Dear Church Family,

We are delighted to gather for worship over the phone and via live-stream. We want to share with you

the Order of Worship that we will use for this Fourth Sunday of Easter, April 25, 2021.

We will start the service at 10 AM.

Please join us by using either the conference call number, the live-stream via Zoom, Facebook, or our

website. We want everyone to have the opportunity to worship. Thank you so much.

Welcome to St. Matthew’s UMC!

Live-Stream

St. Matthew's UMC via Zoom

Meeting ID: 996 0251 9769 Password: 14900

St. Matthew's UMC via Facebook

St. Matthew's UMC via Website

Conference Call

Conference Call Dial-In: +1-301-715-8592

Enter Access Code: 996 0251 9769 # Password: 14900 #

Then, please wait for the host to begin.

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Fourth Sunday of Easter

April 25, 2021

PRELUDE: Chorale Prelude on St Columba: “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”

— Quentin Thomas (b. 1972)

WELCOME

CALL TO WORSHIP — Psalm 104

Leader: Bless the Lord.

All: O Lord our God, you are very great.

Leader: You set the earth on its foundations,

so that it shall never be shaken.

All: You cover it with the deep as with a garment;

the waters stood above the mountains.

Leader: By the streams the birds of the air have their habitation;

they sing among the branches.

All: From your lofty abode you water the mountains;

the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.

Leader: O Lord, how manifold are your works!

All: In wisdom you have made them all;

the earth is full of your creatures.

Leader: May the glory of the Lord endure forever;

All: We will sing to the Lord as long as we live.

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OPENING HYMN: All Creatures of Our God and King UMH #62

Please See The Next Page.

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OPENING PRAYER

Holy Creator and Shepherd,

you call us as your flock.

You care for us and provide for us.

We come together this day to

worship you in truth and in action.

Open our ears to the cries of your people.

Open our hearts to the song of your creation.

Help us to follow where you lead us,

that all may live in green pastures,

that all may know your love and your peace.

Amen.

ACT OF PRAISE: Sing with all the Saints in Glory UMH #702 (Verse 1 Only)

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Maker of the sky and the air and the breath of life, God of all that is:

we are your servant people, created out of the clay of the earth itself.

We forget that we are your creatures and we play at being gods.

We neglect the work of stewardship that you have provided for our occupation and our joy.

We have used, abused, and abandoned those things that you have created for your delight.

We ask your forgiveness, Holy and Righteous God.

We yearn to join with the mountains and valleys,

the rocks and the birds and the wild ocean waters in singing your praises.

WORDS OF ASSURANCE

SHARING THE PEACE

JOYS & CONCERNS

PASTORAL PRAYER & LORD’S PRAYER

HYMN: The King of Love My Shepherd Is UMH #138

Please See The Next Page.

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HEBREW LESSON

Today’s reading from the Hebrew Scriptures is from the prophet Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 34:11-16

11 For thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out.

12 As shepherds seek

out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from

all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13

I will bring them out

from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed

them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. 14

I will feed

them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in

good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15

I myself will be the

shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. 16

I will seek the lost, and I will bring

back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will

destroy. I will feed them with justice.

The Word of the Lord. THANKS BE TO GOD.

CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE: Psalm 23

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:

he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul:

he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness

for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;

thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

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5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:

thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

EPISTLE LESSON

Today’s Epistle reading from the First Letter of John.

1 John 3:16-24

16 We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one

another. 17

How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need

and yet refuses help?

18 Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.

19 And by this we will know that we

are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him 20

whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater

than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21

Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before

God; 22

and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases

him.

23 And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one

another, just as he has commanded us. 24

All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them.

And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.

The Word of the Lord. THANKS BE TO GOD.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION: Celtic Alleluia TWFS #2043

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GOSPEL

This morning’s Gospel reading is from the Gospel according to John.

John 10:11-18

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

12 The hired hand, who is not

the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the

wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13

The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the

sheep. 14

I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15

just as the Father knows me and I

know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16

I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I

must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17

For this

reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18

No one takes it from me,

but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have

received this command from my Father.”

The Gospel of the Lord. THANKS BE TO GOD.

MUSIC FOR MEDITATION: Allegretto in D Major

— Betty Roe (b. 1930)

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE

MUSIC AT THE GRADUAL: Moderato in G Major

— Andrew Moore (b. 1954)

MESSAGE: Being Good Sheep

— Rev. Katy Hinman

MUSIC DURING THE OFFERING: By the Grace of the Spirit

— Text: Evelyn Miller

— Music: Andrew Gant (b. 1963)

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DOXOLOGY UMH #95

Praise God from whom all blessings flow,

Praise him all creatures here below,

Praise him above, you heavenly host,

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING — Pope Francis, Laudato Si

All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe

and in the smallest of your creatures.

You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.

Pour out upon us the power of your love,

that we may protect life and beauty.

Fill us with peace, that we may live

as brothers and sisters, harming no one.

O God of the poor,

help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this

earth, so precious in your eyes.

Bring healing to our lives,

that we may protect the world and not prey on it,

that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.

Touch the hearts

of those who look only for gain

at the expense of the poor and the earth.

Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,

to be filled with awe and contemplation,

to recognize that we are profoundly united

with every creature

as we journey towards your infinite light.

We thank you for being with us each day.

Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle

for justice, love and peace. Amen.

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CLOSING HYMN: God, Who Stretched the Spangled Heavens UMH #150

Please See The Next Page.

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BENEDICTION

RESPONSE TO THE BENEDICTION: Shalom to You UMH #666

POSTLUDE: Celebration in D Major

— Stephen L. Aber (b. 1988)

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Being Good Sheep and Caring for God’s Creation

All creation is the Lord’s, and we are responsible for the ways in which we use and abuse it.

Water, air, soil, minerals, energy resources, plants, animal life, and space are to be valued and conserved

because they are God’s creation and not solely because they are useful to human beings.

God has granted us stewardship of creation.

We should meet these stewardship duties through acts of loving care and respect.

United Methodist Social Principles ¶160.1 The Natural World

Here are a few ways that you can live out God’s call to be a steward of creation:

Join the United Methodist Church Creation Justice movement and sign up for their monthly tips –

https://umcreationjustice.org/

Read the UM Bishops’ message “God’s Renewed Creation: Call to Hope and Action” – http://hopeandaction.org

Plant native and pollinator–friendly plants in your yard. Pollinators are crucial for our environment and native

plants help maintain our local wildlife. Check out the Maryland Native Plant Society – https://mdflora.org

Lower your energy use. The #1 contributor to climate change is the drastic increase in greenhouse gases (carbon

dioxide and methane) from burning fossil fuels for electricity, heat, and transportation. Small actions can add up –

turn off lights and electronics when they’re not in use. Use a programmable thermostat. Switch out lightbulbs to

LEDs. Drive less.

Practice the three R’s – reduce, reuse, recycle. Reduce your consumption and purchasing, especially of plastics and

single–use items. Reuse items and share with others instead of buying new. Recycle items when they’ve reached

the end of use.

Advocate for creation justice. Write to law and policy makers. Get involved in local issues.

Eat local. Support local farmers and reduce emissions by eating food grown nearby. Visit your local farmer’s market

or join a CSA (community supported agriculture – it’s like a subscription for produce!).

Go outside and play! Spending time in nature is healing. Look closely at seedlings sprouting, blossoms opening, and

the renewal of green. Share your delight with family, especially children, and friends. Reconnect with the beauty of

creation.