Free Access

Call To Worship
These two Calls To Worship are based on the theme of Psalm 98 -- "Sing to the Lord a New Song."
Leader: Play your music now, O Lord.
People: Use your servants to strum the strings of your Word that your song would come to life in us.
Leader: We ask in the name of the Maestro himself, Jesus Christ.

(Moment of silence)

Leader: God of music, we come to celebrate you,
People: To praise you with song, and hymn,
Leader: To rejoice with lips and voices,
People: To raise hands and hearts,
Leader: And be raised up ourselves.
People: You are greatly to be praised, Yahweh,
Leader: Lord of lords,
People: King of kings,
Leader: The one and only God.
People: We love you.
Leader: We thank you.
People: Amen.
Leader: Hallelujah.
People: Amen.

Another Call To Worship.
Leader: Grace: People: A generous attitude toward another,
Leader: Forgiveness: People: Acceptance in spite of,
Leader: An ability to overlook flaws and mistakes.
People: Kindness.
Leader: This is the nature of our God.
People: And this is the reason we sing.
Leader: Let us praise him.
People: Amen.

Loosely based on 1 John 5:1-6.
Leader: Grace and Truth are twin sisters. The slightly older Grace always makes sure people know God loves them no matter what. She reminds people that no sin is so great that the work of Jesus on the cross of Calvary is not greater. Her sister, Truth, makes sure that people know that God is always holy, no matter what.
People: Grace provides the energy needed to forget the past, with its sin and pain, and to press on toward the future.
Leader: Truth shows us what that future ought to look like.
People: Grace and Truth,
Leader: Twin sisters revealing the nature of our God,
People: A God who is to be praised.
Leader: Let us praise God!


Prayer Of Confession
Too little grace and too much legalism in too many Christian circles. This prayer confesses our penchant toward the Pharisaical.
Leader: Grace we forget, O Lord; by judging ourselves to be better people or better Christians than others;
People: By focusing on their problems, rather than our own.
Leader: Truth we forget, O Lord; by envisioning a future that is centered on us and our needs, rather than on you;
People: By being self-serving, rather than serving others.
Leader: Forgive our forgetting.
People: Remind us to remove our own sin first.
Leader: Give us a vision of your thrilling future.
People: We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

More on how we judge and prejudge.
Leader: For focusing on skin color,
People: Style differences,
Leader: Theological nuances,
People: Unfamiliar cultural practices,
Leader: And all of our other differences;
People: And allowing those differences
Leader: To come between us in Christ,
People: Father, forgive us.
Leader: And turn our eyes
People: And hearts
Leader: To the truth that there is one God,
People: One Lord,
Leader: One baptism,
People: One Body of Christ,
Leader: Of which we are all a part. Amen.

Finally a unison offering.
All: This morning we make a simple confession: We have not loved as we ought. We have been impatient and unkind. We have been arrogant and rude. We have been so busy demanding our rights that we have neglected our families and friends. Lord, teach us to love for we do not know how. Amen.


Assurance Of Pardon
Sometimes we find it important to remind ourselves and our people that forgiveness is not without its price. It requires repentance. This Assurance Of Pardon reminds us.
Forgiveness comes only with repentance. Know this: God is faithful to forgive if we sincerely turn away from our sin, from our prejudice. Let us turn and receive his freely given forgiveness.


Prayer Of Dedication
Jesus said, "Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy." May our offering be an act of gratitude given from merciful hearts.


Prayer For Illumination
Father of life, may all of us have ears to hear your word in scripture, song, and sermon. Speak to us words that affirm who we are; remind us of who we ought to be; and encourage us to continue our sojourn from one to the other. Amen.


Pastoral Prayer
A common misconception among Christians is that if we just try harder we could fix all the world's problems. This prayer points out that saving the world is not our task, just being faithful in whatever God has shown us to do.

Lord, when I was young, I thought that if we only tried a little harder we could make peace and bring unity to this world. I have since discovered that it is infinitely more difficult and complicated than I thought. Lord, show us the way only you know. Show us the way to a world without tyrants; without hatred; without violence; without war and death. Show us the way to thy kingdom come on earth as in heaven, and strengthen us to live the way you show. Help us to begin with the smaller tasks of loving the people in our midst who are in need. Today we pray not only for them, but for ourselves, to do something for them! Amen.


Benediction
John 15:12
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.


Hymns

He Is Lord

He Lifted Me

I Gave My Life For Thee

I Heard The Voice Of Jesus Say

In His Cross I Glory

It Took A Miracle

Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee

Let's Just Praise The Lord

Make A Joyful Noise

My Savior's Love

My Tribute

Now I Belong To Jesus

O, How He Loves You And Me

O The Deep, Deep Love Of Jesus

Since I Have Been Redeeemed

Sometimes "Alleluia"

Under His Wings


Contemporary Choruses

Change My Heart, O God, Eddie Espinosa

Let My Words Be Few, Matt Redman

Power Of Your Love, The, Geoff Bullock

We Bring The Sacrifice Of Praise, Kirk Dearman