CELEBRATION WORSHIP

SECOND SUNDAY OF PENTECOST--May 25, 2008

10:30 a.m.

OPENING SONG SERVICE

Come Into the Holy of Holies

Come into the Holy of holies

Enter by the blood of the Lamb.

Come into His presence with singing,

Worship at the throne of God.

Come into the Holy of holies

Enter by the blood of the Lamb.

Come into His presence with singing,

Worship at the throne of God.

Lifting holy hands to the King of kings;

Worship Jesus. Worship Jesus.

What a Friend We Have in Jesus/Seek Ye First

What a friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer.

O, what peace we often forfeit,

O, what needless pain we bear.

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God

And His righteousness,

And all these things shall be added unto you.

Allelu, alleluia.

Have we trials and temptations,

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged,

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful,

Who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness,

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Ask and it shall be given unto you.

Seek and ye shall find.

Knock and the door shall be opened unto you.

Allelu, alleluia.

Are we weak and heavy-laden,

Cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior, still our refuge,

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Do your friends despise, forsake you.

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

In His arms He'll take and shield you,

You will find a solace there.

Thy Word

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet

And a light unto my path.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet

And a light unto my path.

When I feel afraid, think I've lost my way,

Still You're there right beside me.

And nothing will I fear as long as You are near,

Please be near me to the end.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet

And a light unto my path.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet

And a light unto my path.

OPENING WORDS

In His Time

In His time, in His time,

He makes all things beautiful in His time.

Lord, please show me ev'ry day

As You're teaching me Your way,

That You do just what you say in Your time.

CONFESSION PRAYER-PASTOR

In His Time

In His time, in His time,

He makes all things beautiful in His time.

Lord, please show me ev'ry day

As You're teaching me Your way,

That You do just what you say in Your time.

Silence for Reflection

ABSOLUTION-PASTOR

Song-O Beautiful for Spacious Skies

O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain.

For purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain.

America, America! God shed His grace on thee,

And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.

Men: O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife.

Who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than life.

All: America, America! May God thy gold refine,

Till all success be nobleness and ev'ry gain divine.

Women: O beautiful for patriot dream that sees beyond the years.

Thine alabaster cities gleam undimmed by human tears.

All: America, America! God mend thine ev'ry flaw.

Confirm thy soul in self control, thy liberty in law.

SCRIPTURE LESSON--I CORINTHIANS 4:1-5

Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God's mysteries. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. I do not even judge myself. I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive commendation from God.

GOSPEL LESSON--MATTHEW 6:24-34

"No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

²⁵"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? ²⁸And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. ³⁰But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' ³²For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴"So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today.

CHILDREN'S SERMON

SERMON

I Believe in Jesus

I believe in Jesus

I believe He is the Son of God.

I believe He died and rose again,

I believe He paid for us all.

And I believe that He's here now,

Standing in our midst.

Here with the power to heal now,

And the grace to forgive.

I believe in You, Lord,

I believe You are the son of God.

I believe You died and rose again,

I believe You paid for us all.

And I believe that You're here now,

Standing in our midst.

Here with the power to heal now,

And the grace to forgive.

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH

PASSING THE PEACE

OFFERING

OFFERING RESPONSE AND COMMUNION PREPARATION

Give Thanks

Give thanks with a grateful heart,

Give thanks to the Holy One,

Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son.

Give thanks with a grateful heart,

Give thanks to the Holy One,

Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son.

And now let the weak say, "I am strong,"

Let the poor say, "I am rich because of what

The Lord has done for us."

And now let the weak say, "I am strong,"

Let the poor say, "I am rich because of what

The Lord has done for us."

Give thanks, give thanks, give thanks.

WORDS OF INSTITUTION

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 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, and the power, and the glory,

Forever and ever. Amen.

DISTRIBUTION MUSIC (refer to hymnal)

God Bless Our Native Land (ELW #891)

Oh, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing (ELW #886)

COMMUNION PRAYER

Oh, How He Loves You and Me

Oh, how He loves you and me,

Oh, how He loves you and me.

He gave His life, what more could He give?

Oh, how He loves you; Oh, how He loves me;

Oh, how He love you and me.

BENEDICTION-PASTOR

Sending Song-Find Us Faithful

Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful;

May the fire of our devotion light their way.

May the footprints that we leave lead them to believe,

And the lives he live inspire them to obey.

Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

SENDING

Pastor: Go in the assurance of Jesus, the provider of all our needs.

All: Thanks be to God.