for Sunday, 22 March 2009, post #3

Liturgy

Call to Worship
We come, to offer all we have to God:
our minds, our bodies; our hearts, our hopes.
We come, to offer all we are to God:
our relationships with families and friends,
our longing to draw closer to other pilgrims.
We come, to offer all we would be to God:
our faith, our discipleship; our yearning to follow Jesus.
We come, to offer our selves to God:
who offers life, joy, and peace in Jesus Christ.

Prayer of Approach (in unison)
When once
we let sin coil itself around our hearts,
you wrap us in the comforting shawl of grace.
When once we obsessed over us,
you freed us to give our selves away to the world.
Ceaseless Creator,
your love overwhelms us each and every day.

Where once
we sat by the edge of the way, with sin and death on either side,
now we can pull up a chair next to you, to rest our lives on you.
Where once
we hungered for love and thirsted for compassion,
now we are filled at your Table.
Healing Hope,
your grace flows through us each and every day.

When we are tempted
to submit our resumes to the Evil One,
you put us to work, caring for the outsiders.
When we are tempted
to mutter our way through each moment,
you teach us songs of grace.
Faithful Spirit,
your peace surrounds us each and every day.
You are with us each and every day,
God in Community, Holy in One, even as we pray. Amen.

Call to Worship & Prayer of Approach adapted from the blog of Thom Shuman.

for Sunday, 22 March 2009, post #2

Music

Hymns for Sunday

• When Morning Gilds the Skies, # 100
• O Holy Spirit, Root of Life, # 251
• Amazing Grace, # 546

And once again, the psalm in the back of the hymnal does not match up with the verses in the lectionary. So we shall sing the response on p. 755 but the words will either be on the screen or an insert.

Liturgy to follow.

for Sunday, 22 March 2009, post #1

Fourth Sunday in Lent

Worship Leaders

• Elder: Karen Jolliffe
• Liturgist: DJ Kaley
• Accompanist: Ann Willard
• Music Leader: Lisa Haley
• Preacher: Gerry Brague
• Journey Storyteller: Grace Swan
  
• Communion Provider: DJ & Lillian Kaley

Lectionary

• Numbers 21:4-9 (The Hebrew people, wandering in the wilderness, whine & complain until it really gets bad and they start getting bitten by poisonous snakes at which point God steps in once again.)
• Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22 (God saves in time of distress.)
• Ephesians 2:1-10 (God raises us up above our natures by grace.)
• John 3:14-21 (God's light in a dark world.)

I'll be posting hymns and the parts of the liturgy as they become available. At this point I do not know in which direction I'll be going or which scripture I'll emphasize. Contact me if you have any questions.

Thanks!