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 Ezekiel 36:22-28 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 104:1-9
Let us stand together as we praise the Lord with a responsive reading of Psalm 103
(Congregation recites bolded lines)
10 You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills;
11 they give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they sing among the branches.
13 From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.
31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works,
32 who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke!
33 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD.
35 Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more! Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD!
Hymn of Praise – Cannons
VERSE 1
It’s falling from the clouds
A strange and lovely sound
I hear it in the thunder and the rain
It’s ringing in the sky
Like cannons in the night
The music of the universe plays
We’re singing
CHORUS
You are Holy
Great and mighty
The moon and the stars
Declare who You are
I’m so unworthy
But still You love me
Forever my heart
Will sing of how great You are
VERSE 2
Beautiful and free
The song of galaxies
Reaching far beyond the Milky Way
Let’s join in with the sound
C’mon lets sing it out
As music of the universe plays
We’re singing
CHORUS
You are Holy
Great and mighty
The moon and the stars
Declare who You are
I’m so unworthy
But still You love me
Forever my heart
Will sing of how great You are
BRIDGE
All glory honor power is Yours amen
All glory honor power is Yours amen
All glory honor power is Yours amen
Forever amen
CHORUS
You are Holy
Great and mighty
The moon and the stars
Declare who You are
I’m so unworthy
But still You love me
Forever my heart
Will sing of how great You are
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
He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isa. 53:5–6, adapted)
Believe this Gospel and go forth to live in peace. Amen.
Hymn of Thanksgiving – Glorious
VERSE 1
Look inside the mystery
See the empty cross
See the risen Savior
Victorious and strong
No one else above Him
None as strong to save
He alone has conquered
The power of the grave
CHORUS
Glorious my eyes have seen
The glory of the Lord
Glorious He stands above
The rulers of the Earth
VERSE 2
Look beyond the tombstone
See the Living God
See the resurrected
Ruler of my heart
No one else above Him
None to match His worth
The hope of His returning
Fills the universe
CHORUS
Glorious my eyes have seen
The glory of the Lord
Glorious He stands above
The rulers of the Earth
BRIDGE
Glorious glorious
Lord You are glorious
CHORUS
Glorious my eyes have seen
The glory of the Lord
Glorious He stands above
The rulers of the Earth
BRIDGE
Glorious glorious
Lord You are glorious
OUTRO
You are glorious
You are glorious
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.
Sermon – Why Are We So Divided? (John 3:1-15)
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.
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
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 stay in the shadow of the cross
- Pray for the world to be united in peace under God – regeneration
- Let’s pray that we would boldly share our re-birth stories.
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.
Hymn of Thanksgiving – Holy Forever
VERSE 1
A thousand generations
Falling down in worship
To sing the song of
Ages to the Lamb
And all who’ve gone before us
And all who will believe
Will sing the song of
Ages to the Lamb
PRE CHORUS 1
Your name is the highest
Your name is the greatest
Your name stands above them all
PRE CHORUS 2
All thrones and dominions
All powers and positions
Your name stands above them all
CHORUS 1
And the angels cry holy
All creation cries holy
You are lifted high holy
Holy forever
VERSE 2
If you’ve been forgiven
And if you’ve been redeemed
Sing the song
Forever to the Lamb
If you walk in freedom
And if you bear His name
Sing the song
Forever to the Lamb
TAG
We’ll sing the song
Forever and amen
CHORUS 1
And the angels cry holy
All creation cries holy
You are lifted high holy
Holy forever
CHORUS 2
Hear your people sing holy
To the King of Kings holy
You will always be holy
Holy forever
PRE CHORUS 1
Your name is the highest
Your name is the greatest
Your name stands above them all
PRE CHORUS 2
All thrones and dominions
All powers and positions
Your name stands above them all
PRE CHORUS 1
Your name is the highest
Your name is the greatest
Your name stands above them all
PRE CHORUS 2
All thrones and dominions
All powers and positions
Your name stands above them all
CHORUS 1
And the angels cry holy
All creation cries holy
You are lifted high holy
Holy forever
CHORUS 2
Hear your people sing holy
To the King of Kings holy
You will always be holy
Holy forever
TAG
You will always be Holy
Holy forever
Benediction – What is the hope with which you go out?
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. (1 Thess. 5:23–24)
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.
- Tonight, we will have a fellowship hangout at the Rho’s.