Christ Church

The Divine Service

of the Lord Jesus Christ
Fifth Sunday of Easter
May 22, 2011

Salutation
Christ is Risen!
He is risen indeed!
Welcome & Announcements
Preparation for Worship (silently pray the following collect to prepare for worship)
Almighty God, You show those in error the light of Your truth so that they may return to the way
of righteousness. Grant faithfulness to all who are admitted into the fellowship of Christ’s Church
that they may avoid whatever is contrary to their confession and follow all such things as are
pleasing to You; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the
Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
<STAND when the pianist stops playing>

I. The Lord Gathers Us for Worship

<STAND>
Invocation & Entrance
We are gathered in the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Amen! Matthew 18.20; 28.19

Christ is risen from the dead. Alleluia!

Thanks be to God, who has given us the victory through the Lord Jesus Christ!
I rejoiced when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord!”
Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem! Psalm 122.1-2

Our help is in the name of the Lord,

the Maker of heaven and earth! Psalm 124.8

Hymn of Procession (on following page)

Note: The congregation says all bold words and sings all printed songs.
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 II. The Lord Cleanses Us from Sin
Dearly beloved in Christ, the Scriptures teach us that if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and
the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1.9

Kyrie Eleison ~ Lord Have Mercy Psalm 51.1; 123.3; Matthew 17.15; 20.30-31

Confession of Sin
Come, let us worship and bow down. Psalm 95.6
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker! <Kneel>
Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean, and that we have
sinned against you in thought, word, and deed; not only in outward transgressions, but also in
secret thoughts and desires that we are not able to understand, but which are all known to you. For
this reason, we flee for refuge to your infinite mercy, seeking and imploring your grace, through
our Lord Jesus Christ. <Remain kneeling>

Absolution ~ Gospel proclamation of forgiveness in Christ <Stand>

By virtue of the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are fully and freely forgiven of all
your sins. Believe this and know that you are at peace with God!
Thanks be to God!
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 III. The Lord Raises Us Up to Heaven and Seats Us With Christ
Sursum Corda ~ Lift Up Your Hearts Ephesians 2.6; Colossians 3.1

Lift up your hearts!

We lift them up to the Lord!
Prayer of Ascent to Heaven Traditionally called the Preface (to the Sanctus)
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God!
It is good and right to do so!
It is very good and right that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to you, O Holy Lord,
Father Almighty. By Your great power you raised up Jesus from death to life. Through his glorious
victory over the grave, he became the firstborn from the dead and the firstfruits of the new creation.
In him, we also are raised to new life, freed from the bonds of sin and death, and filled with the
confident hope of eternal life when he returns in great glory and power to make all things new.
Therefore, with the angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we magnify your
glorious name, evermore praising you and singing:
Sanctus ~ Holy

O Lord, open our lips,

and our mouths will declare your praise! Psalm 51.15

Hymn of Ascent (on following page)

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Prayer of Illumination
Almighty God, in you are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Open our eyes that we
may see the wonders of your Word; and give us grace that we may understand and choose the way of
your wisdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen. <Be seated>
Scripture Lesson 1 Peter 2.1-10 (text printed on back page)
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! <Stand>
Psalm Psalm 146
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Praise the LORD! Who keeps truth forever,
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Praise the LORD, O my soul! Who executes justice for the oppressed,
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While I live I will praise the LORD; Who gives food to the hungry.
I will sing praises to my God while I have The LORD gives freedom to the prisoners.
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my being. The LORD opens the eyes of the blind;
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Do not put your trust in princes, The LORD raises those who are bowed down;
Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no The LORD loves the righteous.
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help. The LORD watches over the strangers; He
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His spirit departs, he returns to his earth; relieves the fatherless and widow;
In that very day his plans perish. But the way of the wicked He turns upside
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Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his down.
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help, The LORD shall reign forever –
Whose hope is in the LORD his God, Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise
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Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all the LORD!
that is in them;
Alleluia ~ Praise the Lord Psalms 146-150

Gospel Lesson John 14.1-14 (text printed on back page)

This is the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Praise be to you, O Christ!
Profession of Faith Nicene Creed
Christian, in whom do you trust?
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things
visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father
before all worlds:
God of God,
Light of Light,
very God of very God;
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by Whom all things were made;
Who, for us men and for our salvation,
came down from heaven,
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary,
and was made man,
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate;
He suffered and was buried;
and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures,
and ascended into heaven,
and sits on the right hand of the Father;
and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead;
Whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life,
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified,
Who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.
I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins.
And I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen!
Gloria Patri ~ Glory to the Father

Pre-sermon Prayer
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, Lord Jesus
Christ, our Rock, and our Kinsman Redeemer. Psalm 19.14
Amen. <Be seated>
Sermon Pastor Jack Phelps

Post-sermon Blessing
May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Amen. Philippians 4.7

Offertory Hymn (on following page)

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Offertory Response & Prayer
What gifts have you brought for your Lord?
We give only what the Lord has first given to us. We offer ourselves in Christ through
confession, praise, and thanksgiving; we give our prayers and alms for the sake of the world;
and we participate in the Lord’s Supper as a memorial of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen!
Blessed are you, O Lord God our Father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the victory and the majesty; indeed all that is in the heavens and the earth is yours.
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord Jesus Christ, and you are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor
come from you, and you reign over all, and in your hand is power and might, and it lies in your hand to
make great and to strengthen all. Now therefore, our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name,
for all things come from you and of your own gifts we have given to you. 1 Chronicles 29.10-14
Amen! <STAND>
Kingdom Prayer
God the Father in heaven,
be gracious to us and hear us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
have mercy on us and help us.
God the Holy Spirit, Giver of life,
bless us for Jesus’ sake.
From all sin, from all error, from all evil; from the crafts and assaults of the devil; from sudden and evil
death; from deadly disease and famine; from war and bloodshed; from sedition and rebellion; from
lightning and storms; from calamity by fire and water; and from everlasting death;
deliver us, good Lord.
By the mystery of Your holy incarnation; by Your holy birth; by Your baptism, fasting, and temptation;
by Your agony and bloody sweat; by Your cross and passion; by Your precious death and burial; by
Your glorious resurrection and ascension; and by the coming of your Holy Spirit, the Comforter;
help us, good Lord.
In all our tribulation; in all our prosperity; in the hour of death; and in the day of judgment;
help us, good Lord.
To rule and govern Your holy Christian Church; to preserve all pastors and ministers of Your Church in
the true knowledge and understanding of Your wholesome Word and to sustain them in holy living; to
put an end to all divisions and causes of offense; to bring into the way of truth all who have erred and
are deceived; to beat down Satan under our feet; to send faithful laborers into Your harvest; and to
accompany Your Word with Your grace and Spirit;
hear our prayers, good Lord.
To raise those who fall and to strengthen those who stand; and to comfort and help the weakhearted and
the distressed;
hear our prayers, good Lord.
To give to all peoples unity and peace; to preserve our land from discord and strife; to give our
country Your protection in every time of need; to direct and defend our nation and all in authority over
us; to bless and protect our magistrates and all our people; to watch over and help all who are in danger,
necessity, and tribulation; to protect and guide all who travel; to grant every woman with child,
especially all mothers with infant children, increasing happiness in their blessings; to defend all orphans
and widows and provide for them; to strengthen and keep all sick persons and young children; to free
those in bondage; and to have mercy on us all;
hear our prayer, good Lord.
To forgive our enemies, persecutors, and slanderers, and to turn their hearts; to give and preserve for our
use the kindly fruits of the earth; and graciously to hear our prayers;
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be gracious to us and answer our prayer.
Now, O God, hear the very words Jesus taught us to pray:
<Raise hands> Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be
done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we
forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the
kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen. Matthew 6.9-13

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 IV. The LORD Feeds Us Holy Food at His Royal Table
Trinitarian Blessing 2 Corinthians 13.14
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with
you all.
Holy things for holy people!
The gifts of God for the people of God!
Pax Domini ~ The Peace of the Lord John 20.19

The peace of the Lord be with you always.

And with your spirit.
Eucharistic Prayer ~ Prayer of Thanksgiving
We thank you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for making us fearfully and wonderfully in your image.
When we followed the way of the evil one in the Garden of Eden, you did not leave us to perish in our
sins, but instead you rescued us from sin and death. In the fullness of time you provided a new and
living way through the flesh and blood of Jesus, our great high priest over the house of God. And now
we can draw near in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled by Jesus’ blood and our bodies
washed with pure water. We thank you, Father, that when we celebrate this memorial meal, you
remember the holy life of your Son lived for us, his death offered for us, his resurrection that gives life to
us, and his ascension in glory at your right hand, where, as our Great High Priest, he intercedes for us.
United in Christ's priesthood, we celebrate this meal of the covenant, offering ourselves to you as living
sacrifices, holy and acceptable to you in Christ. In your mercy, remember your covenant by pouring out
your Holy Spirit upon us, that the bread we break and the cup we bless may be for us a communion in
the body and blood of Christ, that we may become one in him.
Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, and in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and glory are
yours, Almighty Father, forever and ever. Amen.
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! Psalm 34.8

Christ our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed for us.

Therefore, let us keep the feast! 1 Corinthians 5.8

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Agnus Dei ~ Lamb of God John 1.29

<Be seated>

In the name of Christ Jesus our Lord,

we at Christ Church welcome to the Lord’s Table
all who are spiritually weak and seek rest;
all who mourn and long for comfort;
all who struggle and desire victory;
all who sin and need the Savior;
all who are strangers and want fellowship;
all who hunger and thirst for righteousness;
all who are poor in spirit and desire the riches of the gospel;
all who come to Jesus Christ in living faith and repentance,
looking to him as both Liberator and Lord.
And we welcome all baptized children,
no matter how young, to the Lord’s Table.

Communion: Bread <Sing stanzas 1-2 on the following page as the bread is passed>
Communion: Wine <Sing stanzas 3-4 on the following page as the wine is passed>

Note: Our custom is to partake of the elements together (after all have been served) when the pastor enjoins us to eat or drink.
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May the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen and preserve you steadfast in true faith
unto life everlasting. Amen!
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, 1 Chronicles 16.34; Psalm 106.1; 107.1; 118.1; 118.29; 136.1
for his love endures forever! <Stand>

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 V. The LORD Sends Us Back Into the World
Post-Communion Prayer
Let us continue to join our voices together in prayer:
Heavenly Father, you have graciously accepted us as living members of your Son Jesus Christ, and
you have fed us with his body and blood. Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us
strength and courage to love and serve you * with gladness and singleness of heart, until the
whole earth is full of your glory. Amen.
Great Commission Matthew 28.18-20
Jesus declares, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and disciple all the nations
by baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, by teaching them to observe all
that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Amen!
Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered!
Let those who hate Him flee before Him! Psalm 68.1

Nunc Dimittis ~ Now Dismiss [Your Servant] Luke 2.29-32

“Song of Simeon”

Benediction ~ Blessing Numbers 6.24-26

The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace;
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

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1 Peter 2.1-10
1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for
the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is
good.
4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you
yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”
8 and
“A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may
proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a
people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

John 14.1-14
1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If
it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to
where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the
way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through
me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have
seen him.”

8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with
you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say,
‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say
to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I
am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than
these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father
may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

If you are a visitor of Christ Church, we are grateful that you have joined us in our highest privilege, worshipping the Triune God. We hope
you stay and eat with us after the service so that we can get to know you better. If you would like to talk with Pastor Sexton throughout the
week, feel free to call him at 770.696.7521 or email him at sexton555@gmail.com. You can visit our website at ChristChurch-Atl.com.

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