Worship Order for Sunday

Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren
Long Green & Kanes Rds., near Glen Arm, Md.
September 12, 2004
Worship 10:00 am, Sunday School 11:10 am

      "Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me." (Revelation 3:20)

  Morning Praise (9:45 am)
  Announcements
  Prelude

  Call to Worship                         Isaiah 43:1-7

*Hymn                                   "We gather together"                                       17

*Opening Prayer

  Scripture                            Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13

  Hymn                   (vs. 1-2) "How clear is our vocation, Lord"                      541

  Commissioning of church workers                                                             795

  Hymn                   (vs. 3-4) "How clear is our vocation, Lord"                      541
                                              (Pre-schoolers leave for Sunday School)

  Annual Conference minute

  Sharing a joy, a concern, a word of testimony or praise

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

  Pastoral Prayer

  Returning our Tithes and Offerings

  Offertory

*Response               (refrain )Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus"                       340

*Dedication

  Scripture                               Revelation 3:14-22

  Message                               "Back to danger"

*Hymn                                    "Come to the table"                                 (insert)

*Benediction


#'s are from Hymnal: A Worship Book

Worship leaders - see basic guidelines

Call to Worship
Isaiah 43:1-7
(NRSV)

1 - But now thus says the LORD,
2 - he who created you, O Jacob,
1 - he who formed you, O Israel:
2 - Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
1 - I have called you by name, you are mine.
2 - When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
1 - and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
2 - when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
1 - and the flame shall not consume you.
2 - For I am the LORD your God,
1 - the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
2 - I give Egypt as your ransom,
1 - Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.
2 - Because you are precious in my sight,
1 - and honored,
2 - and because I love you,
1 - I give people in return for you,
2 - nations in exchange for your life.
1 - Do not fear, for I am with you;
2 - I will bring your offspring from the east,
1 - and from the west I will gather you;
2 - I will say to the north,
1 - "Give them up,"
2 - and to the south,
1 - "Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away
2 - and my daughters from the end of the earth -
1 - everyone who is called by my name,
2 - whom I created for my glory,
1 - whom I formed and made."
     

Opening Prayer

         "Precious in your sight!" That's what you have called us. Empower us this hour to return the favor, O Lord. After all, how often do we consider you precious, beyond price, unique, our favorite? Have we truly cherished you this past week, seeking throughout each day to see your beloved hand at work around us? Forgive us for taking you for granted, God - whose name is above every name, whose will is made known in ways great and small, seen or unseen. We have, indeed, gathered together to ask your blessing, to open our eyes, ears, minds and hearts to your glory which surrounds and even dwells within us. Through your Holy Spirit, nudge us ever closer to Jesus that we might follow him, and stand where he would have us stand. We open our door to you just now, precious Lord. Come to our table and make it your own. Amen.
   

Commissioning of church workers

People:   In company with all your faithful people in every age,
                      we have called out those with gifts for your service, O God.
                Fill them with the love of Christ
                      and the power  of the Spirit
                            as they carry out the church's ministry.

                Those commissioned:
                Grant us wisdom, patience and hope when we falter.
                Give us joy in serving your church
                      and keep us faithful to this calling.

  ALL:     For the ministries taking form within us
                      and for all the callings yet to be,
                      we praise your name, O Lord! AMEN

Hymnal #795, ©1992 The Hymnal Project.
Last paragraph by Gail Anderson Ricciuti,
adapted from "Litany of Praise and Hope,"
Women's Prayer Services;
ed. Iben Gjerding and Katherine Kinnamon,
©1983 World Council of Churches,
published in a North American edition, 1987,
by Twenty?Third Publications,
P.O. Box 180, Mystic, CT 06355.
   

Pastoral Prayer

 

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

 

Returning our Tithes and Offerings

         "A certain ruler asked Jesus, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother.’
        
"He replied, ‘I have kept all these since my youth.’ When Jesus heard this, he said to him, ‘There is still one thing lacking. Sell all that you own and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ But when he heard this, the man became sad; for he was very rich..." (Luke 18:18-23)

         Do we trust in God, or do we trust in our riches? Compared to the majority of people in this world, we aren’t poor. Perhaps, however, we are poorer than we think - at least when it comes to what really matters. Ponder this as you return your offering to the Lord.

Ushers?
  

Dedication

         It is "sweet" to trust you, Jesus. Help us to trust you even more. These offerings are but a start. Bless them and us with your larger mission, and a deeper sense of trust to step out into it. Amen.
   

The Letter to Laodicea
Revelation 3:14-22 (NRSV)

{14} "And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
                         The words of the Amen,
                                              the faithful and true witness,
                                              the origin of God's creation:
{15}       "I know your works;
                                         you are neither cold nor hot.
                        I wish that you were either cold  or hot.
{16}                           So, because you are lukewarm, and
                                                      neither cold nor hot,
                              I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
{17}                                   For you say, ‘I am rich,
                                                                I have prospered,
                                                         and I need nothing.’
                         You do not realize that you are wretched,
                                                                         pitiable,
                                                                         poor,
                                                                         blind, and
                                                                         naked.
{18}         Therefore I counsel you
                       to buy from me gold refined by fire
                                                    so that you may be rich;
                                        and white robes to clothe you
                                                           and to keep the shame
                                                                  of your nakedness
                                                                            from being seen;
                                        and salve to anoint your eyes
                                                   so that you may see.
{19}         I reprove and discipline those whom I love.
                        Be earnest, therefore, and repent.
{20}                       Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking;
                                      if you hear my voice and open the door,
                                              I will come in to you
                                                and eat with you,
                                                             and you with me.
{21}   To the one who conquers
                   I will give a place with me on my throne,
                              just as I myself conquered
                                      and sat down with my Father on his throne.
{22}   Let anyone who has an ear listen
                  to what the Spirit is saying to the churches."
     

Benediction

 

 

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

International Lesson thoughts
from the
Mennonite Publishing House

International Lesson
Commentary by
Richard Hughes
(posted on Saturday)

International Lesson
Commentary by
Edwin Elliott

 

©2003 Peter L. Haynes
(unless otherwise stated, worship resources were written by him)

 

return to
Worship Orders
page

return to
Worship
page

return to
Sermon
page

return to
Long Green Valley Church
page