WELCOME
PRELUDE – O Worship the King – Haydn/Keveren
*CALL TO WORSHIP:
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. Lead the humble and teach them your way.
Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.
For you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.
Your paths are steadfast love and faithfulness for those who keep your decrees.
Let us worship God!
*HYMN: When We Are Tested (783)
CALL TO CONFESSION
PRAYER OF CONFESSION:
Have mercy upon us and hear our prayer, O God. We have failed to live in the light of your covenant. You set your rainbow above us, yet clouds of unbelief darken our days. Distrust wells within us; fear, not hope, is our watchword. Your beloved bids us follow, but we are slow to obey. Without your grace, we are fruitless and inert. In mercy renew us and bring us to life, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
SILENT CONFESSION
ASSURANCE OF PARDON:
PASSING THE PEACE (you are invited to share the Peace of Christ as you feel comfortable doing)
MUSICAL INTERLUDE
PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 25:1-10
1To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
2O my God, in you I trust;
do not let me be put to shame;
do not let my enemies exult over me.
3Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
4Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
5Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.
6Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
7Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for your goodness’ sake, O Lord!
8Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
9He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
10All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
MUSICAL INTERLUDE
SCRIPTURE: Mark 1:9-15
9In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
The Temptation of Jesus
12And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.
The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry
14Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”
PRE-SERMON PRAYER
SERMON: The Highest Way
POST-SERMON PRAYER
ANTHEM If God Be For Us, Who Can Be Against Us from The Messiah- Handel
Sung by soprano, Raela Burns, a senior from Massillon Washington High School. Raela is a member of the Advanced Choir, Women’s Chorus and is also in the band program at Massillon
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH:
Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of Heaven and Earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from Heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
JOYS AND CONCERNS
(Joys): Lord, we praise you. Thanks be to God.
(Concerns): Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.
Hear our prayers, O Lord.
Hear our prayers, O Lord.
Incline thine ear to us, and grant us thy peace.
PRAYER OF THE PEOPLE/THE LORD’S PRAYER
INVITATION TO SHARE:
OFFERING/MUSICAL INTERLUDE Shine Jesus Shine. Sung by Ken Heischman
*DOXOLOGY
*PRAYER OF DEDICATION
COMMUNION
Invitation to the Lord’s Table
Great Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Holy One, we glorify your name… Therefore we join the ancient song:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of you glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
Holy One, we glorify your name… Unless a grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
Holy One, we glorify your name… Spirit, Savior, Sovereign God, we glorify your name. Amen.
Words of Institution
Prayer after Communion
*HYMN: Lord, Who throughout These Forty Days (166)
*CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
*CHORAL RESPONSE
*POSTLUDE They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love – Hayes
*- those who can stand are invited to stand