Though Paul had more reason than others to rely on his religious qualifications, he counts it all as loss for the sake of Christ, and the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus his Lord. He has a new righteousness, not his own law-based righteousness, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God. He has a new goal, to know Christ and the power of his resurrection, and to share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, so as to attain the resurrection from the dead. For these high aims he presses on, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead – the one goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. This is the mature vision of authentic discipleship in Christ.

Invocation: Our Prayer of Acclamation
Fill my heart, O God, and enable me to see only you as I seek your face in this time. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Call to Worship
Blessed are you, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And blessed is your Kingdom, both now and forever, amen.

Te Deum Laudamus 
You are God: we praise you; you are the Lord; we acclaim you; you are the eternal Father: All creation worships you. To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.

The glorious company of apostles praise you. The noble fellowship of prophets praise you. The white-robed army of martyrs praise you. Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you; Father, of majesty unbounded, your true and only Son, worthy of all worship, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.

You, Christ, are the king of glory, the eternal Son of the Father. When you became man to set us free you did not shun the Virgin’s womb. You overcame the sting of death and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You are seated at God’s right hand in glory. We believe that you will come and be our judge. Come then, Lord, and help your people, bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saints to glory everlasting.

Praise and Thanksgiving (songs and prayers)

Gloria Patri
Glory be to the Father,
And to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
As it was in the beginning,
Is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, amen.

The 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; he descended into hell; the third day he arose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven and sits on 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.

*In the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds, the term catholic refers to the Church’s universality, through all ages and times, of all languages and peoples. It refers to no particular tradition or denominational expression (e.g., as in Roman Catholic).

Prayers of Confession
Let us now confess our sins to God and receive mercy and grace to help in our time of need.

Assurance of Pardon
Having faithfully confessed and renounced your sin, Christ also has been faithful to forgive your sins and to purify you from all unrighteousness. It is certain, that there is One who has spoken to the Father in your defense, Jesus Christ, the Righteous One who is the atoning sacrifice for our sins and for the sins of the whole world. His grace and peace are with you now. Amen.

Petitions and Supplications, Ending with 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, for ever. Amen.

~ Matthew 6.9-13 (KJV)

Doxology (and/or closing song)
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Benediction 
May we never count ourselves to have already obtained, but in your power press on to make our very own all that Christ Jesus desires for us, the upward calling of God in Christ. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Pray without Ceasing – Flash Prayer for the Day
Enable me to count all things but loss in order to gain Christ my Lord.

Weekly Reflection on the Priesthood of all Believers
Early Christians literally died to spread the Gospel. They were hunted and killed, and yet they persisted. They gave their lives because they represented Christ and his Kingdom. Guarding the good deposit will mean embracing our identity as agents of God’s Kingdom. It will mean that we become representatives (or ambassadors) of Christ.

~ Ryan Carter. Guard the Good Deposit: The Great Tradition for the Whole Church. Wichita, KS: TUMI Press, 2019. p. 52.

Let God Arise! Seasonal Focus
That I May Gain Christ, Philippians 3.4-14

Book Reading
Fish and Conant, Every Member Evangelism for Today

Our Corporate Disciplines
Day Retreat: Tuesday, April 5, 2022