Revelation 21-27: The New Heaven and Earth

The New Heaven and Earth

Prelude

Opening Song: Gather Us In                                                                     _{Lift Up Your Hearts, 529}

God's Greeting and Call to Worship

Leader: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
All: And also with you!

Our help is in the name of the Lord,                                                                   _{Psalm 124:8}
who made heaven and earth.

Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,                                       _{based on Ephesians 4:12–13}
you have adopted us as your children,
you lavish your grace upon us at Word and table.
May all we do here equip us for ministry,
build us up as the body of Christ,
strengthen our unity in faith,
deepen our knowledge of Jesus, our Lord,
and help us to grow into maturity as your children,
reflecting the full stature of Christ.
Amen.

Song: Alleluia! Sing to Jesus                                                                _{Lift Up Your Hearts, 831}

Sung Call to Confession: The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation                     _Psalm 27 

Sung Prayer of Confessions: Create in Me/Crea en mí                                        _{Psalm 51}

Assurance of Pardon                                                                                           _{Isaiah 65: 17-25}

For I am about to create new heavens
   and a new earth;
the former things shall not be remembered
  or come to mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever
  in what I am creating;
for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy,
  and its people as a delight.
I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
  and delight in my people;
no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it,
  or the cry of distress.
No more shall there be in it
  an infant that lives but a few days,
  or an old person who does not live out a lifetime;
for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth,
  and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed.
They shall build houses and inhabit them;
  they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
They shall not build and another inhabit;
  they shall not plant and another eat;
for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
  and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
They shall not labor in vain,
  or bear children for calamity;
for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord—
  and their descendants as well.
Before they call I will answer,
  while they are yet speaking I will hear.
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
  the lion shall eat straw like the ox;
  but the serpent—its food shall be dust!
They shall not hurt or destroy
  on all my holy mountain,
says the Lord.

Song of Response: The Lord Is Kind and Merciful                                                           _{Psalm 103}

Prayer for Illumination

Scripture                                                                                                 _{Revelation 21: 1-8, 22-27}

Sermon

Prayer of Application

Song of Application: Come, We That Love the Lord                           _{Lift Up Your Hearts, 483}

                                                                                              _{The choral introduction to this congregational hymn is based on
                                                               the historic African American tune associated with “Come, We That Love the Lord.”}

Prayers of the People with Healer of Our Every Ill                              _{Lift Up Your Hearts, 303}

Refrain and Stanza 1
Prayer: Spirit of all comfort, you know us. You know our fears and our sadness;
you hear the cries of the suffering around the world . . .

Refrain and Stanza 2
Prayer: God of love, thank you for your grace which beautifully unfolds before us. Thank you for . . .

Refrain and Stanza 3
Prayer: Spirit of kindness, thank you for the sisters and brothers gathered here in this place.
Thank you for the families and churches that they represent. . . .

Refrain and Stanza 4
Prayer: Spirit of compassion, God who knows all our thoughts and feelings,
thank you for your promise to one day make everything new. . . .

Refrain

Blessing                                                                                                         _{Ephesians 3:20-21}

Now to him who by the power at work within us
is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine,
to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.
Amen.

Go in peace to love and serve the coming Lord.

Closing Song: Soon and Very Soon                                                     _{Lift Up Your Hearts, 482}

_{Leaders: Karen Campbell, preaching; James Abbington; alumni from the James Abbington Church Music Academy; Tony Alonso;
Marty Haugen; Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.; Emmett G. Price III}