Worship - October 14, 2007

Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren
Long Green & Kanes Rds., near Glen Arm, Md.
October 14, 2007
Worship 10:00 am, Sunday School 11:10 am

Worship with Holy Confession

"Let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."
(Hebrews 10:22)

Morning Praise (9:45 am)
Announcements
Prelude "Adagio" Guilmant

Entering into God’s presence

*Standing "Holy Ground" medley (see insert)

*Opening Prayer

*Praising "Oh, how wondrous the grace" 147

Responsive Confession 690

Children’s Message "Like a pumpkin"

Song "Go light your world"
(mp3)

Scripture focus Hebrews 10:26-31

Message "Holy Confession"

Singing "Take, O take me as I am"

Affirming our faith 710

Responding with a joy, a concern, a word of testimony or praise

Singing "Take, O take me as I am"

Praying

Responding with our Tithes and Offerings

Offertory "Andante in F" Beethovan
(Please sign the attendance pad and pass it on)

*Sending (vs. 1,2,5,6) "Bless'd be the tie that binds" 421

*Blessing

*Postlude "Postlude in C" Scarmolin

#'s are from Hymnal: A Worship Book

Worship leaders - see basic guidelines

Entering into God's presence
Exodus 3:1-6

1 - Last week the story of God’s calling of Isaiah began our worship as we remembered how this prophet responded to the holiness of God with the following confession:

2 - "Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts! " (Isaiah 6:5)

1 - Today’s worship begins with another Bible story, that of the calling of Moses. Be prepared to enter into this scripture, when prompted, by reading the words projected on the screen. Come, let us enter into God’s presence.

2 - (slight pause) Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

1 - There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed.

2 - Then Moses said, (motion to congregation)

Congregation - "I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up."

2 - When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush,

1 - "Moses, Moses !"

2 - And Moses replied, (motion to congregation)

Congregation - "Here I am."

2 - Then God said,

1 - "Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."

2 - He said further,

1 - "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob."

2 - And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

1 - (slight pause) Please stand, if you are able, and let us sing the song printed on your insert. If you feel so led, take off your shoes as we sing, for worship is "Holy Ground."

Opening Prayer

O God who truly is and who really sees,
                        not from a distance, but up close and personal;
            who knows intimately the sufferings of your people; and
            who responds to the cry of human heart by sending a Savior;
O God who spoke through burning bush,
                        and in still, small voice,
            speak to us today through your Word and your Messenger.
                        Help us to tread lightly upon this ground,
                                    our bare feet touching what is holy,
                                                aware that life is full of such places
                                                            if only we would turn aside to see.
                        Help us to turn toward you just now
                                    and walk in the light of your grace.
This we pray in the name of your Son
                                    and our Deliverer, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Responsive Confession

Leader: Have mercy on us, O God,
                     according to your unfailing love;
People: Blot out all our transgressions,
                     according to your great compassion;
Leader: Wash away all our iniquities
                     and cleanse us from our sin.
People: For we know our transgressions,
                     and our sin is always before us.
Leader: We have sinned against you
                     and have done what is evil in your sight.
    ALL: as sacrifice we bring our broken and contrite hearts.

(pause for silence)

Leader: God will create in each of us a pure heart.
             God will not take the Holy Spirit form us.
             God will restore to us the joy of salvation
                     and grant us willing spirits to sustain us.
    ALL: Praise to the God of mercy who loves and forgives us.

For Children
"Like a pumpkin"

Brother John Ness will share a good word with the children. As Halloween approaches and jack-o-lanterns adorn many homes, he'll use a pumpkin to get across the following message: "Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin. God lifts you up, takes you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. He opens you up, touches you deep inside and scoops out all the yucky stuff-- including the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside you to shine for all the world to see...."

(For those who say good Christians should have nothing to do with Halloween,
take a gander at this article in Christianity Today.)

Scripture focus

Hopeless, confused, torn,
Lonely, tired, worn,
Helpless, deceived, poor;

Many are the reasons for turning from God.

The following words from the letter to the Hebrews may sound harsh as we read them, but they are written by someone who longs for the light of Christ to burn brightly in every soul. Listen.

Hebrews 10:26-31

Affirming our faith

Leader: We affirm that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
                 Miriam, Hannah, and Mary is our God.
People: We affirm that God has come to us in our likeness,
                taking the form of a servant in Jesus of Nazareth.
Leader: We believe that god, in Christ, suffered the pain and agony
                of the cross to provide for our salvation.
People: We believe that God demonstrated power over sin and death
                by raising Jesus from the dead
                and declaring that the risen Christ is Lord.
Leader: God has given us new life and freedom
                    in the fullness of the Holy  Spirit,
                who is the guide and power of the community of believers.
ALL:  We believe that in the end, God's rule of peace and justice
               will be fully established
               and that Jesus Christ will reign forever and ever.

Hymnal #710
Adapted from a liturgy of baptism by Assembly Mennonite Church, Goshen, Ind.,
Baptism and Church Membership, Worship Series 3, ed. James H. Waltner,
copyright © 1979 Faith & Life Press/Mennonite Publishing House.

Pastoral Prayer

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

Responding with our Tithes and Offerings

"God loves a cheerful giver." That’s what the apostle Paul once wrote to the church folks in Corinth. Or to put it differently, God does not want guilt offerings - you know, money we put in the plate to make us feel better about things we’ve done wrong. In the first place, we can’t buy our way into God’s grace. That’s already taken care of. In the second place, God out-gives us every time. Indeed, as Paul wrote, "Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:7-8)

Ushers, help us out.

Benediction