Description
Hebrews 12:18-24
Our hope is in Christ, the one who one day with bring us to our heavenly home. We remind one another of this truth every time we gather for worship. Scripture lifts it up and today our Epistle reading from Hebrews gives us a snapshot of Zion as place where there are no consequences of the law. One day soon we will gather with all the angels, saints, and Christ Himself. What a glorious day that will be! Come quickly Lord!
We Lift Our Hearts in Worship
[Preservice options include videos (countdowns, worship music, welcomes), worship music CD, or live music by worship band.]
Time of Praise and Worship
Open Up the Heavens
Andi Rozier, James McDonald, Jason Ingram, Meredith Andrews, & Stuart Garrard, ©2012 Word Music, LLC (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.) HBC Worship Music (Admin. by Sony/ATV Music Publishing) Open Hands Music (Admin. by Sony/ATV Music Publishing) Sony/ATV Timber Publishing (Admin. by Sony/ATV Music Publishing) Stugio Music Publishing (Admin. by Sony/ATV Music Publishing)
Build Your Kingdom Here
Rend Collective Experiment, ©2011 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing
Revelation Song
Jennie Lee Riddle, ©2004 Gateway Create Publishing (Admin. by Integrity’s Praise! Music)
[Traditional Optional}
O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
BH 75 69; BH 91 216; CH 21; CHH 5; EH 493; ELW 886; HWC 76; HPW 7; HFG 349; HLC 90; HGP 32; HSP 19; LBW 559; LSB 528; LW 276; NCH 42; PH 466; RH 51; STTL 147; WC 130; UMH 57; WAR 96; WHM 46; WIS 12
Jesus, Priceless Treasure
CH 623; ELW 775; HWC 413; HFG 277; LBW 457,458; LSB 743; LW 270; NCH 480; PH 365; WC 119; UMH 532; WAR 431
Jerusalem My Happy Home
BH 75 488; BH 91 577; EH 620; ELW 628; HLC 539; LBW 331; LSB 673; LW 307; NCH 378; WC 675
Invocation and Introduction of Today’s Theme
Pastor Praise the Lord who gathers us in His name today.
ALL Alleluia!
Pastor In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
ALL Amen!
Opening Prayer
Pastor Let us pray together,
ALL Holy and Mighty God we pray Your blessings upon us during this service. May we leave our sins and worries here. Replace them with joy and peace. Guide us in all we do here and forever. Amen.
Time of Greeting
Time of Confession and Forgiveness
[Alternate location: following Message]
Pastor Now that we are gathered and centered on Jesus Christ, our Lord, let us accept who we are in His presence. This past week has not gone according to plan. We have strayed from the plans our Lord has for us. We haven’t cared for others as Christ would. We have done and said things that harm others and ourselves. We need to be forgiven and lifted up.
ALL Amen. We have sinned and turn now to the cross of Christ, asking for His forgiveness.
Brief silence to confess our sins.
Pastor Oh Lord,
ALL Have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew our hearts and minds, and guide our ways by the power of Your Holy Spirit. Amen.
Pastor Jesus Christ has had mercy upon you and calls you His own. In the stead of and by His command, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
ALL Amen! Amen!
We Hear God’s Word
[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]
First Reading Isaiah 66:18-23
The Lord speaks through the prophet Isaiah of the end of the world when He will gather all the nations to Himself. Then He will make all things new. This new creation will be Holy and perfect.
18 “And I, because of what they have planned and done, am about to come and gather the people of all nations and languages, and they will come and see my glory. 19 “I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations—to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations. 20 And they will bring all your people, from all the nations, to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord—on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,” says the Lord. “They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the Lord in ceremonially clean vessels. 21 And I will select some of them also to be priests and Levites,” says the Lord. 22 “As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,” declares the Lord, “so will your name and descendants endure. 23 From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,” says the Lord.
Reader The word of the Lord.
ALL Thanks be to God.
