Preparation (9:45AM)
This is a time to look upward and to commune with the Lord.
- Sit in silence for five minutes to “just be.” Just be “still” to know that God is “good.” Try to still your busy mind and put it into a mode of listening. If you find “thought monkeys” that disturb your silence, jot them down, and then continue in silence.
- Scripture Meditation. A) In your Bible, read Luke 10:25-37 slowly, pausing between clauses. B) After a minute of silence, read it again and look for words or phrases that catch your attention. C) Read it a third time and begin to wonder: “What might God want to say to me specifically?” D) Turn the previous question into a prayer, and then write down anything God might be saying to you. E) Be still and silent, and then ask yourself and God, “What am I being called to do as a result of the word I have been given?”
Invocation – Calling Upon God
Welcome to Ethos Communion Church. Ethos exists to foster communion with the Triune God in a way that leads to spiritual peace, holistic transformation of character, communion with the visible body of Christ, and the making of disciples from all cultures and generations all to the glory of God.
“Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” – Psalm 124:8
As we begin our worship service, let us quiet our hearts and minds, and turn our attention to the One who is worthy of all our praise.
Confession of Faith – Nicene Creed
The Nicene Creed, written in the fourth century by the Council of Nicaea and later expanded by the Council of Constantinople, holds immense importance for Christians as a foundational statement of faith affirming beliefs in the Trinity, the divinity of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Church, and essential Christian doctrines, serving as a unifying declaration of core beliefs across Christian denominations and emphasizing unity in essential theological truths.
Let’s stand together as we recite our common faith
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father [and the Son],
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Psalm of Praise – Psalm 96
Let us praise the Lord with a responsive reading of Psalm 96
(Congregation recites bolded lines)
1 Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!
4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts!
9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!
10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.”
11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12 let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
13 before the Lord, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.
Hymn of Praise – The Goodness of Jesus (C)
VERSE 1
Come you weary heart now to Jesus
Come you anxious soul now and see
There is perfect love
And comfort in your tears
Rest here in His wondrous peace
CHORUS
The goodness the goodness of Jesus
Satisfied He is all that I need
May it be come what may
That I rest all my days
In the goodness of Jesus
VERSE 2
Come find what this world cannot offer
Come and find your joy here complete
Taste the living water
Never thirst again
Rest here in His wondrous peace
CHORUS
The goodness the goodness of Jesus
Satisfied He is all that I need
May it be come what may
That I rest all my days
In the goodness of Jesus
VERSE 3
Come and find your hope now in Jesus
He is all He said He would be
Grace is overflowing
From the Saviour’s heart
Rest here in His wondrous peace
CHORUS
The goodness the goodness of Jesus
Satisfied He is all that I need
May it be come what may
That I rest all my days
In the goodness of Jesus
Confession and Complaint
You may be seated.
Having considered and praised the goodness of God, we now turn to confessing and complaining to God because things are not yet as they ought to be.
Take a moment to lament the brokenness in this world.
Take a moment to confess your personal sins.
Assurance of Pardon
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! (Rom. 5:8–9)
Believe this Gospel and go forth to live in peace. Amen.
Hymn of Thanksgiving – His Mercy is More (D)
VERSE 1
What love could remember
No wrongs we have done
Omniscient all knowing
He counts not their sum
Thrown into a sea
Without bottom or shore
Our sins they are many
His mercy is more
CHORUS
Praise the Lord
His mercy is more
Stronger than darkness
New every morn
Our sins they are many
His mercy is more
VERSE 2
What patience would wait
As we constantly roam
What Father so tender
Is calling us home
He welcomes the weakest
The vilest the poor
Our sins they are many
His mercy is more
CHORUS
Praise the Lord
His mercy is more
Stronger than darkness
New every morn
Our sins they are many
His mercy is more
VERSE 3
What riches of kindness
He lavished on us
His blood was the payment
His life was the cost
We stood ‘neath a debt
We could never afford
Our sins they are many
His mercy is more
CHORUS
Praise the Lord
His mercy is more
Stronger than darkness
New every morn
Our sins they are many
His mercy is more
TAG
Our sins they are many
His mercy is more
TAG
So much
Stronger than darkness
New every morn
Our sins they are many
His mercy is more
The Law of God
Having received the grace of the Lord, he then calls us to live in the newness of this life in Christ by obeying his commandments by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Let us stand together.
(Congregation recites bolded lines)
Let us now hear the commandments of God as given to us in Scripture.
We will listen and obey.
- You shall have no other gods before Me.
We will worship the Lord our God and serve Him only.
- You shall not make for yourself an idol.
We will worship the Lord in spirit and in truth, without idols or images.
- You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
We will honor the name of the Lord and speak of Him with reverence.
- Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
We will set aside time for rest and worship, honoring the Sabbath day.
- Honor your father and mother.
We will respect and care for our parents and those in authority.
- You shall not murder.
We will value and protect human life as sacred.
- You shall not commit adultery.
We will honor marriage and maintain faithfulness in relationships.
- You shall not steal.
We will respect others’ property and rights.
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
We will speak truthfully and with integrity.
- You shall not covet.
We will be content and grateful for what we have, avoiding envy and greed.
These are the commandments of God. Let us strive to follow them in love and obedience, seeking to live lives that honor Him.
We will follow God’s commandments with all our heart, soul, and mind.
Prayer for Illumination
You may be seated.
As we prepare to hear the word of God, let us pray for the Holy Spirit’s illumination.
Scripture Reading (Matthew 5:1-7)
Please stand for the reading of God’s word.
Sermon – Blessed are The Merciful (Matthew 5:7)
Prayers of Intercession
Having partaken of the body of Christ we now want to intercede on behalf of his body, the church and also for the world. Let’s pray together.
Topics:
- Pray for one another, that God would be merciful to them.
- Pray for the world (friends, family, neighbors) that God would give them mercy in Christ Jesus.
- Let us pray for our brothers and sisters in other local churches around the world
- Let’s pray that the Lord would send us more workers to help in this work of the Harvest
All these mercies we ask in the name of Jesus,
who ever sits at your right hand, O Father.
He it is who is our intercessor,
and it is through him
that we are taught to pray, saying,
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our debts,
As we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the kingdom,
And the power, and the glory,
Forever. Amen.
Doxology (E)
Let us now sing the doxology in praise to our triune God.
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.
Meaning of Communion with Christ
You may be seated.
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15–16)
Communion Prayer
Let us give thanks to the Lord for this spiritual meal he has given to us.
Communion
- Because of the significance of the Lord’s Table, only baptized believers in the Lord Jesus Christ should partake.
- Also, if you are willingly living in sin, you should refrain.
- If you are unable to partake of the Lord’s Table today, you may still partake of Christ!
- The Lord’s Table is just an aid in your relationship with Christ. Without it, you can still go to Christ.
- There are some prayers below that you may use to guide you.
- And so all who are able, now I invite you to come to the Lord’s Table to receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
Prayer for those searching
Oh God, I am discovering that the more I have, the more I need to have, the more I am loved, the more I need to be loved, the more I achieve, the more I need to achieve. Nothing seems to satisfy me. “Nothing tastes.” Could it be, as someone once said, that “Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee.” Dear God, if this is true, and if as the Bible teaches there is life and life eternal in Christ alone, please guide me to him. Open me to the reality of the one who alone can satisfy my restless heart. Give me the courage to believe that which I cannot see but can understand through your Word, sacraments and church family. Lord I want to believe, please help me in my unbelief! Amen.
Prayer of belief
Lord God, I now see that I am weaker and more flawed than I ever before believed, but in Christ, I am more loved and accepted than I ever dared hope. Even as I have not loved you or my neighbor with all of my heart, you have shown your love for me in that while I am still sinning, Christ died for me and took upon himself the condemnation that I deserve. I now know that You owe me nothing for my efforts, but you offer acceptance, love and blessing into all eternity because of Christ’s efforts on my behalf. I therefore ask that you would enable me to turn away from trusting in my own efforts to gain your acceptance and forgiveness, and trust in the perfectly righteous efforts of Christ on my behalf in order to be accepted by you and entered into your holy family. And just as you raised Christ from the dead, so too I ask that you would give me a new life in Christ, one that will lead eventually to heaven itself. Thank you for Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit to believe in him alone for my salvation. And as You have called us to follow You in baptism and in a life of committed discipleship in Your church, grant that I may take the necessary steps to be one with Your people, and live in the fullness of Your Spirit. Amen.
Prayer of Dedication
Hymn of Thanksgiving – Seek Ye First (Bb)
VERSE 1
Seek ye first the kingdom of God
And His righteousness
And all these things
Shall be added unto you
Allelu alleluia
VERSE 2
Man shall not live by bread alone
But by ev’ry word
That proceeds
From the mouth of God
Allelu alleluia
CHORUS
Alleluia Alleluia
Alleluia Alleluia
VERSE 3
Ask and it shall be given unto you
Seek and ye shall find
Knock and the door
Shall be opened unto you
Allelu alleluia
CHORUS
Alleluia Alleluia
Alleluia Alleluia
Benediction – What is the hope with which you go out?
Now may your rising soul survey the mercies of your God; may you be lost in wonder, love and praise, so that through every period of your life his goodness you will pursue, until our Lord comes again and makes all things new.
Announcements
- Tithes and offerings may be given online at EthosChurch.Co. FYI the fees are 2.15% + $0.30/donation for credit and debit card donations, and 0% + $0.30 per ACH bank transfer donation. So using your bank is preferred.
- Having looked upward during the worship service, we now want to look outward, in sharing the love of Christ we have in our hearts for one another. To do that, food always helps, so following the service we will have a refreshment hour followed by a meal.
- We will discuss how the Lord may have spoken to you today during lunch.