Order of Worship 04/27/2025
SERVICE FOR THE LORD’S DAY
Second Sunday of Easter
April 27th, 2025 Ten Thirty in the morning
Preacher: CP Ford Dieth
Liturgist: Emily Garland
Please silence all cell phones.
Bold face indicates congregational participation.
Please stand, in body or spirit
THE PEOPLE ARE GATHERED IN
PRELUDE
PROCESSIONAL HYMN [Blue#442][GTG#321] The Church’s One Foundation
1 The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord.
She is his new creation by water and the word.
From heaven he came and sought her
to be his holy bride.
With his own blood he bought her,
and for her life he died.
2 Elect from every nation, yet one o’er all the earth,
her charter of salvation: one Lord, one faith, one birth.
One holy name she blesses, partakes one holy food,
and to one hope she presses, with every grace endued.
3 Though with a scornful wonder
this world sees her oppressed,
by schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed,
yet saints their watch are keeping; their cry goes up: “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping
shall be the morn of song.
4 Mid toil and tribulation, and tumult of her war,
she waits the consummation of peace forevermore:
till with the vision glorious her longing eyes are blest,
and the great church victorious shall be the church at rest.
5 Yet she on earth has union with God, the Three in One,
and mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won:
O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we,
like them, the meek and lowly, may live eternally.
WORDS OF WELCOME
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ADORATION
CALL TO WORSHIP Revelation 1:8
ONE: Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega,
MANY: the Lord who was and is and is to come.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Eternal God,
the strength of those who believe and the hope of those who doubt. We are called to tell the truth. Those who are perfectly loved need not fear their shadows. When we speak what we fear and what we hope, silence cannot trap us and lies cannot hold us. May we, who have not seen, have faith and receive the fullness of Christ’s blessing, who is alive and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
HYMN [Blue#357][GTG#738] O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee
1 O Master, let me walk with thee in lowly paths of service free;
tell me thy secret; help me bear the strain of toil, the fret of care.
2 Help me the slow of heart to move by some clear, winning word of love; teach me the wayward feet to stay,
and guide them in the homeward way.
3 Teach me thy patience, still with thee in closer, dearer company, in work that keeps faith sweet and strong,
in trust that triumphs over wrong.
4 In hope that sends a shining ray far down the future’s broadening way; in peace that only thou canst give,
with thee, O Master, let me live.
REPENTANCE
CALL TO CONFESSION
SILENT CONFESSION
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Almighty God,
in raising Jesus from the grave, you shattered the power of sin and death. We confess that we remain captive to doubt and fear, bound by the ways that lead to death. We overlook the poor and the hungry, and pass by those who mourn; we are deaf to the cries of the oppressed, and indifferent to calls for peace; we despise the weak, and abuse the earth you made. Forgive us, God of mercy. Help us to trust your power to change our lives and make us new, that we may know the joy of life abundant given in Jesus Christ, the risen Lord.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
GLORIA PATRI [Blue#579[ [GTG581]
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 WORD READ AND PROCLAIMED
1st SCRIPTURE Psalm 118:14-29
The Lord is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation. There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly; the right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.” I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord . The Lord has punished me severely, but he did not give me over to death. Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord . This is the gate of the Lord ; the righteous shall enter through it. I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is the Lord ‘s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Save us, we beseech you, O Lord ! O Lord , we beseech you, give us success! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord . We bless you from the house of the Lord . The Lord is God, and he has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you. O give thanks to the Lord , for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
2nd SCRIPTURE John 20:19-31
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” But Thomas (who was called the Twin ), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
ONE: The Word of the Lord
MANY: Thanks be to God
SERMON “We Have Seen the Lord!” CP Ford Dieth
RESPONSE
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH Apostle’s 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 Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; 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 Ghost, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
RECEIVING OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS
OFFERTORY
DOXOLOGY [GTG#609]
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE LORD’S PRAYER
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.
HYMN [Blue #122][GTG#238] Thine is the Glory
1 Thine is the glory, risen, conquering Son;
endless is the victory thou o’er death hast won.
Angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away,
kept the folded grave-clothes where thy body lay.
Refrain:
Thine is the glory, risen, conquering Son;
endless is the victory thou o’er death hast won.
2 Lo! Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb;
lovingly he greets us, scatters fear and gloom.
Let the church with gladness hymns of triumph sing,
for the Lord now liveth; death hath lost its sting. [Refrain]
3 No more we doubt thee, glorious Prince of life!
Life is naught without thee; aid us in our strife.
Make us more than conquerors through thy deathless love; bring us safe through Jordan to thy home above. [Refrain]
PARTING PRAYER
Blessed Sustainer,
you built your church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ himself as the cornerstone. Join us together by their teaching, so that we may be a holy temple in whom your Spirit dwells;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
RESPONSE [Blue#399][GTG#817] We Walk by Faith and Not by Sight
- We walk by faith and not by sight;
with gracious words draw near,
O Christ, who spoke as none e’er spoke:
“My peace be with you here.”
POSTLUDE
*Note: the hymn lyrics in the bulletin and on the projection screen are from the Glory To God Hymnal (© 2013 Westminster John Knox Press), which we are transitioning to. Words in the “Blue” Presbyterian Hymnal (© 1990) in your pew may differ slightly. The Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by Permission. All Rights Reserved.
|
STAFF |
Church Office 504.888.1375
Playschool Office 504.888.1378
Randy Martono-Chai – Church Organist/Pianist
Briana Mayfield – Church Office Assistant
Lauren Crisler – Playschool Director
Stephanie Galliano – Playschool Admin. Asst.
For more information, visit our website at www.JohnCalvinChurch.org
or find us @JohnCalvinMetairie on Facebook and Instagram.
Easter Order of Worship 04/20/2025
SERVICE FOR THE LORD’S DAY
Easter Sunday,
April 20th, 2025 Ten Thirty in the morning
Minister: The Rev. Dr. Martha Robson
Liturgist: Bill Bottomley
Please silence all cell phones.
Bold face indicates congregational participation.
Please stand, in body or spirit
GATHERING
PRELUDE
Opening Sentences:
Leader (from the back): Christ is risen!
People: He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
PROCESSIONAL HYMN (Blue #123; GTG#232) Jesus Christ is Risen Today!
WORDS OF WELCOME
ANNOUNCEMENTS
MINUTE FOR MISSION: One Great Hour of Sharing
PROCLAMATION OF EASTER
Leader: Christ is risen!
People: He is risen indeed!
In Jesus Christ, God has given the light of life
to all the world.
and inflame us with a desire to shine forth
with the brightness of Christ’s rising,
until we feast at the banquet of eternal light.
Rejoice, heavenly powers!
Sing, choirs of angels!
Jesus Christ our King is risen!
May the Morning Star which never sets
find this flame still burning:
Christ, that Morning Star,
who came back from the dead,
and shed his peaceful light on all creation,
your Son, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Rejoice, heavenly powers!
Sing, choirs of angels!
Jesus Christ our King is risen!
HYMN (Blue #105, GTG#249) Because You Live O Christ
THANKSGIVING FOR BAPTISM
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
O Lord our God, we give you thanks
For the new life you raise up in us
Through the mystery of our baptism –
The sorrow of the heavy cross,
The surprise of the empty tomb,
The love that death could not destroy.
By the power of your Holy Spirit,
Poured out upon us in baptism,
Fill us with the joy of resurrection,
Of your new heaven and new earth;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
In penitence and faith, let us confess our sins in the silence of our hearts.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
Hear the good news!
The grace bestowed on you in baptism
is sufficient because it is God’s grace. By God’s grace we are saved, and enabled to grow in the faith and to commit our lives in ways which please God.
Discipleship is both a gift and a commitment,
an offering and a responsibility.
It is marked by change, growth, and deepened commitment. It is lived out of a renewing sense of God’s calling to us, and of God’s claim upon us made in our baptism.
Let us remember our baptism and rejoice.
Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation.
The old life has gone; a new life has begun. Alleluia! Amen.
GLORIA PATRI [Blue#579[ [GTG581]
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.
ANTHEM Ring the Easter Bells arr. Joseph Martin
THE WORD READ AND PROCLAIMED
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” Then they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.
2ND SCRIPTURE 1 Corinthians 15:50-57
What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised
imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
SERMON “Lighting the New Fire” Rev. Martha Robson
RESPONSE
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH Good News, See 1 Cor. 15:1-6; Mark 16:9(16:1-9); Matt. 16:16; Rev. 22:13; John 20:28
This is the good news which we have received,
in which we stand,
and by which we are saved,
if we hold it fast:
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
first to the women,
then to Peter, and to the Twelve,
and then to many faithful witnesses.
We believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of the living God.
Jesus Christ is the first and the last,
the beginning and the end;
RECEIVING OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS
OFFERTORY
DOXOLOGY [GTG#609]
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
THE SACRAMENT OF THE HOLY COMMUNION
Invitation to the Lord’s Table Isaiah 25:6-9
THE GREAT PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Children: Why do we give thanks and praise before this table?
Congregation: We give thanks for God’s work of creation and salvation.
Presider: It is our greatest joy, creator God, to give you thanks in every time and place. You made the heavens and the earth and all that is in them—moon, and stars, mountains, rivers, and trees, animals and people. You even made us in your own image to love and serve you, and you show us your mercy every day. Therefore with all people and all creation, we shout your praise:
MANY: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
Children: Why do we eat bread at this table?
Presider: On the night before he died, Jesus took bread. After giving thanks, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take, eat. This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.
Children: Why do we drink from the cup at this table?
Presider: The same night, Jesus took the cup, saying: This cup is the new covenant sealed in my blood, shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in remembrance of me.
Children: What do we remember at this table?
Presider: We remember God’s gracious love for us, Christ’s death and resurrection for us, and the Spirit’s tender care for us. And remembering, we offer ourselves and our gifts for the world. According to our Lord’s commandment:
Congregation:
We remember his death, we proclaim his resurrection, we await his coming in glory.
Children: What do we ask at this table?
Congregation: Through Christ, all glory and honor are yours, almighty God, with the Holy Spirit in the holy church, now and forever. Amen.
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, Sharing the Cup
Because there is one loaf,
we, many as we are, are one body;
for it is one loaf of which we all partake.
When we break the bread,
is it not a sharing in the body of Christ?
When we give thanks over the cup,
is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ?
The gifts of God for the people of God.
The Elders serve the People, the Pastor serves the Elders, an Elder serves the Pastor. Please hold the bread and cup as you receive them so that we may eat and drink together.
PARTING PRAYER
Gracious God, you have made us one with all your people in heaven and on earth. We have remembered your mighty acts in holy history. We have seen your power in sending light to conquer darkness, water to give us life, and the bread of heaven to nourish us in love. Send us out now with the good news of salvation
HYMN [GTG#248] Christ is Risen! Shout Hosanna!
1 Christ is risen! Shout Hosanna! Celebrate this day of days!
Christ is risen! Hush in wonder: all creation is amazed.
In the desert all-surrounding,
see, a spreading tree has grown.
Healing leaves of grace abounding
bring a taste of love unknown.
2 Christ is risen! Raise your spirits
from the caverns of despair.
Walk with gladness in the morning.
See what love can do and dare.
Drink the wine of resurrection, not a servant, but a friend.
Jesus is our strong companion. Joy and peace shall never end.
3 Christ is risen! Earth and heaven
nevermore shall be the same.
Break the bread of new creation
where the world is still in pain.
Tell its grim, demonic chorus: “Christ is risen! Get you gone!”
God the First and Last is with us. Sing Hosanna everyone!
BENEDICTION – from the back
Christ is risen! Do not be afraid.
Go, and tell this good news to all.
Benediction Response #295 Go to the World 1st verse
Go to the world! Go into all the earth.
Go preach the cross where Christ renews life’s worth,
baptizing as the sign of our rebirth.
Alleluia. Alleluia.
POSTLUDE
*Note: the hymn lyrics in the bulletin and on the projection screen are from the Glory To God Hymnal (© 2013 Westminster John Knox Press), which we are transitioning to. Words in the “Blue” Presbyterian Hymnal (© 1990) in your pew may differ slightly. The Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by Permission. All Rights Reserved.
|
STAFF |
Church Office 504.888.1375
Playschool Office 504.888.1378
Randy Martono-Chai Church Organist/Pianist
Briana Mayfield – Church Office Assistant
Lauren Crisler – Playschool Director
Stephanie Galliano – Playschool Admin. Asst.
For more information, visit our website at www.JohnCalvinChurch.org