Covenant Presbyterian Church of Simsbury - The Barn
In-Person Sunday Service 9:00am, Hayloft Sanctuary
Service of Worship
May 21, 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: Praise the Lord!
People: I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
Leader: Great are the works of the Lord,
studied by all who delight in them.
People: Full of splendor and majesty is his work,
and his righteousness endures forever.
All: He has caused his wondrous works to be
remembered; the Lord is gracious and merciful.
Adapted from Psalm 111
Praises of the People
Hymns and Choruses of Praise
#793 “For The Beauty of the Earth”
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.
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
#390 “Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart”
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 8:1-17 pg. 966
Matthew 8:1-17 ESV
Leader: This is the word of the Lord.
ALL: Praise be to the Christ.
The Sermon –
Jesus Healed Because That Is What The Kingdom Brings - Matthew 8:1-17
Matt Blazer
Notes:
Jesus healed many
as part of his mission
against all of evil agents
as the kingdom breaks in.
Closing Hymn
#435 “God of Grace and God of Glory”
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.