Order of Worship
Let us be as open vessels that God’s spirit may enter
The Community. Experience God’s presence in the
assembly. Please greet one another with joy and welcome new
friends into our community of love.
You are welcome here…come and worship!
Focus:
Good and Bad I defined these terms
So clear, no doubt, somehow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now.
My Back Pages
Bob Dylan
Gathering Music: Live in Charity (by Taiz’e) -Michelle Currie –
Welcome: Stephen Fox
Responsive Call to Worship:
L: Lift up your heart to God with a gentle stirring of love.
All: We know God by loving God.
L: Lift up your heart to God with a gentle stirring of love.
All: We know God by seeking God.
L: Lift up your heart to God with a gentle stirring of love.
All: We know God by placing our trust in God.
L: Lift up your heart to God with a gentle stirring of love.
All: We know God by experiencing God’s love.
L: No matter how sacred, no thought can ever promise to help you in the work to reach God. Only love—not knowledge—can help us reach God.
All: We lift up our heart to God with a gentle stirring of love.
Opening Hymn: Amazing Grace #649 vs. 1,2 & 5
Invocation: (Center for Action and Contemplation prayer)
Loving God, you fill all things with a fullness and hope that we can never comprehend. Thank you for leading us into a time where more of reality is being unveiled for us all to see. We pray that you will take away our natural temptation for cynicism, denial fear and despair. Help us have the courage to awaken to greater truth, humility and greater care for one another. May we place our hope in what matters and what lasts, trusting in your eternal presence and love. We ask that your hear our hearts’ longing for the healing of our suffering world. Knowing, good God, you are hearing us better than we are speaking, we offer these prayers in Jesus name.
Lord’s Prayer:
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 trespasses, as we
forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
Readings: Psalm 27:1-14, 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, 11-13
-Peter McPheeters
(After the readings you may choose to respond, “Thanks be to God”)
Meditation: Who knows if it is good or bad? Stephen Fox
Sermon Response: Meditative Instrumental ~ These Alone Are Enough (by
Dan Schuttte) -Michelle Currie
Musical call to Prayer: Hush now in quiet peace, be still your mind at ease. The Spirit brings release, so wait upon the Lord. (two times)
Prayers of the People:
Silent Prayers Pastoral Prayer
God, we pray for those in our church and in our community that are in need of comfort and support. So many struggle with problems of health and inability to secure the basic needs of life.
We pray for all students, teachers, administrators and parents as the school year begins during yet another COVID outbreak.
We pray for health care workers as they attempt to offer much needed care in increasingly difficult conditions.
We pray for our world leaders. Give them the wisdom to address with compassion the daunting problems around the world: war, poverty, starvation and climate change.
We pray for those in special need that we name now in our hearts.
Most of all we offer a prayer of thanksgiving. We know that you are here with us, and within us always. We know we have nothing to fear and we are grateful.
We pray this in Jesus name.
Amen
Closing Hymn: Here In This Place #401 vs. 1,2 & 4
Blessing Stephen Fox
Go into the world with all humility, love and grace to serve one another, to care for one another and to share the burdens and heartaches of one another. Go into the world knowing that God loves us all with a love that surpasses all our understanding. May we all go into the world and lirt up our hearts to God with a gentle stirring of love, knowing that God holds us close and blesses us always. Amen.
Response: Thanks be to God
Closing: Go In Peace…
Go in peace and the peace of God be with you this day.
Go in peace and the peace of God be with you always.
Celebrate and share the joy. Celebrate new life.
Go in peace and the peace of God be with you always.
*Thank you for wearing a mask throughout our Service.
With thanks to Michelle Currie, our Music Director. Thank you to those within our church community and who serve on the Deacons who help in many ways to enable us to return to this sacred space. Big thanks to our Zoom Hosts each week!
Great thanks to Stephen Fox who led Worship today when Pastor Paula was away for the weekend to visit family in Chicago.
Pastor’s Contact Info: 207-205-4951
Email: pnorbert1217@gmail.com