Order of Worship

Fourth Sunday of Easter

BOLD indicates congregational SPEAKING participation

GATHERING AS THE BODY OF CHRIST

Prelude

"Your Love, O God"

UMH #120

Welcome and Sharing of Announcements

A Time to Make Connections

Introit

      "My Song Is Love Unknown"  

arr. Cathy Moklebust

Carolyn Elmore, handbell ringer, and Matt Cron, accompanist

Call to Worship



Liturgist: What a joy it is to welcome you this day!

People: We are grateful and happy to be here.

Liturgist: Christ, the Good Shepherd, invites you to walk with him.

People: We accept that invitation, confident in his guidance.

Liturgist: Be ready to serve the Lord in all that you do, for his love has been poured upon you.

People: Open our hearts and spirits this day, Lord, to receive your holy words and to be challenged in our service to you. AMEN.

Opening Prayer

Thank you, loving God, for bringing us to this time of worship. Refresh us and heal us again. Remind us of the many ways in which you have blessed our lives with your abundant love and your presence. Guide our hearts and our spirits that we may hear your words and our souls may be stirred into active service to your people. In the name of the Good Shepherd, who leads us to life, we pray. AMEN.

Opening Hymn

          “To God Be the Glory”   

     UMH #98   

Message in Music

       “Grazioso”

arr. Arnold Sherman  

Handbell Choir

Children's Time

Courtney Till

Pastoral Prayer and Lord's Prayer

Prayer Response

  “He Is Lord” 

 UMH #177

Based on Philippians 2:9-11

ATTENTION TO THE WORD OF GOD

Scripture Readings

1 John 3:16-24

16 We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers and sisters. 17 How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? 18 Little children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth. 19 And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him 20 whenever our hearts condemn us, for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God, 22 and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.

John 10:11-18

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes[b] it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

Liturgist: The word of God for the people of God.

People: Thanks be to God.  

Message

 “A Laying Down Life Kind of Love”

  Pastor Seok-Hwan

We Respond

Offertory

       “How Great Thou Art”

UMH #77

Doxology

 UMH #94

*Offertory Prayer

God of love, you abide with us; you provide for all our needs and guide us in your ways. Out of gratitude for your care, we bring our gifts before you. Use them for your work of caring, that all may feast at the table of abundance, walk without fear, and drink deeply from the cup of compassion. Amen.

Closing Hymn

       “Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us” 

UMH#381

The Blessing and Sending Forth 

The Good Shepherd leads us forward, from this place, into the world to serve God’s people, to witness to God’s love in all that we do. Go in peace and God’s peace will go with you. AMEN.

Benediction Response 

  “Father, Give Thy Benediction” 

  arr. Frances L Callahan

Handbell Choir

Postlude

   " Fugue in G "

 Johann Sebastian Bach