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Veradale United Church of Christ

10:30am    Worship begins

God hopes in us. . . all the time!  All the time . . . God hopes in us!

*Welcoming the Light

Hymn: “How Great Thou Art” Tune 35 (NCH)

1. O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder consider all the works Thy Hand hath made, I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder, Thy pow’r throughout the universe displayed, 

Chorus: Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee. How great Thou art! How great Thou art! Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee. How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

2. When through the woods and forest glades I wander, I hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees, when I look down from lofty mountain grandeur and hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze, Chorus

 Call to Confession

One: Seek God; call upon God; God is here. Trusting in the compassion and mercy of God, we pray:

Prayer of Confession

From the Presbyterian Church USA

Forgive us, God, for the many ways that we fail to trust your promise.Too often we count the trespasses of others, as though we were the ones to judge. Too often we fail to believe that your gifts are freely given. Too often we spend our money for that which is not bread, and our labor for that which does not satisfy. Help us, loving God. Forgive us when we operate out of scarcity and fear rather than out of your abundant, good gifts. Help us to live as your trusting, sharing, reconciling people.

Silent Confessions with God

Assurance of Pardon

(from 2 Corinthians 5)

One: Beloved in Christ: God was in Christ reconciling the world, not counting our wrongs against us, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, anyone in Christ is a new creation! The past is gone; everything has become fresh and new. Hear and believe the good news of the Gospel: In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!

All: Thanks be to God! Amen. 

Introductions

Community Prayer

Call to God: Creator God, Divine Spirit, Loving Jesus, Heavenly Father, 

Heavenly Father/Mother…

 Request: I give you thanks for/ask for your help with… 

Closing: Amen

All reply: Amen

Lord’s Prayer

Please, pray in the translation and language that is dear to you.

Response: Amen. Amen. Amen.

Offerings of the People

*Dedication Hymn: “Grace Alone” v1

Ev’ry promise we can make, ev’ry prayer and step pf faith, ev’ry difference we can make is only by His grace. Ev’ry mountain we will climb, ev’ry ray of hope we shine, ev’ry blessing left behind is only by His grace.

Grace alone which God supplies strength unknown He will provide; Christ in us, our Cornerstone, we will go forth in grace alone.

*Dedication Prayer

Holy One, bless these offerings for ministry in this time and place. May the love and hope included these offerings transform our communities to live in compassion, act with justice, and walk humbly with God. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Scripture Readings

Ezekiel 37:1-14  New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all round them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, ‘Mortal, can these bones live?’ I answered, ‘O Lord God, you know.’ Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.’

 So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.’ I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.

Then he said to me, ‘Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.” Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord.’ 

John 20:19-31 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

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.”

Message: “Living Truth” 

Silent Reflection

Announcements

*Closing Hymn: “*Hymn: I’ll trust in the Lord 416 (NCH)

I’ll trust in the Lord. I’ll trust in the Lord. I’ll trust in the Lord, ‘til I die. I’ll trust in the Lord. I’ll trust in the Lord. I’ll trust in the Lord ‘til I die.

I’m a’gonna treat everybody right. I’m a’gonna treat everybody right.

 I’m a’gonna treat everybody right ‘til I die. I’m a’gonna treat everybody right. I’m a’gonna treat everybody right. I’m a’gonna treat everybody right ‘til I die.

*Benediction with

1. What does the Lord require of you? What does the Lord require of you?

2. Justice, kindness, walk humbly with your God.
3. To seek justice, and love kindness, and walk humbly with your God.