NOTES: We will be celebrating graduations on this Sunday. As we explore Paul's adventures in Philippi, we discover that sometimes sharing the Good News is a task that cannot be accomplished quietly. Sometimes, the act of sharing God's love and grace leads us into the public spotlight in ways we may not be ready to embrace. Nonetheless, God's grace and mercy sustain us where the Holy Spirit leads us.
Scripture: Acts 16:16-34
16 One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave-girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. 17 While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you[a] a way of salvation.” 18 She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.
19 But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. 20 When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, “These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews 21 and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe.” 22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. 23 After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. 24 Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 The jailer[b] called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them outside and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 They spoke the word of the Lord[c] to him and to all who were in his house. 33 At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. 34 He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God.
8:30 am Order of Service
We Gather in God's Presence
WelcomePrelude
Lighting the Christ Candles
Praise Hymn#609 "Take My Life" (verses 1, 3, & 6)
Call to Worship
Leader: Gather around and hear Good News, you are welcome here!
People: It is the God of encouragement who will speak to us today.
Leader: So come on in, relax, let your tiredness roll away.
People: We will lift up our hearts, and listen.
~adapted from a piece written by Ann Siddall, and posted on the Stillpoint Spirituality Centre and Faith Community website. http://stillpointsa.org.au/prayer/prayers-and-liturgies/
Invocation
Lord, God of heaven and earth,
Creator of our world, and everything in it,
yet as close to us as our own breath—holy is Your name.
We pray that Your Holy Spirit
would move among us as we worship,
opening our eyes to Your presence,
opening our ears to Your Word.
Receive the worship of our hearts and minds and bodies;
may it be a pleasing offering to You.
We pray in the name of Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ,
in whose death and resurrection we find life. Amen.
We Contemplate God's Word
ScriptureSermon
We Pray Together
Recognition of Graduates Presentation to High School Graduate
Charge to the Graduates
Joys & Concerns
Prayer Hymn#570"Sweet Hour of Prayer" (all verses)
Praying Together
Holy and awesome God, we celebrate the many gifts which you bestow upon your people. We also reflect upon the challenging call to live as a new creation in Christ in this time and place.
God of the Church, your apostles were persecuted for the sake of the gospel. Such suffering continues today in the face of human cruelty and intolerance. We pray for all who are persecuted for the sake of their faith and political beliefs. Strengthen our courage to stand up for ourselves and others.
God of righteousness, help us to discern your will from our own. Empower us to be faithful to the promises we made through baptism and keep us true to our growing friendship with you.
God of justice, your Son began his ministry proclaiming the arrival of the Kingdom of God, in which the blind are given sight and the oppressed released from bondage. Give us grace to enact the vision of that kingdom, by living lives of service that are dedicated to justice.
God of the weak, be with those who suffer and their friends and families who keep vigil with them. In silence we remember those whose names have been spoken today in our Concerns... and those whose names we hold close in our hearts, unspoken.
(PAUSE)
God of all people, it is both a gift and a responsibility to have Christ dwelling in us. Let us be truly grateful and willing to live as one with the Lord. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
~ adapted from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada’s Lift Up Your Hearts archive. http://www.worship.ca/
We Come to the Lord's Table
Invitation to the TableCommunion Hymn#393 "One Bread, One Body" (all verses)
Elder's Prayer
Words of Institution
The Lord's Supper with instrumental meditation
Prayer of Thanksgiving
We Go Forth into the World
Challenge for DiscipleshipDiscipleship Hymn#595 "Be Thou My Vision"(verses 1, 2, & 3)
Blessing
10:40 am Order of Service
We Gather in God's Presence
WelcomePrelude
Call to Worship
Leader: Gather around and hear Good News, you are welcome here!
People: It is the God of encouragement who will speak to us today.
Leader: So come on in, relax, let your tiredness roll away.
People: We will lift up our hearts, and listen.
~adapted from a piece written by Ann Siddall, and posted on the Stillpoint Spirituality Centre and Faith Community website. http://stillpointsa.org.au/prayer/prayers-and-liturgies/
Praise Hymn#609 "Take My Life" (verses 1, 3, & 6)
Lighting of the Candles
Invocation
Lord God of heaven and earth,
Creator of our world, and everything in it,
yet as close to us as our own breath—holy is Your name.
We pray that Your Holy Spirit
would move among us as we worship,
opening our eyes to Your presence,
opening our ears to Your Word.
Receive the worship of our hearts and minds and bodies;
may it be a pleasing offering to You.
We pray in the name of Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ,
in whose death and resurrection we find life. Amen.
Passing of the Peace
Faith Hymn #610 "Living for Jesus" (verses 1 & 3)
Recognition of Graduates
Charge to the Graduates
We Contemplate God's Word
ScriptureChoir Anthem
Children's Sermon
Sermon
We Pray Together
Joys & ConcernsPrayer Hymn#570"Sweet Hour of Prayer" (all verses)
Praying Together
Holy and awesome God, we celebrate the many gifts which you bestow upon your people. We also reflect upon the challenging call to live as a new creation in Christ in this time and place.
God of the Church, your apostles were persecuted for the sake of the gospel. Such suffering continues today in the face of human cruelty and intolerance. We pray for all who are persecuted for the sake of their faith and political beliefs. Strengthen our courage to stand up for ourselves and others.
God of righteousness, help us to discern your will from our own. Empower us to be faithful to the promises we made through baptism and keep us true to our growing friendship with you.
God of justice, your Son began his ministry proclaiming the arrival of the Kingdom of God, in which the blind are given sight and the oppressed released from bondage. Give us grace to enact the vision of that kingdom, by living lives of service that are dedicated to justice.
God of the weak, be with those who suffer and their friends and families who keep vigil with them. In silence we remember those whose names have been spoken today in our Concerns... and those whose names we hold close in our hearts, unspoken.
(PAUSE)
God of all people, it is both a gift and a responsibility to have Christ dwelling in us. Let us be truly grateful and willing to live as one with the Lord. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
~ adapted from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada’s Lift Up Your Hearts archive. http://www.worship.ca/
We Come to the Lord's Table
Invitation to the TableCommunion Hymn#393 "One Bread, One Body" (all verses)
Elder's Prayer
Words of Institution
The Lord's Supper with instrumental meditation
Prayer of Thanksgiving
We Go Forth into the World
Challenge for DiscipleshipDiscipleship Hymn#595 "Be Thou My Vision"(verses 1, 2, & 3)
Blessing
Closing Hymn#477 "Pass it On" (verse 1 )
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