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Worship Order for
Sunday
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Call to
Worship
Psalm 98
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1 Sing to
God a
brand-new song.
He's made a world of wonders!
He rolled up his sleeves,
He set things right.
2 God made history with salvation,
He showed the world what he could do.
3 He remembered to love us, a bonus
To his dear family, Israel—indefatigable love.
The whole earth comes to attention.
Look—God's work of salvation!
4 Shout your praises to God, everybody!
Let loose and sing! Strike up the band!
5 Round up an orchestra to play for God,
Add on a hundred-voice choir.
6 Feature trumpets and big trombones,
Fill the air with praises to King God.
7 Let the sea and its fish give a round
of applause,
With everything living on earth joining in.
8 Let ocean breakers call out, "Encore!"
And mountains harmonize the finale—
9 A tribute to God when he comes,
When he comes to set the earth right.
He'll straighten out the whole world,
He'll put the world right, and everyone in it.
from
The Message |
Please rise in body or in spirit, and “Let’s sing unto the
Lord,” #55 in your hymnal, or follow the words on the screen.
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Opening
Prayer
O God who lit the stars and kindled in our hearts a flame of love
for you, we pray that you’d make our seeking fruitful, our thinking
sound, our singing hearty, and our silence real. Turn us again, O
Lord, and draw us unto you with cords of love. Cleanse our hearts,
and keep our bodies pure. Rule our wills and guide our hands;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
by Allen
Hacket (adapted), Prayers for a Pastor
©1951 Women's League of the
Central
Union Church, Honolulu, Hawaii
as found in For All Who Minister, ©1993, Brethren Press, p.
86.
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For
Children
"Love
my kids"
In this Children's Story, borrowed from Ruth Glimore
(Sitting
on the Rainbow, p. 66), we'll venture out into the
congregation to interact with a few pre-selected grandparents,
to see if they have pictures of their grandchildren in their
wallets. From there we'll talk about how our grandparents love
us just because we are who we are, making a connection to how
God, our heavenly parent loves us - we are all God's children.
"If God had pictures of all his children in his wallet, how big
do you suppose that wallet would have to be?" Gilmore asks.
Hmmm.
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A Personal Prayer
(in unison)
MY LORD GOD, I
have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of
me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really
know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that
the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I
have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will
never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I
do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know
nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may
seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for
you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my
perils alone.
- by
Thomas Merton, "Thoughts in Solitude" © Abbey of Gethsemani
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The Lord’s Prayer
(in unison)
Our Father, who art
in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, for ever.
Amen. |
click here for more info on this prayer
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Returning
our Tithes and Offerings
(refers to
Proverbs 3:5-6)
The prayer we have
just prayed is one we have committed to heart. Most have
memorized the words. And yet it takes a lifetime to truly live
them out. Like the phrase which asks, “Give us this day our
daily bread.” How hard it is to really trust that God will
provide! Those words in the Lord's prayer link us back to the
children of Israel wandering through the wilderness, fearful
that there would not be enough food, even for just one day. Some
of us are not all that far away from such fear. Our
refrigerators and pantries may be full enough, but bills are
mounting and paychecks may be in jeopardy. However, we don't
have to be that close to the edge to be afraid that we will not
have what we need, literally, or spiritually.
"Trust in the Lord with all
your heart," the wisdom of Proverbs says, "and do not
rely on your own insight." Our inner fears can mess with our
understanding and put things out of focus. That's why "in all
our ways," along whatever wilderness path we may walk today
(not yesterday, not tomorrow, but TODAY!), we seek to openly
trust in God, to "acknowledge him," believing that we
will be given what we need for today's journey. As we do this,
God will show us the way, the Lord "will make straight our
path."
Our path through worship just now involves ushers
passing plates for us to give our offering. Use this time to
face into any fears that may be clouding your vision, and begin
anew to trust in God with all your heart – today, not yesterday,
not tomorrow, but today. "Give us this day our daily bread." …
Ushers?
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Benediction
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Go, knowing that you are
blessed as a child of God,
loved as a friend of Jesus,
and filled with the power of the Holy
Spirit. |
by
Dr. Moira B. Laidlaw, retired minister
in the Uniting Church in Australia
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(para traducir a español, presione la bandera de España)
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