Covenant Presbyterian Church of Simsbury - The Barn
In-Person Sunday Service 9:00am, Hayloft Sanctuary
Service of Worship
March 19, 2023
Hayloft Sanctuary - 9:00am
Welcome
We begin our prayers with praise because Jesus instructed that prayer begins with who God is, where He is, and with an active longing that our kingdoms become more like His.
God Summons Us
Call to Worship
Leader: The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; his testimony is sure.
All: the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
Leader: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening our eyes;
All: the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
Leader: Let the words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart be acceptable in your sight,
All: O Lord, our rock and our redeemer.
Adapted from Psalm 19
Praises of the People
Hymns and Choruses of Praise
#17 “Our Great Savior”
Spoken and Silent Praises
Our praise is to the God who is faithful in His lovingkindness.
The Gloria Patri - #813
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, Amen.
God Sanctifies Us
Silent Personal Confession
Confession is the instinctive response of a natural person to a Holy God. Isaiah says in chapter 6, “I am a man of unclean lips” in response to his sense of God’s holiness.
Unison Confession
Merciful God;
we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart and mind and strength.
We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
In your mercy forgive what we have been, help us amend what we are, and direct what we shall be, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name.
Declaration of Forgiveness
Thanks be to God the Father that He loves us, to Jesus Christ His only Son who forgives us and renews us in our worship and service to Him, and thanks be to the Holy Spirit whose love will never let us go.
Deacon Grace Story
Passing of the Peace
The peace of the LORD be with you.
And also with you.
God Strengthens Us
The Prayers of the People
We ask for help boldly because Jesus taught us to do so.
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, the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Hymn of Reflection
#147 “How Great Thou Art”
The Doxology: #815
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.
God Speaks to Us
The Prayer of Illumination
The Reading - Matthew 6:7-15 pg. 964
Matthew 6:7-15 ESV
Leader: This is the word of the Lord.
ALL: Praise be to the Christ.
The Sermon –
Why Forgiveness Is A Life and Death Choice - Matthew 6:7-15
Matt Blazer
Notes:
1 Jesus forgave
2 And restored
3 As a model
4 And a command of life
Closing Hymn
#528 “My Faith Has Found A Resting Place”
God Sends Us
God the Father loves us, Jesus has reconciled us to Him, and we have the Holy Spirit.
Benediction
Postlude
Welcome
This is a new, though also very old, kind of service of worship.
It is contemplative, that is, it invites its participants to reflect upon their Lord, His power, righteousness and mercies, the church universal, and their own lives as members of His body. We use periods of silence for reflection and inner prayer—and also for extemporaneous, short, spoken praises, prayers or songs.
It is traditional. It includes forms of worship, praise and prayer from the whole history of the Christian church, some from the earliest days, others that date from the Reformation, and still others that are more modern.
Such a service depends a great deal on the active participation of those attending. No liturgy guarantees a spirit-filled experience of worship (nor does the absence of liturgy do so). This service asks for worshipers who are intentional and concentrated in their opening of themselves to the presence of Christ, in their sensitivity to what the Holy Spirit is saying, and in fervent sharing of responses, prayers and song. It also calls us to remember that above all, we come together to please God. God has the first and last word this morning because He has the first and last word in all of the universe.
Such a service reminds us, too, of a mystery: that we inhabit not only a physical universe but a spiritual one, that all around us are angels and archangels and all the company of heaven with whom we join in our praises, and who are witnesses that what we do physically has eternal and supernatural consequences. We enter a sacred space and live a holy time as we draw near to God, and especially so when we share His feast, the Eucharist.
Church and Ministry Information
Are you a guest with us this morning?
Welcome and thank you for joining us today. Please introduce yourself and/or complete the “Welcome to The Barn!” form at the back of your bulletin and place it in the offering box.
Hearing Assist Receivers Available
Hearing assist receivers can be picked up from the sound crew before the service.
Prayer Opportunity
At the conclusion of the service, our prayer team is available to pray for you.
Offering
The Apostle Paul assumes that local gatherings of Christ followers support the work of the Gospel. He describes giving monetarily in almost every letter he writes in the New Testament. Christ followers give what they can for the work of the local church and for mission churches. Similarly here, we hope you are planning and then giving joyfully because you believe in the mission and vision of this local gathering. There is a box by the door to receive your offering.