As you arrive in worship and find a place in a pew, use prayer to center your thoughts and spirit. As the Prelude begins, quiet your voice and soul. With music and prayer let us move from ‘getting to church’ to ‘being the church’ as we worship together.

Prayer of Confession

Merciful God, we are not very good at making our confession of our sin. Sometimes we do not feel particularly repentant about anything. At other times we can be overwhelmed with guilt over trivial issues, but ignore our weightier shortcomings in matters of righteousness and justice. Yet we realize that everything we think, feel and do becomes contaminated by the foolishness and evil around us and by the folly and evil within us. Loving God, continue with your saving patience toward us. Look upon and within each of us today. Uncover and correct all that is amiss, everything that is second best or less. Create in us a spirit of honest repentance, for it is in Christ’s name and spirit we pray. Amen.

Readings

Gospel Lesson: John 13: 31-35 NRSV

When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Epistle Lesson: I John 4: 7-21 NRSV

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.

Hymns

• No. 417 – Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation
• No. 489 – Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty
• No. 446 – Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken

Solo performed by Craig Westbrook Jr.

Sermon

“Cut to the Chase” – Rev. Scott G. Loomer

Download the Worship bulletin for Sunday, May 19th