Order of Worship: Sunday, March 21, 2021

 

First Presbyterian Church

March 21, 2021

10:00 AM

Order of Worship

 

CALL TO WORSHIP  (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

God has promised to make a new covenant with us.

Our Lord has promised to write God’s law on our hearts.

We will no longer say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for we shall all know God.

For God will forgive our iniquity, and remember our sin no more.

Let us worship the Living God.

 

Hymn of Praise: “Oh How I Love Jesus”

1. There is a name I love to hear, I love to sing its worth; it sounds like music in my ear, the sweetest name on earth.

Refrain: O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus, because he first loved me!

2. It tells me of a Savior's love, who died to set me free; it tells me of his precious blood, the sinner's perfect plea. (Refrain)

3. It tells of one whose loving heart can feel my deepest woe; who in each sorrow bears a part that none can bear below. (Refrain)

      PRAYER OF CONFESSION (In Unison)

Holy God, we confess that we have failed to live in covenant relation with you and one another. We have exploited our relationships with one another and the earth for private gain. Our hearts have become hardened to the suffering we have caused. Create in us a new heart, O God. Write your law in our hearts so that we will love you with all of who we are and love our neighbors as ourselves. Amen.

 *SILENT PRAYERS OF CONFESSION

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

Friends, hear the good news of the gospel. In Christ, we are forgiven and restored to right relations with God and one another. God in Christ empowers us for justice-seeking in our world. God has made a new covenant with us. Thanks be to God.

 

 

*THE GLORIA PATRI

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

INVITATION: “Dear Lord, I need You, please come into my life today.  Amen”

 LESSON: John 8: 20-33

²⁰Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. ²¹They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” ²²Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. ²³Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. ²⁵Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.

²⁷“Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. ²⁸Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” ²⁹The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” ³⁰Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. ³¹Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. ³²And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” ³³He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.

 SERMON:                          “To Come To The Glory Of Christ”                              Rev. Peter Hofstra

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (Philippians 2:5-11)

Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death — even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess to the glory of God: Jesus Christ is Lord! Amen.

PASSING OF THE PEACE

THE OFFERING OF OUR TITHES & GIFTS

God is the fountain of all good and has showered us with good gifts. In let us give all of who we are

in return: our hearts, minds, energies and resources.

 

*DOXOLOGY

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

O God, your gifts are manifest all around us and especially in this community of hope, love and peace. May the gifts we return to you this day be a sign of our commitment to do your work in this community and in our world to establish the flourishing of all your children.

JOYS AND CONCERNS

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE LORD’S PRAYER

Let us pray for the church, our neighbors in need and the whole world, saying: Hear our prayer. Holy One, we pray that you would empower the church to be your beloved community on earth, to live in mutuality and tear down hierarchies that devalue some in order to benefit others. We pray to you, O Lord: Hear our prayer.

Make us ever mindful of the sick, the homeless, the hungry, the prisoner, the lonely and isolated, that we might be agents of your love and justice to these your children. We pray to you, O Lord: Hear our prayer.

Enable all who live and work in this region to work for the common good and for the flourishing of all your children. We pray to you, O Lord: Hear our prayer.

Support the global community as it struggles with the pandemic — delivering needed aid and vaccines for all who are in need. Give each of us courage to take responsibility for measures that protect us all. We pray to you, O Lord: Hear our prayer.

We pray all these things in the name of Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray saying,

  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.  Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory forever.  Amen.

CLOSING HYMN: “The Old Rugged Cross”

1. On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame; and I love that old cross where the dearest and best for a world of lost sinners was slain.

Refrain: So I'll cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it some day for a crown.

2. O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world, has a wondrous attraction for me; for the dear Lamb of God left his glory above to bear it to dark Calvary. (Refrain)

3. In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine, a wondrous beauty I see, for 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died, to pardon and sanctify me. (Refrain)

 

 

 

*BENEDICTION

*THREE FOLD AMEN

Elements of Order of Worship drawn from The Presbyterian Outlook, written by Roger Gench.