Fourth Presbyterian Church: A Light in the City

Sunday, April 28
9:30 a.m. Worship Service

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PRELUDE

Lord of the Dance
Shaker melody/arr. Jason W. Krug

Three Vignettes of India
Laura Perkett
1. Melodies of Rohet
2. A Melody of Jaipur
3. Slowly, Reminiscing

INTROIT
“In the Beauty of Holiness”
Nettie L. Sawyer Lester

Come, let us worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Give him the honor; give him the praise. Come, let us worship the Lord; let’s give him the praise. Worship him, give my God the glory; give my God the praise.

DOXOLOGY
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; praise God, all creatures here below; praise God above, ye heavenly host; Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

CALL TO WORSHIP AND PRAYER
One: In the wilderness, water brings life.
All: Seek us out, O God, and take us to the water.
One: In the Word of God, the good news gives light.
All: Seek us out, O God, and fill us with understanding.
One:Here is the water of life, the word that feeds, the food of eternity.
All: Come and praise God, the vine that gives all goodness.

HYMN
“I Danced in the Morning”

I danced in the morning when the world was begun, and I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun, and I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth. At Bethlehem I had my birth.

Refrain:

Dance, then, wherever you may be; I am the Lord of the Dance, said he, and I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be, and I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.

I danced for the scribe and the Pharisee, but they would not dance and they would not follow me.
I danced for the fishermen, for James and John. They came with me and the dance went on. (Refrain)

I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame. The holy people said it was a shame. They whipped and they stripped and they hung me high, and left me there on a cross to die. (Refrain)

I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black. It’s hard to dance with the devil on your back. They buried my body and they thought I’d gone, but I am the dance and I still go on. (Refrain)

They cut me down and I leapt up high. I am the life that will never, never die. I’ll live in you if you’ll live in me, I am the Lord of the Dance, said he. (Refrain)

PRAYER OF CONFESSION
God of mercy, we confess that we have not borne the fruit of the Spirit. We have not loved others as you have loved us. We have denied the promises of baptism and cut ourselves off from you.

Forgive us, restore us, that we may abide in your love and live out your mercy, for the sake of your world and in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

DECLARATION OF PARDON
One: Friends, believe the good news.
All: In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.

SHARING THE PEACE OF CHRIST
Leader: The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
People: And also with you.

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WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANTHEM

“Kyrie”
Michael Allen

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

PSALTER
Psalm 23

One: The Word of God for the people of God.
All: Thanks be to God.

GLORIA PATRI
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost: as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Amen.

SCRIPTURE READING
1 John 4:7–21
One: The grass withers, and the flower fades,
All: but the word of our God shall stand forever.

SERMON
“Because God First Loved”
Amy Pagliarella

HYMN
“Like the Murmur of the Dove’s Song”

Like the murmur of the dove’s song, like the challenge of her flight, like the vigor of the wind’s rush, like the new flame’s eager might: Come, Holy Spirit, come.

To the members of Christ’s body, to the branches of the Vine, to the church in faith assembled, to our midst as gift and sign: Come, Holy Spirit, come.

With the healing of division, with the ceaseless voice of prayer, with the power to love and witness, with the peace beyond compare: Come, Holy Spirit, come.

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

NEW MEMBERS

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

THE LORD’S PRAYER

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.

OFFERING

Gifts supporting the ministry and mission of Fourth Church can be made online

OFFERTORY ANTHEM
“Laudate Dominum”
Aaron David Miller
Praise the Lord, all you nations! Extol him, all you peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord! Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

OFFERTORY RESPONSE
Christ has arisen, alleluia. Rejoice and praise him, alleluia. For our redeemer burst from the tomb, even from death, dispelling its gloom. Let us sing praise to him with endless joy. Death’s fearful sting he has come to destroy. Our sins forgiving, alleluia! Jesus is living, alleluia!

PRAYER OF DEDICATION
God of love, may your life-giving spirit bring forth blessings through our gifts in order that the hungry may be fed, the lonely may find company, the downtrodden may be uplifted, and all may be inspired to love and serve you wholeheartedly. Amen.

HYMN
“When in Our Music God Is Glorified”

When in our music God is glorified, and adoration leaves no room for pride, it is as though the whole creation cried: Alleluia!

How often, making music, we have found a new dimension in the world of sound, as worship moved us to a more profound Alleluia!

So has the church, in liturgy and song, in faith and love, through centuries of wrong, borne witness to the truth in every tongue: Alleluia!

And did not Jesus sing a psalm that night when utmost evil strove against the light? Then let us sing, for whom he won the fight: Alleluia!

Let every instrument be tuned for praise! Let all rejoice who have a voice to raise! And may God give us faith to sing always: Alleluia!

CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

POSTLUDE
Pageant
Leo Sowerby

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