Worship Order for Sunday

Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren
Long Green & Kanes Rds., near Glen Arm, Md.
August 2, 2009
Worship 10:00 am
 

      "We are all children of the one God, who surrounds everything, permeates everything, and embraces everything. That doesn’t mean we're a bunch of clones though. In his extraordinary generosity, Christ takes care to give us each the gifts that are just right for us."
                 (Ephesians 4:6-7, Laughing Bird Version)

  Morning Praise (9:45 am)
  Announcements
  Prelude                           "For the beauty of the earth"              arr. Earl Larson

  Call to Worship

*Hymn                         "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty"                              37

*Opening Prayer

  Scripture                                    Jonah 1:1-3

  For Children      "Jonah got into a whale of trouble"
                                                         (children leave for mini-VBS)

  Song                                              "Jonah"                                     (see insert)

  Sharing a joy, a concern, a word of testimony or praise
                                 (please be brief, and aware of God's listening presence)

  Hymn                           "‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus"                             340

  Pastoral Prayer

  Returning our Tithes and Offerings

  Offertory                                   "Andante in F"                               Beethoven
                                        (Please sign the attendance pad and pass it on)

  Scripture                                 Ephesians 4:1-16

  Message                         "Not a bunch of clones" (mp3)

*Hymn                                     "Here I am, Lord"                                       395

*Benediction

*Postlude

*Rise in body or in spirit

#'s are from Hymnal: A Worship Book

Worship leaders - see basic guidelines

Call to Worship
Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32

1 - O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.

2 - Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, those he redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

1 - Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the mighty waters; they saw the deeds of the Lord, his wondrous works in the deep.

2 - For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea.

1 - They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their calamity; they reeled and staggered like drunkards, and were at their wits' end.

2 - Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out from their distress; he made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.

1 - Then they were glad because they had quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.

2 - Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind.

1 - Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

(pause)

1 – Please rise in body or in spirit, and let us give our "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the king of creation." #37 in your hymnal.

text is from the New Revised Standard Version
 
 

Opening Prayer

Some who are gathered here have recently gone "down to the sea in ships," O Lord, but not many. Still, plenty of us have known times when stormy winds have blown and courage melts away and we, like sailors, at our wits end cry out to you. And you have answered, and we have seen your "wondrous works in the deep." Maybe not in some grand display of power that the world craves; perhaps more in the stilling of the storm and the quiet voice of real strength do you speak, O God.
            We thank you for your steadfast love, through times of calm as well as stormy seas. You redeem us from trouble, and gather us together from east and west and north and south. Indeed, all that is within us adores you, and with a loud voice in Jesus' name, all God's people say:

“AMEN!”
 

For Children
"Jonah got into a whale of trouble"

            Ed Lewis will share with our little ones this week's Bible story installment. Then they will head out for snacks and crafts and other fun, building upon Jonah and the whale.
 

Pastoral Prayer

 

written closer to the time (if not at the moment)

 

Returning our Tithes and Offerings

"Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus"…

"Trust"…

(open dictionary and find entry, read the below as if reading the entry)

Trust…

  1. assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something
  2. dependence on something future – hope
  3. a property interest held by one person for the benefit of another
  4. trustworthiness
  5. a charge or duty imposed in faith or confidence or as a condition of some relationship

(close dictionary, and ponder a moment, then speak the following pensively)

Hmmm… "Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus"…

            We rely upon Christ's character, ability, strength, and truth…
            We depend upon God and have hope for the future…
            We hold in interest what the Lord has given us…
            We grow in becoming trustworthy with what we have been given…

(pause and look at congregation and ask)

How do you define trusting in Jesus?

Ushers, it's your turn.
  

Benediction

 

(para traducir a español, presione la bandera de España)

 

Interested in Sunday School?
Below is a growing list of possible sites to visit. As you discover others, please let us know.

International Lesson:
Faith and Life Resources
Mennonite Publishing House

International Lesson:
Mennonite Weekly Review

(scroll down on left to "Sunday School lessons)

International Lesson:
Christian Standard
(one week ahead)

International Lesson:
Living Web Sunday School Project

 
International Lesson:
Adult Bible Studies
from The United Methodist Publishing House
(click "supplemental resources" and "current events supplement" under both the "Student" and "Teacher" sections in the left hand column)
  

While one of our adult classes follows the International lesson above (see also), using
A Guide for Biblical Studies,
published quarterly by our denomination,
another class often uses one of the
Good Ground series,
also published by Brethren Press.

For children and youth, we use the new
Gather Round curriculum
(developed jointly by the Church of the Brethren and the Mennonite Church)

 

©2009 Peter L. Haynes
(unless otherwise stated, worship resources were written by him)

 

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