Kids’ Project – Psalms Poet Tree

Greet One Another

We encourage you to do one of these things (below) for your greeting time this morning. We recognize how difficult it is to feel connected to a physical church community while being physically distant. Try one of these this morning:
1. Call/Video Chat a friend and “connect” with them in this way before moving any further into this service.
2. Text someone who maybe isn’t a part of your inner circle from church. Greet them and let them know you’re thinking of them today.
3. Set up a phone call/coffee/walk outside with someone from church for this week. Text or call… set it up right now… schedule it. Make a first step. Remember this motto when thinking of taking steps towards making connection with those at church: “If not you, then who? If not now, when?”
4. Think of 3 people from your church community and take a couple minutes to pray for them on your own or as a family.

Psalm 47 – Call to Worship

Read this Psalm. If you are with others, split up the reading with the bold/non-bold text.

Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.
How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth!
He subdued nations under us, peoples under our feet.
He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.
God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.
Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises.
For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise.
God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne.
The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; he is greatly exalted.

Song

“I Will Praise”
I will praise (I will praise)
You oh Lord (You oh Lord)
With all my heart (With all my heart)

I will tell (I will tell)
Of your wonders (Of your wonders)
I’ll be glad and exalt in thee
I’ll be glad and exalt in thee

I will sing praise to your name most high
I will sing praise to your name
I will sing praise to your name most high
I will sing praise to your name

I will praise (I will praise)
You oh Lord (You oh Lord)
With all my heart (With all my heart)

I will tell (I will tell)
Of your wonders (Of your wonders)
I’ll be glad and exalt in thee
I’ll be glad and exalt in thee

I will sing praise to your name most high
I will sing praise to your name
I will sing praise to your name most high
I will sing praise to your name

Scripture Reading – Psalm 51:1-10

Have mercy on me, O God,
    because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
    blot out the stain of my sins.
Wash me clean from my guilt.
    Purify me from my sin.
For I recognize my rebellion;
    it haunts me day and night.
Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
    I have done what is evil in your sight.
You will be proved right in what you say,
    and your judgment against me is just.
For I was born a sinner—
    yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
But you desire honesty from the womb,
    teaching me wisdom even there.
Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Oh, give me back my joy again;
    you have broken me—
    now let me rejoice.
Don’t keep looking at my sins.
    Remove the stain of my guilt.
Create in me a clean heart, O God.
    Renew a loyal spirit within me.

Sermon – Psalm 51

Confession & Assurance

Call to Confession:
When we let envy, greed, resentment, lust, and selfishness eat away in us, we can be destroyed. I call you now with me to admit our wrongs before God, knowing that such confession is essential to the health of our souls.

Prayer of Confession (pray this within or one person read while others around pray within):
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Words of Assurance:
The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting. I declare to you, in the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. May you know that you are forgiven. May you be at peace. May you experience divine joy! AMEN.

Song of Response

“Saved My Soul”
You my God have saved my soul
I am yours forevermore
I won’t be moved of this I’m sure
You are my God and you saved my soul

I was lost when you came for me
Held in chains by the enemy
But you broke them in victory
I am free
I am free

You’re my joy and you are my hope
I am saved by your grace alone
I will sing of your love for me
I am free
I am free

You my God have saved my soul
I am yours forevermore
I won’t be moved of this I’m sure
You are my God and you saved my soul

Now I stand with the King of kings
He has paid for my every sin
And from now through eternity
I am free
I am free

You my God have saved my soul
I am yours forevermore
I won’t be moved of this I’m sure
You are my God and you saved my soul

What once was dead is now alive
You gave to me the breath of life
You brought me up out of the grave
I’m bursting out with songs of praise
(REPEAT)

I’m bursting out with songs of praise
I’m bursting out with songs of praise

You my God have saved my soul
I am yours forevermore
I won’t be moved of this I’m sure
You are my God and you saved my soul
(REPEAT)

Offering

When we have heard the word of God, we respond with song and prayer, and also with witness and money, for all things we are and have are small yet tangible offerings of ourselves to the Lord.

PRAY: Lord, we desire that this offering express careful and willing sharing on our part, with fruitful blessing on your part, as together we seek to build your kingdom among the nations and God’s will among the peoples, through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Psalm 65 – Reorientation

We invite you to grab a bible and open up to Psalm 65 – a thanksgiving Psalm that gratefully celebrates forgiveness and God’s abundance. Enjoy opening the actual physical book for this reading. Read all 13 verses, either quietly or aloud. Underline, memorize, or write down on a piece of paper any phrase(s) that strike you today. Keep those phrases close to you this week. Live in Psalm 65 until we meet again next week.

Closing Song

Whether you sing along or not, as this song is playing we invite you to lift your hands as an act of ascribing greatness and recognizing the holiness of God in your midst.

“Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty”
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty
God in three persons blessed Trinity

Holy, holy, holy, all the saints adore thee
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee
Who wert and art and evermore shall be

Holy, holy, holy, though the darkness hide thee
Thou the eye of sinful flesh thy glory may not see
Only thou art holy there is none beside thee
Perfect in power, in love, and purity

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty
All thy works shall praise thy name in earth and sky and sea
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty
God in three persons blessed Trinity
God in three persons blessed Trinity

Benediction

Read the following quietly or if you are in a group have one person read the charge out loud:

Go now, remembering what we have done here. Go, remembering that you are a forgiven people, eternally loved, thoughtfully instructed, gratefully obedient, responding and responsible wherever you are. You can never be the same again. AMEN.