May 21, 2023
Seventh Sunday of Easter/Ascension Sunday
Enhance your online worship experience
Whether you’re a first-time online visitor or a life-long member, we welcome and celebrate the ways you enrich our collective worship of a scattered yet gathered Children of God. As we begin our service, we invite you to light a candle, just as we do in the prelude during our in-person worship. Our two altar candles symbolize that Christ was both a human being and God. A light being carried into the world shows that Jesus Christ is for all people - everywhere. Just as a the acolyte carries the lighted candlelight into the congregation, the light symbolizes the light of Jesus Christ preceding us into the world where we as the church are to serve.
Gathering:
The chiming of the Trinity
Prelude
Blessed Assurance arr. Anna Laura Page
Welcome and Announcements
Call to Worship
One: Welcome! We are gathered here to celebrate the great promise!
Many: Our hearts are ready to receive this good news.
One: Jesus asked all of his friends to live lives reflecting the love of God.
Many: We are numbered among these friends!
One: Open your hearts today. Hear God’s special word just for you!
Many: Lord, help us to be ready to receive your word and to live in your love. Amen.
Written by Nancy C. Townley
Hymn
O God, Our Help in Ages Past UMH# 117
Children’s Message
Joys and Concerns and Pastoral Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer UMH# 895
A Reading from the New Testament
Solo
O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee Paul Sjolund
Nick Skaggs
A Reading from the Epistles
Sermon
A Pastoral Letter to the Church Rev. Paula Dempsey
Prayer of Confession & Assurance of Pardon
One: Lord, we confess our day-to-day failure to be truly human.
Many: Lord, we confess to you.
One: Lord, we confess that we often fail to love with all we have and are, often because we do not fully understand what loving means, often because we are afraid of risking ourselves.
Many: Lord, we confess to you.
One: Lord, we cut ourselves off from each other and we erect barriers of division.
Many: Lord, we confess to you.
One: Lord, we confess that by silence and ill-considered word
Many: we have built up walls of prejudice.
One: Lord, we confess that by selfishness and lack of sympathy
Many: we have stifled generosity and left little time for others.
One: Holy Spirit, speak to us. Help us listen to your word of forgiveness, for we are hard of hearing.
Come, fill this moment and free us from sin.
Many: In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and made new. Thanks be to God.
Hymn
Lord, Whose Love Through Humble Service UMH# 581
Blessing of the Tithes and Offerings
Make a Gift of a Tithe or Offering
Doxology | UMH# 94
Affirmation of Faith
A Statement of Faith of the United Church of Canada UMH# 883
UMH #889
Postlude
How Firm a Foundation arr. James Koerts
Today’s worship participants
Our Pastor: Rev. Lisa Hartzog
Preaching: Rev. Paula Dempsey
Music Director: Dr. Joel Reed
Pianist: Patty Higgins
Music Intern: Nick Skaggs
Make a Gift | Your Tithes & Offerings
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Mars Hill United Methodist Church
PO Box 427
Mars Hill, NC 28754
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