Slideshow image

Prelude

 

 

Greetings

 

Litany for Mother’s Day   

We pause this morning to give thanks for the gift of love that brings life.

For every hand that held us, every voice that called our name, we give thanks.

We give thanks for mothers who gave us life

For their sacrifice, their strength, their tenderness, their courage.

We remember those among us who carry joy today, who will call their mothers later, who will receive sticky-fingered cards, and maybe receive burnt toast in bed.

May they savor every moment. May they know they are loved.

We remember those among us who are grieving, whose mothers are gone, and whose absence is felt especially today

May they know that love does not end. May they be held by the God who holds us all.

We remember those who long to be mothers, who have hoped and waited and hurt 

May they know that their longing is seen. May they be surrounded by community.

We remember those for whom this day is complicated: where the word "mother" carries pain

May they find healing. May they know that God's love is what all love is reaching for.

And we remember those who have mothered without the title: aunts, grandmothers, neighbors, mentors, friends who showed up

May they know that what they gave mattered. May it be returned to them a hundredfold.

To all of these, and to all of us

Thanks be to the parent God, Father and Mother of us all. Thanks be to the God who comes alongside. Thanks be to God. Amen.

 

 

Call to Worship

We come from many different places this morning…

Some carrying joy; some carrying grief; most carrying both.

But we gather, as we always do, around the One who seeks us out.

The One who said: I will not leave you alone.

In Him we live and move and have our being.

We come to worship the God who holds us.

This is the day the Lord has made!

Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

 

 

Hymn of Welcome #453          Happy Our Home When God is There

 

 

Psalm 66:8-20

Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard,

who has kept us among the living, and has not let our feet slip.

For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried.

You brought us into the net; you laid burdens on our backs.

You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water -

yet you have brought us out to a spacious place.

Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for me.

I cried aloud to him, and he was extolled with my tongue.

But truly God has listened; he has given heed to the words of my prayer.

Blessed be God, who has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me.

 

 

Opening Prayer

 

 

Call to Confession 

 

 

Prayer of Confession (unison)                  

Gracious God, we confess that we have not always lived as people who know they are beloved. We have run from your presence, doubted your care, and have closed ourselves off from those who needed us most. We have withheld from others the love you have given us so freely. We have failed the people who depend on us. We have overlooked those who needed someone to come alongside them. Forgive us. Restore us. And remind us again of your promise: that you will not leave us orphaned. In Jesus' name. Amen.

 

 

Assurance of Pardon 

 

 

Gloria Patri #579          Glory Be to the Father

 

 

Passing of the Peace of Christ

 

 

Prayer for Illumination

Come, Holy Spirit: Advocate, Comforter, Guide. Open our ears to hear your Word today, not merely as ancient text, but as Living Promise spoken to us. here, now. Amen.

 

 

Scripture Readings John 14:15-21 & Acts 17:22-31

 

 

Scripture Response

The Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God.

 

 

Sermon      Foster                   Rev. Tony DeLucia

 

 

Hymn of Response # 630           What A Friend We Have in Jesus

 

 

Affirmation of Faith         Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth;

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord:

Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,

Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried;

The third day he rose from the dead;

He ascended into heaven and sitteth

at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;

From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,

the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. 

 

 

Call for the Offering   

 

 

Doxology #815          Doxology

 

 

Prayer of Dedication (unison)

Loving God, we give thanks for your abiding love poured out in our lives! We give thanks to mothers who reflect your promise of love and nurture, and who guide us through life’s journey. As we remember their love that mirrors your self-giving love, we offer these gifts before you today. Receive these gifts as a sign of our gratitude and our desire to live in your love.

 

 

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer

 

 

Hymn of Sending #635          In the Garden            

 

 

Charge and Benediction            

 

 

Response to the Benediction #358                          Because He Lives, refrain

 

 

Postlude    

 

 

May Birthdays

  • Chad Roberts, 5/15

  • Larry Roberts, 5/28

  • Jeanne Roberts, 5/29

Anniversary

  • Brent and Kim McPherson, 5/15

  • Bob and Shelly Reed, 5/28 - 50th

  • Let us know when we can celebrate your Birthday/Anniversary with you!!

 

 

Upcoming Events:

Coffee Hour after Worship - May 10, 2026

Bible Study - May 13, 2026, Wednesday at 7:30 pm

Bible Study -  May 27, 2026, Wednesday at 7:30 pm

Newell Community Dinner -  May 30, 2026, Saturday from 3p to 5pm at American Legion in Newell with: Pulled pork sandwich, Baked beans, Coleslaw and Dessert

Communion -  June 7, 2026

 

 

Prayer Requests of the Congregation

  • Christian Todd - prayers for strength 

  • Damon Indez - prayers for him in Kuwait, and those in uniform in the Middle East.

  • Donnamalay Davis - may she rest in peace

  • Eliana - recovers from heart surgery

  • Fred - going through treatment

  • Jeanie - healing and strength

  • Jimmy - Peggy’s son-in-law, continuing prays

  • Johnny - diagnosed with terminal illness

  • Marge and family -  guidance and strength

  • Rev. Matt Camlin - fighting MS

  • Vicky - prayers for positive medical diagnosis

  • Zach - prayers that he continues to do well with cancer Tx

  • Hocking County School bus accident - prayers for driver and student safety

  • Prayers for a safe and happy end to the school year

  • All affected by the storms of nature and of life, especially by the paths of floods and other natural disasters.

  • Prayers for the people of Iran, Israel, and US Servicemen and Women being sent into the latest conflict.

 

 

Wider Church

  • Pat Kitchen - starts chemo on Wednesday

  • Schemonitz family - the lost of a young wife and mother

  • Kevin Miller - suffered a stoke

  • Brittani Clark - patience and strength

  • Prayers of peace in all the trouble spots in the world, including our own country.

  • To all who pray and feel their prayer goes unanswered. May they know God hears them, and the Church prays for them and continues to love them.