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©Order of Worship for Sunday March 30, 2025
Fourth Sunday in Lent
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………………………………………………………….
Coming of the Light
Greetings………………………………………..Pastor Steven
Announcements……………………………………….Lorri B.
Women’s History Moment…………………………..
Call to Worship…………………………………….Melrose D.
When we struggle to live as you teach us, and we fail to answer your call…
God, your steadfast love surrounds us.
When the truth clogs up in our throat, and we fear what will happen if we speak and if we keep silent…
God, your steadfast love surrounds us.
When we open our hearts and let the truth of our sorrows, our sin, our joys, and our doubts flow freely…
God, your steadfast love surrounds us.
When our stubborn hearts encounter the grace that teaches and guides us into a life of trust and joyful obedience…
God, your steadfast love surrounds us today and every day. Thanks be to God! Amen.
Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, September 2024.
Opening Prayer………………………………….. Melrose D.
Loving God, it was said of the Prodigal Son that he “came to himself.”
Help us to wake up to ourselves, and to You.
Set us free from the illusion of trying to be perfect
so that we might be more fully human.
Help us not to chase after an imaginary life,
and to find satisfaction in our real lives.
And turn us away from our self-rejection
so that we might notice Your arms open in welcome. Amen.
Opening Hymns………To God Be the Glory… #98 UMH
1 To God be the glory, great things he has done!
So loved he the world that he gave us his Son,
who yielded his life an atonement for sin,
and opened the life-gate that all may go in.
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear his voice!
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father through Jesus the Son
and give him the glory, great things he has done!
2 Oh, perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.
3. Great things he has taught us, great things he has done,
and great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son,
but purer and higher and greater will be
our joy and our wonder, when Jesus we see.
Be Thou My Vision…………………….#451 UMH
1. Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art;
Thou my best thought, by day or by night;
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
2
2. Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father and I, Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
3. Great God of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heav’ns Sun!
Heart of my heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
Passing of the Peace………………………….Pastor Steven
Let us offer signs of reconciliation and peace 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.
Giving of our tithes and offerings………..Pastor Steven
Offertory………… Hymn of Promise…… #707 UMH
AFUMC Online Giving Link: https://afumc.com/give/
“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:…………..”40” by U2…………….Drew/Daniel
Hymn of Preparation:…..They’ll Know We Are Christians……..#2223 TFWS
1. We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord, we are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord, and we pray that all unity may one day be restored:
Refrain:
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love; yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.
2. We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand, we will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand, and together we’ll spread the news that God is in our land: (Refrain)
3, We will work with each other, we will work side by side, we will work with each other, we will work side by side, and we’ll guard human dignity and save human pride: (Refrain)
4. All praise to the Father, from whom all things come, and all praise to Christ Jesus, God’s only Son, and all praise to the Spirit, who makes us one: (Refrain)
Gospel Lesson:…………….Luke 15: 1 – 3; 11b – 32…………………Melrose D.
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So he told them this parable:
There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the wealth that will belong to me.’ So he divided his assets between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant region, and there he squandered his wealth in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that region, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that region, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled his stomach[b] with the pods that the pigs were eating, and no one gave him anything. But when he came to his senses he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.” ’ So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate, for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.
“Now his elder son was in the field, and as he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf because he has got him back safe and sound.’ Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command, yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ Then the father[d] said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’ ”
Sermon:………..“What Kind of Parent Are You?”………….Pastor Steven
Closing Hymn……Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing……..UHM #400
1. Come Thou fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it
Mount of Thy redeeming love
2. Here I raise my Ebenezer
Here by Thy great help I’ve come
And I hope by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood
3. Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be
Let Thy goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, oh take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
Dismissal with Blessing…………………….Pastor Steven
Postlude…………………………
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Sunday March 30th Worship Service