(Image: “Shepherdess With Her Flock”
Verboeckhoven, Eugene-Joseph, 1798-1881)
©Order of Worship for Sunday November 26, 2023
Reign of Christ / Christ the King
For the Avent Ferry UMC Worship Video Click Here (Link opens in a new window)
The worship video will be available live at 11:00 am
Prelude/Call to Worship:…“Crown Him with Many Crowns”/“In All Things Give Him Thanks”………..Greg/Choir
Words: M. Bridges, Music: G. Elvey (public domain) Words and Music: Claire Cloniger, Andy Cloniger, Ken Barker © 1991 Word Music, LLC
Coming of the Light:…………………………………………
Greetings:…………………………………………..Pastor Steven
Opening Prayer:………………..…………….…Chris M.
Opening Hymns:.“Gather Us In” #2236 TFWS
Words and Music: Marty Haugen © 1982 GIA Publications, Inc.
1. Here in this place new light is streaming,
now is the darkness vanished away,
see in this space our fears and our dreamings,
brought here to you in the light of this day.
Gather us in the lost and forsaken,
gather us in the blind and the lame;
call to us now, and we shall awaken,
we shall arise at the sound of your name.
2. We are the young our lives are a myst’ry,
we are the old who yearn for your face,
we have been sung throughout all of hist’ry
called to be light to the whole human race.
Gather us in the rich and the haughty,
gather us in the proud and the strong;
give us a heart so meek and so lowly,
give us the courage to enter the song.
3. Here we will take the wine and the water,
here we will take the bread of new birth,
here you shall call your sons and your daughters,
call us anew to be salt for the earth.
Give us to drink the wine of compassion,
give us to eat the bread that is you;
nourish us well, and teach us to fashion
lives that are holy and hearts that are true.
4. Not in the dark of buildings confining,
not in some heaven, light years away, but
here in this place the new light is shining,
now is the Kingdom, now is the day.
Gather us in and hold us forever,
gather us in and make us your own;
gather us in all peoples together,
fire of love in our flesh and our bone.
“King of Kings” #2075 TFWS
Words: Sophie Conty and Naomi Batya Music: Anon.
© 1980 Maranatha Praise, Inc.
King of king and Lord of lords, glory,
hallelujah! King of kings and Lord of lords,
glory, hallelujah! Jesus, Prince of Peace,
glory, hallelujah! Jesus, Prince of Peace,
glory, hallelujah!
Psalter: Psalm 100 #821 UMH…………………Chris M.
Response 1
Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice, give thanks, and sing.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into God’s presence with singing!
Know that the Lord, who made us, is God.
We are the Lord’s;
we are the people of God,
The sheep of God’s pasture.
Enter God’s gates with thanksgiving,
And God’s courts with praise!
Give thanks and bless God’s name!
For the Lord is good;
God’s steadfast love endures for ever;
God’s faithfulness to all generations.
Response
Passing of the Peace:……………………………Pastor Steven
Let us show signs of reconciliation and love to one another
Gloria Patri: “Glory Be to the Father” #71 UMH
Words: Lesser Doxology, 3rd-4th century
Music: Henry W. Greatorex, 1851
Glory be to the Father
and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen. Amen.
Announcements:…………………………………………..Lorri B.
Mission Moment: Habitat for Humanity…..Phillip J.
Giving of our tithes and offerings:…….
You can do this with no ok fee through your bank’s online bill pay option. It is easy to set up for automatic monthly giving. Or, you can use this link: Online Giving
Offertory:………..“Give Me Jesus”……………….Rhonda B.
African American Spiritual
Offertory Response: “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow” (The Doxology) #95 UMH
Words by Thomas Ken, 1674
Music attributed to Louis Bourgeois, 1551
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heavenly host;
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Prayer After Receiving:…………………………Pastor Steven
Prayers of the People:…………………………..Pastor Steven
Anthem:………….“Ezekiel’s Wheel”…………….Rhonda B.
Spiritual, arr. By P. Kern © 1944, Alfred Publishing Co., Inc.
Old Testament Lesson:…Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24….Chris M.
For thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As 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.
I 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. I 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.
I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice. Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.
Because you pushed with flank and shoulder, and butted at all the weak animals with your horns until you scattered them far and wide, I will save my flock, and they shall no longer be ravaged; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken.
Hymn of Preparation: “You Are My Hiding Place” #2055 TFWS
Words: Michael Ledner (Ps. 32:7) Music: Michael Ledner © 1981 Maranatha! Music, admin. by The Copyright Co.
You are my hiding place. You always fill
my heart with songs of deliverance, whenever
I am afraid, I will trust in you. I will trust in
you. Let the weak say, “I am strong in the
strength of the Lord.”
You are my hiding place. You always fill
my heart with songs of deliverance, whenever
I am afraid, I will trust in you. I will trust in
you. Let the weak say, “I am strong in the
strength of the Lord.” I will trust in you.
Sermon:………………………………………...Pastor Steven
Closing Hymn:“We Are God’s People” #2220 TFWS
Words by Bryan Jeffery Leech Music by Johannes Brahms, adap
© 1976 Fred Bock Music Co.
1. We are God’s people, the chosen of the Lord,
born of the Spirit, established by the Word.
Our cornerstone is Christ alone, and strong in Christ
we stand; O let us live transparently and walk heart to
heart and hand and hand.
2. We are God’s loved ones, the Bride of Christ, our Lord,
for we have known it, the love of God outpoured.
Now let us learn how to return the gift of love once given;
O let us share each joy and care and live with a zeal that
pleases heaven.
3. We are the body of which the Lord is Head,
called to obey Christ, now risen from the dead.
God wills us be a family diverse, yet truly one;
O let us give our gifts to God and so shall God’s work
on earth be done.
4. We are a temple, the Spirit’s dwelling place,
formed in great weakness, a cup to hold God’s grace.
We die alone, for on its own each ember loses fire;
yet joined in one the flame burns on to give warmth and
light and to inspire.
Dismissal with Blessing: ……..…………..Pastor Steven
Postlude:..“Praise the Lord Who Reigns Above”……Greg D.
Words: C. Wesley, Music: Foundery Collection (public domain)
For Online Giving, follow this link Avent Ferry Give . You can also mail checks to Avent Ferry UMC, 2700 Avent Ferry Road, Raleigh, NC 27606.
For additional AFUMC Announcements: See your AFUMC Announcements E-mail or Click Announcements Here
Follow us on Instagram @aventferryumc and Twitter #aventferryumc
Sunday November 26th Worship Service, In Person and Online