Welcome and Announcements
Introit, O Taste and See, Ralph Vaughan Williams**
Call to Worship, Acts 2:42-47
Children of God, let us gather together with glad and generous hearts.
For many signs and wonders are being done among us.
Let us break bread together and share our lives in common.
Let us give what we can to all who have needs so that all people, no matter who they are, may regard us with good will.
Let us devote ourselves to our prayers and to the good news.
For in this way, God will add to our numbers every day. LET US WORSHIP GOD.
Hymn, How Great Thou Art, 625, vs. 1, 3-4
Prayer of the Day
Prayer of Confession
Holy One, we confess to You, and to all who gather before You, that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed. We have failed to follow Christ’s example, and gone running after a life that does not satisfy. We have been consumed by our own needs, ignoring the needs of our neighbors. We have disparaged those who think and act differently than we do, forgetting Christ’s call to walk a mile in their shoes. We have built our lives on security rather than sacrifice, cowardice as opposed to courage. In the midst of pandemic, we are all too aware of the ways that we are complicit with our society’s greed, injustice, and indifference. Liberate us from our lethargy and our callous disregard. Today, set us upon a path that follows You in the way of righteousness, we pray, in the name of Jesus, the Good Shepherd.
Assurance of Pardon
Moment for the Deacons, Leila Richards
Prayer for Illumination
Loving God, we pray that Your Holy Spirit will strengthen us to be devoted to the teachings of Your Word, that through it we may hear Your voice and follow it into eternal life. AMEN.
Time for Children, Jenny Newman
Gospel Reading, John 10:11-15
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.
Hebrew Reading, Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;[a]
3 he restores my soul.[b]
He leads me in right paths[c]
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,[d]
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff—
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely[e] goodness and mercy[f] shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
my whole life long.[g]
Sermon, “Jesus Saves,” Rev. Vincent Kolb
Anthem, Even When He Is Silent, Kim André Arnesen
I believe in the sun, even when it’s not shining.
I believe in love, even when I feel it not.
I believe in God, even when He is silent.
The text was found in a concentration camp after World War 2
Affirmation of Faith, Confession of 1967, 9.20
God the Holy Spirit fulfills the work of reconciliation in human life. The Holy Spirit creates and renews the church as the community in which people are reconciled to God and to one another. The Spirit enables people to receive forgiveness, as they forgive one another, and to enjoy the peace of God as they make peace among themselves. In spite of their sin, the Spirit gives people power to become representatives of Jesus Christ and his gospel of reconciliation to all. AMEN.
The Lord’s Supper
Pastoral Prayer, Rev. Ken White
The Lord’s Prayer, 2019 Vatican Update
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;
do not let us fall into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power
and the glory forever. Amen.
Closing Anthem and Hymn, My Shepherd Will Supply My Need, arr. Mack Wilberg, 803
Benediction
Announcements
** Inclusive Language: Words matter. Jesus Christ, the living Word, reached out to all people to bring all people into God’s fold. The kingdom of God includes all types of people; therefore our language should reflect the inclusivity and equality among the people of God. To the end, when possible, we seek to eliminate the inherent bias of the English language towards the masculine gender without altering passages that reflect the historical situation of ancient patriarchal culture, out of which the Bible originated.
We are an open and affirming community of faith in Jesus Christ. At home in an urban neighborhood of many faiths, we acknowledge that we are not alone on the path to understanding God. In worship, study, and fellowship, we celebrate our Presbyterian roots and find joy in our diversity. We strive for the grace to love one another as we seek deeper understanding of life in the Spirit, working for justice and serving as stewards of God’s wondrous creation.
* We are a More Light congregation: “Following the risen Christ, and seeking to make the Church a true community of hospitality, the mission of More Light Presbyterians is the full participation of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people of faith in the life, ministry, and witness of the Presbyterian Church (USA).”
* The Session has closed the building through April 30 to observe the governmental restrictions of social distancing.
* Many thanks to Heather Vallone, Leila Richards, Claire Bertolet, Dante McDonald, and Rev. Ken White for being part of the service this week!
* Want to join Pastor Vincent’s Wednesday morning Bible study on the lectionary texts? Contact the office to get on the email list for connection to the Zoom meeting.
* Zoom confused? Set up a call with Amy, and we’ll work through it together.
* It’s not the same as the thrill of putting the envelope in the plate, but you can still pay on your pledges either through eGive (click here!) or by mailing your check to the church. We continue to need your support in this challenging time!
* Weekly Sunday school lessons and other resources are on Jenny’s Children and Youth blog (click here!)
Comments are closed.