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 John 1:1-18 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 – Apostles’ Creed
Let’s stand together as we recite our common faith
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Psalm of Praise – Psalm 99
Let us stand together as we praise the Lord with a responsive reading of Psalm 99
(Congregation recites bolded lines)
1 The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!
2 The LORD is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples.
3 Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he!
4 The King in his might loves justice. You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
5 Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he!
6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called upon his name. They called to the LORD, and he answered them.
7 In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them; they kept his testimonies and the statute that he gave them.
8 O LORD our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings.
9 Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the LORD our God is holy!
Hymn of Praise – Holy, Holy, Holy (A)
VERSE 1
Holy holy holy
Lord God Almighty
Early in the morning
Our song shall rise to Thee
Holy holy holy
Merciful and mighty
God in three persons
Blessed Trinity
VERSE 2
Holy holy holy
All the saints adore Thee
Casting down their golden crowns
Around the glassy sea
Cherubim and seraphim
Falling down before Thee
Which wert and art
And evermore shalt be
VERSE 3
Holy holy holy
Though the darkness hide Thee
Though the eye of sinful man
Thy glory may not see
Only Thou art holy
There is none beside Thee
Perfect in power
In love and purity
VERSE 4
Holy holy holy
Lord God Almighty
All Thy works shall praise Thy name
In earth and sky and sea
Holy holy holy
Merciful and mighty
God in three persons
Blessed Trinity
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
When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”—and you forgave the guilt of my sin. (Ps. 32:3–5)
Believe this Gospel and go forth to live in peace. Amen.
Hymn of Thanksgiving – His Mercy is More (C)
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
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 (John 1:1-5)
Please stand for the reading of God’s word.
Sermon – The Life was the Light (John 1:1-5)
- Eternity
- Communion
- Divinity
- Life
- Light
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 to know the God in Christ
- Pray for the world (friends, family, neighbors)
- 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.
““I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” (John 17:20–23)
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 – Messiah – You’re Beautiful (E)
VERSE 1
I see Your face in every sunrise
The colors of the morning are inside Your eyes
The world awakens in the light of the day
I look up to the sky and say, You’re beautiful
VERSE 2
I see Your power in the moonlit night
Where planets are in motion and galaxies are bright
We are amazed in the light of the stars
It’s all proclaiming who You are, You’re beautiful
VERSE 3
I see You there hanging on a tree
You bled and then You died
And then You rose again for me
Now You are sitting on Your heavenly throne
Soon we will be coming home, You’re beautiful
VERSE 4
When we arrive at eternity’s shore
Where death is just a memory and tears are no more
We’ll enter in as the wedding bells ring
Your Bride will come together and we’ll sing
You’re beautiful
BRIDGE
I see Your face You’re beautiful
You’re beautiful
You’re beautiful
Benediction – What is the hope with which you go out?
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Cor. 13:14)
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 share a meal together.
- Today will be our last meeting at the Legion house. Next week, we will be meeting in Glendale.