Welcome
Call to Worship:
L: Apart from the world,
All: This is a holy time and space.
L: Be fully present,
All: To sing, to praise, and to worship God!
L: For all are welcome in this place.
All: Let us worship the Risen Christ!
Song – Because He Lives – UMH 364
Gloria and William J. Gaither CCLI# 16880
God sent his Son, they called him Jesus; he came to love, heal, and forgive.
He lived and died to buy my pardon, an empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.
Refrain:
Because he lives, I can face tomorrow,
because he lives, all fear is gone; because I know he holds the future,
and life is worth the living just because he lives.
He Lives – UMH 310
Alfred Henry Ackley CCLI# 17597
He lives, he lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.
He lives, he lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know he lives? He lives within my heart.
Prayer:
(All) God of us all, we need you to reorient our lives once more. Help us to deny everything that leads us astray. Show us how to take up the crosses that lead to hope and victory. Create in us a ceaseless desire to follow the ways of Jesus. Send us forth with a passion to find true and abundant life in perfect communion with you, O God, with one another, and with all of creation. We pray this in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen
Scripture Reading – Luke 9:23-25
Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
Song – Holy Ground – TFWS 2272
Geron Davis CCLI # 21198
We are standing on holy ground, and I know that there are angels all around;
let us praise Jesus now; we are standing in his presence on holy ground.
Message Be a Disciple Pastor Gayle
Song – Jesus Calls Us (v. 1,3,4,5) – UMH 398
Cecil Francis Humphrey Alexander 2648314
Jesus calls us o’er the tumult of our life’s wild, restless sea;
day by day his sweet voice soundeth, saying, “Christian, follow me!”
Jesus calls us from the worship of the vain world’s golden store,
from each idol that would keep us, saying, “Christian, love me more!”
In our joys and in our sorrows, days of toil and hours of ease,
still he calls, in cares and pleasures, “Christian, love me more than these!”
Jesus calls us! By thy mercies, Savior, may we hear thy call,
give our hearts to thine obedience, serve and love thee best of all.
Responding to the Word with our gifts, prayers, witness, presence and service
We will find true life only when we let go and lose our life in order to save it. We want to deliver our best to the one who have given us the best life in Christ himself. Let us joyfully express our gratitude to God for God’s goodness and care for us. Let us bring our best before God’s presence on this day.
Offering Prayer:
(All) Good shepherd of our life, how many times do we get lost among the things we possess or long to have? How many times do we not value the many blessings that you have given us? Today, we have offered to you from what you have given to us with so much love. Today, we give our life once again to you and we ask you to lead us to serve you more as we serve others. Amen.
Prayers of Intercession
Song – I Will Follow
I will follow, I will follow Jesus. I will follow, I will follow him.
I will follow, I will follow Jesus. I will follow him wherever he leads me.
Benediction: Find your true life, eternal life by becoming lost in Jesus, lost in his love, lost in serving others for the sake of the Gospel.
Announcements
Please keep in prayer: Eunice Bonner, Donna and Roshier Bailey, Tom Fabricus, Mary Jane Fizer, Deirdre and John, Louise and Mark Young, Marian Benson, Ellen Kuvasko, Al Firth, Margaret Franklin, Willis family, Bagby family, Debbie, Lilli, Ollie, Linda, Chrissie, Toye, Wenona, people living with cancer, battling addictions, struggling with life changes, seeking the Lord. The ministry and vision of Cokesbury.
Learn
Bible Study Wednesday at 7pm on Zoom and in-person. “Holy Spirit: Here and Now” by Trevor Hudson. Contact Pastor Gayle for Zoom link.
Devotion
The Cokesbury UMC Prayer Group meets weekly Mondays at 6pm on Zoom – all are invited to join and participate! Please send or share all prayer concerns with Pastor Gayle so we may give each concern prayerful attention.
https://zoom.us/j/98610851248?pwd=MVZkSHlPeGdyLzhZT2o5WVh2NGpuUT09
Meeting ID: 986 1085 1248 Passcode: 940573
One tap mobile: +13017158592,,98610851248#,,,,*940573# US (Washington DC)
Service of Prayer for Healing May 29th during morning worship.
Serve
Welcome Table and Church Picnic June 12th following worship.
A.C.T.S Food Pantry:
Canned Vegetables, especially peas, 15 oz size, Low sodium canned vegetables, Snack items, individually packed, Pop-top canned prepared meals suitable for our homeless clients, Single serve prepared food suitable for our homeless clients, Laundry Detergent, Dish Detergent, Cleaning Supplies in general, Toiletries and Personal Hygiene Items, Size 4T pull-ups, Size 6 diapers.
Ushers for Sunday worship. Please call Gordon Freeman at 703-680-4629 for information and to volunteer.
The entrance doors at the office and narthex have been re-keyed. Any questions may be directed to Pastor Gayle.
Kits for Conference. Cokesbury is assembling hygiene kits for conference. Please pick up a zip lock bag in the narthex for instructions. The completed bags need to be returned by June 12th.
You shop, AmazonSmile donates. Shop at smile.amazon.com to generate donations for Cokesbury UMC at no extra cost.
We are cleaning out the classrooms. Many of the items stored there must find a new home. Contact Bel Henshaw for more information.
April Offering $9232.83
April Expenditures $8907.17