Weekly Worship Material
This page is updated weekly and will have the weekly worship materials available for those who are unable to join us in person to follow along with the service.
Order of Service for April 28th, 2024
Fifth Sunday After Easter
WE GATHER TO PRAISE GOD
PRE-BROADCAST PRELUDES:
Olodumare Ajagunsegun - G. Sadoh
Olorun Iyanu - G. Sadoh
Hear The Voices of Angels - G. Sadoh
Anu Re Olorun - G. Sadoh
Orin Ayan Ororo - G. Sadoh
Ire Ati Iyin - G. Sadoh
PRELUDE: Ibukun (Blessings) - G. Sadoh
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE LAND
INTROIT: Let the Power of the Lord Come Down -G. Sadoh
CALL TO WORSHIP:
We gather in the promise of our baptisms,
to love and serve in peace and grace
strengthened by the Holy Spirit
for the work of the church in the world.
PASSING OF THE PEACE: The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God, and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you… And also with you.
*OPENING HYMN: VU #412 This is the Day
♫1 This is the day, this is the day
that our God has made, that our God has made;
we will rejoice, we will rejoice,
and be glad in it, and be glad in it.
This is the day that our God has made,
we will rejoice and be glad in it.
This is the day, this is the day
that our God has made.
2 Open to us, open to us
your gates, O God, your gates, O God;
we will go in, we will go in,
to your holy place, to your holy place.
Open to us your gates, O God,
we will go in to your holy place.
Open to us, open to us
your gates, O God.
3 You are our God, you are our God,
we will praise your name, we will praise you name;
we will give thanks, we will give thanks,
for your faithfulness, for your faithfulness.
You are our God, we will praise your name,
we will give thanks for your faithfulness.
You are our God, you are our God,
we will praise your name.
4 This is the day, this is the day,
that our God has made, that our God has made;
we will rejoice, we will rejoice,
and be glad in it, and be glad in it.
This is the day that our God has made,
we will rejoice and be glad in it.
This is the day, this is the day
that our God has made.
***Children are welcomed to the front of the Sanctuary
for Children’s Time after the last verse of the first hymn.***
CHILDREN’S TIME
LORD’S PRAYER:
Abba, with us,
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 trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
ANTHEM: Jesu, the Very Thought of Thee -S. Lole
PRAYER OF CONFESSION & ASSURANCE OF PARDON:
My God, my God,
in times of despair and distress
it can feel like you have forsaken us.
Left us alone and abandoned.
Our darkness prevents us from seeing.
Yet, You are holy,
esteemed in praise
and trusted by generations of our ancestors.
You have loved and cared for us
since we were born.
You heard when we called out
and did not hide your face.
All who have gone before us,
and all who are now,
and all who will be,
will sing Your praises
and share the good news that they are forever claimed.
PSALM: Psalm 22 Parts 3 & 4, VU #746 (new refrain)
♫Choir: In the presence of your people,
I will praise, I will praise your name.
♫ALL: In the presence of your people,
I will praise, I will praise your name.
Give praise, all you who fear God!
Proclaim God’s greatness, all you children of Jacob;
stand in awe, all you children of Israel!
For God has neither despised
nor scorned the poor in their distress.
You, O God, have not hidden your face from them.
You heard them when they called to you.
♫ In the presence of your people,
I will praise, I will praise your name.
You are the theme of my praise in the great assembly.
I will keep my promise in the presence of those who fear you.
Let the poor eat to satisfaction;
let those who seek you praise you.
May they be in good heart forever!
Let all the ends of the earth remember and turn to you, O God.
Let all the families of the nations bow down before you.
For yours is the dominion, O God,
you rule over the nations.
♫ In the presence of your people,
I will praise, I will praise your name.
Even all who sleep in the grave shall worship you;
those who go down into the dust shall bow before you.
I too shall live for you.
Our children shall serve you,
and tell generations yet to come about you.
To a people yet unborn,
they shall make known the saving deeds you have done.
♫ In the presence of your people,
I will praise, I will praise your name.
*CREED:
We are not alone,
we live in God’s world.
We believe in God:
who has created and is creating,
who has come in Jesus,
the Word made flesh,
to reconcile and make new,
who works in us and others
by the Spirit.
We trust in God.
We are called to be the Church:
to celebrate God’s presence,
to live with respect in Creation,
to love and serve others,
to seek justice and resist evil,
to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
our judge and our hope.
In life, in death, in life beyond death,
God is with us.
We are not alone.
Thanks be to God.
*HYMN: VU #449 Crashing Waters at Creation (tune: VU #470)
♫1 Crashing waters at creation,
ordered by the Spirit’s breath,
first to witness day’s beginning
from the brightness of night’s death.
2 Parting water stood and trembled
as the captives passed on through,
washing off the chains of bondage–
channel to a life made new.
3 Cleansing water once at Jordan
closed around the one foretold,
opened to reveal the glory
ever new and ever old.
4 Living water, never ending,
quench the thirst and flood the soul.
Wellspring, Source of life eternal,
drench our dryness, make us whole.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
OFFERING:
INVITATION TO INVEST IN GOD’S MISSION
OFFERTORY: Father, Manifest Your Power -G. Sadoh
*DOXOLOGY: VU #540
♫ Grant us, God, the grace of giving,
with a spirit large and free,
that ourselves and all our living
we may offer faithfully.
PRAYER
PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION
SCRIPTURE READING: Acts 8:26-40
Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch
26 Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go toward the south[a] to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a wilderness road.) 27 So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to this chariot and join it.” 30 So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 He replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. 32 Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this:
“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,
and like a lamb silent before its shearer,
so he does not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”
34 The eunuch asked Philip, “About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. 36 As they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?”[b] 38 He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip[c] baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
The word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.
MESSAGE: “With this Water”
*CLOSING HYMN: VU #232 Joyful, Joyful We Adore You
♫1 Joyful, joyful we adore you,
God of glory, life and love;
hearts unfold like flowers before you,
open to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness,
drive the gloom of doubt away;
giver of immortal gladness,
fill us with the light of day.
2 All your works with joy surround you,
earth and heaven reflect your rays,
stars and angels sing around you,
centre of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
flowery meadow, flashing sea,
chanting bird and flowing fountain,
sound their praise eternally.
3 You are giving and forgiving,
ever blessing, ever blest,
wellspring of the joy of living,
ocean depth of happy rest!
Source of grace and fount of blessing,
let your light upon us shine;
teach us how to love each other,
lift us to the joy divine.
4 Mortals join the mighty chorus
which the morning stars began;
God’s own love is reigning o’er us,
joining people hand in hand.
Ever singing, march we onward,
victors in the midst of strife;
joyful music leads us sun-ward
in the triumph song of life.
*COMMISSIONING:
*SUNG RESPONSE:
♫ The Lord bless you, and keep you:
The Lord make his face shine upon you,
and be gracious unto you:
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
and give you peace.
POSTLUDE: The Work of the Lord -G. Sadoh