Worship Order for Sunday

Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren
Long Green & Kanes Rds., near Glen Arm, Md.
January 11, 2015
Worship 10:00 am          Sunday School 11:10am

 

      And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.  (Mark1:11)

  Beginning with Praise (9:50 am)   Christ, whose glory fills the skies   216
  Announcements
  Prelude

  Call to Worship

*Hymn                                  Morning has broken                                 648

*Opening Prayer

  Living snapshots

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

   Hymn                        “‘Tis not with eyes of flesh we see”                       571

  Pastoral Prayer

  Scripture                                     Acts 19:1-7

  Message                     “Empowered to turn toward (mp3)

  Invitation (as the bread is distributed)          Come to the table               insert

  Unison Prayer                                                                                        786

  Eating together

  A Word to be heard (as the cup is distributed)        Psalm 29

  Drinking together

  Responding with our Tithes and Offerings

  Offertory              (Please sign the attendance pad and pass it on)

  Renewal of Baptismal Promises                                            back of bulletin

*Hymn                                   Move in our midst                                  418

*Benediction

*Postlude


*Rise in body or in spirit

#'s are from Hymnal: A Worship Book

Worship leaders - see basic guidelines

Call to Worship

(during the Prelude, the acolyte comes & stands beside the table – but does not light the candles)

One: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

All:   Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

One: And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

(acolyte lights the candles)

One: God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.

All:   God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.”

One: And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

Genesis 1:1-5 from the New International Version®, NIV®
© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
    

Opening Prayer

             Glorious are you, Holy God, the joy of the universe! As we come to celebrate your goodness, we pray that by your initiative in Christ Jesus, and through the counselling of your Spirit, we may be strengthened in faith, stretched to greater hope, and led into larger love, joy and praise. Through Jesus Christ, the beloved Son in whom you are well pleased. Amen!

by Bruce Prewer, Uniting Church in Australia,
from Resources: Based on the Revised Common Lectionary.
    

Living snapshots
Mark 1:4-11

             Where does good news begin? In the story of Jesus as told by Mark, it begins – not with the birth of a baby, but with the baptism of a man. To tell this tale, we need some volunteers to be part of what we might call “living snapshots.”

Snapshot 1

               (The first volunteer is led to the top of the chancel steps, where s/he stands portraying “John” - as arranged by someone other than the reader - in “still life” for the following verse, which is then read.)  

             John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Snapshot 2

              (Several volunteers are added to the scene - some to one side as onlookers, one on his/her knees being baptized by the first volunteer, all as arranged by someone other than the reader - in “still life” for the following verse, which is then read.)  

             And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

Snapshot 3

              (The first volunteer has some strange looking material draped over him/her, and a belt of some sort tied around her/his waist by someone other than the reader. S/he remains standing in “still life” for the following verse, which is then read.)  

             Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.

Snapshot 4

              (One volunteer is added to the scene - halfway down the aisle, as arranged by someone other than the reader - in “still life” for the following verses, which are then read.)  

             John proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Snapshot 5

              (The volunteer halfway down the aisle - “Jesus” - now replaces the person who was being baptized, as arranged by someone other than the reader, in “still life” for the following verses, which are then read - and sung.)  

            In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.  And a voice came from heaven:

   

(repeat several times, with congregation joining in)

 (the volunteers are then thanked and dismissed.)

Mark 1:4-11 (except for refrain) from the New Revised Standard Version
copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved
   
 

Pastoral Prayer

 

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

 

Unison Prayer

O God,
      your steadfast love has been ours for generations.
Through Christ, you brought us out of the abyss of death
      and into the light of eternal love.
With joy and thanksgiving, we proclaim our salvation,
      remembering Christ’s death and resurrection,
            until he comes again.
As we break bread and share the cup together,
      may Christ be present with us,
      and may the Spirit bind us together
            as Christ’s body in this world. AMEN

Hymnal #786
©1992 The Hymnal Project
         
       

Eating together

             As we eat this bread together, let’s remember that Christ Jesus died for us, his body was broken for our sake. Receive and be blessed.

Drinking together

             As together we drink from Christ’s cup, let’s remember that God has made peace with us by the blood of the lamb who was slain. Receive and be blessed.

  

Responding with our Tithes and Offerings

  From our Creator,
                  we have received the heavens and the earth – a gift.
From our Savior,
                  we have received new life – a gift.
From God’s Spirit,
                  we have received power to live this new life – a gift.
      What, then, will we do?
            How shall we respond in this new year of our Lord, 2015?
 

             First of all, I invite you to respond to these gracious gifts from God with your offering. Secondly, any of you who sense an inner nudge to revisit and renew the promises you made on the day of your baptism, I invite you to come forward and join me at the end of the offertory, when the ushers have finished collecting our offerings. On the back of your bulletin are words to help us recommit our lives to Christ. Read them over, and if these speak for you, bring your bulletin and your hymnal with you when I motion you to do so.

For now, ushers help us to respond with our tithes and offerings.

   

Renewal of Baptismal Promises

Leader: This day, do you renew your trust in Jesus – God’s Beloved and God's presence here?

Response: I confess Jesus is Lord, Beloved of God and present.

Leader: Do you repent? Not for the sake of self-indulgent regret, but to see in others and in the world what Jesus was committed to see, what he came to show us?

Response: With God's help, I repent. Though my sins are many and all around me, I hope.

Leader: Will you live in Jesus? Will you love his people whom you can see by your prayers and your presence, your service and your stewardship?

Response: I will live in Jesus and love his people. Set your Spirit upon me, God, that I may partner with others in the proclamation of your gospel.

Leader: Gracious God, in making these promises to you we reject half-heartedness and indifference. We extend our hands to you. Help us to trust in you and to up hold those who overcome evil with good. Come, Lord Jesus.

Response: By water and Spirit we are yours. By your grace this mystery is ours to share.

by David R. Miller, pastor
Montezuma Church of the Brethren
Dayton, Virginia
Church of the Brethren Living Word Bulletin
Anchor/Wallace, Sleepy Eye MN 56085,
"The Living Word" Series
  

Benediction

Go now, with the divine word in your ears
assuring you that you are God’s beloved children.
Live out the depth truths of your baptism
and tell others of the abundant life beyond the waters.

And may God, our beloved, give you strength;
May Christ Jesus fill you with his Holy Spirit;
And may the Holy Spirit strengthen you and bless you with peace.

by Nathan Nettleton (©2002)
pastor, South Yarra Community Baptist Church
       (near Melbourne, Australia)
from the Laughing Bird resources

  

 

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:
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)

International Lesson:
International Bible Lesson
a weekly column by L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.
in "The Oklahoman" newspaper
also found
here

International Lesson:
Living Web Sunday School Project

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.

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

 

©2014 Peter L. Haynes
(unless otherwise stated, worship resources were written by him)

 

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