Welcome
Below you will find prayers, songs, readings, and a message to help you experience worship. You can light a candle, like we do at church, to remind you of the presence of the Holy Spirit. You can have a bowl of water in the vicinity to remind you of your baptism, and to use during the ‘Thanksgiving for Baptism’ portion of worship. Whether you are alone or with others, we hope that you can feel each other’s presence, and the presence of God, as we find creative ways to worship together, even though we are not in the same building. One good thing about virtual worship is that if you really like a song, you can listen to it again! Do what you need to do to worship God wherever you are.
Thanksgiving for Baptism
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Read these words to yourself our out loud. Mark the sign of the cross on your hand or forehead or in the air space in front of you. If you are with other people, you can mark the sign of the cross for each other.
Alleluia! Christ is risen. Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia! We give you thanks, holy and gracious God, for you created the waters of the earth: oceans, streams, lakes, and rivers. You led your people through the sea and called them to life in covenant with you. Your Son was baptized in the river Jordan to begin his mission among us. You pour out your Holy Spirit to renew the all of the earth. Through this water remind us of the gift of baptism. Renew us in your promise so that we may serve this world in all its need; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Opening Song
Amazing Love
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My Lord, what love is this That pays so dearly That I, the guilty one May go free!
Amazing love, what sacrifice The Son of God, given for me My debt He pays, and my death He dies That I might live, that I might live!
And so, they watched Him die Despised, rejected But oh, the blood He shed Flowed for me!
Amazing love, what sacrifice The Son of God, given for me My debt He pays, and my death He dies That I might live, that I might live!
And now, this love of Christ Shall flow like rivers So come wash your guilt away Live again!
Amazing love, what sacrifice The Son of God, given for me My debt He pays, and my death He dies That I might live, that I might live! That I might live, that I might live!
Prayer of the Day
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Almighty and ever-living God, you hold together all things in heaven and on earth. In your great mercy receive the prayers of all your children, and give to all the world the Spirit of your truth and peace, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Reading
Acts 17:22-31
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22Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, “Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. 23For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24The God who made the world and everything in it, the one who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, 25nor is God served by human hands, as though needing anything, since that very God gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. 26From one ancestor God made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, 27so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for and find God—though indeed God is not far from each one of us. 28For ‘In God we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are the offspring of God.’
29“Since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. 30While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now God commands all people everywhere to repent, 31because God has fixed a day on which to judge the world in righteousness by a man whom God has appointed, and of this God has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
Anthem
This is Amazing Grace
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Children’s Moment
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Reading and Message
John 14:15-21
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[Jesus said:] 15“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16And I will ask the Father, who will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. 17This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, whom the world neither sees nor knows. You know the Spirit, because the Spirit abides with you, and will be in you.
18“I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. 20On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”
Hymn of the Day
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
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Love divine, all loves excelling, Joy of heav’n, to earth come down! Fix in us thy humble dwelling, all thy faithful mercies crown. Jesus, thou art all compassion, pure, unbounded love thou art; visit us with thy salvation, enter ev’ry trembling heart.
Breathe, oh, breathe thy loving Spirit into ev’ry troubled breast; let us all in thee inherit; let us find thy promised rest. Take away the love of sinning; Alpha and Omega be; end of faith, as its beginning, set our hearts at liberty.
Come, Almighty, to deliver; let us all thy life receive; suddenly return, and never, nevermore thy temples leave. Thee we would be always blessing, serve thee as thy hosts above, pray, and praise thee without ceasing, glory in thy perfect love.
Finish then thy new creation, pure and spotless let us be; let us see thy great salvation perfectly restored in thee! Changed from glory into glory, till in heav’n we take our place, till we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love, and praise!
Apostles’ Creed
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With the whole church, let us confess our faith.
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Prayers
Let us pray for all who are in need.
Abiding God, be with all people around the world. Bless faith leaders as they guide their communities through this pandemic. Show our pastors and our church councils the way forward. Grant your grace to those in all religions of the world, and show your kindness to all who search for you, whether within or outside the church. Lord, hear our prayer.
Righteous God, instill in all the leaders of nations a desire for justice and the will to serve the oppressed. We pray especially for those nations in which dictatorship threatens the population. Guide our nation’s governors in their difficult pathway between the threat of disease and the dangers of scarcity and isolation. Bring our legislators into agreement about how to assist those in need. Give us patience as we move forward. Lord, hear our prayer.
Compassionate God, visit all who are in great need, those who suffer from any illness, those living in loneliness and fear, those without jobs, and those who mourn their dead. Uphold those whose futures have been taken away from them. We pray for health care workers and for the residents in care homes, prisons, and refugee camps. For the countless persons who carry heavy burdens, we pray. Lord, hear our prayer.
Gracious God, embrace all orphans. Support the agencies that attend to the world’s orphans. Shield orphaned children from traffickers. Give to all nations wisdom concerning the refugees who are children. Watch over all children whose usual care-givers are absent. Lord, hear our prayer.
Eternal God, your kingdom is here now, and it has no end. We remember the saints who have gone before us. Unite us forever in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Lord, hear our prayer.
With bold confidence in your love, merciful God, we place all for whom we pray into your eternal care, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
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Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.
Sending Song
Shout to the North
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Men of faith rise up and sing. Of the great and glorious king. You are strong when you feel weak. In your brokenness complete.
Shout to the north and the south. Sing to the east and the west. Jesus, Savior to all.
Lord of heaven and earth.
Rise up women of truth. Stand and sing to broken hearts. Who can know the healing power. Of our Awesome King of Love.
Shout to the north and the south. Sing to the east and the west. Jesus, Savior to all.
Lord of heaven and earth.
We’ve been through fire. We’ve been through rain. We’ve been refined By the power of His name. We’ve fallen deeper in love with you. You’ve burned the truth on our lips.
Shout to the north and the south. Sing to the east and the west. Jesus, Savior to all.
Lord of heaven and earth.
Rise up church with broken wings. Fill this place with songs again. Of our God who reigns on high. By his grace again we’ll fly.
Shout to the north and the south. Sing to the east and the west. Jesus, Savior to all.
Lord of heaven and earth. Shout to the north and the south. Sing to the east and the west. Jesus, Savior to all. Lord of heaven and earth.
Franciscan Sending
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Read this out loud. If you are with other people, take turns reading the parts out loud.
May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.
May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.
May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.
And the Blessing of God, who Creates, Redeems, and Sanctifies, be upon you and all you love and pray for this day, and forevermore. Amen.
Blessing
May the One who brought forth Jesus from the dead raise you to new life, fill you with hope, and turn your mourning into dancing. Almighty God, Father, ☩ Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever. Amen.
Dismissal
Christ is risen, just as he said. Go in peace. Share the good news. Alleluia! Thanks be to God. Alleluia!
Worship Assistants:
Music: Lori, Pat & Dylan
Message: Pastor Kristin
Readers: Isabella, Camilla, Cindy, Inara, Taylor, Maddy
Children’s Moment: Pastor Kristin
From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2005 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #22432. New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Hymns reprinted with permission. CCLI#116214