First Day Assembly, Sunday, April 26th, 2020

Call to Worship (Isaiah 41)

L: When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none and their tongue is parched with thirst.  I the Lord will answer them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

P: I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the desolate country a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.

L: I will put in the barren places the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive. 

P: I will set in the desolate country the cypress, the plane tree, and the pine together, that men may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel created it.

Prayer of Invocation: Dear Lord Jesus, you say to us, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me,” and we answer thee, “O Jesus, thy father’s son, come in, blessed of the Lord!” Amen.

Prayer of Confession: Almighty God, God of Faith, you have loved us with a love so deep that you sent your only begotten son to make right all that was so wrong.  Lord, we confess that often we walk by our own sight and not by faith, that power that established Jesus on the cross to gain the victory, that power that raised him up on the third day, that power that raised us up when we were dead in our sins.  Our minds and hearts are not right within us.  We close our eyes to the pain of our neighbors; we say “No” to pity. We grieve your Holy Spirit.  Father, forgive us, that all lies and half truths may be cleared away.  Have mercy upon us!  Lead us, Father, into all truth that we may we free. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: Our Lord said, “Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Anointed Jesus came into the world to save sinners.  He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, that we might be dead to sin, and alive to all that is good.   Hear the good news.

P: In Jesus Anointed we are forgiven. Amen.

Scripture: Psalm 103, Philippians 3:12-21

Sermon: Forgetting what is behind and stretching towards what is ahead

Hymns #435 What a Friend We Have in Jesus, #26 A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

Announcements: 

Please contact Jack Hines if you would like to be a census worker. Mr. Hines is coordinating the census in our region. Pay is $22/hour plus 58 cents/mile working on one’s own time. For more information contact him at 715-307-1274

Prayer Chain: For Doris and Harold, for Susan Lafferty, for Don Gilbertson and Audrey, for Cal Baker, for Eleanor Oltman, for Debbie Baker, for Sara and Laura, for the Food Pantries in Ellsworth and Red Wing

First Day Assembly, April 19th, 2020!

Sunday Service, April 19th 2020

Call to Worship:

L: I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry

P: He brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock and established my goings

L: And he has put a new song in my mouth, praise unto our God

P: Many shall see it and fear, and shall trust in the Lord

L: Blessed is the man that makes the Lord his trust: and respects not proud, nor such as turn aside to lies,

P: Many, O Lord my God are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts, which are unto us.

L: They cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than could be numbered.

Prayer of Invocation: Father, you raised up Jesus on the first day of the week and he came to the disciples, caught in a trap they had made for themselves and said, “Peace be with you” and he breathed upon them and said “receive the Holy Spirit.”   Father, may your son come to us just as he came to the disciples so long ago.  Amen.

Prayer of Confession: Eternal God in whom we live and move and have our being.  You have drawn us to yourself and we cry to you, Abba, Father! We confess our sin, and the sins of our society, we have used your gifts carelessly, and acted ungratefully. We enjoy the fruits of the harvest, but forget that you have given them to us. We store up goods for ourselves alone, as if there were no God and no heaven. Father, in your mercy forgive us, deliver us from proud thoughts and vain desires that we all, with unveiled face, might behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, and be transformed into the same image from glory to glory.  In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: Jesus said, “If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink,” and “whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters. Come, buy, without money and without price (Isaiah 55:1). Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Hear the good news.

P:In Jesus Anointed we are forgiven. Amen

Scripture: Psalm 102, Philippians 3

Sermon: The power of his resurrection

Hymns: #494 Like a River Glorious, #108 Come, Christians, Join to Sing

Announcements: If you would like to communicate any concern to the Ellsworth Ministerial Association please contact Pr. Amy, they will be having a Zoom meeting this week.

Prayers for Eleanor, Laura and Sara, Cal Baker, Bill Baker, Don Gilbertson, for the Food Pantry, for Mayo, for our universities and colleges, for those who work in restaurants and hotels, for those with small businesses, for Mary Flack and her family, for Susan Lafferty for her health and for her to be able to reunite with her congregation

Sunday, April 12th Service

Call to Worship (Isaiah 42)

L: Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen in whom my soul delights

P: I have put my spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the nations

L: He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street

P: A bruised reed he shall not break and a dimly burning wick he shall not quench.

L: He will faithfully bring forth justice

P: He will not fail or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth, and the coastlands wait for his law

Prayer of Invocation: Dear Lord Jesus, you say to us, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me,” and we answer thee, “O Jesus, thy father’s son, come in, blessed of the Lord!” Amen.

Prayer of Confession: Eternal God in whom we live and move and have our being, your face is hidden from us by our sins, and we forget your mercy in the blindness of our hearts.  Cleanse us from all our offenses; deliver us from arrogant thoughts and vain desires. With humility and openness let us draw near to you, confessing our faults, confiding in your grace, and finding in you our refuge and our strength. In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Assurance of Pardon:  Jesus said, “If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink,” and “whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters. Come, buy, without money and without price. As John said, “Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” Hear the good news.

 P:In Jesus Anointed we are forgiven. Amen

Scripture: Psalm 102, Philippians 2

Sermon: Our Living Lord

Hymns: #226 The Day of Resurrection, #344 He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands

Announcements: Laurel’s session meeting April 15th at 6:30 will be rescheduled.

Prayer Chain: Please pray for Eleanor Oltman, for Susan Lafferty that she not have bleeding in her gums because of the immuno-toxins, for Sara and Laura, for Bill Baker, for those in ICU units, for wisdom and compassion among hospital staff as they learn about the virus and how it attacks the blood. Prayers for Presbytery

Bulletin for Sunday, April 5th, 2020

Call to Worship (Psalm 8)

L: O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is thy name in all the earth!

P: Thou whose glory above the heavens, is chanted by the mouth of babes and infants

L: Thou hast founded a bulwark because of thy foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.

P: When I look at thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast established, what is man that thou art mindful of him? --and the son of man that thou dost care for him?

L: Yet thou hast made him little less than God and dost crown him with glory and honor.

P: Thou hast given him dominion over the works of thy hands, thou hast put all things under his feet

L: All sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the air and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the sea.

P: O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is thy name in all the earth.

Prayer of Invocation: Dear Lord Jesus, you say to us, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me,” and we answer thee, “O Jesus, thy father’s son, come in, blessed of the Lord!” Amen.

Prayer of Confession: Almighty God your wisdom never ceases, nothing can stop your victory in Jesus our Lord. Your righteousness justice rolls down like mighty waters and nothing can stop it. And yet we give into fear, forgetting that he is the way, the truth and the life and there is no other. We give way to confusion and stop seeking the truth. We pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit. That he would come and fill this place, fill our hearts. Abba, Father, we fail to love our fellow man. We fail to extend the hand of friendship and understanding.  Forgive us Father, grant us life. In Jesus' name. Amen 

Assurance of Pardon: May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly and may your spirit and soul and body he kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Anointed He who calls you is faithful and he will do it. Hear the gospel

L : In Jesus Anointed we are forgiven. Amen.

Scripture: Psalm 101, Philippians 2:12-24

Sermon: Blameless and innocent, children of God

Hymns: #174 Hosanna, Loud Hosanna, #155 Once in Royal David’s City

Announcements:  Farhad, would you put on the front of the bulletin “For the audio recording of our Sunday service go to https://sundayservicerecording.blogspot.com/"

Could you put below on the back of the bulletin?

For our Youtube Bible Studies go to Youtube and type in “DailyBibleThoughtsTheology”

Do you have any ideas that you would like our Ellsworth Ministerial or the Red Wing Ministerial to discuss. Just let Pastor Amy know.

Prayers: For Don Gilbertson at the Care Center, call ahead to visit him at his window, for Bill Baker, Cal Baker, for all those who are in the hospital, for all hospital workers, for the Pierce County Jail