After his resurrection, Jesus met his disciples on a mountain. When he appeared our Lord declared that all authority in heaven and earth were now given to him. He commanded them to therefore go and make disciples of all nations. Christ our King calls all of us to evangelize, equip, and empower new generations of Christians. The Great Commission provides an overall outline for the Church’s threefold witness in the world to make disciples. The Church gives witness by going and making disciples (evangelizing the lost in the world), by baptizing (incorporating new believers into the assembly of believers), and by teaching (instructing disciples to do everything Jesus commands and so grow to maturity in him).

Invocation: Our Prayer of Acclamation

Let the doors of thy sanctuary, O Lord our God, open unto us and to all thy people, in peace and blessing. Let us come into thy courts with the light of hope in our eyes and the love of thy name kindling our hearts, that we may take delight in thy praise and wait on thee with a humble and joyful spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

~ James Ferguson (Ferguson and Wallis, p. 347)

Ferguson, James and Charles L. Wallis, eds. Prayers for Public Worship: A Service Book of Morning and Evening Prayers Following the Course of the Christian Year. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1958.

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 

Eternal God, you set Jesus Christ to rule over all things, and made us servants in your kingdom. By your Spirit empower us to love the unloved, and to minister to all in need. Then at the last bring us to your eternal realm where we may worship and adore you and be welcomed into your everlasting joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

~ The Book of Common Worship (The Theological and Worship Ministry Unit, p. 395)

The Theological and Worship Ministry Unit. Book of Common Worship. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1993.

Pray without Ceasing – Flash Prayer for the Day
O holy and triune God, in whose name – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – all disciples are baptized, make your glory known through me today and always.

As those created in the image of the divine King, humanity was to spread and reflect his glorious reign by subduing and ruling the entire earth (Gen 1:28-28). . . . To subdue the earth was to extend God’s garden sanctuary throughout the earth and thus prepare the way for the presence of Yahweh to permeate the world entirely.

~ Uche Anizor and Hank Voss, Representing Christ. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2016. pp. 29-30.

Let God Arise! Seasonal Focus
The Everlasting Dominion to Come, Daniel 7.1-18

Book Reading
Anizor and Voss, Representing Christ

Special Church Year Service
Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 24, 2022