November 21st 2021: Christ the King Sunday

 

WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

SONG: Come Let Us Worship and Bow Down

PSALM: 95:1-7a Come, let us sing to the LORD; let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and raise a loud shout to him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, and a great king above all gods. In his hand are the caverns of the earth, and the heights of the hills are his also.  The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands have molded the dry land. Come, let us bow down and bend the knee, and kneel before the LORD our maker. For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.

CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS, GREETING

PRAYER: Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things to your beloved Son, whom you anointed priest forever and king of all creation: Grant that all the people of the earth, now divided by the power of sin, may be united under the glorious and gentle rule of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

Revelation 1:4b-8  The book of Revelation begins with a series of messages addressed to seven churches. John's greeting to these churches extols God as one who controls their past, present, and future. Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen.  "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

SONG: YOU ARE MY KING

John 18:33-37 In John's gospel, the story of Jesus and Pilate presents two different ways of exercising power: through force or with love.  Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?" Pilate replied, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?" Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here." Pilate asked him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

APOSTLES’ CREED,

CHILDREN COME FORWARD

SERMON:

OFFERING

PRAYERS Let us pray that the whole church on earth might be a faithful witness to the eternal reign of God by our acts of charity and mercy. God of love, hear our prayer. Let us pray for those places on the earth torn apart by violence and war, that all people of faith would strive for justice and peace. God of love, hear our prayer. Let us pray for those who are poor, homeless, hungry, or abandoned, that their suffering would be replaced with joy through gifts extended to them by the community of faith. God of love, hear our prayer. Let us pray for the sick and dying (especially), that they would experience the love of Jesus, and that we might be for them agents of grace. God of love, hear our prayer. Let us pray for the coming of that day when Christ will come to judge both the living and the dead, and that our hearts would be ready to welcome him as Lord of all. God of love, hear our prayer. Claimed by Christ, let us pray in thanksgiving for all who have died in faith, and that we also would have the hope of joining them in the realm of heaven. God of love, hear our prayer. Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal: hear these petitions of your faithful people as we present them before you; and by your grace, grant us those things you see that we need; for the sake of our sovereign redeemer, Jesus Christ our Lord.

CELEBRATION OF LORD’S SUPPER, LORD’S PRAYER

HYMNS: King of Love 502, Music, Jesus Shall Reign 434, Music

BLESSING God's blessing be with you, Christ's peace be with you, the Spirit's outpouring be with you, now and always. Amen

Go in peace. Live the gospel. Thanks be to God.