APRIL 16,2023

WE GATHER IN AWE AND PRAISE

PRELUDE                                “Holy Holy Holy”                                     arr. Tim Zimmerman

INTROIT                                    “i thank You God “                                     Lloyd Pfautsch   

WELCOME                                                                                                Rev. Trip Porch      

*CALL TO WORSHIP                                                                               

One:  The good news resounds: 

All:   Christ is risen! Alleluia!

One:  We celebrate the God who is our refuge.              

All:  In God’s presence there is gladness and rest. 

One:  God is always before us; 

All:  We shall not be shaken.

*HYMN NO. 634                            “To God Be the Glory”                         TO GOD BE THE GLORY

*PRAYER OF CONFESSION                                                                         

God, you have made known to us the ways of life.
Yet, too often, we put other things above you and turn away from the ways of life and toward the ways of death. Forgive us and guide us back into your presence, that we may know the fullness of joy. Amen.

*ASSURANCE OF PARDON

*RESPONSE OF PRAISE 591                  “Halle, Halle, Hallelujah!”                                            HALLE, HALLE 

*PASSING OF THE PEACE                                       

         One:   The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all,

All:      And also with you.

WE LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD                                            

A note about today’s anthem: Live Unto God was commissioned by the family of the Reverend Mary Gene Boteler, to honor her ministry and celebrate the occasion of her sixty-fifth birthday.

ANTHEM                                   “Live Unto God”                                     Zebulon M. Highben         

PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION

SCRIPTURE   Acts 2:14a, 22–32 CEB

Peter stood with the other eleven apostles. He raised his voice and declared, “Judeans and everyone living in Jerusalem! Know this! Listen carefully to my words!
“Fellow Israelites, listen to these words! Jesus the Nazarene was a man whose credentials God proved to you through miracles, wonders, and signs, which God performed through him among you. You yourselves know this. In accordance with God’s established plan and foreknowledge, he was betrayed. You, with the help of wicked men, had Jesus killed by nailing him to a cross. God raised him up! God freed him from death’s dreadful grip, since it was impossible for death to hang on to him. David says about him,

I foresaw that the Lord was always with me;
    because he is at my right hand I won’t be shaken.
Therefore, my heart was glad
    and my tongue rejoiced.
Moreover, my body will live in hope,
        because you won’t abandon me to the grave,
    nor permit your holy one to experience decay.
You have shown me the paths of life;
    your presence will fill me with happiness.

“Brothers and sisters, I can speak confidently about the patriarch David. He died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this very day. Because he was a prophet, he knew that God promised him with a solemn pledge to seat one of his descendants on his throne. Having seen this beforehand, David spoke about the resurrection of Christ, that he wasn’t abandoned to the grave, nor did his body experience decay. This Jesus God raised up. We are all witnesses to that fact. 

One:  Holy Wisdom, Holy Word  

All:     Thanks be to God

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE                                                                                  Sharon Renkes 

SERMON                                                                                              Rev. Betsy Maurath

*HYMN NO. 254                   “That Easter Day with Joy Was Bright”               PUER NOBIS NASCITUR                           

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE  followed by the Lord’s Prayer

  One: Keep us in faith

All: that we may have life.

TIME OF OFFERING           “The Love of God Is Greater Far”                 arr. Sunghwan Kim

OFFERTORY RESPONSE 609          Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow        LASST UNS ERFREUEN

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;

Praise God, all creatures high and low.

Alleluia, alleluia! 

Praise God in Jesus fully known:

Creator, Word, and Spirit one.

Alleluia, alleluia!

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

     Text: Brian Wren, 1989

*PRAYER OF DEDICATION

Generous God, you are our portion and our cup. In you our hearts are glad, our souls rejoice, and our bodies rest. Bless and multiply our offerings and pledges that they may bring the joy of your presence more deeply into the world. Amen.

*HYMN NO. 752                                         “Dona Nobis Pacem”                                               DONA NOBIS PACEM

TIME OF COMMUNITY SHARING                                 

CHARGE AND BENEDICTION  

CHORAL RESPONSE                              Christ Is Risen! Shout Hosanna!                                  Ludwig van Beethoven

POSTLUDE            Festive Postlude on "Llanfair" Jesus Christ Is Risen Today arr. Mary McDonald            

Acknowledgments: Unless otherwise indicated, all texts and music are printed and broadcast under OneLicense.net license #A-702452

                                           Liturgy by Rev. Sarah A. Speed | A Sanctified Art LLC | sanctifiedart.org. 

Worship & Music Leaders

Pastor  -  Rev. Trip Porch

Chancel Choir

Guest Preacher: Rev. Betsy Maurath

Director of Music – Christopher Dent

Liturgist – Mike Ayers

Assoc. Director of Music – Ariel Alvarado

Children’s Message – Sharon Renkes

Organist – Sunghwan Kim