May 15

CCLI license #1913561

Lakeview Presbyterian Church
Service of the Word and Sacrament
May 15, 2022
Fifth Sunday of Easter

Welcome 
Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ .

Prelude “Be Thou My Vision”      GTG #450 sung by Keisha Prime

Call to Worship
Thomas said:
Unless I see the wounds in his hands and side, I will not believe.
Jesus said:
Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet believe.

Opening Prayer
God dwells in you.
And also in you.
O Lord, you have searched us and known us. You know our laying down and getting up again, no secret thought is hidden from you. You know the fears that hold us back, and you know the grief that weighs us down. We acknowledge that you are trustworthy, but it is still so often hard to trust.
Give us the childlike faith to hear your voice and to follow, to see your hand and to take it, to know that we are never alone. Let us enter into the blessing of those who do not see everything we’d like to see to be convinced, and yet believe anyway.
In the name of the one by whose wounds we are healed, even Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

*Hymn      “Be Still, My Soul”                  GTG #819

Prayer for Illumination
God who has called us and opened our minds to the good news, open our hearts to your word proclaimed anew that we may show forth your righteousness in all the earth.  Amen.

Reading from the Apocalypse of John: Revelation 1:4-8
This letter is from John to the seven churches in the province of Asia. Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world. All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen. Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven. And everyone will see him--even those who pierced him. And all the nations of the world will mourn for him. Yes! Amen! "I am the Alpha and the Omega--the beginning and the end," says the Lord God. "I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come--the Almighty One."

Hymn: (please remain seated) “My Faith Looks Up to Thee”      GTG  #829

Reading from the Gospel of John 20: 19–31
That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! "Peace be with you," he said. As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! Again, he said, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you." Then he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he replied, "I won't believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side." Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. "Peace be with you," he said. Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don't be faithless any longer. Believe!" "My Lord and my God!" Thomas exclaimed. Then Jesus told him, "You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me." The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.

Sermon     “In Defense of Doubt”              Pastor Adam Gray

*Affirmation of Faith   from A Brief Statement of Faith (pcusa, 1990),
In life and in death we belong to God.
We trust in Jesus Christ, fully human, fully God.
Jesus proclaimed the reign of God:
preaching good news to the poor and release to the captives,
teaching by word and deed and blessing the children,
healing the sick and binding up the brokenhearted,
eating with outcasts, forgiving sinners,
and calling all to repent and believe the gospel.
Unjustly condemned for blasphemy and sedition,
Jesus was crucified, suffering the depths of human pain
and giving his life for the sins of the world.
God raised this Jesus from the dead,
vindicating his sinless life, breaking the power of sin and evil,
delivering us from death to life eternal.

Sharing of Joys and Concerns

Pastoral Prayer and a time of silent prayer…

Lord’s Prayer (This is the Ecumenical Version; feel free to use the words of your choice)
    Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come,
    your will be done on earth as in heaven
    Give us today our daily bread.
    Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
    Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.
    For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen

A Statement about Offering our Gifts 
As we remember those who have given of themselves to nurture us, let us give of our abundance to nurture others.

Donations can be made online, or placed in the offering plate near the baptismal font.

Special Music  “Give Me Faith”                Brown

Prayer of Thanksgiving and Dedication
God who first loved and called us, accept our offering for the good of the world as we joyfully give thanks for our life in you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

*Hymn  “How Firm A Foundation”          GTG #453

Announcements     

*Benediction – Pastor Adam

Postlude      “You Never Let Go”        Redman sung by Keisha Prime

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