With his own blood he bought her, and for her life he died.

2 Elect from every nation, yet one o’er all the earth,

her charter of salvation: one Lord, one faith, one birth.

One holy name she blesses, partakes one holy food,

and to one hope she presses, with every grace endued.

WORDS OF WELCOME                                                      

ADORATION

CALL TO WORSHIP

ONE: Beloved, we are God’s children now;

MANY: when Christ is revealed, we will be like him.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

MANY: Almighty God, through your only Son you overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life. Grant that we who celebrate our Lord’s resurrection, may, through the renewing power of your Spirit, arise from the death of sin to the life of righteousness; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in one God, now and forever. Amen.

HYMN [GTG#318]   “In Christ There is No East or West” 

1. In Christ there is no east or west, in him no south or north,

but one great fellowship of love throughout the whole wide earth.

2. In Christ, shall true hearts everywhere their high communion find;

his service is the golden cord close-binding humankind. 

3. Join hands, disciples of the faith, what e’er your race may be. 

All children of the living God are surely kin to me. 

4. In Christ now meet both east and west; in him meet south and north. All Chistly souls are one in him throughout the whole wide earth. 

MESSAGE FOR THE CHILDREN

RESPONSE HYMN [GTG#399] “God Welcomes All”

God welcomes all, strangers and friends 

God’s love is strong and it never ends.

CALL TO CONFESSION                                                                  

SILENT CONFESSION

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

God of mercy, you sent Jesus Christ to seek and save the lost. We confess that we have strayed from you and turned aside from your way. We are misled by pride, for we see ourselves pure when we are stained, and great when we are small. We have failed in love, neglected justice, and ignored your truth. 

Have mercy, O God, and forgive our sin. Return us to paths of righteousness through Jesus Christ, our savior. Amen. 

ASSURANCE OF PARDON       

GLORIA PATRI [Blue#579[ [GTG581]      

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end. Amen.

THE GOSPEL PROCLAIMED

SCRIPTURE [Pew Bible NT pg.120 or 128]   Acts 10:1-17, 34-48

In Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian Cohort, as it was called. He was a devout man who feared God with all his household; he gave alms generously to the people and prayed constantly to God. One afternoon at about three o’clock he had a vision in which he clearly saw an angel of God coming in and saying to him, ‘Cornelius.’ He stared at him in terror and said, ‘What is it, Lord?’ He answered, ‘Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. Now send men to Joppa for a certain Simon who is called Peter; he is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside.’ When the angel who spoke to him had left, he called two of his slaves and a devout soldier from the ranks of those who served him, and after telling them everything, he sent them to Joppa.

About noon the next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat; and while it was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw the heaven opened and something like a large sheet coming down, being lowered to the ground by its four corners. In it were all kinds of four-footed creatures and reptiles and birds of the air. Then he heard a voice saying, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ But Peter said, ‘By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is profane or unclean.’ The voice said to him again, a second time, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call profane.’ This happened three times, and the thing was suddenly taken up to heaven.

Now while Peter was greatly puzzled about what to make of the vision that he had seen, suddenly the men sent by Cornelius appeared. They were asking for Simon’s house and were standing by the gate.

Then Peter began to speak to them: ‘I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.’

While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, ‘Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?’ So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.

ONE: The Word of the Lord

MANY: Thanks be to God

SERMON:     “What God has Made Clean”     The Rev. Aaron Ochart

 TAKE UP YOUR CROSS AND FOLLOW 

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH Scots Confession 3.01 

We confess and acknowledge one God alone, to whom alone we must cleave, whom alone we must serve, whom only we must worship, and in whom alone we put our trust. Who is eternal, infinite, immeasurable, incomprehensible, omnipotent, invisible; one in substance and yet distinct in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. By whom we confess and believe all things in heaven and earth, visible and invisible, to have been created, to be retained in their being, and to be ruled and guided by [God’s] inscrutable providence for such end as [God’s] eternal wisdom, goodness, and justice have appointed, and to the manifestation of [God’s] own glory.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

RECEIVING OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS

OFFERTORY   “Bleached” by Video Days

Caleb Hebert, Piano 

DOXOLOGY [GTG#609]

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Praise God, all creatures high and low. Allelujah, alleluia!

Praise God, in Jesus Fully know:

Creator, Word, and Spirit one. 

Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia, alleluia, Alleluia!

REMEMBRANCE of BAPTISM

ONE: The Lord be with you.

MANY: And also with you.

ONE: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

MANY: It is right to give our thanks and praise.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

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.

HYMN [BLUE#120*] [GTG#277]   

“Hail Thee Festival Day”

Refrain: Hail thee festival day! Blest day to be hallowed forever;

day when our Lord was raised, breaking the kingdom of death.

1. All the fair beauty of the earth 

from the death of the winter arising! 

Every good gift of the year now with Master returns: (Refrain)

5. Spirit of life and of power, 

now flow in us, fount of our being, 

light that enlightens us all, life that in all may abide: (Refrain)

PARTING PRAYER

Glory to you, O God: you have won victory over death, raising Jesus from the grave and giving us eternal life. 

Glory to you, O Christ: for us and for our salvation you overcame death and opened the gate to everlasting life. 

Glory to you, O Holy Spirit: you lead us into the truth. 

Glory to you, Blessed Trinity, now and forever. Amen.