Order of Worship
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.
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.
God of steadfast love, you raise us up when we fall and place our feet
on steady ground. Strengthened by your faithfulness, we offer our
prayers in thanksgiving for the grace that is ours in Christ.
We pray for the mission of your church, that we may proclaim the
good news of the age as we put our trust in you.
We pray for the world, that your saving love may reach to the ends of
the earth as we serve the common good.
We pray for all who suffer, that we may heed their cry as we share in
your steadfast mercy.
We pray for your creation, that we may safeguard its well-being as we
labor together for redemption.
We remember before you those who have died and pray for those
who will die today, that they may know your peace.
Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all
glory and honor are yours, almighty God, forever and ever. Amen.
Come, Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove: Open our ears to the truth of your word, that the testimony of Christ may be strengthened among us and the glad news of deliverance revealed. Amen.
Isaiah 49:1-7 1 Listen to me, O coastlands, pay attention, you peoples from far away! The Lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother’s womb he named me. 2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me away. 3 And he said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” 4 But I said, “I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my cause is with the Lord, and my reward with my God.” 5 And now the Lord says, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honored in the sight of the Lord, and my God has become my strength— 6 he says, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” 7 Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, the slave of rulers, “Kings shall see and stand up, princes, and they shall prostrate themselves, because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.” John 1:29-42 29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.” 35 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. 40One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). 42 He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas’” (which is translated Peter).
Questions for Reflection: Rev. Johan Dodge
Andrew invited his brother Simon Peter to meet Jesus, and Peter’s
life was changed forever. Do you invite others to come and see
Jesus? How do you watch and listen for those who might be seeking
Jesus? Do you trust God to give you gifts for sharing how you came
to know of God’s love for you and for all of creation? How do you
show the world God’s love made real in Christ?
INVITATION TO THE OFFERING — Virginia Olejnik
Our God, who provides for our every need, invites us to give of
ourselves as we work and wait for the coming reign of Christ. Trusting
in the Spirit to sustain us in all things, let us share generously with
those in need.
We give you thanks, O loving God, that you have placed in the hearts of your faithful people the gift of generosity and the desire to do your will. Use these gifts to proclaim good news to every nation and restore all people to Christ. Amen.
May God's steadfast love and mercy lead you, and make your steps secure, keeping you forever safe on paths of love, kindness and peace. Blessed Be the Tie that Binds Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love. The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above. Amen.