HELPFUL LINKS

Blacknall Worship from Home
March 21, 2021

Invocation

“Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.” [Psalm 125:1] Lord, we come before you today knowing how difficult it is for us to trust you, how often we choose to trust in our own wisdom and abilities. By the power of your Holy Spirit, renew our hearts so that we eagerly seek your face. May we joyfully join with all of creation as we proclaim “Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom!” [Psalm 145: 3]

Song | How Great Thou Art

O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works thy hands hath made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy pow'r throughout the universe displayed;

Refrain:

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art, how great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art, how great thou art!

But when I think that God, his Son not sparing,
Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in,
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin; [Refrain]

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration
And there proclaim, "My God, how great thou art!"

Scripture Reading | Psalm 9:1-12

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.

3 My enemies turn back;
    they stumble and perish before you.
4 For you have upheld my right and my cause,
    sitting enthroned as the righteous judge.
5 You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
    you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.
6 Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies,
    you have uprooted their cities;
    even the memory of them has perished.

7 The Lord reigns forever;
    he has established his throne for judgment.
8 He rules the world in righteousness
    and judges the peoples with equity.
9 The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
    a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 Those who know your name trust in you,
    for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

11 Sing the praises of the Lord, enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among the nations what he has done.
12 For he who avenges blood remembers;
he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted.

Song | Before the Throne of God Above

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea
A great High Priest whose name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me
My name is written on His hands
My name is hidden in His heart
I know that while in heav'n He stands
No power can force me to depart
No power can force me to depart

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin
Because the sinless Saviour died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God the Just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me

Behold Him there the risen Lamb
My perfect sinless righteousness
The great unchangeable I Am
The King of glory and of grace
One with my Lord I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is safe with Christ on high
With Christ my Saviour and my God
With Christ my Saviour and my God

Call to Confession

Before the throne of God is a great high priest who lives and pleads for us. His name is Jesus Christ. When we come to confess our sins, we come knowing that the God we confess to loves us so much that he sent his Son to be with us. Even though turn away from God and are reluctant to repent, he stands with open arms welcoming us back to him. With this confidence, let us kneel and confess our sins.

Prayer of Confession

Heavenly Father, we confess to you that we have not loved you with our whole heart. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. Our lives are often a muddled mess of contradiction where we are quick to praise you in speech, but our deeds betray us and remind us that we would much prefer to go our own way. Forgive us when we think that we can fix ourselves through our own abilities. By your mercy, transform our hearts so that we can love and serve you and walk in the fullness of life that is found in your Son. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

Friends, it is true! In Jesus Christ you are forgiven.

Passing the Peace

May the peace of the Lord be with you.
Response: And also with you

Affirmation of Faith | Apostles Creed

We 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 rose 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 living and the dead. We 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.

Children’s Blessing

With Leslie Petree

Children’s Worship

If you would like to receive the Children’s Worship video email, please contact Beth Solie.

Proclamation of the Word | Pastor Allan Poole

Mark 2:1-12

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Song of Response | Forgiveness You Speak

Your hands, O Lord, in days of old
Were strong to heal and save;
They triumphed o'er disease and death,
O'er darkness and the grave.

To you they came, the sick, the lame
Through roofs, drop’d from above;
Yet first forgiveness you declared,
A salve of healing love.

Yet some, they asked, who is this man?
Who blots out sin but God?
You answered with authority,
“With ease, get up, and trod!”

So to you we come, the sick, the poor
In body and in soul;
Forgiveness you speak o’er your saints,
That we might walk forth whole.

Presenting Our Gifts | Online Giving

You are invited to respond to God’s Word by giving to the mission God has called us to at Blacknall.

Prayers of Thanksgiving & Intercession

Would you like to share a prayer request? Submit your request here.

(As you pray the following petitions, you are encouraged to pause and lift to the Lord particular concerns or people or events. Read prayer requests from Blacknall members and ministry partners here.)

Lord, we praise you because we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We are overwhelmed that you have chosen to dwell among us through your Son, Jesus Christ, and that you also invite us to be your children. We pray that you will strengthen us to live into our identity as children of the light.

We pray for our country as we process and grieve another tragic shooting, and we especially lift up our Asian American brothers and sisters during this time. Work in and through us to be agents of reconciliation in our community as we seek to bring your kingdom to earth. We long for your coming where all things will be made right, and we ask that you transform us into instruments of peace and justice in the midst of a hurting world.

We are reminded of your words:

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

We thank you for the abundant faithfulness you have shown to this congregation. We pray over our church during this time of transition, and commit our future plans to you. We ask that you continue to unify us and give us wisdom and patience as we seek to discern your will. May we be a people who are known by our love.

Go with us and guide us as we seek to be your hands and feet.

We pray all this in the name of your Son, who taught us to pray...

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.

Benediction

Song | Lord Who Throughout These 40 Days

Lord, who throughout these forty days
For us did fast and pray,
Teach us to overcome our sins,
And close by You to stay.

As You with Satan did contend
And did the vict'ry win,
O give us strength in You to fight,
In You to conquer sin.

And through these days of penitence,
And through Your Passion-tide,
For evermore, in life and death,
O Lord, with us abide,
O Lord, with us abide!

Abide with us that, when this life
Of suffering is past,
An Easter of unending joy
We may attain at last!

Text by Claudia Frances Hernaman (1873). Tune: St. Flavian (1562). Public Domain.