Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren
Long Green & Kanes Rds., near Glen Arm, Md.
April 30, 2006
Worship 10:00 am, Sunday School 11:10 am

The Third Sunday of Easter

  Morning Praise (9:45 am)
  Announcements
  Prelude

  Call to Worship

  Opening Prayer

*Hymn                       "Come, children, celebrate and sing"       (back of bulletin)

*Responsive Confession                                                                           691

*Song                         "Every Morning is Easter Morning"                     (insert)

  Sharing a joy, a concern, a word of testimony or praise

  Pastoral Prayer

  Scripture                                Matthew 5:27-28

  Drama                   "The Seven Deadly Sins, part 7: Lust "

  Duet                          "How Can I Keep From Singing?"             arr. Littleton

  Returning our Tithes and Offerings

  Offertory        (Pre-schoolers leave for Bell Ringers & Sunday School)

  Scripture                                 1 Corinthians 13

  Message                     "Insisting on our own way"

*Hymn                                     "O perfect Love"                                      624
                                      (change "their/s"" to "our/s" and "them" to "us")

*Benediction

*Postlude  

#'s are from Hymnal: A Worship Book

Worship leaders - see basic guidelines

Call to Worship
1 John 3:1-7 NIV

1 - "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us,
2 - that we should be called children of God!
1 - And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us
2 - is that it did not know him.
1 - Dear friends, now we are children of God,
2 - and what we will be
1 - has not yet been made known.
2 - But we know that when he appears,
1 - we shall be like him,
2 - for we shall see him as he is.
1 - Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself,
                                          just as he is pure.
2 - Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.
1 - But you know that he appeared so that
                                         he might take away our sins.
2 - And in him is no sin.
1 - No one who lives in him keeps on sinning.
2 - No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
1 - Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray.
2 - He who does what is right is righteous,
1 - just as he is righteous."
                 (pause)
1 - Come, children of God, celebrate and sing.
2 - Praise the One who has "lavished on us" "great love."
1 - If you are able, stand.
2 - Turn to the back of your bulletin.
1 - The words may be new to us, but the tune is familiar.
2 - Sing this song of liberty!
      

Opening Prayer

         O God, who has lavished upon us such great love in Christ Jesus, whose death has set us free from slavery to sin, and whose resurrection fills us with hope, we come to you like children full of excitement for a brand new day of fresh possibilities. If we "lust" for anything this hour, may it be for more of you. Fill our senses now with your goodness and mercy, our spirits with your Holy Spirit, our hearts with your love. In Jesus’ name. AMEN

Preface to Confession

         Please remain standing and turn to #691 (not 697 as it says in your bulletin), as we continue to pray. Perhaps, as you listened earlier to the scripture say that "No one who lives in him keeps on sinning," you thought, "well, I guess I’m not living ‘in Christ,’ for I am still a sinner in need of forgiveness." If so, please know that you are in the right place. There is no sign outside which reads "only perfect people need apply." The truth is, we - who are children of God through Christ - still struggle with sin, and every day we seek to die to it - remembering our baptism. The good news, however, is that every morning is also Easter morning. With that in mind, let’s make our confession of sin just now, and then sing out our profession of faith.
    

Responsive Confession

Leader: Almighty God, Spirit of purity and grace 
                 whose dwelling is with the humble and contrite heart,
                     hear your children's confession of sin and grant us mercy.
             For all that has been evil in our lives;
                 for unholy thoughts and impure motives,
                 for any scorn of goodness, trifling with truth,
                     and indifference to beauty,
                 for being petty when we could have been gracious,
People: forgive us, O God.
Leader: For lack of love toward you,
                     whose love has never failed;
                 for doubt in your providence,
                 for acts of ingratitude,
                 and for disobedience to visions we have been able to see,
People: forgive us, O God.
Leader: For the wrong we have done our neighbors;
                 for silence in the face of war,
                 for neglect of charity and failure in justice,
                 for forgetfulness of other's pain,
                 and for advantage taken of another's weakness,
People: forgive us, O God.
Leader: For our faulty following of the Master;
                     our slow faith in his power to save,
                     our timid, hesitant answers to his call of service,
                     our insensibility to the meaning of the cross;
                 for all that mars our discipleship
                     and makes it difficult for others to believe in him,
People: forgive us, O God.
Leader: May God, who is almighty and merciful
                 forgive our sins,
                 empower us to overcome temptation,
                 and enable us to love as Jesus loved.
People: AMEN 

Hymnal #691 - adapted from a litany of repentance,
Edward K. Ziegler, The Adventurous Future,
ed. Paul H. Bowman, © 1959 Brethren Press.
       

Pastoral Prayer

written closer to the time (if not at the moment)

Returning our Tithes and Offerings

         Temptation is nothing new. Listen:

(read Luke 4:1-13)

         And this all happened right after Jesus was baptized. Ponder that as you return your offering just now. While the ushers receive what we have to give, our pre-school children are invited to leave for bell practice and Sunday School. Ushers?

Benediction

May the love of God be
         Above you to over-shadow you
         Beneath you to uphold you
         Before you to guide you
         Behind you to protect you
         Close beside you and within you
                           to make you able for all things:
                  And to reward your faithfulness
                           with the joy and peace
                                    which the world cannot give-
                                             -neither can it take away.
         Through Jesus Christ our Lord
                  to whom be glory now and evermore. Amen.

borrowed