GATHERING MUSIC
“Every Word & Every Breath” by Adam Tice & Mark Miller
CALL TO WORSHIP – Revelation 1:4-8
Colette Barrow
4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from the one who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before God’s throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To the one who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and made us to be a kindom, priests serving his God and Parent, to Christ be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen. 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
SONG
“Roll the Rock” by Laurie Zelman & Mark Miller
SCRIPTURE – John 20:19-31
Anson Wilson
19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As God has sent me, so I send you.” 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” 24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” 30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
SONG
“Freedom’s Coming Now”
Leah Wandera, Andrew Maggs, Domingos Fernando
MESSAGE
Dr. Kevin Newburg
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Gad Maiga
O Parent of all peoples,
breathe your Holy Spirit on us
that we may see the peace
and be filled with the joy
of the risen Christ.
Teach us how to speak Christ’s words of forgiveness
so that we can be your agents of reconciliation
in a broken and troubled world. Amen.
SENDING FORTH SONG
“Draw the Circle Wide”
words: Gordon Light & Mark Miller
music: Mark Miller
Performed by the Morse Chorale and Drew Ubuntu Pan Af Choir, 2019 & 2020
Worship Notes:
Prayer of the Day adapted from https://www.kingwood-frenchtownumchurches.com/we-can-breathe