Welcome – Pastor Gayle
Call to Worship
L: I sought the Lord and he answered me.
All: The Lord delivered me from all my fears.
L: O taste and see that the Lord is good.
All: Happy are those who take refuge in him.
L: When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears.
All: The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
L: O worship the Lord with me.
All: Let us exalt his name together.
Hymn – Thine Be the Glory – UMH 308
Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son,
endless is the victory thou o’er death hast won.
Angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away,
kept the folded grave clothes where thy body lay.
Refrain: Thine is the glory, risen, conquering Son;
endless is the victory thou o’er death has won.
Lo! Jesus meets thee, risen from the tomb,
lovingly he greets thee, scatters fear and gloom.
Let the church with gladness hymns of triumph sing,
for our Lord now liveth, death hath lost its sting. Refrain
No more we doubt thee, glorious Prince of life!
Life is naught without thee; aid us in our strife.
Make us more than conquerors, through thy deathless love;
bring us safe through Jordan to thy home above. Refrain
Opening Prayer – Lord, we trust you to help us to journey beyond the familiar and into the unknown. Give us faith to leave old ways and break fresh ground with you. We believe you will make a way for us and provide for us if only we trust you and obey. Focus our minds and hearts upon you. Strengthen us with your blessing and appoint us to the task at hand. Teach us to live with eternity in view. Tune our spirits to the music of heaven. Amen.
Celtic Daily Prayer, Northumbria Community.
Scripture Reading – First Letter of John 5:1-5
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? For the Word of God in scripture and for the word of God within us.
All: Thanks be to God!
Anthem
Message – Pastor Gayle
Affirmation of Faith – UMH 888
Pastor: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress, or persecution or famine, or nakedness or peril or sword?
All: No! In all things we are more than conquerors through the One who loved us. We are sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jeus our Lord. Thanks be to God! Amen.
Sharing Joys and Concerns
Pastoral Prayer
Prayer of Confession – UMH 8
Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart. We have failed to be an obedient church. We have not done your will, we have broken your law, we have rebelled against your love, we have not loved our neighbors, and we have not heard the cry of the needy. Forgive us, we pray. Free us for joyful obedience, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Pastor: In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!
Congregation: In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.
All: Glory to God. Amen.
Passing the Peace of Christ
Offering – We offer our gifts of time, resources, abilities
Hymn – We Shall Overcome – UMH 533
We shall overcome, we shall overcome, we shall overcome someday!
Oh, deep in my heart I do believe we shall overcome someday!
We shall all be free, we shall all be free, we shall all be free someday!
Oh, deep in my heart I do believe we shall all be free someday!
We shall live in peace, we shall live in peace, we shall live in peace
someday! Oh, deep in my heart I do believe we shall live in peace
someday!
The Lord will see us through, the Lord will see us through,
the Lord will see us through someday! Oh, deep in my heart I do
believe, the Lord will see us through someday!
Doxology – UMH 95
Holy Communion
Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin and seek to live in peace with one another.
The Great Thanksgiving – UMH 13
Pastor: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Pastor: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them up to the Lord.
Pastor: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Pastor: …We praise your name and join their unending hymn:
People: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
Pastor: …As we proclaim the mystery of faith
People: Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
The Lord’s Prayer – UMH 895
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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
Prayer of Thanksgiving – Eternal God, we give you thanks for this holy mystery in which you have given yourself to us. Grant that we may go into the world in the strength of your Spirit, to give ourselves for others, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Announcements
Benediction
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Please pray for: Jay, Allison, Olivia, Lyn, Terry, Hayley, Tina, Leo, Ed, Barbara, Mary, Erin and family, Laura, Millie, Kyle, Gordon and Joan, Judy S., Israel, Palestinans, Barbara H., Bob and Kathy, Wenona, Mark Y., Requests will be kept on the list for 4 weeks and then may be re-submitted. Place prayer cards in offering plate or email cokesburyumc@gmail.com
Happening Today
Small Group Study: Pauses for Pentecost by Trevor Hudson
Weekend food packing in fellowship hall 5 more weeks of school
This Week at Cokesbury
Choir practice Saturdays at 12 noon adults. 1pm children.
Welcome Table Potluck and Mother’s Day Celebration May 12th following worship
Coming up:
Community Garden: garden plots for seasonal lease. $15/plot/growing season. CommunityGarden@cokesburyumc.church
Called Conference: May 19th after worship to vote on transition to a single Leadership Board (Simplified Accountable Structure) from the four discipline-mandated committees (Trustees, Admin, Finance, SPRC)
Monthly
Men’s Breakfast First Saturday of Month 8:30am
Welcome Table Potluck every second Sunday at 11:30 am
Friday with Friends every Third Friday at 11 am (May 17th). Bring a bag lunch. Food and conversation.
Connect with Cokesbury:
703.494.5400
Gmail : CokesburyUMC@gmail.com
Website : CokesburyUMC.church
Facebook : facebook.com/cokesburywoodbridge
YouTube : youtube.com/@cokesburyumcwoodbridge5242
Instagram : instagram.com/cokesburyumc_woodbridge/
Contact Pastor Gayle: 703.980.1029. Mondays are her sabbath.