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Worship Order for
Sunday
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Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren
Long Green & Kanes Rds., near Glen Arm, Md.
February 6, 2011
Worship 10:00 am
Sunday School 11:10am
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“You'll
remember, friends, that when I first came to you to let
you in on God's master stroke, I didn't try to impress
you with polished speeches and the latest philosophy. I
deliberately kept it plain and simple: first Jesus and
who he is; then Jesus and what he did—Jesus crucified.”
(1
Corinthians 2:1-2, The Message) |
Beginning with Praise
(9:50 am) "Fresh
as the morning" (see
insert)
Announcements
Prelude
"Morning Hymn"
Young *Responsive Call to
Worship Psalm 112
(see insert)
*Hymn
"All
people that on earth do dwell"
42
*Opening Prayer
Scripture
Matthew 5:13-20
For Children
“To
Follow”
Pledge Song
"This
little light of mine"
(see insert)
Sharing
a joy, a concern, a word of testimony or praise
(please be brief, and aware of God's listening presence)
Hymn
"Blessed
assurance"
332
Pastoral Prayer
(read scripture preface first)
Scripture
Isaiah 58:1-12
(from The Message)
Returning our Tithes
and Offerings
Offertory
"Incline
Thine Ear"
Himmel
(Please sign the attendance pad and pass it on)
Scripture
1 Corinthians 2:1-16
Message
"Deliberately
plain and simple" (mp3)
*Song
"Fresh as the morning"
(see insert)
(lyrics,
sound excerpts)
*Benediction
*Postlude
*Rise in body or in spirit #'s are from Hymnal:
A Worship Book
Worship leaders - see basic
guidelines |
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Responsive Call to
Worship
Psalm 112
We begin worship this morning with an “acrostic” or “alphabet”
psalm from the Bible. Each line begins with the next letter in
the Hebrew alphabet. The poetry here is one of rhyming “ideas”
rather than “sounds.” Every line says something about “the
righteous” or “good people.” You’ll find it on your bulletin
insert. As you participate in this responsive invitation to
worship, attempt to read this psalm “artfully.” It is, after
all, a poem. I will attempt to correctly pronounce the
names of the Hebrews letters. Please rise in body or spirit, and
be drawn into the presence of God by this Psalm.
ALL: Praise the Lord!
Leader: Aleph
ALL: Happy are those who honor the Lord,
Leader: Bet
ALL: They take pleasure in obeying in God’s
commandments!
Leader: Gimel
ALL: Their descendants shall be mighty on
the earth.
Leader: Dalet
ALL: The honest shall be blessed.
Leader: He
ALL: Riches and wealth are theirs;
Leader: Waw
ALL: and they will prosper forever.
Leader: Zain
ALL: They shine like a lamp in the dark.
Leader: Het
ALL: They are generous, kind, and fair.
Leader: Tet
ALL: All goes well for those who lend
generously,
Leader: Yod
ALL: and for those who run their businesses
honestly.
Leader: Kaph
ALL: Good people will never fail.
Leader: Lamed
ALL: They will be remembered forever.
Leader: Mem
ALL: God’s people are not afraid of bad
news.
Leader: Nun
ALL: Their faith is strong and they trust in
the Lord.
Leader: Samek
ALL: They are not worried or afraid.
Leader: Ain
ALL: They are certain to see their enemies
defeated.
Leader: Pe
ALL: Good people give generously to the
poor.
Leader: Zade
ALL: They are always, always kind.
Leader: Qoph
ALL: Other people will respect them.
Leader: Resh
ALL: The wicked see this and are angry.
Leader: Shin
ALL: They glare in hate and disappear.
Leader: Taw
ALL: The wicked will not get what they
scheme to get.
by Carolyn C. Brown, from
Worshiping With Childen
Pronunciation Guide for Hebrew
Alphabet
(with Youtube)
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Opening
Prayer
From beginning to end you are faithful and true, O God, our Alpha
and Omega. No alphabet can adequately express your goodness and
mercy, O Lord of all people that on earth do dwell. We open
ourselves to you this hour that your word may be heard and your
light may shine. In listening, may we be drawn closer to you. Your
word is a lamp unto our feet, and a light to our path. Help us to
follow. In Jesus, we pray. Amen.
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For
Children
"To
Follow"
How many of you
are acolytes? What is an “acolyte,” anyway? (listen to their
answers, affirm, have fun)… Originally, the word, “acolyte,”
came from the Greek word, “akoloutheo,” which simply means “to
follow.” An “acolyte,” then, is someone who “follows.” In some
churches, the acolyte – who is usually a young person - follows
the priest around during worship, doing little tasks. That is
why he or she is called an “acolyte,” because she or he
“follows” the priest.
Now, I’ve noticed
that when you do your acolyte “thing” here, you aren’t following
me around, are you? Well, I guess I’m not a priest, though I do
some things that a priest might do. But you, what do you do? You
bring in a light at the beginning of our worship and light the
candles on our worship center. Then at the end of the service,
during the last hymn, you re-light your taper and quench the
candles on the worship center, and take the light out with you.
Why do you do that? (listen, affirm, have fun).
You help us to follow Jesus.
(light candle) When we see you bringing in your light, which
you then use to light the candles up front, we remember that the
Holy Spirit is here. In the Bible, God’s Spirit is sometimes
said to be like a “tongue of fire.” Look at the light from this
candle. Can you imagine why that might be called a “tongue of
fire”? This fire is warm in the cold and light in the dark. The
Holy Spirit is like that. When we see your light, we also
remember that God’s Spirit is not only up front. God is
everywhere. God’s Spirit is in us. You help us to remember that.
What you do is very important! Not only at the beginning of our
service, but also at the end.
You don’t just
“turn off” the light, so to speak, you take the light with you
from the front to the back. When we see you taking the light
out, we remember that this is what we are supposed to do. God’s
Spirit isn’t just here. The Holy Spirit is with us wherever we
are, every day of the week. God helps us to follow Jesus. When
we do what Jesus says, when we follow him, we are like a light
in dark places. You help the rest of us to remember this.
Now, would you help us in another way this morning?
We need your assistance to help us follow Jesus with our money.
We’ve been trying to use this light to see how best to use what
God has given, and many of us adults wish to make a pledge to
God of how much we intend to give to the church this year. Would
you help collect these pledges, using these baskets? While we do
it, how about if everybody sings, “This little light of mine”?
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Pastoral Prayer
written closer to the time (if not at the
moment)
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Preface to Isaiah 58 reading
The following scripture challenges us to explore the boundary
between meaningless ritual and authentic faith. Sometimes we,
like those in Isaiah’s day, do what we think is our religious
duty without really getting to the heart of what that “duty” is
all about. The issue here is the practice of “fasting,” i.e.
refraining from eating for a day. Do we fast to change God, or
to change us? Is it merely a bunch of religious gobbledygook, or
does our fasting connect us more deeply with God’s justice and
righteousness? We’ll listen to the 58th chapter of
Isaiah through “The Message,” a Bible paraphrase. Those
who have ears, let them hear.
Isaiah 58:1-12
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Returning
our Tithes and Offerings
Lord
God, grow in us a deeper desire
to share of ourselves with those who need,
to invite others in rather than keep them out,
to give clothes from our all-too-full-closets
rather than going out and buying more,
and
to just simply be available to those around us.
Create in us a new heart that seeks to beat in rhythm with your own.
May these offerings we are about to give
not be a meaningless ritual
through which we try to earn
your pleasure.
Instead, may the act of giving change us.
In Jesus, we pray. Amen.
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Benediction
As you head from this place,
grounded in a faith that is both ancient and new;
steady as the sun which rises every 24
hours,
as it has for
millions of years,
and fresh as the start of
yet another day,
full of God’s
possibilities,
let your light shine.
A child has shown us the way.
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(para traducir a español, presione la bandera de España)
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