Sermon Tone Analysis

* *

*Prelude*

*Welcome*

*Call to Worship*

/What is the fast that our God chooses?

/ \\ * * \\ *To loose the bonds of injustice, \\ To bring the homeless poor into our houses, \\ To cover the naked, \\ To let the oppressed go free, \\ And to share our bread with the hungry.*

\\ \\ /When you do these things, \\ Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, \\ And your healing spring up quickly; \\ Your vindicator shall go before you, \\ And the Glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard./

(Isaiah 58:6-8) \\ \\ *The Lord’s name be praised.*

* *

*    ~*Praise                      #  288        *Amazing Grace

 

*~*Invocation        (Lord’s Prayer) *Kind, divine, Heavenly Father, you created us with love, you have kept us through love, and will perfect us in love, we confess that we have not loved you with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strengths, nor do we love one another as Christ has loved us.

Grant that in this hour our confession will draw us to a new experience of your grace.

* *

*~*Gloria Patri       # 575*

*Just for Kids  *

Submitted By Jonathan Tompkins of Shandon United Methodist Church \\ \\ *Speaker One * \\ Good morning, we're glad you're here.

We are part of our Just for Kids and we want to tell you about something that we're doing today.

But, before we get started, who can tell me what this is (hold up a football)?

That's right, everybody knows this is a football.

And who knows what today is? Exactly, its the Super Bowl, a really big football game.

People get together and eat lots of food and watch the game, we want to tell you about another kind of Super Bowl.

\\ \\ *Speaker Two * \\ That's right, we're participating in another Super Bowl that is much more important than a football game.

We're talking about the Souper Bowl of Caring (show a can of soup).

Who knows what this is?

Yes, a can of soup.

And what do we do with this?

Right again, we eat it.

Well we are to help people by collecting money and giving it to the Food Pantry.

They help the hungry.

Now, how are we going to do this?

At thte end of the service when everyone is leaving, we will be at the doors holding soup pots and we want everyone to drop in at least $1.00, if not the cost of a meal.

That way, we can give the money to help feed people who are hungry and we can all play in the Souper Bowl.

\\ \\ *Speaker One * \\ Let us pray..... Dear Lord, we are thankful to be able to participate in the Souper Bowl of Caring.

We ask that you bless people everywhere who are hungry and help us to help them.

Help us to remember Jesus' words: "I was hungry and you gave me food, thirsty and you gave me drink....whenever you did this for one of the least of these followers of mine, you did it for me!" Amen.

\\ * *

*Our Offering to God               *“And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him up, and everyone whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service” (Exod.

35:21).

*~*Doxology          #572*

*~*Prayer of Dedication          *Lord, stir within us the holy claims of your divine will.

Give us a passion for your Kingdom that our gifts may truly reflect your love within us.

May these gifts be multiplied for the cause of the gospel.

*Scripture Reading       Psalm 138*

1     I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;

before the gods I sing your praise;

2     I bow down toward your holy temple

and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness;

for you have exalted your name and your word

above everything.a

3     On the day I called, you answered me,

you increased my strength of soul.b

4     All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord,

for they have heard the words of your mouth.

5     They shall sing of the ways of the Lord,

for great is the glory of the Lord.

6     For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly;

but the haughty he perceives from far away.

7     Though I walk in the midst of trouble,

you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies;

you stretch out your hand,

and your right hand delivers me.

8     The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;

your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.

Do not forsake the work of your hands.

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*          *

*    ~*Hymn of Prayer     # 401         *It Is Well with My Soul

*Pastoral Prayer  *

/But I say to you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,// bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.

/ / //  Luke 6:27-28 /    

 

*P*raise God for... during black history month ~/ the contributions of African Americans to American Baptist Churches.

*A*sk God for... relief for all families, where bills are more than income.

"Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands.

Protect them as they protect us.

Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need.

May they call on you for divine help.

\\  

*T*hank God for... a child who continues to improve after her premature birth.

*H*ealing for... the hearts and minds of the oppressed and their oppressors in Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and Iraq.

Our gracious and loving Heavenly Father, we come to you today in the name of

Jesus.

We come reverently, but we also come confidently.

We come with full assurance of faith.

Lord, we know that you’re here with us as we meet together.

But you’re with us not only when we meet.

You’re with us out there in our everyday world.

And we do need you.

We need your mercy and grace.

We don’t ask for what we deserve; we ask for your mercy and grace.

When we look around us at our world, we are often troubled and concerned.

Please, Lord, bring an end to the violence and death and suffering, and may there be peace and safety.

There are so many places around the world where there is no freedom, especially freedom of worship.

We pray for your Kingdom to come and your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.

We need you, too, right here at home.

Here in our own church family we have all kinds of needs.

Many are facing serious physical problems, and they need your healing touch.

Lord, for each of us, look down inside and see there the hurts and feelings, the discouragements and frustrations, and all the ways we need you.

Meet each of us at the very point of our need today.

May this day bring glory and honor to the name of Jesus, in whose name we pray.—Paul

Meeks

*~*Hymn of Praise          # 234         These Are the Facts   *

*Scripture Reading       1 Corinthians 15:1-11*

Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters,a of the good newsb that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, 2 through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in vain.

3 For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, 4 and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sistersc at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.d

7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain.

On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them—though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.