Call to Worship
Let us pray these
familiar words,
recognizing in the Risen Christ our Good Shepherd:
Jesus, you are our
shepherd.
We shall never want.
You make us lie down
in green pastures;
you lead us beside the still waters.
You restore our souls.
You guide us in the
paths of righteousness for your name’s sake.
Even though we may walk through the valley
of the shadow of death,
we fear no evil, for you, Christ, comfort us.
Jesus has prepared a
table for us
in the presence of our foes;
Jesus has anointed us with the oil of salvation;
our cup runs over!
Surely, goodness and
mercy will follow us
all the days of our lives,
And we will dwell in the house
of our Holy Savior forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Merciful and Loving
God, we ask forgiveness
because our consciousness of you
is dimmed by everyday desires and needs.
Raise our consciousness of you, O God.
We forget that we
are a reflection of your image.
We act as though you are a Sunday-only event.
Increase our mindfulness of you, O God.
Help us to a greater
common awareness
of your deep mystery and infinite presence.
Rouse our awareness of you, God.
Open our eyes from
surface focus to depth perception.
Turn our heads from shallow concerns to eternal truths.
Awaken us from faint-heartedness, O God.
Forgive us for our
narrow and selfish ways.
Save us from cheap grace with your amazing grace.
Forgive us, O God. We ask in Jesus’ precious name. Amen.
Silent Reflection
Assurance of Pardon
Holy, Forgiving God,
we are your sheep.
You keep us awake and aware.
You can increase our God-consciousness every day of our lives.
Bless you and praise you for forgiving us
when we are barely mindful enough to ask.
Help us to enter by the door
when we hear the voice of the Good Shepherd.
We hear your voice of pardon.
Through Christ’s grace we are forgiven this morning, and we go
in. Amen.
Scripture Readings
Psalter Lesson: Psalm
Gospel Lesson: John 10: 1-10
The Apostles Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth:
And in Jesus Christ His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived
by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under
Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; He descended into hades;
the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of God, the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
oly
Benediction
You are called for a
purpose:
for the sake of knowing and drawing close toward God
a person bears up under sorrows.
We are not here by chance.
You are choice and
precious in the sight of God,
and as living stones, your lives are being built up
into a spiritual sanctuary where the justice and mercy and peace
of the Risen Christ may dwell.
We are not here by chance.
Jesus said, “My sheep
hear my voice, and I know them,
and they follow me;
and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish;
and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
Jesus, we are the
sheep of your pasture.
You have chosen us.
We have chosen you.
We are not here by chance. Amen