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
Let us pray.
Confession of Faith – Heidelberg Catechism Q1
The Heidelberg Catechism, crafted in 1563, is a foundational text in Reformed Christian worship, presenting the essentials of faith through a resonant question-and-answer format. It deepens our understanding of faith, sin, and grace, guiding and comforting congregants in their spiritual journey. This catechism remains a vital tool for personal reflection and communal devotion, enriching our worship experience.
Let’s stand together as we recite our common hope.
What is you only comfort in life and in death?
That I am not my own,
but belong with body and soul,
both in life and in death,
to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ.He has fully paid for all my sins
with his precious blood,
and has set me free
from all the power of the devil.He also preserves me in such a way
that without the will of my heavenly Father
not a hair can fall from my head;
indeed, all things must work together
for my salvation.Therefore, by his Holy Spirit
he also assures me
of eternal life
and makes me heartily willing and ready
from now on to live for him.
Psalm of Praise – Psalm 97
Let us praise the Lord with a responsive reading of Psalm 97
(Congregation recites bolded lines)
1 The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!
2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him and burns up his adversaries all around.
4 His lightnings light up the world; the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory.
7 All worshipers of images are put to shame, who make their boast in worthless idols; worship him, all you gods!
8 Zion hears and is glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoice, because of your judgments, O LORD.
9 For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.
10 O you who love the LORD, hate evil! He preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
11 Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.
12 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!
Hymn of Praise – Be Thou My Vision (B)
VERSE 1
Be Thou my vision
O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me
Save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought
By day or by night
Waking or sleeping
Thy presence my light
VERSE 2
Be Thou my wisdom
And Thou my true word
I ever with Thee
And Thou with me Lord
Thou my great Father
And I Thou true son
Thou in me dwelling
And I one with Thee
VERSE 3
Riches I heed not
Nor man’s empty praise
Thou mine inheritance
Now and always
Thou and Thou only
First in my heart
High King of heaven
My treasure Thou art
VERSE 4
High King of heaven
My victory won
May I reach heaven’s joys
O bright heaven’s sun
Heart of my own heart
Whatever befall
Still be my vision
O Ruler of all
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.
We cry out to you, O Lord, for the brokenness we experience in this world. Our hearts are heavy with the pain and suffering that surround us, the injustices that prevail, and the sorrow that fills our lives. We lament the effects of sin that have marred your creation and brought about so much grief. Our own sins and the sins of others contribute to this brokenness, and we grieve over the pain it causes.
Take a moment to lament the brokenness in this world.
Most holy and merciful Father; we acknowledge and confess before you our sinful nature—prone to evil and lazy in good—and all our shortcomings and offenses. You alone know how often we have sinned in wandering from your way, in wasting your gifts, in forgetting your love. But you, O Lord, have mercy on us, who are ashamed and sorry for all the ways we have displeased you.
Take a moment to confess your personal sins.
Assurance of Pardon
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.…He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. (Ps. 103:8, 10–14)
Believe this Gospel and go forth to live in peace. Amen.
Hymn of Heaven (B)
VERSE 1
How I long to breathe the air of Heaven
Where pain is gone
And mercy fills the streets
To look upon the One
Who bled to save me
And walk with Him for all eternity
CHORUS 1
There will be a day
When all will bow before Him
There will be a day
When death will be no more
Standing face to face
With He who died and rose again
Holy holy is the Lord
VERSE 2
And every prayer
We prayed in desperation
The songs of faith
We sang through doubt and fear
In the end
We’ll see that it was worth it
When He returns
To wipe away our tears
CHORUS 1
There will be a day
When all will bow before Him
There will be a day
When death will be no more
Standing face to face
With He who died and rose again
Holy holy is the Lord
VERSE 3
And on that day
We join the resurrection
And stand beside
The heroes of the faith
With one voice
A thousand generations
Sing worthy is the Lamb
Who was slain
CHORUS 2
So let it be today
We shout the hymn of Heaven
With angels and the saints
We raise a mighty roar
Glory to our God
Who gave us life beyond the grave
Holy holy is the Lord
TAG
Holy holy is the Lord
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 5:1-8)
Please stand for the reading of God’s word.
Sermon – Blessed are The Pure in Heart (Matthew 5:8)
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 they would see the glory of God in the face of Christ
- Pray for our fathers
- Pray for the world (friends, family, neighbors) that they would see
- 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.
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” (1 John 3:1–3)
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.
- Here are some prayers below that you may use to guide you.
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 – Goodness of God (G)
VERSE 1
I love You Lord
Oh Your mercy never fails me
All my days I’ve been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
I will sing of the goodness of God
CHORUS
All my life You have been faithful
All my life You have been so so good
With every breath that I am able
I will sing of the goodness of God
VERSE 2
I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
In darkest nights You are close like no other
I’ve known You as a Father
I’ve known You as a Friend
I have lived in the goodness of God
CHORUS
All my life You have been faithful
All my life You have been so so good
With every breath that I am able
I will sing of the goodness of God
BRIDGE
Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
With my life laid down
I’m surrendered now
I give You everything
Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
CHORUS
All my life You have been faithful
All my life You have been so so good
With every breath that I am able
I will sing of the goodness of God
Benediction – What is the hope with which you go out?
“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” (2 Thess. 2:16–17)
Announcements
- To all the fathers, we wish you a Happy Father’s Day!
- 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.