|
Worship Order for
Sunday
|
Call to
Worship
Psalm 16
One - Protect me, God, you are my place of
refuge.
All - I’m acknowledging you as the one in charge,
LORD;
you are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
One - I delight in the company of those who dedicate
themselves
to you; they are the salt of the earth.
All - Those who worship other things will have nothing
but grief.
I will not buy into their futile devotions;
I will not utter the names they revere.
One - You are all I want, LORD, and all I need; you hold my
future
in your hands. You mark out the best of everything for me;
you’ve set me up with a bright future.
All - I heap accolades on you, LORD, for you always
give me
wise advice; even in the dead of night you fill my heart
with your teachings.
One - I’ll always stick close behind you, LORD; with you
near by,
I’ll never be pushed off track.
All - You fill me with delight, LORD; joy erupts from
deep
in my bones; my body relaxes, safe in your care.
One - You’ll never let the grave drag me down;
your faithful servants are never left for dead.
All - You set my feet on a life-giving track, LORD. To
be
in your presence is absolute bliss. All I could dream of
comes from your hand.
Translation
©2001 Nathan Nettleton www.laughingbird.net
|
|
Opening
Prayer
Yes, you are
the one in charge, LORD; you are the best thing that’s ever
happened to us.
Yes, You set our
feet on a life-giving track, LORD. To be in your presence is
absolute bliss. All we ever could dream of comes from your hand.
Forgive us when
these feet wander from you. For you are our God, you alone are our
joy. Amen.
refers to Responsive
Call to Worship
|
|
For
Children
"I like to be
with you"
The Word:
"You
will show me the path that leads to life; your presence
fills me with joy and brings me pleasure forever."
Psalm 16:11
The World:
Five
socks of different sizes and colors and one pair of
matched socks. |
Your father
has done the laundry. Your job is to put the clothes away. First
you have to match up the socks. You start with this one (show
one sock from the matched pair). Would these two make a pair? (Put
the sock with a larger one of a different color.) No, they don’t
belong together. What if you had one foot this size, the other
this size? Would you want to wear one sock this color and one this
color?
So let's look
for another sock. (Continue to match other socks with the
first. Comment on why they are not mates.) What about this
one? (This time show the matching sock.) These two are the
same size. They are the same color. They are made of the same
material. They are a pair.
Now let’s
pretend you are this sock (show one from the pair). We are
looking for a mate for you. How do you find someone who matches
you? The person who wrote Psalm 16 found a mate for himself. He
said, "You will show me the path that leads to life; your
presence fills me with joy and brings me pleasure forever."
The psalm writer was happy because he had found a mate. He found
someone he liked to be with. Do you know who it was? It was God.
Listen to what
he said: "You will show me the path that leads to life."
God is the only one who shows us the way to life. He has sent
Jesus to be the way, the truth, and the life for us. The psalmist
also said, "Your presence . . . brings me pleasure
forever." We can enjoy being with other people. But only God
can promise to be with us forever.
You and God
are a pair - like these two socks are a pair. Since you match God
that means you do not match those who do not match him. Earlier
the same psalm said, "Those who rush to other gods bring many
troubles on themselves. I will not take part in their sacrifices;
I will not worship their gods" (v. 4). The psalmist knew he
would not be happy with those who went away from God. You do not
belong with those who deny God. You are not a pair with them.
However, when
you are a match with God, you are also a match with others who
belong to him. In the verse I first read to you the psalmist said
that being with God filled him with joy. He also wrote, "How
excellent are the Lord s faithful people! My greatest pleasure is
to be with them" (v. 3).
Jesus showed
us he liked to be with us when he came to live on earth. Even
after he died to pay for our sins, he came back. He promised to be
with us forever. Because he likes to be with us, we like to be
with him. When we are with Jesus, we are also with one another and
with others who love Jesus.
I like being
with you. I am glad Jesus is with us.
by Eldon Weisheit, The Psalms for Children,
pp. 122-23.
|
|
Pastoral Prayer
written closer to the time (if not at the
moment)
|
|
Confession
of Faith
worship leader:
In faith we have gathered here this day.
In faith we have been worshipping God.
In faith we have come to the Lord,
praying for ourselves and others.
Please turn with me to #713 in your hymnal,
and let's profess what we mean by "faith,"
realizing that all our words
could never encompass everything.
Even so, we need to speak up
and confess the hope within us.
Would you join me?
All:
We believe in Jesus Christ,
who was promised to the people of Israel,
who came in the flesh to dwell among us,
who announced the coming of the rule of God,
who gathered disciples and taught them,
who died on the cross to free us from sin,
who rose from the dead to give us life and
hope,
who reigns in heaven at the right hand of
God,
who comes to judge and bring justice to
victory.
We believe in God,
Who raised Jesus from the dead,
who created and sustains the universe,
who acts to deliver God's people in times of need,
who desires everyone everywhere to be saved,
who rules over the destinies of people and
nations,
who continues to love us even when we turn
away.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
who is the form of God present in the church,
who moves us to faith and obedience,
who is the guarantee of our deliverance,
who leads us to find God's will in the word,
who assists those who are renewed in prayer,
who guides us in discernment,
who impels us to act together.
We believe God has made us a people,
to invite others to follow Christ,
to encourage one another to deeper commitment,
to proclaim forgiveness of sins and hope,
to reconcile people to God through word and deed,
to bear witness to the power of love over hate,
to proclaim Jesus the Ruler of all,
to meet the daily tasks of life with purpose,
to suffer joyfully for the cause of right,
to the
ends of the earth,
to the
end of the age,
to the
praise of Christ's glory.
Hymnal #713
adapted from The Mennonite Hymnal,
© 1969 Faith & Life Press/Mennonite Publishing House.
|
|
Returning
our Tithes and Offerings
In
this faith, now, let’s return to the Lord our offerings - "to
the praise of Christ's glory." Ushers?
|
|
Benediction
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father,
who has shown us such love,
and in his grace has given us
such unfailing encouragement
and so sure a hope,
still encourage and strengthen
you
in every good deed and word.
Hymnal #773
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17,
adapted from the Revised English Bible
|
|