Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Series IV, Cycle B
Call To Worship
Makes use of the 2 Corinthians passage.
Leader:
And the one who sat upon the throne said,
People:
"Behold, I make all things new again."
Leader:
So everyone who is in Christ
People:
Is a new creation!
Leader:
The old has passed away,
People:
The new has come!
Leader:
Let us praise the God
People:
Who brings about newness.
Leader:
Let us rejoice in new possibilities
People:
For ourselves
Leader:
And our world,
People:
And seek out ways to take part
Leader:
In the new that is being created.
People:
Amen.
Come and worship.
Leader:
In the midst of run and rush
People:
The Father speaks,
Leader:
Be still!
People:
And know that I am God.
Leader:
From our occupations and obsessions
People:
God whispers,
Leader:
Come to me, all you weary and burdened
People:
And I will give you rest.
Leader:
Come, now is the time to worship.
People:
Now is the time to surrender
Leader:
All to you. Come, let us worship!
People:
Amen.
Psalm 20:5-9
Leader:
We shout for joy at God's victories.
People:
We lift up our banners in the name of our God.
Leader:
The Lord saves the anointed one;
People:
God answers when the anointed calls,
Leader:
Responding with the saving power of his right hand.
People:
Some trust in chariots
Leader:
And some trust in horses,
People:
But we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
Leader:
Those who misplace their trust are brought to their knees and fall,
People:
But we rise up and stand firm,
Leader:
For God has saved us.
People:
God has answered our call.
Faith not only sees God at work in the world, but hears God as well.
Leader:
Maestro! Your song plays continuously all around us,
People:
In giggling babies,
Leader:
In morning birdsongs,
People:
In the laughter of good friends,
Leader:
In the eyes or smile of our beloved,
People:
In the waves washing rhythmically ashore,
Leader:
In the knowledge of forgiveness,
People:
And eternal life.
Leader:
We come this morning to join in your song. Come, let us sing!
People:
Amen.
Prayer Of Confession
According to this Confession we have trouble seeing through the eyes of faith.
Leader:
Yahweh, God of all power, we confess that we do not see the world as we ought,
People:
For instead of seeing through eyes of faith,
Leader:
We see as the world sees.
People:
When terrorism strikes,
Leader:
We see with eyes of fear.
People:
When the market goes down,
Leader:
We see through anxious eyes.
People:
When people hurt us,
Leader:
Eyes of bitterness and hatred dominate.
People:
When we look in the mirror,
Leader:
We see through the eyes of a culture that looks for physical beauty.
People:
Teach us to see with your eyes, Father,
Leader:
So that when the bombs explode,
People:
And the market is shaken,
Leader:
And anger is aimed at us,
People:
And our faces are wrinkled,
Leader:
We see a sovereign God behind it all,
People:
We see the beauty in others
Leader:
And in ourselves.
People:
Forgive us, O Lord,
Leader:
And teach us.
People:
In Jesus' name we ask. Amen.
This prayer reveals our distractedness.
Leader:
Hurry, hustle, bustle, go!
People:
Rush, hasten, scurry, dash!
Leader:
Busy, hectic, schedule-jammed!
People:
Frantic, frenzied, chaotic, wild!
Leader:
Tired, preoccupied,
People:
Distracted, worn-out,
Leader:
With things that hardly matter
People:
In eternity's estimation.
Leader:
Lord, help us shed
People:
The unimportant
Leader:
And invest in the things of life.
People:
Yes, Lord, help us.
This one goes well with the final Call To Worship above.
Leader:
For eyes that see darkness rather than light,
People:
Lord, forgive us.
Leader:
For ears that hear noise instead of music,
People:
Maestro, overlook our sin.
Leader:
For tongues that poison when they could heal,
People:
Father, absolve us.
Leader:
For minds that entertain the ugly and miss the beautiful,
People:
Abba, pardon us.
Leader:
We are a people of unclean lips,
People:
And eyes,
Leader:
And ears.
People:
Forgive us, and cleanse us,
Leader:
In the name of the crucified one. Amen.
Loosely based on the 2 Corinthians passage.
Leader:
Newness -- Ha!
People:
It is a joke.
Leader:
An empty dream.
People:
There is nothing new.
Leader:
Only the old.
People:
Only what always has been.
Leader:
Pain and misery,
People:
Darkness and despair,
Leader:
Hatred and violence,
People:
Sickness and death.
(Brief pause)
Leader:
God; awesome Creator; forgive us for such thinking.
People:
Transform us
Leader:
By the renewal of our minds,
People:
By giving us the mind of Christ,
Leader:
Who died to rid us of the old
People:
And bring in the new.
Leader:
Amen.
People:
Amen.
Assurance Of Pardon
When you see with the eyes of faith it is not so hard to believe in a lavishly gracious God.
Leader:
Forgiveness is free, and yours for the asking, so now, in the freedom of forgiveness, turn your attentions to
People:
The stars in the sky,
Leader:
The waves of the sea,
People:
The rose on the vine,
Leader:
The bird in the tree.
People:
The smile of the one you love,
Leader:
The tiny hand that grasps Grandpa's fingers,
People:
The lonely man in his cell,
Leader:
The fatherless child in our midst,
People:
The starving babies across the sea.
Leader:
Forgiven, and free to reorder our lives.
People:
Amen.
Another possibility.
Leader:
All things made new again. This is not a hope, not a dream, but a reality for all who are in Christ. And though it may not yet appear as such, it is already accomplished. Take off the old, and put on the new that has already been provided for you.
People:
Let us do so in the name of Jesus Christ.
Leader:
Amen.
Prayer Of Dedication
Based on 2 Corinthians 5:16-17.
As we surrender to you, O Lord, the sweat of our brow, we also surrender the attitudes of our hearts and minds. Take them all. Use the fruits of our labor to send a material blessing to others, use our surrendered attitudes to send a blessing of the Spirit to others.
Prayer For Illumination
Too often when we turn to the pages of scripture, our eyes see old, tired words. We are seeing with human eyes. If we were to see with the eyes of God, we would see the very words of life. We would see guidance for life's toughest times. We would see peace amidst turmoil. We would see strength for our weakness. We would see eternity even as we stand firmly in the temporal. Lord, let us see. Amen.
Pastoral Prayer
Let us pray: Lord, we read in your scriptures words that seem so foreign to us. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians: "Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord." Truth be told, Lord, not too many of us have Paul's preference to leave this life to be with you. We lack the confidence that you will really be there to whisk us away to your kingdom. Deep down inside we fear that we have been living a lie all these years. We call on you this morning to provide us with the gift of a deeper faith than we have yet known. Teach us, Lord, to see with the eyes of faith, hear with the ears of faith, live with the confidence of faith, that we might find the peace that Paul knew. It is our hearts' desire, Lord. Hear our prayer. Amen.
Benediction
Psalm 20:1-4
May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
May the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
May God send you help from the sanctuary,
May he remember all your sacrifices,
May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.
Amen.
Or -- 2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! Praise God.
Hymns
Alleluia! Sing To Jesus
By Faith In Christ I Walk With God
Come Thou Font Of Every Blessing
Faith Is The Victory
Give Me The Faith Which Can Remove
Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Have Faith In God
I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus
I Know Whom I Have Believed
Jesus, Lover Of My Soul
Like A River Glorious
Never Give Up
Only Believe
Seek Ye First
We Have Not Seen, We Cannot See
We Walk By Faith (Alford or Crosby)
Contemporary Choruses
Days Of Elijah, Robin Mark
Firm Foundation, Nancy Gordon
More Precious Than Silver, Lynn DeShazo
Open The Eyes Of My Heart, Paul Baloche
Step By Step, David Strasser
Other Music
He Will Make A Way, Kathy Troccoli
When all looks hopeless, God makes a way.
My Father's Eyes, Amy Grant
The song is a plea to teach us how to see with the eyes of God.
Creative Ideas
If you are preaching on the amazing productivity of faith you might place a fast-growing plant in a prominent place in the worship space a few weeks before this week's message. As it grows people will notice, and when it comes time to preach this week, you will be able to point out that true faith is like that plant, growing fast and producing plenty of fruit.
Makes use of the 2 Corinthians passage.
Leader:
And the one who sat upon the throne said,
People:
"Behold, I make all things new again."
Leader:
So everyone who is in Christ
People:
Is a new creation!
Leader:
The old has passed away,
People:
The new has come!
Leader:
Let us praise the God
People:
Who brings about newness.
Leader:
Let us rejoice in new possibilities
People:
For ourselves
Leader:
And our world,
People:
And seek out ways to take part
Leader:
In the new that is being created.
People:
Amen.
Come and worship.
Leader:
In the midst of run and rush
People:
The Father speaks,
Leader:
Be still!
People:
And know that I am God.
Leader:
From our occupations and obsessions
People:
God whispers,
Leader:
Come to me, all you weary and burdened
People:
And I will give you rest.
Leader:
Come, now is the time to worship.
People:
Now is the time to surrender
Leader:
All to you. Come, let us worship!
People:
Amen.
Psalm 20:5-9
Leader:
We shout for joy at God's victories.
People:
We lift up our banners in the name of our God.
Leader:
The Lord saves the anointed one;
People:
God answers when the anointed calls,
Leader:
Responding with the saving power of his right hand.
People:
Some trust in chariots
Leader:
And some trust in horses,
People:
But we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
Leader:
Those who misplace their trust are brought to their knees and fall,
People:
But we rise up and stand firm,
Leader:
For God has saved us.
People:
God has answered our call.
Faith not only sees God at work in the world, but hears God as well.
Leader:
Maestro! Your song plays continuously all around us,
People:
In giggling babies,
Leader:
In morning birdsongs,
People:
In the laughter of good friends,
Leader:
In the eyes or smile of our beloved,
People:
In the waves washing rhythmically ashore,
Leader:
In the knowledge of forgiveness,
People:
And eternal life.
Leader:
We come this morning to join in your song. Come, let us sing!
People:
Amen.
Prayer Of Confession
According to this Confession we have trouble seeing through the eyes of faith.
Leader:
Yahweh, God of all power, we confess that we do not see the world as we ought,
People:
For instead of seeing through eyes of faith,
Leader:
We see as the world sees.
People:
When terrorism strikes,
Leader:
We see with eyes of fear.
People:
When the market goes down,
Leader:
We see through anxious eyes.
People:
When people hurt us,
Leader:
Eyes of bitterness and hatred dominate.
People:
When we look in the mirror,
Leader:
We see through the eyes of a culture that looks for physical beauty.
People:
Teach us to see with your eyes, Father,
Leader:
So that when the bombs explode,
People:
And the market is shaken,
Leader:
And anger is aimed at us,
People:
And our faces are wrinkled,
Leader:
We see a sovereign God behind it all,
People:
We see the beauty in others
Leader:
And in ourselves.
People:
Forgive us, O Lord,
Leader:
And teach us.
People:
In Jesus' name we ask. Amen.
This prayer reveals our distractedness.
Leader:
Hurry, hustle, bustle, go!
People:
Rush, hasten, scurry, dash!
Leader:
Busy, hectic, schedule-jammed!
People:
Frantic, frenzied, chaotic, wild!
Leader:
Tired, preoccupied,
People:
Distracted, worn-out,
Leader:
With things that hardly matter
People:
In eternity's estimation.
Leader:
Lord, help us shed
People:
The unimportant
Leader:
And invest in the things of life.
People:
Yes, Lord, help us.
This one goes well with the final Call To Worship above.
Leader:
For eyes that see darkness rather than light,
People:
Lord, forgive us.
Leader:
For ears that hear noise instead of music,
People:
Maestro, overlook our sin.
Leader:
For tongues that poison when they could heal,
People:
Father, absolve us.
Leader:
For minds that entertain the ugly and miss the beautiful,
People:
Abba, pardon us.
Leader:
We are a people of unclean lips,
People:
And eyes,
Leader:
And ears.
People:
Forgive us, and cleanse us,
Leader:
In the name of the crucified one. Amen.
Loosely based on the 2 Corinthians passage.
Leader:
Newness -- Ha!
People:
It is a joke.
Leader:
An empty dream.
People:
There is nothing new.
Leader:
Only the old.
People:
Only what always has been.
Leader:
Pain and misery,
People:
Darkness and despair,
Leader:
Hatred and violence,
People:
Sickness and death.
(Brief pause)
Leader:
God; awesome Creator; forgive us for such thinking.
People:
Transform us
Leader:
By the renewal of our minds,
People:
By giving us the mind of Christ,
Leader:
Who died to rid us of the old
People:
And bring in the new.
Leader:
Amen.
People:
Amen.
Assurance Of Pardon
When you see with the eyes of faith it is not so hard to believe in a lavishly gracious God.
Leader:
Forgiveness is free, and yours for the asking, so now, in the freedom of forgiveness, turn your attentions to
People:
The stars in the sky,
Leader:
The waves of the sea,
People:
The rose on the vine,
Leader:
The bird in the tree.
People:
The smile of the one you love,
Leader:
The tiny hand that grasps Grandpa's fingers,
People:
The lonely man in his cell,
Leader:
The fatherless child in our midst,
People:
The starving babies across the sea.
Leader:
Forgiven, and free to reorder our lives.
People:
Amen.
Another possibility.
Leader:
All things made new again. This is not a hope, not a dream, but a reality for all who are in Christ. And though it may not yet appear as such, it is already accomplished. Take off the old, and put on the new that has already been provided for you.
People:
Let us do so in the name of Jesus Christ.
Leader:
Amen.
Prayer Of Dedication
Based on 2 Corinthians 5:16-17.
As we surrender to you, O Lord, the sweat of our brow, we also surrender the attitudes of our hearts and minds. Take them all. Use the fruits of our labor to send a material blessing to others, use our surrendered attitudes to send a blessing of the Spirit to others.
Prayer For Illumination
Too often when we turn to the pages of scripture, our eyes see old, tired words. We are seeing with human eyes. If we were to see with the eyes of God, we would see the very words of life. We would see guidance for life's toughest times. We would see peace amidst turmoil. We would see strength for our weakness. We would see eternity even as we stand firmly in the temporal. Lord, let us see. Amen.
Pastoral Prayer
Let us pray: Lord, we read in your scriptures words that seem so foreign to us. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians: "Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord." Truth be told, Lord, not too many of us have Paul's preference to leave this life to be with you. We lack the confidence that you will really be there to whisk us away to your kingdom. Deep down inside we fear that we have been living a lie all these years. We call on you this morning to provide us with the gift of a deeper faith than we have yet known. Teach us, Lord, to see with the eyes of faith, hear with the ears of faith, live with the confidence of faith, that we might find the peace that Paul knew. It is our hearts' desire, Lord. Hear our prayer. Amen.
Benediction
Psalm 20:1-4
May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
May the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
May God send you help from the sanctuary,
May he remember all your sacrifices,
May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.
Amen.
Or -- 2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! Praise God.
Hymns
Alleluia! Sing To Jesus
By Faith In Christ I Walk With God
Come Thou Font Of Every Blessing
Faith Is The Victory
Give Me The Faith Which Can Remove
Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Have Faith In God
I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus
I Know Whom I Have Believed
Jesus, Lover Of My Soul
Like A River Glorious
Never Give Up
Only Believe
Seek Ye First
We Have Not Seen, We Cannot See
We Walk By Faith (Alford or Crosby)
Contemporary Choruses
Days Of Elijah, Robin Mark
Firm Foundation, Nancy Gordon
More Precious Than Silver, Lynn DeShazo
Open The Eyes Of My Heart, Paul Baloche
Step By Step, David Strasser
Other Music
He Will Make A Way, Kathy Troccoli
When all looks hopeless, God makes a way.
My Father's Eyes, Amy Grant
The song is a plea to teach us how to see with the eyes of God.
Creative Ideas
If you are preaching on the amazing productivity of faith you might place a fast-growing plant in a prominent place in the worship space a few weeks before this week's message. As it grows people will notice, and when it comes time to preach this week, you will be able to point out that true faith is like that plant, growing fast and producing plenty of fruit.
