Prelude                                 Two American Folk Hymns:                           arr. K. Lee Scott
                                          Prospect and Promised Land                                        (b. 1950)
                                                  Festival Orchestra
                           Dr. Michelle Louer, Director of Music and Fine Arts

+ Welcome                                                                              Rev. Kelley J. Jepsen (9:30)
                                                                                                  Rev. Karen L. Lang (11:00)

* Call to Worship                  Let the People Praise Thee, O God                William Mathias
                                                           Sanctuary Choir                                    (1934-1992)

Let the people praise thee, O God: yea, let all the people praise thee.
O let the nations rejoice and be glad: for thou shalt judge the folk righteously,
and govern the nations upon earth.

Let the people praise thee, O God: let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth bring forth her increase: and God, even our own God, shall give us his blessing.
God shall bless us: and all the ends of the world shall fear him.

God be merciful unto us, and bless us: and show us the light of his countenance, and be merciful unto us. That thy way may be known upon earth: thy saving health among all nations.

Glory to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen

One:       God has gathered us to this place,

All:         where we hear those stories which show us what the kingdom of God is like.

One:       God summons us to this place,

All:         where we can learn how to serve our God without reservation or hesitation.

One:       God will send us from this place,

All:         to tell others of God’s hopes and dreams, so they, too,
              can choose to follow God.

One:       Let us worship God together.

* Prayer of Adoration

*+Hymn #455                All Creatures of Our God and King            LASST UNS ERFREUEN
                                   v. 1 & 2 – Congregation; v. 3 & 5 – Choir;
                                                   v. 6 – Congregation

Call to Confession

Silent Confession

Prayer of Confession

God of majesty, you have drawn near to us, but we have turned away from your light. You have chosen us to be your people, but we confess that we have lived as though we belonged to ourselves.
Forgive us when we fail to recognize and celebrate your presence.
Forgive us when we turn away from your clear call.
Forgive us when we forget your law of love toward God and neighbor.
Empower us by your Spirit to be faithful followers of Jesus, who taught us by word and example how to live as your children. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

* Response of Praise                        Alleluia! Alleluia!                          ALLELUIA NO. 1

Alleluia, Alleluia! Give thanks to the risen Lord:
Alleluia, Alleluia! Give praise to His name. (repeat)

Words: Donald Fishel ©1973 International Liturgy Publications.
Reprinted under CCLI License #716352.

*+Passing of the Peace

Leader:         The peace of Christ be with you.

People:         And also with you.

Ritual of Friendship and the Concerns of the Church       Rev. Meagan P. Findeiss (9:30)
                                                                                             Dr. David A. Chaddock (11:00)

Time with Children (11:00)

Prayer of Illumination                                                             Elder Melynne Klaus (9:30)
                                                                                              Deacon Karen Johnson (11:00)

First Lesson                                  Lamentations 3:19-26                                     (p. 751)

* Hymn #276                           Great Is Thy Faithfulness                             FAITHFULNESS

Second Lesson                                     Luke 17:5-10                                           (p. 954)

Response

Leader:          This is the word of the Lord.

People:         Thanks be to God.

Hymn #415                                     Come, Labor On                                 ORA LABORA

Sermon                                                                                       Rev. Christopher A. Henry

* Affirmation of Faith (from A Brief Statement of Faith)                               see sidebar

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer

Offertory                          Come, Thou Fount of Ev’ry Blessing                    Mack Wilberg
                                                                                                                          (b. 1955)
Come, thou fount of ev’ry blessing, Tune my heart to sing thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet, Sung by flaming tongues above;
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, Mount of this redeeming love.

Here I raise my Ebenezer, Hither by thy help I’m come;
And I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.
Prone to wander Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for thy courts above.

Jesus sought me when a stranger, wand’ring from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger, Interposed his precious blood.
O to grace how great a debtor Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter, Bind my wand’ring heart to Thee.

                                                Text: Robert Robinson

* Festival Doxology                                                                Ralph Vaughan Williams

* Prayer of Thanksgiving

* Closing Hymn                             Go to the World!                               SINE NOMINE

Go to the world! Go into all the earth;
Go preach the cross where Christ renews life’s worth
Baptizing as the sign of our rebirth.
Alleluia!

Go to the world! Go into every place;
Go live the word of God’s redeeming grace;
Go seek God’s presence in each time and space.
Alleluia!

Go to the world! Go struggle, bless, and pray;
The nights of tears give way to joyful day.
As servant Church, you follow Christ’s own way.
Alleluia!

Go to the world! Go as the ones I send,
For I am with you till the age shall end,
When all the hosts of glory cry “Amen.”
Alleluia!

* Charge and Benediction

* Benediction Response                           A Gaelic Blessing                        John Rutter
                                                                                                                         (b. 1945)
Deep peace of the running wave to you,
Deep peace of the flowing air to you,
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you,
Deep peace of the shining stars to you,
Deep peace of the gentle night to you,
Moon and stars pour their healing light on you,
Deep peace of Christ, the light of the world to you,
Deep peace of Christ to you.

                                  Words adapted from an old Gaelic rune

* Postlude                Postlude in Canon on “Sine Nomine”                 Thomas J. Crawford
                                 Dr. John Allegar, organ (1877-1955)

WORSHIP LEADERS

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. 
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 
Give us this day our daily bread; 
and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; 
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. 
Amen.

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Acts 10:34-48

Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.

GATHERING

Congregational Songs                    Let Us Build a House

Be Thou My Vision

Centering Song                            Spirit of the Living God

LISTENING

Scripture Reading                               Acts 10:34-48 

Reflection                                       An Expanding Vision

Musical Meditation                         How Great Thou Art

RESPONDING

Sacrament of Communion

Words of Blessing

One:    The light of God

All:      To lead us on and make us unafraid.

One:    The power of God

All:      To protect us and make us strong.

One:    The joy of God

All:      To heal us and bring us delight.

One:    The grace of God

All:      To bless us and keep us loving, now and forever. Amen.

A Word of Invitation for the Week to Come

The call to live in the Spirit is a call to see the world, and those in it, with different eyes. God invites us to expand our perspective and open our hearts to God’s own vision of inclusive community. As you reflect on this call, try seeing every person you encounter as a beloved child of God. Release judgement and embrace God’s unconditional love for all.

                          April 28                                               An Expanding Community 

                            May 4                                       Together@ The Garden, 10 a.m. 
                                                                                Northside Community Garden 

                            May 5                                       Children’s Choir Concert, 4 p.m. 
                                                                                                         McFarland Hall 
                                                                                            (No Together@5 service) 

                           May 12                                                             An Expanding Call 

                           May 19                                                         An Expanding Vision