
I ever with thee
and thou with me, Lord;
thou my soul’s shelter,
and thou my high tower;
raise thou me heavenward,
O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not,
nor vain, empty praise;
thou, mine inheritance,
now and always;
thou and thou only,
first in my heart,
High King of Heaven,
my treasure thou art.

High King of Heaven,
my victory won,
may I reach heaven’s joys,
O bright heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart,
whatever befall,
still be my vision,
O Ruler of all.

Affirmation of Faith (unison)
A Brief Statement of Faith (select verses)

In life and in death we belong to God. Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel, whom alone we worship and serve. We trust in Jesus Christ, fully human, fully God. We trust in God, whom Jesus called Abba, Father. We trust in God the Holy Spirit, everywhere the giver and renewer of life. The Spirit justifies us by grace through faith, sets us free to accept ourselves and to love God and neighbor, and binds us together with all believers in the one body of Christ, the Church. With believers in every time and place, we rejoice that nothing in life or in death can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Offering

Offertory - Concerto No. 3 in E flat major - II. Romance (Carl Stamitz)

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Doxology 606 - Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication (unison)
William Walsham How, c. 1858

We give thee but thine own, whate’er the gift may be. All that we have is thine alone, a trust, O Lord, from thee. Amen.

Prayers of the People

The Lord’s Prayer (unison)

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 debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Hymn 697 - Take My Life

Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee;
take my moments and my days;
let them flow in ceaseless praise;
let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of thy love;
take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee,
swift and beautiful for thee.

Take my voice and let me sing
always, only, for my King;
take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from thee,
filled with messages from thee.

Take my silver and my gold;
not a mite would I withhold;
take my intellect and use
every power as thou shalt choose,
every power as thou shalt choose.

Take my will and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne,
it shall be thy royal throne.

Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure store;
take myself and I will be
ever, only, all for thee,
ever, only, all for thee.

Charge and Benediction

Postlude - Allegro from Concerto in G major (J.S. Bach)
Philip Everingham

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