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Worship Order for
Sunday
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Unison Call to
Worship
In the church year, this today is called by some, “Good Shepherd
Sunday.” It is thus very appropriate to begin worship with the
23rd Psalm. Please turn in your hymnal to #814 and,
together, let us repeat these very familiar words.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall
not want;
he makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no
evil;
for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff,
they comfort
me.
Thou preparest a table before me
in the
presence of my enemies;
thou anointest my head with oil,
my cup
overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days
of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever. |
Hymnal
#814
from the Revised Standard Version.
Copyright 1946, 1952, 1959, 1973
by the Division of Christian Education of
the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States
of America.
All rights
reserved. Used by permission.
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Opening
Prayer
Our true Shepherd,
who provides for
our true needs,
who guides along
the way, who casts out fear,
who protects and
strengthens through the valley,
who is with us
always,
whose table is a
place of peace even amid conflict,
who anoints and
heals,
who fills our cup
to overflowing,
whose goodness
and mercy hound us throughout life,
and whose house is a home open to all
who hear the welcome in your voice,
and turn and come to you;
Our true Shepherd, lead us -
this moment, this
hour, this day, this week. AMEN.
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Scripture
Acts 9:36-43
From the book of
Acts we listen to a resurrection story, which is appropriate for
this fourth Sunday of Easter. Open your ears, as well as your
minds and hearts, to the good news about a disciple of Jesus
named Tabitha.
read
Acts 9:36-43
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Responding with our Tithes and Offerings
Tabitha, also known as Dorcas,
was a gifted woman. In fact, the widows who were drawn to Jesus
by her depended upon not only the ability of her hands as a
seamstress, but also her gift of leadership. They felt lost,
without a shepherd, when she died. As we heard, however, God had
other plans. The Lord was not finished working through her.
As long as you and I have
breath, God works through us. Even when we think it’s finished,
that we have nothing left to give, the Lord may have other
possibilities. And the gift goes on! Ponder that as the plates
are passed and you respond to the message of Easter yet again
with your offering. Please pray with me.
Lord, thank you for the
gift of Tabitha. We’ve only a glimpse of this woman, yet like
ripples in a pond we behold in this story the impact of your
love at work. And the gift goes on! Like her, raise us to new
possibilities. We are grateful for the ability to share what we
have received. Empower us to “get up” and continue what you have
started. In Jesus, we pray. Amen.
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For
Children
"Face
it,
God is wonderful!"
Our storyteller,
Ed, writes, “I will have a magic marker and a tag board to draw
on, and I will start with the outline of a head. I’ll then ask
the kids to tell me the parts of a face and, one by one, I’ll
draw the parts on the tag board (sort of like "Mr. Potato
Head"). As I draw the individual part, I will share that "gift"
that God has given to us. When the face is complete, I want to
tell how some people either have not been given or lost the use
of those gifts, and how the greatest gift (love), helps us to
overcome or compensate for that loss. "God's" love comes through
others, helping us. We take many of God’s gifts for granted, as
well as the love that God shows to us always.
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Pastoral Prayer
written closer to the time (if not at the
moment)
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Closing Affirmation of Faith
Leader: Jesus taught us to speak of hope as the coming of God's
kingdom.
ALL: We believe that God is at work in our world
turning hopeless and evil situations into good.
We believe that goodness and justice
will triumph in the end
and that tyranny and oppression cannot last forever.
One day all tears will be wiped away;
the lamb will lie down with the lion,
and justice will roll down like a mighty stream.
Leader: True peace and true reconciliation are not only
desired,
they are assured and guaranteed in Christ.
ALL: This is our faith.
This is our hope.
Hymnal, #711, South African creed,
20th c.,
Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace,
Toronto, Ontario, CANADA
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(para traducir a español, presione la bandera de España)
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