April 12, 2026 Order of Worship

Variations on "Christus vincit" (excerpt) (setting by Denis Bedard) – Geoffrey Liu

Welcome – Terry Bolender

Opening Prayer – Kristine Wallace

Leader: We come this morning to seek you, God!

People: Set our minds on heavenly things!

Leader: Give us hearts for mercy with justice, forgiveness and reconciliation.

People: Give us a heart for our neighbors and strangers, peace and goodwill!

Leader: Take from us all anger, wrath, malice and slander.

People: Still the abusive voices that control our thinking and silence all mean-spirited language from our lips.

Leader: Strip away all that is ungodly in our thinking and speaking and acting.

People: Clothe us in a new self, according to your own image, God!

Leader: Remake us in the image and likeness of Christ.

People: Jesus is our all-in-all!

All: In his name and for his coming kingdom’s sake, we pray. Amen.

What An Awesome God – Congregational Singing

Time with Young Disciples – Stephanie McIlwain Miller

As I Go Down to the River to Pray – Sanctuary Choir

Scripture Reading – Kristine Wallace

Introduction to the Epistle Reading: Our scripture reading today comes from Colossians 3:1-11. It’s a letter Paul wrote to a church in a Greek city in modern day Turkey. Paul writes from prison to the Christians there who are doing well and to further challenge them to follow Jesus more closely. In chapter 3, Paul says, our old life before Jesus died with him on the cross. Live your new life today with mercy, generosity, forgiveness and love! Here’s what Paul says…

Colossians 3:1-11

If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life. But now you must get rid of all such things: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, enslaved and free, but Christ is all and in all!

Demo Day – Pastor Jim

What a Friend We Have in Jesus – UMH #526

Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer

Offering Our Gifts to God – Grace Alone – Jill Clifford, vocal, Pat Gray, piano

Doxology – Easter People, Raise Your Voices, UMH #304 vs 1

Prayer of Dedication

Leader: All that we have, we have from you, Creator and Preserver of all.

People: Accept these gifts which we now offer. Help us to make the whole of life an offering and every thought a prayer.

Across the Lands – W&S #3032

Blessing

Toccata from Variations on "Christus vincit" (setting by Denis Bedard) – Geoffrey Liu

Resources for Worship

Opening Prayer is by Jim Head-Corliss for worship at Kent UMC, April 12, 2026.