Worship Service (at home)
May 3, 2020 (during the season of COVID-19 Virus Quarantine)
Faxon-Kenmar United Methodist Church, Williamsport, PA
May 3, 2020 Order of Worship
(Preparation for Worship. Please gather at your worship center-around a table, at a location where your bible is located, or a candle. Collect your bible, some food and drink elements for Communion-crackers, bread and water, juice, tea. Open your heart to God as you enter this time of worship through music)
Prelude – “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” – Beethoven/Beaney
Call to Worship
L: Welcome!
P: Thank you.
L: For some of you, it has been a good week and for others difficulties abound.
P: We need peace and healing for our souls.
L: Rest. Open your hearts and lives to the Good Shepherd.
P: Lord, pour your balm of healing rest over our lives. AMEN.
Opening Prayer
God of all the sheep, those who remain close to you and those who stray, those who are always faithful and those who are lost: be with us today! Help us take a look at our lives and our relationship to you. Bring us close, draw us in, for we ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN.
Prayer of Confession
Patient God, you know how easy it is for us to stray. We wander off so easily. Forgive us, we pray. Heal our brokenness and our fears. Remind us again that you lead us in gentle paths and by quiet waters – when the paths are stony and the waves tumultuous, help us to remember your protection and your care. Help us to extend that same love and care to others, for we ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN.
Words of Assurance
Just when we think we can go no further, Jesus the Good Shepherd calls to us, bringing us safely into the fold of Grace and Mercy. Rejoice! You are loved completely and forgiven!
Morning Prayer
Merciful and loving God, you call us your beloved ones and you seek to protect us, but we love to take risks, emotionally, spiritually, physically. Call to us again. Help us to hear your voice. Give us hearts of love and compassion for all our dear ones who suffer illness and any adversity. Be with those who travel, having no home to which to return, no land they can call theirs, no sense of ever being community again. They truly hunger and thirst in every way and you have called us to meet those needs – not to turn them away because they might be different. You always accepted us, so let us accept others, realizing that your sheep of your pasture are awash with diversity of spirit and origin. Let us celebrate those wonderful gifts and learn from them for we ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Scripture John: 10:1-10
Message “What Does Jesus Do? – Jesus Welcomes – Part 1” and
Holy Communion
(Pic 2)
Tithes and Offerings.
This is the time we give to God our gifts of money. You may mail your envelope to our church office or drop your envelope off at our mailbox at the Clayton Ave entrance. Or, you may call Sue in the office to set up electronic giving. We continue to carry the message of hope through our generous giving.
Prayer of Dedication
Thanks, Lord, for all the wonderful gifts with which you have blessed our lives. Take these gifts, these tokens and use them to build your realm, to heal the broken hearted, bind up those who are wounded, welcome the stranger, become the gate of hope for we ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN.
Sending Out
You have been given your rest, now go and proclaim with your lives the good news of Jesus Christ. In this time of uncertainty, be a Good Shepherd to someone today. AMEN.
Postlude – “Toccata” – Southbridge
(Pic 3)
Rev Susan Halverstadt, Pastor
David Koskey, Director of Music
Portions of the service come from Ministry Matters. Nancy C. Townley
Faxon-Kenmar UMC is using CCLI Streaming License 3356248 Exp. 3.31.21.
