Estes Park United Methodist Church
May 16, 2021
The Seventh Sunday of Easter
Ascension Sunday
Order of Worship
Prelude – Sweet Hour of Prayer- arr. Joel Raney
Greeting/Welcome
Call to Worship
Leader: Happy are those who follow the ways of the Lord.
People: God’s ways are just and merciful.
Leader: Those who follow God’s ways are continually nourished in faith.
People: In all that they do, they prosper.
Leader: Come, let us open our hearts to God’s compassionate love.
People: Let us celebrate God’s mercy and justice.
Opening Prayer (Unison)
Creator God, We pray that our lives would be planted near you – that we would send our roots deep into your word and your life, that we would draw nourishment from you, and that with the life you give we would in turn provide shelter and comfort and blessing to whoever comes under our branches. Amen.
Opening Hymn – Jesus Shall Reign – #157 UMH
Affirmation of Faith
Leader: Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is the one true church, apostolic and universal, whose holy faith let us now declare:
All: We believe in God the Father, infinite in wisdom, power, and love, whose mercy is over all his works, and whose will is ever directed to his children’s good.
We believe in Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of man, the gift of the Father’s unfailing grace, the ground of our hope, and the promise of our deliverance from sin and death.
We believe in the Holy Spirit as the divine presence in our lives, whereby we are kept in perpetual remembrance of the truth of Christ, and find strength and help in time of need.
We believe that this faith should manifest itself in the service of love as set forth in the example of our blessed Lord, to the end that the kingdom of God may come upon the earth. Amen.
Offering
Prayer of Blessing
Pastoral Prayer
Scripture Lesson: Luke 24:44-53
Sermon: Never Ending Blessing
Closing Hymn - Christ is Alive -#318 UMH
Benediction
Postlude – He Is Exalted – arr. Mark Hayes
Service Participants:
Pastor: Rev. Ann Steiner Lantz
Recorded Worship Liturgist: Cay Lacey
Zoom Worship Liturgist: John Davis
Director of Music: Jim Flanigan
Pianist: Nancy Gunter
Videographer: Jim Ecklund