Reign of Christ Sunday CALL TO WORSHIP Psalm 95:1-2, 7 P: Come, let us sing to the Lord; C: let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation. P: Let us come before God’s presence with thanksgiving C: and raise a loud shout to the Lord with psalms. P: For the Lord is our God, C: and we are the people of God’s pasture. CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS P: With sincere and repentant hearts, let us name our sins against Christ and one another. Silence for Reflection P: Sovereign God, C: we confess that we are not ready for your holy realm. You guide us toward right paths, but we refuse to follow where you lead. You love and feed and care for us, but we fail to love and serve others. Forgive us, merciful God, so that we may return to your fold and rejoice in your presence; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the Lamb upon the throne. Amen. P: However long we wander, however far we stray, God’s steadfast love endures forever. Sisters and brothers, be assured: in Jesus Christ + we are forgiven. C: Amen. HYMN “Crown Him with Many Crowns” PRAYER OF THE DAY P: O God of power and might, your Son shows us the way of service, and in him we inherit the riches of your grace. Give us the wisdom to know what is right and the strength to serve the world you have made, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen. READINGS Hebrew Bible Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 11Thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. 12As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. 14I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. 16I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice. 20Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21Because you pushed with flank and shoulder, and butted at all the weak animals with your horns until you scattered them far and wide, 22I will save my flock, and they shall no longer be ravaged; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken. Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46 [Jesus said to the disciples:] 31“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family you did it to me.’ 41Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ 45Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” SERMON Rev. Lori E.L. Kitzing HYMN “All Creatures of Our God and King” PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION P: Our Shepherd satisfies our needs; in faith, let us pray to the Lord. P: O Lord, our God, we pray for the church…As you have made Christ the head of all, help us to live faithfully as his body, continuing his mission in the world. Lord, in your mercy, C: hear our prayer. P: O Lord, our God, we pray for the earth….Let all the earth make a joyful noise to you, a song of praise to the rock of our salvation, for you are coming to reveal a new creation. Lord, in your mercy, C: hear our prayer. P: O Lord, our God, we pray for all nations….Drive out those wolves in sheep’s clothing who abuse the weak and scatter the flock. Come and save us; bring justice and peace. Lord, in your mercy, C: hear our prayer. P: O Lord, our God, we pray for this community….Help us to see Christ among our neighbors, serving those who are hungry and thirsty, naked and lonely, sick or in prison. Lord, in your mercy, C: hear our prayer. P: O Lord, our God, we pray for loved ones….(We pray especially for Julie, Karla, Stephanie, Cammie, Nancy, Beverly, Micala, Murlene, Eileen, and JD). Remember the people of your pasture: rescue the lost, bind up the broken, heal the sick, and feed those who hunger. Lord, in your mercy, C: hear our prayer. P: Loving Shepherd, lead and guide us—in green pastures and by still waters, in right paths and through dark valleys, until we feast with you in glory and dwell in your house forever; through Jesus Christ our Savior. C: Amen. OFFERING PRAYER P: In gratitude for the immeasurable gift of Jesus Christ, we bring our tithes and offerings to God. Financial gifts may be sent to the church. We are currently collecting food for the Nuckolls County and Thayer County Food Pantry P: Holy God, use us, and these gifts, to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and honor your presence in all people; through Jesus Christ our Lord. C: Amen. LORD’S PRAYER American Sign Language BENEDICTION P: May the grace of Christ + surround you, the love of God astound you, and the Holy Spirit keep you, this day and forevermore. C: Amen. HYMN “Soon and Very Soon” CHARGE P: Go And...Be Honest! So that you can better love and serve God and your neighbors. C: Thanks be to God. Printed by permission oneliscense.net A-717495
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AuthorRev. Lori E.L. Kitzing Archives
April 2024
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