FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF WAUWATOSA

 

May 28, 2006

MORNING WORSHIP 10:00 A.M.

Worship for Ascension Sunday

 Memorial Day

 

 

GATHERING MUSIC                                                                                                          

 

WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS                                         Rev. Samuel R. Schaal

 

PRELUDE                             Our Father In the Heaven Who Art                                        Bach

                                                                       

CHIMES AND TOWER BELLS 

 

THE CALL TO WORSHIP                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Liturgist:    We raise our eyes to behold the Living Christ in the face of our neighbors.

People:     We raise our hearts to celebrate the Living Christ in the love of friends.

ALL:         We raise our souls and voices to proclaim the joyful promise of the Loving Christ.

Liturgist:    Why do you stand looking up toward heaven?

ALL:         This Jesus will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven. Alleluia!

 

*HYMN 202                            Jesus Shall Reign Where’er the Sun

 

*CHORAL CALL TO WORSHIP

 

*PRAYER OF INVOCATION AND THE LORD’S PRAYER (unison)

Heavenly Father, God of majesty, you led the Messiah through suffering into risen life, and took
 him up to the glory of heaven. Clothe us with the power promised from on high, and send us
 forth to the ends of the earth as heralds of repentance and witnesses of Jesus Christ, firstborn
from the dead, who lives with you now and always in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever
 and ever. Hear us as we pray:

 

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.

 

*GLORIA PATRI

 

PRAYERS FOR THE NATION ON MEMORIAL DAY SUNDAY

            Invitation to Prayer                                                           Rev. Steven A. Peay, Ph.D.

            A Prayer of Thanksgiving (unison)

            Almighty God, Author of humanity, we thank you for the heritage and privilege of our
 beloved country, and for the wisdom with which you have led it from its perilous beginnings,
through all the difficulties and dangers to this day of grace; reverently we take it to our hearts
 as we lift our prayer to you, beseeching you with passionate tenderness that your people may
be delivered from every evil, turned from every error, and kept in the highway of a divine vocation;
 that your will may be done in familial righteousness, and your purpose fulfilled in the amplitude,
 power and prophecy of a nation called to you for a vast and holy errand in your world. As we come
 to you with thankful hearts, forgive us where we have failed to serve or to live out the freedom to
which we have been called, and with which we have been blessed. We ask you to hear us, good Lord.
 Amen.

           

Prayers of Petition

            Please respond ‘Amen’ to each prayer.

            Response to Prayer             My Country, ‘Tis of Thee                       HYMN 437 verse 4

           

*HYMN 433                     God of Our Fathers, Whose Almighty Hand

                                  {Children ages 3 through 2nd grade are dismissed

to Sunday School, room LL2, during the singing of the hymn.}

           


THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM                                                         Allison Claire Hieb

                                                                                       Daughter of Robert and Kristin Hieb

 

THE NEW TESTAMENT LESSON    Acts 1:1-11                                       Bible, page 947

                                                                                                                                               

THE PSALMODY (unison)                     Psalm 47                                         Bible, page 490           


 

THE GOSPEL LESSON                    Luke 24:44-53                                    Bible, page 920

 

ANTHEM                             Great and Marvelous Are Thy Works                                       Roff

 

Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty;

just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

Who shall not fear thee, O lord, and glorify thy name?

For thou only art holy:

for all nations shall come and worship before thee.

Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty. Amen.

 

THE SERMON                      “What Are You Looking For?”                                  Dr. Peay

 

THE CALL TO PRAYER AND SILENT MEDITATION

 

THE PRAYER OF MINISTER AND PEOPLE

 

CHORAL RESPONSE TO PRAYER

 

THE OFFERTORY

 

ANTHEM                                      From Sea to Shining Sea                                              Ward

                                                         David Miles, Trumpet

 

O beautiful for spacious skies,

For amber waves of grain,

For purple mountain majesties

Above the fruited plain.

America! America! God shed His grace on thee,

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From Sea to shining sea.

 

O beautiful for pilgrim feet

Whose stern impassioned stress

A thoroughfare for freedom beat

Across the wilderness,

America! America! God mend thine every flaw,

Confirm thy soul in self-control,

Thy liberty in law.

 

O beautiful for patriot dream

That sees beyond the years

Thine alabaster cities gleam

Undimmed by human tears.

America! America! God shed His grace on thee,

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!

 

*DOXOLOGY

 

*PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING AND DEDICATION

 

*HYMN 204                                   Rejoice, the Lord Is King

 

*CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

 

POSTLUDE                             Crown Him With Many Crowns                                          Held

 

 

*The congregation is invited to stand, if able.

 

The Chancel flowers are given by
 Denise and John O’Meara

 in honor of the graduations of their children,
 Eileen, Caitlin, and Neal.

 

 

Worship Preview for Sunday, June 4, 2006 ~ 10:00 a.m.

Join us for Children’s Sunday as our Sunday School Children lead us in worship on Pentecost Sunday!

The annual Ice Cream follows.

Tom Gregory is the organist.