Welcome & Opening Prayer – Rev. Russell Clark

Good morning church!

I am Russell Clark and I am the senior pastor at Azle Christian Church. For those here in worship and those with us online, may the life-giving love of God bring new life to you this morning!

If you are new to our church, there is information in your bulletin about filling out the attendance registration and getting connected with us, about how we love our kids here and we have space in the back for them to move around or our nursery if needed, and how to find our liturgy on our website.

May we open up our time of worship with a prayer:

God, The Alpha and Omega, The Beginning and The End,

May we see our place in your story this morning. Even amidst our broken lives and our imperfect knowledge of you, God, may The Holy Spirit show us how beautiful a life with you truly is today – here and now – during this time of worship. Amen.

May we take a moment before we get started to greet one another with a hug or a high five.

Opening Songs:

Set a fire down in my soul

That I can't contain and I can't control

I want more of You, God

No place I would rather be

Than here in Your love, here in Your love

No place I would rather be

Than here in Your love, here in Your love

Set a fire down in my soul

That I can't contain and I can't control

I want more of You, God

Set a fire down in my soul

That I can't contain and I can't control

I want more of You, God

I want more, I want more, I want more

Won't You pour it out?

I want more, I want more, I want more

Won't You pour it out?

Set a fire down in my soul

That I can't contain and I can't control

I want more of You, God

Set a fire down in my soul

That I can't contain and I can't control

I want more of You, God

No place I would rather be

Than here in Your love, here in Your love

No place I would rather be

Than here in Your love, here in Your love

Set a fire down in my soul

That I can't contain and I can't control

I want more of You, God

Set a fire down in my soul

That I can't contain and I can't control

I want more

I want more, I want more, I want more

Won't You pour it out?

Set a fire down in my soul

That I can't contain and I can't control

I want more of You, God

Set a fire down in my soul

That I can't contain and I can't control

I want more of You, God

Oh, we want more of You, yeah, yeah

Oh, so much more

So much more of You, God, yeah, yeah

Lift every voice and sing

Till earth and heaven ring

Ring with the harmonies of Liberty

Let our rejoicing rise

High as the listening skies

Let it resound loud as the rolling sea

Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us

Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us

Facing the rising sun of our new day begun

Let us march on till victory is won

Stony the road we trod

Bitter the chastening rod

Felt in the days when hope unborn had died

Yet with a steady beat

Have not our weary feet

Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?

We have come over a way that with tears has been watered

We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered

Out from the gloomy past

Till now we stand at last

Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast

God of our weary years

God of our silent tears

Thou who has brought us thus far on the way

Thou who has by Thy might Led us into the light

Keep us forever in the path, we pray

Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee

Lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee

Shadowed beneath Thy hand

May we forever stand

True to our God

True to our native land

Our native land

Litany of Faith – Becky Stults

One: May we say together the mission statement of Azle Christian Church.

All: There is a place for you at Azle Christian Church.

A place for REFUGEES - We are a church full of people from a variety of traditions & backgrounds. Find your home here where healing from past hurt is possible.

A place for QUESTIONS - We are a church that encourages the messy, challenging theological questions. We don’t pretend to be perfect or to have all the answers.

A place for EVERYONE - We are an open and affirming church who believes everyone is welcome at the table of Jesus Christ. We care deeply about empowering the marginalized in our society.

A place for YOU - We want you to be a part of our story and our family. You are not just welcome here; you are invited to BE WHO YOU ARE WITH US! Amen.

Scripture Meditation – Romans 6:12-14

“That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don’t give it the time of day. Don’t even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time – remember, you’ve been raised from the dead! – into God’s way of doing things. Sin can’t tell you how to live. After all, you’re not living under that old tyranny any longer. You’re living in the freedom of God.”

One: This is the word of God for the people of God.

All: Thanks be to God.

During this Mosaic Faith series so far we’ve talked about how the bible is more than a collection of stories; it points us towards a Savior in Jesus who by the Holy Spirit still breathes new life into us today,

We’ve talked about how salvation is more than a one-time event to give us a “ticket to heaven”, but it’s a life-long journey of continually becoming more aware of God’s grace and love at work in our lives every day, bringing heaven to earth,

And last week we talked about how the church is more than this building, but it’s you and me and all the people who seek to be a part of the body of Christ, to love one another everywhere we go.

And this week we’ll be talking about how there is so much more to our story than the sins and imperfections and mistakes in our lives. There is so much more to you and me that God wants for us so we have a life worth living.

We’ll be talking about this more when we get to the sermon. Let us think about this as we enter our time of prayer…

Time of Prayer & Reflection –

One: The Lord be with you.

All: And also with you.

One: Let us pray.

God of grace –

We confess more than our sins – more than the mistakes we’ve made or how we’ve missed the mark.

We confess how we have not loved one another. We have not shown your grace and love, but have acted like we’re in and they’re out.

May we lay down our sins of pride and exclusiveness to welcome the marginalized and yes, the enemy in our lives. May we show more grace than we feel comfortable with. May we show more love than we understand. May we seek to show the same character and integrity that Jesus taught his disciples.

We are your imperfect and messy disciples. We thank you for defining us by your grace and not by what we do or don’t do. Thank you for telling your story through us, even when we mess up the narrative.

Thank you for telling a deeper, more loving story than the one we knew how to tell. May we dive deeper into this story and discover the true meaning of who you are and how we are called to live today.

You are the Good Good Father. Your peace and love and grace surpass our understanding. That’s why we worship you and follow you every moment of every day – and when we don’t you pick us up and dust us off and set our paths straight. Thank you for your everlasting grace!

And Lord, will you hear us as we pray the prayer Jesus taught us…

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

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.

Responsive Hymn –

Bless the Lord oh my soul

Oh my soul

Worship His Holy name

Sing like never before

Oh my soul

I'll worship Your Holy name

The sun comes up

It's a new day dawning

It's time to sing Your song again

Whatever may pass

And whatever lies before me

Let me be singing

When the evening comes

Bless the Lord oh my soul

Oh my soul

Worship His Holy name

Sing like never before

Oh my soul

I'll worship Your Holy name

You're rich in love

And You're slow to anger

Your name is great

And Your heart is kind

For all Your goodness

I will keep on singing

Ten thousand reasons

For my heart to find

Bless the Lord oh my soul

Oh my soul

Worship His Holy name

Sing like never before

Oh my soul

I'll worship Your Holy name

Bless You Lord

And on that day

When my strength is failing

The end draws near

And my time has come

Still my soul will

Sing Your praise unending

Ten thousand years

And then forevermore

Forevermore

Bless the Lord oh my soul

Oh my soul

Worship His Holy name

Sing like never before

Oh my soul

I'll worship Your Holy name

Bless the Lord oh my soul

Oh my soul

Worship His Holy name

Sing like never before

Oh my soul

I'll worship Your Holy name

Yes I'll worship Your Holy name

I'll worship Your Holy name

Sing like never before

Oh my soul

I'll worship Your Holy name

Jesus I will worship Your Holy name

Worship Your Holy name

Children’s Moment – Emily Harden

Sharing Our Resources

At this time may we give all of ourselves to God –

We give our time to love one another and show mercy to those who need it.

We give our talents by creating something new to make the world a little brighter.

We give financially to help the ministries of our church serving our community.

We give by laying down our bodies to serve the body of Christ – to love and serve one another in the way God has called each of us to live. Amen.

Anthem –

Doxology - Praise God from whom all blessing flow; praise God, all creatures here below; Praise God above, ye heavenly host: Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Offering Prayer – Becky Stults

Sermon Series: Mosaic Faith: Deconstructing What We Think About God to See Something More Beautiful

Sermon: Deconstructing Sin

Holy Communion Meditation & Prayer – Becky Stults

Communion Song –

Abide with me, fast falls the eventide

The darkness deepens Lord, with me abide

When other helpers fail and comforts flee

Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me

Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day

Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away

Change and decay in all around I see

O Thou who changest not, abide with me

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless

Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness

Where is death's sting?

Where, grave, thy victory?

I triumph still, if Thou abide with me

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes

Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies

Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee

In life, in death, o Lord, abide with me

Abide with me, abide with me

We believe Jesus Christ is the gracious host at this table.

Everyone is welcome to participate in communion. Please pass tray to your neighbor after receiving your communion cups. Please help those who need assistance. Hold cups until instructed by Elder to take in unison.

Holy Communion Words of Institution – Becky Stults

Invitation – If you would like to make your statement of faith or become a member of ACC, you may come forward after the benediction or talk to our minister after worship.

*Announcements & Benediction –

Please check your bulletin for our weekly activities and calendar of upcoming events.

If you know of any graduates we should be celebrating on Graduation Sunday next Sunday on June 2, please let Beverly know ASAP.

After worship next Sunday, we will have a reception to celebrate our graduates.

Will you please rise in body and spirit to receive the benediction?

_____

Amen.

*Benediction Response –

God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus

He came to love, heal and forgive

He lived and died to buy my pardon

An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow

Because He lives, all fear is gone

Because I know He holds the future

And life is worth the living

Just because He lives

How sweet to hold a newborn baby

And feel the pride and the joy he gives

But greater still the calm assurance

This child can face uncertain days because He Lives

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow

Because He lives, all fear is gone

Because I know He holds the future

And life is worth the living

Just because He lives

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow

Because He lives, all fear is gone

Because I know He holds the future

And life is worth the living

Just because He lives, lives