Bulletin for May 29, 2011. Click below to read more.

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WORSHIP MAY 29, 2011
6th SUNDAY OF EASTER SUNDAY

THE GATHERING Nancy Hamilton
Leader: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.

THE PRELUDE Walter Huff, organist

* THE CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.
People: Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.
Leader: Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.
People: For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered
above all Gods. For all the gods of the people are idols, but the Lord
made the heavens.
Leader: Let us worship God, who creates, redeems and sustains us. Amen.
- Psalm 96:1-5

* THE PROCESSIONAL HYMN 220 All People That on Earth Do Dwell

THE CALL TO CONFESSION

THE PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Eternal God, when chaos seems to reign, when disasters happen so often that
we can scarcely keep up with the need to help, when we worry what will happen
next, it is so easy to throw up both hands and want to walk away from faith. It is
easy to wonder if you are an unknown God. But you are not unknown to us. You
revealed yourself in Jesus. We know who you are. We know what you want for us
and from us. So forgive us when we despair and remind us of your great promises
for us: healing, wholeness, love and kindness. Help us to live those promises for
all we encounter. We make our prayers in Jesus’ name and for his sake. Amen.

A MOMENT OF SILENCE (for examination of conscience and personal prayers of confession)

THE ASSURANCE OF PARDON
Leader: For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but
to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:
People: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the
discerning I will thwart.”
Leader: For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger
than human strength. Believe the promise of the Gospel:
People: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. - 1 Corinthians 1:18-19; 25

*THE CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE (Hymn 473)
For the joy of human love, brother, sister, parent, child, friends on earth,
and friends above, for all gentle thoughts and mild, Lord of all to thee we
raise this our hymn of grateful praise.

* THE PEACE OF CHRIST
(Children ages 3-11 are invited to leave after the Peace of Christ for special classes. Three through five-yearolds
in Room 011; K - 1st grade in Room 001; 2nd - 3rd grade in Room 003; Double Digits are in Room 005.

THE CONCERNS OF THE CHURCH
(Visitors and members are invited to sign the blue friendship register pad and pass it down the pew.)

THE FIRST LESSON John 14:15-21 (page 103 in the pew Bible, NT)

THE ANTHEM They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love Scholtes, arr. Bock
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord, and we pray that all unity will one day be restored.
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love. We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in
hand, and together we’ll spread the news that God is in our land. We will work with each other, we will
work side by side, and we’ll guard each man’s dignity and save each man’s pride. All praise to the Father,
from whom all things come, and all praise to Christ Jesus, His only Son, and all praise to the Spirit, and
who makes us one.

THE SECOND LESSON Acts 17:22-31 (page 129 in the pew Bible, NT)

THE SERMON “An Unknown God” Baron Mullis

* THE HYMN 372 Lord, I Want to Be a Christian

* THE AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
Leader: What do you understand by the providence of God?
People: The almighty and ever-present power of God whereby he still upholds,
as it were by his own hand, heaven and earth together with all
creatures, and rules in such a way that leaves and grass, rain and
drought, fruitful and unfruitful years, food and drink, health and
sickness, riches and poverty, and everything else, come to us
not by chance but by his fatherly hand.
Leader: What advantage comes from acknowledging God’s creation and providence?
People: We learn that we are to be patient in adversity, grateful in the midst
of blessing, and to trust our faithful God and Father for the
future, assured that no creature shall separate us from his love,
since all creatures are so completely in his hand that without his will
they cannot even move. - The Heidelberg Catechism

THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND 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 and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.

THE OFFERTORY God, Who Stretched the Spangled Heavens Wood

* THE DOXOLOGY AND PRAYER OF DEDICATION (Hymn 592)

* THE HYMN 562 Eternal Father, Strong to Save

* THE CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

* THE CHORAL RESPONSE How Can I Keep From Singing? Lowry, arr. Ellingboe
What though the tempest around me roar, I hear the truth. It liveth. What though the darkness around
me close, songs in the night it giveth. No storm can shake my inmost calm while to that rock I'm clinging.
Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth, how can I keep from singing?