Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren
Long Green & Kanes Rds., near Glen Arm, Md.
August 3, 2014
Worship 10:00 am          Summer in Spirit 11:10am

  Beginning with Praise (9:50 am)                  “We would extol thee”                  74
  Announcements
  Prelude                           “Shepherd’s Sunday Song”                         Kreutzer

*Call to Worship                         Psalm 145:1-3

*Hymn                           “When morning gilds the skies”                              644

*Opening Prayer

  Scripture                                   Psalm 145:4-7

  Sharing our joys, “God sightings,” or notes of praise

  Doxology                                                                                                119a

  Scripture                                   Psalm 145:8-9

  Silent Confession                                               (use 698 as a guide, if needed)

  Responsive words of forgiveness                                                               706

  Scripture                                Psalm 145:10-13a

  Sharing our prayer concerns

  Hymn                         “The King of love my shepherd is”                          170

  Pastoral Prayer

  Scripture                               Matthew 14:13-21

  Returning our Tithes and Offerings

  Offertory                                       “Prayer”                                    Beethoven
                              (Please sign the attendance pad and pass it on)

  Responsive Scripture              Psalm 145:14b-21                                      824

  Message                              “Reversed Prayer” (mp3)

*Hymn                                “Great is thy faithfulness”                                  327

*Benediction

*Postlude                                  “Alfreton” (tune)                                   Beastall

*Rise in body or in spirit

#'s are from Hymnal: A Worship Book

Worship leaders - see basic guidelines

Last Announcement

             This morning’s worship is given shape by Psalm 145, which we will speak and hear in segments, in combination with the Gospel. Also different about today’s service is that we will split our sharing time, so that we first have opportunity to share our joys, and later will lift up our prayer concerns. Please aware of this. Let’s also keep announcements out of either time.

             As you prepare for both, ponder - during the Prelude - where you have seen evidence of God around you recently. Can you relate this in a simple way, so that we all might behold the goodness of the Lord? It doesn’t have to be something big. God often works in small ways, you know. Certainly this will be a time to share any reasons we have to rejoice and be thankful.

             A bit later on in the service, we will then share our concerns. Ponder what it is you are asking of the Lord as you speak. We, who listen, don’t need all the details behind the concern. We would, however, benefit from having a sense of direction in knowing how best to pray. For what should we ask? Think about these things as you prepare yourself to worship.
  

Call to Worship

One:  I will extol you, my God and King,

All:    and bless your name forever and ever.

One:  Every day I will bless you,

All:    and praise your name forever and ever.

One:  Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;

All:    his greatness is unsearchable.

Psalm 145:1-3 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.
    

Opening Prayer

With hearts awakened by the dawn of this new day,
         spirits comforted by the presence of your Holy Spirit, and
          minds focused upon Jesus,
                    we bless your name, O Lord, our God and King.
Speak to us through your Word,
      and lead us beyond ourselves
            toward your unsearchable greatness.
Uphold us with your grace and steadfast love,
      that we might grow in mercy and faithfulness.
Engage us in your calling to be and to do
      much more than we think possible.
Energize your people gathered here this day
      to seek first your kingdom. Amen

Sharing our joys, “God sightings,” or notes of praise
follows Psalm 145:4-7

             Yes, we gather together to pass along, from one generation to the next, the story of God’s mighty acts that we find in the Bible, to stand in awe of what the Lord has done in the past. However, we believe that God is not finished, that the Lord is still alive and active in our here and now. When we become aware of such things, we need to speak up. Certainly National Youth Conference was an awesome experience the other week, something we’ll hear more about next Sunday. But God is touching our lives all the time, in ways both big and small. Often the Lord works in “mysterious ways,” as the Bible says. But that doesn’t mean we are oblivious to God’s hand. So, sisters and brothers, what brought you joy recently? For what are you grateful? Is there a “God sighting” you experienced this week that doesn’t quite fit into a mold, but nags at you to speak up and share? Now is the time. Let me begin.

sharing
(what we do with these in the week that follows)

followed by the Doxology (Hymnal #119a)
  

Silent Confession
follows Psalm 145:8-9

             I invite you to spend a few moments to silently reflect on your need for God’s grace, mercy, and steadfast love. This is not time to beat yourself over the head for every mistake you have made, or to become depressed over how far you are from where God wants you to be. To confess your sin is to ground yourself in the soil of your life, which is where God plants gospel seeds that lead to growth. To confess is to let go of hurts and wrongs and every and anything that might stand in the way of God’s transforming power in your life. If you would find it helpful, turn to #698 in the back of your hymnal, and use that written confession as a guide for your personal praying. In a bit, we will break this time of silence with some comforting words of God’s forgiveness. For now, let us quiet our minds and hearts and repent, which means “turn toward God.”

- Silence -

Hymnal #698
by Lancelot Andrewes, ca. 1600
The New Book of Christian Prayers,
© 1986 Tony Castle. Edited by Tony Castle.
Crossroad/Continuum Publishing Company.
    

Responsive words of forgiveness

Leader: Because of God’s great love for you
               and God’s rich mercy for all,
               you are fully forgiven.

People:  We will live as those who are truly loved
                and truly forgiven
                through the gift of God's grace.

Hymnal #706
Copyright © 1988 Marlene Kropf
(professor emeritus at AMBS).
      

Sharing our prayer concerns
follows Psalm 145:10-13a

             It’s hard, when we hurt, to see past our pain. Such insight is not something that can be forced. We cannot, and should not, “make” someone be happy when they are going through hardship. We can however, pray for them with our hearts grounded in God’s kingdom. We may not be able to see the bigger picture, but we trust there is one.

             The apostle Paul called us to “bear one another’s burdens, and in this way fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). Jesus said, “ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you” (Matthew 7:7). James wrote that we should pray over the sick, even anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord, with the promise that “the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up” (James 5:14).

             It’s with this in mind that we share our prayer requests. When you speak up, help us give shape to what we ask of the Lord. Don’t give us a lot of details we don’t need to know. Unless it is you who need to give voice to your pain and lament, for which this should be a safe place for you to do so, endeavor to share simply your concern and provide the rest of us some clues for prayer. The hard part of “ask and you shall be given,” is defining what to ask for, what our request should be. If you haven’t gotten that far, please continue to share, but try to begin the journey.

             Now is the time. Let me begin.

sharing
(what we do with these in the week that follows)

followed by
“The King of love my shepherd is”
(Hymnal #170)
       

Pastoral Prayer

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

Returning our Tithes and Offerings
follows Matthew 14:13-21

             A familiar passage... In it the good news is embedded in the loaves and fishes that were already there. The imagination of the disciples was limited. All they envisioned was a deserted place, a late hour, and too many needy people. Jesus pointed, instead, to what was already there – and that became enough.

             We tend to be like those disciples, especially as we look at what we perceive to be limited resources compared to all we see that needs to be done. We grow dizzy or fatigued by it all, but Jesus then points us to what we already have. And the blessing is, as we discover over and over again, there is enough. … Glory be! … Hallelujah! … Gospel in action! … Pray with me.

Bless what we have, O Lord,
and stretch it and us
by your Kingdom power
to serve and be filled,
with leftovers. Amen.

Ushers?
 

Responsive Scripture
Psalm 145:14b-21

The Lord is faithful in all his words,
    and gracious in all his deeds.
The Lord upholds all who are falling,
    and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you,
    and you give them their food in due season.
You open your hand,
    satisfying the desire of every living thing.
The Lord is just in all his ways,
    and kind in all his doings.
The Lord is near to all who call on him,
    to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desire of all who fear him;
    he also hears their cry, and saves them.
The Lord watches over all who love him,
    but all the wicked he will destroy.
My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
    and all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.

Hymnal #824
scripture text 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.
    

Benediction

God is, indeed, faithful
      and will provide what we need for the journey ahead.
The Lord is gracious
      and upholds all who are falling,
      and raises us up when we are bowed down…
As you head forth this day,
      remember that there is no place too deserted
                                    and no time too late
            for Jesus to open our eyes
                  to what we already possess,
                        if only we dare to step out
                              with God’s blessing and share.
Go in peace!