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Call To Worship
Psalm 1:1-3 (The Message)
Leader:
Blessed are those who do not hang out at Sin Saloon,
People:
Or slink along dead-end road,
Leader:
Or go to Smart-mouth College,
People:
But who instead delight in the Word of God
Leader:
And meditate on it day and night.
People:
Those people are like trees planted beside fresh streams,
Leader:
Bearing fruit every month,
People:
Never dropping a leaf,
Leader:
Always in blossom.
People:
Let us worship the God
Leader:
Who alone keeps us in bloom.
People:
Amen!

A lullaby from God.
Leader:
Hush, little children, don't you cry;


Our Papa's gonna sing us a lullaby.
People:
I love a lullaby.
Leader:
He sings this song night and day,

But we let so many things get in the way:
People:
That we don't hear it,
Leader:
Amidst the noise of life
People:
With its roar and its battles
Leader:
And its pounding
People:
And strife.
Leader:
So again I say,


Hush, little children, don't you cry,


Our Papa's gonna sing us a lullaby.
People:
Amen.

This one can only be used if you can project the photos of some of the little ones of your church onto a screen for people to see as you are doing the Call To Worship.
Leader:
Look at that face.
People:
Beautiful.
Leader:
And that face.
People:
Happy.
Leader:
And that one.
People:
Wondrous.
Leader:
That is the joy God made us for.
People:
The joy of the child.
Leader:
Come, let us worship him, the Maker of children. Amen.

You might use the old children's hymn to open worship this week. We are all God's children. This hymn reminds us that God loves us all. A good way to start worship.
Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world,
Red and yellow, black and white,
We are precious in his sight,
Jesus loves the little children of the world.


Prayer Of Confession
Psalm 1:4-6 (The Message)
Leader:
The wicked, says the Lord, are like chaff;
People:
Dust,
Leader:
Dried-up leaves,
People:
Blown away by the wind.
Leader:
They will be unable to withstand judgment,
People:
Unfit company for the innocent.
Leader:
The path of the faithful, God watches over,
People:
But the way of the wicked is a dead-end.
Leader:
Lord, forgive us for being chaff,
People:
Leaves that dry up
Leader:
Because we fail to plant ourselves by your streams,
People:
Relying on our own strength instead.
Leader:
Forgive us,
People:
And teach us
Leader:
How to rely on you and your strength,
People:
How to drink from your stream of spiritual strength,
Leader:
Your river of real life.
People:
For only in you can we flourish,
Leader:
And produce abundant fruit.
People:
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

James 4:1-3
Leader:
What causes fights and quarrels among us?
People:
Don't they come from the desires that battle within us?
Leader:
Yes. We want something, but don't get it.
People:
We kill and covet but do not have what we want.
Leader:
But we do not have, because we do not ask God.
People:
And when we do ask, we do not receive because we ask with wrong motives,
Leader:
Wanting to spend what we get on our own pleasure rather than for God's glory.
People:
O Lord, we confess it is true.
Leader:
Help to conquer those inner desires,
People:
To stop wanting what we do not have us.
Leader:
And to find contentment in all situations.
People:
In Jesus' name we ask it. Amen.

Another option which confesses too much self.
Leader:
Lord, there is too much self.
People:
We are taught to exalt the self.
Leader:
Too easily offended,
People:
We are taught to get even when offended.
Leader:
Too many rigid expectations,
People:
We are taught to get what we want.
Leader:
It is a world centered on self.
People:
Forgive us for being worldly.
Leader:
Strengthen us that we might die to self,
People:
And live to you.

This one is based very loosely on Proverbs 31. It concerns raising children. It could be used at Mother's Day, or Father's Day as well.
Leader:
If I could be granted one wish that might just make the world a much better place for generations to come, I would wish that the hearts of parents everywhere would be filled with selfless love for their children. There are too many abused, violated, and neglected children in our world,
People:
Too many being taught to hate,
Leader:
Too many growing up without the foundation of a strong value system,
People:
Too many who know nothing of the life of the Spirit,
Leader:
Too many who are the object of anger and mistreatment,
People:
Too many who don't know how beautiful they are,
Leader:
Too many who have never been truly loved.
People:
Most loving Father of all,
Leader:
Forgive us for failing to see that our children are a precious gift from you,
People:
And for failing to treat them as such.
Leader:
Turn our hearts to our children,
People:
And use us to give them the gift of your unconditional, never-failing love.
Leader:
We ask it in the name of Jesus Christ,
People:
Who revealed heaven's love to us.


Assurance Of Pardon
Leader:
As you stumble toward selflessness, never forget that you belong to God, and though your self may have its moments of victory, ours will be the final victory when all selfishness is swallowed up in the glory of God's triumph over sin and death.
People:
Praise be to the God of glory.
Leader:
Praise be to God.
People:
Amen.


Prayer For Illumination
Father, so often when we read or listen to your word, we just hear what we want; what makes us comfortable in our current lives.

Help us this morning to hear you, even if your words are painful or convicting. Open us up to hear you. Amen.


Pastoral Prayer
We all have different thoughts about the use of certain gender-specific language in our worship services. We still find the word "Father" to be a tremendously useful one. This pastoral prayer will use "Father," but it could just as easily use "Mother," or even "Parent," although I don't think the word "Parent" has the same warmth we are trying to express in this prayer.

Lead the congregation into this prayer experience by telling them that you want them to bask a bit in the presence of God during this prayer. Begin by asking them to close their eyes and follow your direction.
Let us pray: Father (Let that sink in for a moment. Brief pause) Father, as a father ought to be, so God is to us.

Father -- mother -- maker -- parent: it's not the word, but the truth that God is all these things in the best sense of each.

Let us feel that fatherhood this morning. In your mind's eye see God as a gentle loving papa, see him coming to you; embracing you; smiling and conveying his peace to you. Feel his peace as if you were a little child in the arms of a strong protective father. Feel his peace.

(Brief pause)

And now, let us bring that peace to all those who have been mentioned this morning. As I name our brothers and sisters in need, see the Father come to them.

(Now list the names of the needy members of your congregation and pause very briefly after each.)


Benediction
Psalm 1
Blessed are those who do not walk in the ways of the wicked, but whose delight is in following God. They are like trees planted by streams of water. Everything they do will yield abundant fruit.


Hymns

A Christian Home

As For Me And My House

Happy The Home When God Is There

I Would Be Like Jesus

O Happy Home

O Perfect Love

She Will Be Called Blessed

Unless The Lord The House Shall Build


Contemporary Choruses

Everyday, Joel Houston

In His Time

Let My Words Be Few, Matt and Beth Redman

Lord Most High, Don Harris and Gary Sadler

Meet With Me, Lamont Hiebert


Other Music

Butterfly Kisses, Bob Carlisle
Great song to sing about a parent's love for a child as the child grows up.