Worship Service (at home)
April 19, 2020 (during the season of COVID-19 Virus Quarantine)
Faxon-Kenmar United Methodist Church, Williamsport, PA
(Preparation for our worship today: Please bring your bible, light a candle and quiet your hearts as you listen to the Prelude)
Prelude “I Sing the Mighty Power of God” – Page
Gathering
We come as we are:
doubting Thomases, fearful disciples, sorrowing exiles, rejoicing psalmists!
You come as you are:
Risen Christ, Christ of peace, Holy Spirit, Spirit of forgiveness,
God of life, God of new birth!
Show us the fullness of your joy!
Show us the path of life and living hope!
Praise Sentences
You show me the ways of life. Your presence fills me full of gladness.
My heart is glad, my soul rejoices, and my flesh will live in hope!
Opening Prayer
Stand among us once again, risen Christ, and bless us with your greeting:
“Peace be with you.” Stand among us once again, Exalted Brother, and breathe upon us your promised Spirit. Stand among us once again, You Who Have Escaped Death,
and give us new birth into your living hope. Amen.
Call to Prayer
If we are the disciples, locked in a room of fear,
Jesus appears to us.
If we are Thomas, full of doubt,
Jesus turns to us.
If we bear trials and suffering,
God comes to us in power.
If we rejoice, we do so in the presence of God.
So let us come, whoever we are, to the God of hope and life.
Silent Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer (use your silent prayer time to lift up the many who are stepping up to share themselves with others during this time, for those who are suffering, and for our Faxon-Kenmar UMC outreach in ministry; and sit quietly to listen to God)
Special Music “Almost Crying” -Schell Scott Schell
(Pic 2)
Scripture reading John 20:19-31
Message “I Want to Believe”
(Pic 3)
Invitation to the Offering
May we give out of the love that we have for Jesus Christ, so that others may share
in our imperishable and unfading inheritance of hope and life.
Giving of Tithes and Offering
Offering Prayer
God of great mercy, accept our offerings, given out of what is more precious than gold—our faith in you, giver of hope and life. And through these gifts, reveal the risen Christ in acts of mercy, love, and joy. Amen.
Benediction
In great mercy, God has given us a new birth into a living hope,
for it is the risen Christ who stands in our midst and says,
“Peace be with you!”
We go forth to walk the path of new life and living hope.
And may the peace of the risen Christ be with us!
Postlude “Triumphantly Risen” – Anderson
(Pic 4)
Rev Susan Halverstadt, Pastor
David Koskey, Director of Music
Scott Schell, Special Music
Portions of the worship service are adapted from From “The Abingdon Worship Annual 2008,” edited by Mary J. Scifres and B.J. Beu, Copyright © 2007 by Abingdon Press
Faxon-Kenmar UMC is using CCLI Streaming License 3356248 Exp. 3.31.21.
