April 26, 2026 | Fourth Sunday of Easter
Gathering
PRELUDE
CALL to WORSHIP From Psalm 102
Pastor: From heaven the Lord
looked down from His holy
height
People: From heaven the Lord
looked at the earth, to hear
the groans of the prisoners,
Pastor: To set free those who were
doomed to die.
People: You who are gathered
together, declare in Zion
the name of the Lord,
Pastor: And in Jerusalem his praise,
and worship the Lord.
All: The children of your
servants shall dwell secure;
their offspring shall be
established before you.
Amen.◆
PRAYER of INVOCATION Col 1, Ps 68
SONG of ADORATION “His Mercy Is More” #123
Confession and Assurance
READING of GOD’S LAW
Hear God’s Law, His Will for Your Life, from I Peter 2:11-17
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PRAYER of CONFESSION
The Covenant Hymnal
We confess to you, all-knowing God, what we are. We are not the people we like others to think we are. We are afraid to admit, even to ourselves, what lies in the depths of our souls. But we cannot hide our true selves from you. You know us as we are, and yet you love us. Help us not to shrink from self-knowledge. Teach us to respect ourselves for your sake. Give us the courage to put our trust in your guiding power.
Raise us out of the paralysis of guilt, into the freedom and energy of forgiven people. And for those who, through long habit, find forgiveness hard to accept, we ask you to break their bondage and set them free; through Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen. ◆
ASSURANCE of PARDON 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
Receive these words of comfort from God:
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, behold-ing the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
Friends in Christ, if the Son has set you free, you are free indeed! Receive forgiveness, embrace your freedom, and by the working of your Savior, walk in the Light. Amen. ◆
SONG of RESPONSE “O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus” #134
Life of Worship
PROFESSION of FAITH “Our Only Comfort” #184
OFFERING
DOXOLOGY CH#815
PRAYER of DEDICATION
CHILDREN’S CATECHISM
Q. 13. What is the work of
creation?
A. The work of creation is God's making all things of
nothing, by the Word of
His power, in the space of
six days, and all very
good.
(Gen. 1:1; Heb. 11:3;
Ex. 20:11; Gen. 1:31)
PASSING of the PEACE
(Children age 3 through grade 5 may go to Judson Kids.)
PRAYER OF INTERCESSION
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in 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. ◆
Ministry of the Word
SONG “Thou Whose Almighty Word” #300
PRAYER for ILLUMINATION “Our Comfort & Joy” #296
SCRIPTURE READING Genesis 12:1-8
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord.
SERMON “A Great Name”
SONG of RESPONSE “Gloria Patri” #331
BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE
