CHRIST THE KING
Worship
LECTIONARY WORSHIP AIDS
Series III
* CALL TO WORSHIP
Holiness is the beauty of God's temple while time shall last.
Worship God in the sanctity and freedom from our sins which
Christ gives us through his life's blood.
* PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Ancient in year, First-born from the dead, timeless Spirit, we
confess that too often we are overawed by the wealth and power of
human rulers forgetting that they are as mortal as we are, and
that only Jesus Christ has won an impressive victory over death.
Forgive us if political and national loyalties have superseded
the dignity you offer us as a royal house of priests to serve
you. You have sent us your faithful Son Jesus Christ, but we
listen to him less attentively than to less demanding voices
around us. We admit that we too are among the people whose sins
have wounded him. Forgive and free us from all our sins by the
giving of his life's blood. Amen.
* DECLARATION OF GOD'S FORGIVENESS
Hear the Good News! The Christ loves us and frees us from our
sins with his life's blood to make us a royal house to serve as
priests of his God and Father. Friends, believe the Good News!
In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.
* EXHORTATION
Look for the one who is coming with the clouds! Call to
repentance all who have offended him.
* PRAYER OF THE DAY
Sovereign of all, who is and who was, and who is to come, raise
us above the tides of natural events, and the ebb and flow of
history, so that we may glimpse the glory of your eternal realm,
and be satisfied with no lesser honor than to serve you as
witness to the truth in the company of Jesus Christ. Amen.
* PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Your majesty, eternal God, precedes and exceeds the grandeur of
the seas, and your throne, unlike the passing dynasties of
nations, does not pass away. Your truth, Sovereign over all
earthly rulers, is full of grace and peace and not full of empty
threatening so typical of the tyrants of our world. We join with
the Seven Spirits before your throne in extolling you, the Alpha
and the Omega, who is and who was and who is to come. May
our thanksgiving continue not only while we have life and breath,
but through such coming generations as shall live until all
people and nations of every language shall serve you. Amen.
* PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Our greatest gifts, Sovereign Creator, may not be given with
pride, because none can be worthy of your majesty. Receive them
as token tributes to you signifying our humble service in the
royal priesthood of all believers, through Jesus Christ, our
Princely Priest. Amen.
* PSALM 132:1-12, (13-18)
O LORD, remember in David's favor all the hardships he endured;
how he swore to the LORD and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,
"I will not enter my house or get into my bed;
I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids,
until I find a place for the LORD,
a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob."
We heard of it in Ephrathah;
we found it in the fields of Jaar.
"Let us go to his dwelling place;
let us worship at his footstool."
Rise up, O LORD, and go to your resting place,
you and the ark of your might.
Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,
and let your faithful shout for joy.
For your servant David's sake do not turn away the face
of your anointed one.
The LORD swore to David a sure oath from which he will
not turn back: "One of the sons of your body I will set
on your throne.
(If your sons keep my covenant and my decrees that I shall
teach them,
their sons also, forevermore, shall sit on your throne."
For the LORD has chosen Zion;
he has desired it for his habitation:
"This is my resting place forever;
here I will reside, for I have desired it.
I will abundantly bless its provisions;
I will satisfy its poor with bread.
Its priests I will clothe with salvation,
and its faithful will shout for joy.
There I will cause a horn to sprout up for David;
I have prepared a lamp for my anointed one.
His enemies I will clothe with disgrace,
but on him, his crown will gleam.")
Holiness is the beauty of God's temple while time shall last.
Worship God in the sanctity and freedom from our sins which
Christ gives us through his life's blood.
* PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Ancient in year, First-born from the dead, timeless Spirit, we
confess that too often we are overawed by the wealth and power of
human rulers forgetting that they are as mortal as we are, and
that only Jesus Christ has won an impressive victory over death.
Forgive us if political and national loyalties have superseded
the dignity you offer us as a royal house of priests to serve
you. You have sent us your faithful Son Jesus Christ, but we
listen to him less attentively than to less demanding voices
around us. We admit that we too are among the people whose sins
have wounded him. Forgive and free us from all our sins by the
giving of his life's blood. Amen.
* DECLARATION OF GOD'S FORGIVENESS
Hear the Good News! The Christ loves us and frees us from our
sins with his life's blood to make us a royal house to serve as
priests of his God and Father. Friends, believe the Good News!
In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.
* EXHORTATION
Look for the one who is coming with the clouds! Call to
repentance all who have offended him.
* PRAYER OF THE DAY
Sovereign of all, who is and who was, and who is to come, raise
us above the tides of natural events, and the ebb and flow of
history, so that we may glimpse the glory of your eternal realm,
and be satisfied with no lesser honor than to serve you as
witness to the truth in the company of Jesus Christ. Amen.
* PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Your majesty, eternal God, precedes and exceeds the grandeur of
the seas, and your throne, unlike the passing dynasties of
nations, does not pass away. Your truth, Sovereign over all
earthly rulers, is full of grace and peace and not full of empty
threatening so typical of the tyrants of our world. We join with
the Seven Spirits before your throne in extolling you, the Alpha
and the Omega, who is and who was and who is to come. May
our thanksgiving continue not only while we have life and breath,
but through such coming generations as shall live until all
people and nations of every language shall serve you. Amen.
* PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Our greatest gifts, Sovereign Creator, may not be given with
pride, because none can be worthy of your majesty. Receive them
as token tributes to you signifying our humble service in the
royal priesthood of all believers, through Jesus Christ, our
Princely Priest. Amen.
* PSALM 132:1-12, (13-18)
O LORD, remember in David's favor all the hardships he endured;
how he swore to the LORD and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,
"I will not enter my house or get into my bed;
I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids,
until I find a place for the LORD,
a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob."
We heard of it in Ephrathah;
we found it in the fields of Jaar.
"Let us go to his dwelling place;
let us worship at his footstool."
Rise up, O LORD, and go to your resting place,
you and the ark of your might.
Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,
and let your faithful shout for joy.
For your servant David's sake do not turn away the face
of your anointed one.
The LORD swore to David a sure oath from which he will
not turn back: "One of the sons of your body I will set
on your throne.
(If your sons keep my covenant and my decrees that I shall
teach them,
their sons also, forevermore, shall sit on your throne."
For the LORD has chosen Zion;
he has desired it for his habitation:
"This is my resting place forever;
here I will reside, for I have desired it.
I will abundantly bless its provisions;
I will satisfy its poor with bread.
Its priests I will clothe with salvation,
and its faithful will shout for joy.
There I will cause a horn to sprout up for David;
I have prepared a lamp for my anointed one.
His enemies I will clothe with disgrace,
but on him, his crown will gleam.")
