Opening Scripture and Prayer

All Creatures of Our God and King

All creatures of our God and King,
lift up your voice and with us sing, O praise him, alleluia.
Thou, burning sun with golden beam,
thou silver moon with softer gleam,
O praise him, O praise him, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Let all things their Creator bless,
and worship him in humbleness, O praise him, alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
and praise the Spirit, three in one,
O praise him, O praise him, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

All the redeemed washed by his blood,
come and rejoice in his great love, O praise him, alleluia.
Christ has defeated every sin;
cast all your burdens now on him.
O praise him, O praise him, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

He shall return in pow’r to reign,
Heaven and earth will join to say: "O praise Him, alleluia."
Then who shall fall on bended knee?
All creatures of our God and King.
O praise him, O praise him, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Prayer of Confession

O Lord, no day of my life has passed that has not proved me guilty in your sight. I have prayed from a prayerless heart; my praise has been praise-less sound; my best services to you are filthy rags. Lord Jesus, though my sins rise to the heavens, your merits soar above them; though unrighteousness weighs me down, your righteousness exalts me to your throne. I appeal to your throne of boundless grace. Grant me to hear your voice assuring me that I am guilty, but pardoned; lost, but saved; wandering, but found; sinning, but cleansed. Keep me always clinging to your cross, flood me every moment with your descending grace.

Assurance of Pardon: Hebrews 9:12

Christ entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.

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 graven on his hands, my name is written on his heart.
I know that while in heav’n he stands, no tongue can bid me thence depart,
no tongue can bid me thence 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 to all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior 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, spotless righteousness,
the great unchangeable I Am, the King of glory and of grace!
One with himself I cannot die. My soul is purchased by his blood!
My life is hid with Christ on high, with Christ, my Savior and my God,
with Christ, my Savior and my God.

One with himself I cannot die. My soul is purchased by his blood!
My life is hid with Christ on high, with Christ, my Savior and my God,
with Christ, my Savior and my God.

Prayer

Scripture Reading: Luke 1:39–45

39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Sermon: The Visitation Dr. Liam Goligher

Jesus Draw Me Ever Nearer

Jesus draw me ever nearer
as I labor through the storm.
you have called me to this passage,
and I'll follow, though I'm worn.

May this journey bring a blessing,
may I rise on wings of faith;
and at the end of my heart's testing,
with your likeness let me wake.

Jesus guide me through the tempest;
keep my spirit staid and sure.
When the midnight meets the morning,
let me love you even more. (refrain)

Let the treasures of the trial
form within me as I go.
And at the end of this long passage,
let me leave them at your throne. (refrain)

Benediction