All are welcomed! You can join Sunday, May 2nd, Worship in the Sanctuary or on Zoom (link below)! The Scriptures and bulletin for Sunday are in the comments.
Topic: Sunday Worship Time: This is a recurring meeting 10:45 to 12:15 Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86016159653?pwd=UzVTdmZmS0ZUaDNEa0lXVVFRZGJLdz09Friday, April 30, 2021
Bulletin for Sunday, May 2nd
Marshall Presbyterian Church
Carol Ann West, Pianist Carol and Alex Brown, Liturgists
Rev. Melissa Upchurch, Pastor
ASSEMBLING IN GOD’S NAME
One: In the
wilderness, water brings life.
All: Seek us out, O God, and take us to the water.
One: In the
Word of God, the good news gives light.
All: Seek us out, O God, and fill us with
understanding.
One: In the
bread and the wine, the body of our savior
nourishes
everyone.
All: Here is the water of life, the word that
feeds,
and the food of eternity. Come and praise the
Vine that gives all goodness!
* Opening Prayer
UNISON PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Merciful God, in Jesus our risen Lord, we have seen
your glory. Yet our sinfulness often
blocks out the light of Christ. We are
quick to accuse and slow to confess. We find faults easily in others, while
ignoring our own shortcomings. We have
squandered your gifts; we have turned from your ways, and we have ignored your
Word. …Silent prayers
of confession…Have mercy on us, God of Compassion. Pour out your Holy Spirit on our sinful lives. Wash us with your love and cleanse us with
your grace, that day by day we move closer to the people you made us be. Amen.
*
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
One: The resurrection
of Jesus shows us the grace of God is stronger than death and the love of God
has no boundary. This is good news! In
Jesus Christ we are forgiven!
All: Thanks be to God!
Glory be to the Father, and
to the son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever
shall be, world without end. Amen. Amen.
THE SCRIPTURES
New
Testament: Acts 8:26-40 See Bulletin
Epistle 1 John 4:7-21 “
Gospel: John 15:1-8 “
One: The Word of God for the People of God!
All: Thanks be to God!
MESSAGE Rev.
Melissa Upchurch
This is the good news which
we received, in which we stand, and by which we are saved: that Christ died for our sins according to
the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day, and
that he appeared to Peter, then to the twelve, and to many faithful
witnesses. We believe he is the Christ,
the Son of the living God. He is the
first and the last, the beginning and the end.
He is our Lord and our God. Amen.
SHARING JOYS AND CONCERNS (See bulletin
insert)
Prayers of the People
Sharing the Gifts of
God
Offertory
*Doxology (ca. 1500s)
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise him all creatures here below;
Praise him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
* Prayer of dedication And thanksgiving
O God, with faith
and hope, we offer these gifts. Use
them, even as you use us, to accomplish your purposes in Jesus Christ, the Head
of the church and the Lord of our lives. Amen
One: May
our Shepherd be with you.
All: And also with you.
One: Come
to the Table prepared for all of God’s
children.
All: We bring our hearts to be anointed with grace
and hope.
One: Join
in singing praise to the One who leads us
through
the kingdom.
All: We
hold hands with goodness and mercy in
giving
thanks to God.
All: Holy,
holy, holy are you, God of eunuchs and evangelists.
All creation bears fruit in glorifying you.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who comes to abide in us.
Hosanna in the highest!
The
minister continues…Holy are you, God of wisdom and
thanksgiving…we speak of that faith which is a mystery:
All: Christ died, that we
might live through him;
Christ was raised, that he might live
through you;
Christ will come, that all might live
through eternity
with you.
The
minister continues…Gracious God, you have prepared this Table
for us…As our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to pray:
All: Our
Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy
name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth
as
it is in heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and
lead
us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For
thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
BREAKING THE BREAD
COMMUNION OF THE PEOPLE (with special music)
One: Go
now, in the love of our God.
All: We will live for others through our God.
One: Go
now, in the grace of Jesus.
All: We will forgive others, just as we have been
forgiven.
One: Go
now, in the community of the Spirit.
All: We will serve others in every need, in every
place, in
every
heart.
* HYMN Purple
Hymnal #136 Go, Tell It on the Mountain
* INVITATION
* CHARGE
* BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE
Scriptures for Sunday, May 2
Acts 8:26-40
Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch
26An angel from the Lord spoke to
Philip, “At noon, take the road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a
desert road.) 27So he did. Meanwhile,
an Ethiopian man was on his way home from Jerusalem, where he had come to
worship. He was a eunuch and an official responsible for the entire treasury of
Candace. (Candace is the title
given to the Ethiopian queen.) 28He was reading the prophet Isaiah
while sitting in his carriage. 29The Spirit told Philip, “Approach this carriage
and stay with it.”
30Running up to the
carriage, Philip heard the man reading the
prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you really
understand what you
are reading?”
31The man replied, “Without someone to guide
me, how could I?” Then he invited Philip to climb up and sit with him. 32 This was the passage of scripture he was reading:
Like a sheep he was
led to the slaughter
and
like a lamb before its shearer is silent
so
he didn’t open his mouth.
33In his humiliation justice was taken
away from him.
Who
can tell the story of his descendants
because his life was taken from the earth?
34The eunuch asked
Philip, “Tell me, about whom does the prophet say this? Is he talking about
himself or someone else?” 35Starting
with that passage, Philip proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him. 36As they went down the road, they came to some
water.
The eunuch said, “Look! Water! What would
keep me from being baptized?” 38He
ordered that the carriage halt. Both Philip and the eunuch went down to the
water, where Philip baptized him. 39When
they came up out of the water, the Lord’s Spirit suddenly took Philip away. The
eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. 40Philip found himself in Azotus. He traveled
through that area, preaching the good news in all the cities until he reached
Caesarea.
1
John 4:7-21 –
New International Version (NIV)
God’s Love and Ours
7Dear friends, let us love
one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God
and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because
God is love. 9This is how God showed
his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might
live through him. 10This is love: not
that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice
for our sins. 11Dear friends, since
God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No
one has ever seen
God;
but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
13This is how we know that
we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14And
we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of
the world. 15If anyone acknowledges
that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for
us.
God
is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17This
is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the
day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18There
is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do
with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
19We love because he first
loved us. 20Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother
or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom
they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21And he has given us this command: Anyone who
loves God must also love their brother and sister.
John 15:1-8
I am the true vine
151“I am the true vine, and my
Father is the vineyard keeper.
2He removes any of my branches that don’t produce fruit, and he trims
any branch that produces fruit so that it will produce even more fruit. 3You are already trimmed because of the word I have spoken to you.
4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch can’t produce fruit
by itself, but must remain in the vine. Likewise, you can’t produce fruit
unless you remain in me. 5I am the vine;
you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, then you will produce much fruit. Without me, you can’t do anything. 6If you don’t remain in me, you will be like a branch that is thrown out and dries up. Those branches are gathered up, thrown into a fire, and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8My Father is glorified when you produce much fruit and in this way prove that you are my disciples.
Friday, April 23, 2021
Worship online and in the sanctuary April 25th
Worship this Sunday will be in the Sanctuary or on Zoom (link below)! The Scriptures and bulletin for Sunday are in the comments.
Topic: Sunday Worship Time: This is a recurring meeting 10:45 to 12:15 Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86016159653?pwd=UzVTdmZmS0ZUaDNEa0lXVVFRZGJLdz09
Bulletin For Sunday April 25
Marshall Presbyterian Church
April 25, 2021 4th Sunday of Easter
Carol Ann West, Pianist
Rev. Melissa Upchurch, Pastor
ASSEMBLING IN GOD’S NAME
PRELUDE
WELCOME
* CALL TO WORSHIP (Psalm 23)
One: The Lord is our shepherd, we shall not want.
All: God leads us into green pastures and beside
still waters;
One: in right paths.
All: Even though we walk through the difficult valley,
we fear no evil; for you are with us; your rod
and your staff — they comfort us.
One: You prepare a table before us in the presence of
our enemies; you anoint our head with oil; our cup
overflows.
All: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the
days of our life, and we shall dwell in the house
of the Lord our whole life long.
* OPENING PRAYER
* HYMN Purple Hymnal #401 Gather Us In
CALL TO CONFESSION
UNISON PRAYER OF CONFESSION
O God, you are the Good Shepherd who attend to our needs, but we fail to see your abundant life in our midst.
We tend to focus on scarcity. Our consumer culture has engraved upon us the message that we are “not enough” — not beautiful or handsome enough, not smart enough, not wealthy enough. At the core of our being, we believe
that we are “not enough.” .…silent prayers of confession…
Forgive us, Lord. Help us to see that we are your beloved children, created in your image, and that you love us as we are. Then help us to live out of your goodness. Amen
* ASSURANCE OF PARDON
One: The psalmist tells us that God’s goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives. Friends, believe this good news! Believe that God’s mercy is sure, and that God’s goodness will fill our lives and empower us to love God and neighbor as ourselves.
All: Thanks be to God; Amen!
* GLORIA PATRI
Glory be to the Father, and to the son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Amen.
* PASSING THE PEACE
SPECIAL MUSIC: Carol Ann’s Choice
HEARING AND RESPONDING TO GOD’S WORD
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
THE SCRIPTURES
New Testament: Acts 4:5-12
Epistle 1 John 3:16-24
Gospel: John 10:11-18
One: The Word of God for the People of God!
All: Thanks be to God!
TIME WITH YOUNG DISCIPLES
MESSAGE Rev. Melissa Upchurch
* AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
(Fr. A Brief Statement of Faith, PC [USA].)
In life and in death we belong to God. Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel, whom alone we worship and serve. With believers in every time and place, we rejoice that nothing in life or in death can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
* HYMN Purple Hymnal #733 We Are All One in Mission
SHARING JOYS AND CONCERNS (See bulletin insert)
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE (The Lord’s Prayer is located
at the bottom of page 35 in the purple hymnal.)
SHARING THE GIFTS OF GOD
OFFERTORY
*DOXOLOGY (ca. 1500s)
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise him all creatures here below;
Praise him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
* PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Creator, Liberator and Redeemer God, we pray for the wisdom to be good stewards the gifts you have given
to us. Take these gifts, we pray, bless and use them to
benefit others and to empower our work for justice in
the church and in the world. Amen.
GOING FORTH IN GOD’S NAME
* HYMN Purple Hymnal #741 Guide My Feet
* INVITATION
* CHARGE
* BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE
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