Christ the King Sunday Worship Bulletin
PETER’S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH
CHRIST THE KING SUNDAY – Coronavirus
(Last Sunday of the Church Year)
11-21-2021 10:00AM Zoom Worship
(Welcome / Greeting by the Pastors)
THE OPENING RITE:
L God reigns; let the earth be glad.
C God’s word is truth; let all people of the world rejoice.
L We bow before God’s strength and majesty;
C We come in awe before God most high.
L God’s rule is from everlasting and forevermore;
C All creation bows before God’s holiness.
L Let us open our hearts to be renewed in God’s truth.
C We gather as sinners longing for the mercy and grace of Christ.
L God is our righteousness and our peace.
C We seek to be citizens of the Kingdom, proclaiming God’s love.
L We come to celebrate the truth that God is alive and in charge.
C No evil can have the last word, for God is greater than any wrong.
L To God be glory for the gift of Jesus Christ, our Savior and our Lord!
C His Son JESUS was born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell and rose on the third day.
He ascended into heaven, and is seated by the Father’s side.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
He loves us and has died for us!
He has set us free from our sins through his blood!
He has given us new life, and he reigns forever and ever!
He is our Savior, our Lord, and the King of my life!
Hail King Jesus, now and forever, Amen.
OPENING SONG: “TO GOD BE THE GLORY” Tan #157
THE PRAYER OF THE DAY:
Eternal God, your Son Jesus taught us that true power is made known in service.
Even as we celebrate the amazing victory of his sacrificial love, guide us to love you, to love our neighbors, and to love ourselves. Equip us to help create a world of justice and of peace that embraces each and all. We want to be ready when the trumpet sounds, when the saints go marching in. Amen.
FIRST READING: DANIEL 7:9-10, 13-14 [A reason for hope in unending oppression – the “SON OF MAN”!]
7:9 As I watched, thrones were set in place, and an Ancient One took his throne, his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, and its wheels were burning fire.
7:10 A stream of fire issued and flowed out from his presence. A thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him. The court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.
7:13 As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him.
7:14 To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.
SONG SELECTION
SECOND READING: REVELATION 1:4b-8 [CHRIST – “the faithful witness, firstborn of the dead, and ruler of kings”!]
1:4b Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,
1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood,
1:6 and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
1:7 Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen.
1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
GOSPEL VERSE:
“(1) Victory is mine, victory is mine, victory today is mine!
I TOLD SATAN ‘GET THEE BEHIND!’… victory today is mine!
(2) Joy is mine…
(3) Peace is mine…”
HOLY GOSPEL: JOHN 18:33-37 [The truth of God’s power – love, not force!]
18:33 Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
18:34 Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?”
18:35 Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?”
18:36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”
18:37 Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
THE SERMON: The Rev. Dr. Harold Evans
SONG SELECTION
A CONFESSION OF OUR FAITH (written by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, South Africa, and anti-apartheid and human rights activist:
Goodness is stronger than evil;
love is stronger than hate;
light is stronger than darkness;
life is stronger than death;
victory is ours through Him who loves us. Amen.
OFFERING… Sisters and brothers, God has called us to listen to the voice of Jesus and to bring justice and truth to a troubled world. With our personalities, our possessions, and our persistence, let us go out and tell the world that God is alive and God is in charge, and no evil or wrong can have the last word.
OFFERTORY SONG:
“(1) Thank you, Lord… thank you, Lord… thank you, Lord… I just want to thank you, Lord!
(2) Been so good…
(3) Love you, Lord…”
OFFERING PRAYER:
God of grace and glory, we thank you for the gift of creation and the gift of our lives, for the gift of salvation and the gift of Jesus Christ,
for the gift of your Holy Spirit and the gift of your Church.
Take our attitude of gratitude and transform it into caring and sharing towards the least, the lost,
and the lonely all over the face of this earth.
Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream. Amen.
MUSIC SELECTION: “ALL HAIL THE POWER OF JESUS’ NAME” Dennis Fortune
THE PRAYERS… We lift up our praises, the Church, the needs and burdens of this troubled world!
THE LORD’S PRAYER
SONG SELECTION
THE BENEDICTION by one of the Pastors.
Next Sunday… SEASON OF ADVENT –
We begin a new Church Year with hope grounded in the presence and promise of our Savior! Stay awake… get ready… believe.