Welcome

A description of this service at the bottom of this bulletin.

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

Prelude
Please use this prelude as a time to prepare your heart and mind for corporate worship

Call to Worship
Leader: Shout for joy in the LORD

All: Give thanks to the LORD; make melody to him

Leader: Sing to him a new song

All: For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.

Leader: Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love.

All: Our souls wait for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.

Leader: Our hearts are glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.

All: Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you.

Adapted from Psalm 33

Praises of the People

Hymns and Choruses of Praise
#010 - Come, Thou Found of Every Blessing

Spoken and Silent Praises, Gratitudes, and Laments
Our praise is to the God who is faithful in His lovingkindness.

The Gloria Patri - SING Hymnal #331
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
The proof of God’s amazing love is this:
“While we were sinners, Christ died for us. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Trusting in God’s faithfulness and compassion, let us confess our sin before God and one another.
—based on Romans 5:8; Hebrews 4:16

Unison Confession
Merciful God, we confess that we have often failed to be an obedient church. We have not done your will, we have broken your law, we have rebelled against your love. We have not loved our neighbors, and have refused to hear the cry of the needy. Forgive us, we pray, and free us into joyful obedience; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Declaration of Forgiveness
The grace, mercy, forgiveness and peace of Christ, through the Holy Spirit, has led us into and through this moment. We are a forgiven and strengthened people because of the Father Heart of God, the work of Jesus Christ, and the indwelling, unfailing love of the Holy Spirit. Amen

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.

Hymn of Reflection
#085 - All the Way My Savior Leads Me
Sing the last line of each verse twice

The Doxology: SING Hymnal #334
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 - Exodus 20:1-11

Leader: This is the word of the Lord.

ALL: Praise be to the Christ.

Sermon -
Death is rolled back like a stone - Matthew 28:1-11
Matt Blazer

Sermon Notes:
1. God rested

2. And commanded his people to do the same

3. To invite the world

4. Into real life

The Sacrament: The EUCHARIST

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give him thanks and praise.

…Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with choirs of angels, with prophets, apostles, and martyrs, and with all the faithful of every time and place, who forever sing to the glory of your name:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest!

…Great is the mystery of faith:
Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

…And so, as He taught us, we are bold to pray:

The Lord’s Prayer
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.

Alleluia, Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.

Words of Institution

Communion:

Let us pray:
Gracious God, you have made us one with all your people in heaven and on earth. You have fed us with the bread of life, and renewed us for your service. Help us who have shared Christ’s body and received his cup, to
be his faithful disciples, so that our daily living may be part of the life of your kingdom, and our love be your love, reaching out into the life of the world; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Closing Hymn
#484 - Go Forth and Tell! O Church of God

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.