| Prelude |
Here we find time to prepare quietly for worship, to silence our hearts and focus on God. |
| Lighting of the Christ Candle |
Symbol of Jesus, the "light of the world;" the candle reminds us of the presence of the living Christ. |
| Call to Worship |
We are invited to begin our worship of God with words of adoration. |
| Prayer of Adoration |
The prayer amplifies our praise of God. |
| Hymn |
We burst into song as we continue our worship's xxxxxxxx of praise. |
| Prayer of Confession |
The mood shifts as we recognize our frailty and brokenness before God. We are called to confess our sin to God and one another, which we do first together, then individually in silence. |
| Assurance of Forgiveness |
Having confessed, we can be sure of God's grace and forgiveness; it is cause for celebration! |
| Gloria Patri |
Praise to God-in three persons- in thanksgiving for God's forgiveness! |
| Life of the Church and Greetings |
All are greeted; announcements about church life are made. |
| Sharing God's Peace |
All are invited to pass God's peace to others. |
| Prayer for Illumination |
We ask God to help us hear the reading of scripture. |
| The Old & New Testament Readings |
Readings from the Bible typically are from each testament; selected by the preacher of the day, usually read by a lay person. |
| The Anthem |
A choral piece serves two purposes here: to lift our hearts to God and to give us time to digest the scripture readings. |
| Sermon |
An interpretation and application to current life of the scripture texts for the day. |
| Hymn |
Our singing reminds us of the message of the day. |
| Prayers of the People |
Here we lift our hearts in prayer, usually led by a lay person; we pray for our city, our world, our church, our neighbors, ourselves. The prayer ends with the unison Lord's Prayer (Our Father...). |
| Responding to God's Word |
The offering is introduced, and all have a chance to respond to God by giving a financial gift. |
| The Offertory |
A musical piece aimed at lifting our hearts to God in praise and adoration. |
| The Doxology |
"Doxo" means "praise" in Greek; we praise God for God's goodness to us. |
| Hymn |
We sing to close the service and prepare us to take the joy of worship out into the world. |
| Charge and Benediction |
A brief summary of the sermon reminds us of its theme, and prepares us to receive God's blessing as we leave worship. |
| Choral Amen |
The service is closed by the choir and congregation singing a choral Amen - "So be it." |
| Postlude |
A concluding musical piece to help folks make the transition out of worship. |
