“I Am Convinced That Neither Death, Nor Life, Nor Angels, Nor Rulers, Nor

Home , Hopes and Fears

“I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, 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 Jesus our Lord.” ~Romans 8:38-39

April 25, 2021 4th Sunday of Easter 9:30 a.m

ORDER OF WORSHIP

GREETING ...... The grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ be with you. And also with you!

GATHERING MUSIC

Jesus Calls us Here to Meet Him

Jesus calls us here to meet him as, through word and song and prayer, We affirm God’s promised presence where his people live and care. Praise the God who keeps his promise; praise the Son who calls us friends; Praise the Spirit who, among us, to our hopes and fears attends.

Jesus calls us to each other: vastly different though we are; Race and color, class and gender, neither limit nor debar. Join the hand of friend and stranger; join the hands of age and youth; Join the faithful and the doubter in their common search for truth.

Jesus calls us to confess him Word of Life and Lord of all, Sharer of our flesh and frailness saving all who fail or fall. Tell his holy human story; tell his tales that all may hear; Tell the world that Christ in glory came to earth to meet us here.

ENTERING INTO GOD’S PRESENCE

CALL TO WORSHIP Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.

He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.

SONGS OF PRAISE

Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee. Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty! God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee, Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea; Cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee, Which wert and art, and evermore shalt be.

Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee, Though the eye of sinful flesh thy glory may not see, Only thou art holy; there is none beside thee, Perfect in power, in love, and purity.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth, and sky, and sea; Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty! God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

Words: Reginald Heber (1783-1826); Music: John Bacchus Dykes, 1861

All My Ways Are Known To You

In days of peace and days of rest, in times of loss and loneliness, Though rich or poor, your word is true, that all my ways are known to you.

No trial has come beyond your hand, no step I walk beyond your plan. The path is dark outside my view, still all my ways are known to you.

Chorus: And oh what peace that I have found, wherever I may be, For all my ways are known to you. Hallelujah, they are known to you!

I do not fear the final night, for death will be the door to life. You take my hand and lead me through, for all my ways are known to you. (Chorus)

Bridge: Open up my eyes so I may see that you have made these ways for me. Open up my eyes so I may see that you my God will walk with me.

PRAYER

I Love the Lord

I love the Lord; he heard my cry, and pitied every groan. Long as I live, and troubles rise, I’ll hasten to his throne.

I love the Lord; he heard my cry, and chased my grief away. O let my heart no more despair while I have breath to pray.

Text: Psalm 116-1-2; vers. Isaac Watts (1674-1748); Music: African-American

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS

SONG OF RESPONSE

Forever, Lord, You Are My Shepherd

OFFERING OUR GIFTS TO GOD

https://tinyurl.com/ColbertChurchOffering

DOXOLOGY

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! Amen.

HEARING GOD’S WORD FOR OUR TIME AND PLACE

FIRST LESSON: Ezekiel 34:1-6, 11-15

The word of the LORD came to me: 2Mortal, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel: prophesy, and say to them—to the shepherds: Thus says the Lord GOD: Ah, you shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? 3You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fatlings; but you do not feed the sheep. 4You have not strengthened the weak, you have not healed the sick, you have not bound up the injured, you have not brought back the strayed, you have not sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled them. 5So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and scattered, they became food for all the wild animals. 6My sheep were scattered, they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill; my sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with no one to search or seek for them.

11For thus says the Lord GOD: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. 12As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will

feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. 14I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord GOD.

SECOND LESSON: John 10:11-18, 27-30

11“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

27My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 29What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. 30The Father and I are one.”

SERMON: “Known”

SILENT REFLECTION

SONG OF RESPONSE

My Shepherd Will Supply My Need

My Shepherd will supply my need; Jehovah is His name; In pastures fresh He makes me feed, beside the living stream. He brings my wandering spirit back, when I forsake His ways; And leads me, for His mercy’s sake, in paths of truth and grace.

When I walk through the shades of death Your presence is my stay; One word of Your supporting breath drives all my fears away. Your hand, in sight of all my foes, does still my table spread; My cup with blessings overflows, Your oil anoints my head.

The sure provisions of my God attend me all my days; O may Your house be my abode, and all my work be praise. There would I find a settled rest, while others go and come; No more a stranger, or a guest, but like a child at home.

Psalm 23; Para. Isaac Watts, 1719

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER TIME AND 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 sins as we forgive those who have sinned 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.

FOLLOWING THE WORD INTO THE WORLD

The Lord Lift You Up

The Lord lift you up, the Lord take your hand, The Lord lead you forth, and cause you to stand Secure in God’s word, seeking God’s face, Abounding in love, abiding in grace.

CHARGE

BLESSING

THANKS TO THIS MORNING’S LEADERS IN WORSHIP

Musicians Ben Brody, Adam Kogler, Caleb Krantz Liturgist Sarah Brody Beadles Cindy and Mertz Wuts Sound and Video Tech Marissa Kuuskvere Pastor Eric Peterson

**Reprinted under CCLI license #1399037 ***Reprinted under OneLicense.net#A-706

News and Notes

Yoga with Elizabeth Elizabeth will be leading yoga at CPC and online on Wednesdays at 9:30 am and Sundays at 4:00 pm. For more information see her website, communebodysoul.com