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Worship Order for
Sunday
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Call to
Worship
1 - Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
2 - In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope
1 - through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
2 - and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade –
1 - kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's
power
2 - until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed
in the last time.
1 - In this you greatly rejoice,
2 - though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief
in all kinds of trials.
1 - These have come so that your faith –
2 - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined
by fire –
1 - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor
2 - when Jesus Christ is revealed.
(pause)
1 - So, proclaim the tidings,
2 - tell the blessed story.
1 - Stand, if you are able,
2 - and sing with all your voice.
1 - #282
1
Peter 1:3-7 (NIV)
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Opening
Prayer
Step by step your people walk the "glory!" trail, O Lord.
The Easter song rings out once again, the resurrection story is
told, and "hallelujah!" seems to arise from the very
cracks in the ground beneath our feet. Oh, to love you with heart,
soul, and mind, such that our ‘proclamation’ this hour passes
through these walking shoes to our lips. "Glory, glory, glory,
glory, glory, hallelujah!" May your Holy Spirit be our strength
for the journey, your Son the One we follow, your kingdom be our
goal, your people our companions along the way. Open our eyes this
hour, Lord God, that we might see you walking with us. Amen.
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For
Children
The sheepfold and the shepherd
This morning,
I’m going to build a sheepfold. What’s a sheepfold? Any of you
know? It’s a place that holds sheep. I guess that could be
something like a barn, but I don’t have time to build a barn
right now. A sheepfold is sort of like a yard with a fence around
it. To make the fence or wall, I need some big people to help me.
Do I have any adult volunteers out there in the congregation?
(On the
raised area up front, position the adults side by side in a
circle with one opening. Have fun doing so!)
There, I’ve
made a sheepfold. How do you like it? Now, what why would you have
a place like this? Yes, to hold sheep. But when would you hold
sheep in here? During the day, sheep like to be out in a pasture
munching on grass. What about during the night? That’s when they
sleep, like you and me. When it’s dark, sheep can grow afraid,
again - like you and me. There is good reason to be afraid at
night when you are sheep. That’s when predators (wolves, lions),
or thieves are especially active, using darkness as a cover to
attack or steal.
A good
shepherd uses a sheepfold to protect his sheep at night. There
they can huddle together in safety, and it’s easy for the
shepherd to watch over them. Now, did you notice that I didn’t
put a door on the sheepfold? Why? Because the shepherd is the
door. He stays right there to keep in the sheep and keep out the
predators, as well the thieves and bandits.
Okay, I need a
bunch of sheep. That’s you guys. Can you bah? Let’s hear you.
Good job! Can you get down on all fours and pretend your a sheep?
Oh, you are so good. You even crawl and bah at the same time!
Wonderful! We’ll pretend now that it is late, and the sun is
going down. Soon it will be dark. Let me shepherd you into the
sheepfold. Now lie down. Do you feel safe in here? I’m glad. I’ll
stay at the door here and protect you during the night.
Jesus once
said that he was like a shepherd to us. Not only that, he said he
was like the gate, staying right here as a good shepherd would to
save and protect his sheep. I like thinking about Jesus as a good
shepherd. Do you? He makes this sheepfold and he stays with us as
the door, protecting us.
By the way,
take a look at the fence surrounding you sheep. This is a living
fence, made up of people who love you very much. They are put
around you by Jesus to help you and keep you safe from harm. We
call this fence the "church," and Jesus is the door.
That’s what he said.
"Thank you, Jesus, for being a good shepherd to us, and
keeping us safe. Thank you for placing around us people who
love and care for us. Amen."
Now, before
you go, we need to take down this fence. Little lambs, would you
help me by giving these big people a hug and sending them on their
way. Thank you!
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Litany
I AM ONLY ONE
I dream of a world that is free
of captive people, of oppression,
that healing may be for all
. . . But I am only
one.
I dream of bringing good tidings
of change both possible and real
that the world s poor may know hope
. . . But I am only one.
I dream of binding up the brokenhearted,
those whose spirits have been destroyed
in the struggle that never ends
. . . But I am only one.
I dream of opening prison doors
and freeing those so tightly bound
by prejudice, fear and hate
. . . But I am only one
I am only one,
but with you
and other sisters and brothers who care
we are many .
Let us go forth together
with the Spirit of God
upon us a/l
and fulfill our dreams.
by Ruby Rhodes, from Women
at the Well,
©1987, Womaen's Caucus of the Church of the Brethren
Church of the Brethren Living Word Bulletin
Anchor/Wallace, Sleepy Eye MN 56085, "The Living Word
Series"
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Pastoral Prayer
written closer to the time (if not at the
moment)
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Returning
our Tithes and Offerings
"You
prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you
anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows" (Psalm
23:5).
Let me ask a
very familiar question. Is your cup half full or half empty? Why?
Think about that as you return your offering just now. Ushers?
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Benediction
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