Seventh Sunday After The Epiphany
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Series IV, Cycle B
Call To Worship
In part, the passages for this week are calling us to live new lives. You may just want to sing the following little chorus as a Call To Worship.
Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me.
You can follow the singing with these words: Come, let us open ourselves to the Spirit of God.
Another approach would be to use the Isaiah 43 passage.
Leader:
Forget the former things,
People:
Do not dwell on the past.
Leader:
See, I am doing a new thing, says the Lord.
People:
I am making a way in the desert,
Leader:
And streams in the wasteland.
People:
I provide water in the desert,
Leader:
And streams in the wasteland,
People:
To give drink to my people, my chosen,
Leader:
The people I formed for myself,
People:
That they may proclaim my praise.
Leader:
As God's chosen people,
People:
From the dry and barren wastelands,
Leader:
We drink of the living water of life.
People:
Let us proclaim his praise.
This Call is reflective of Psalm 41:1-2.
Leader:
How are you today?
People:
I'm tired and overwhelmed.
Leader:
Well, be happy then!
People:
What? Why should I be happy about that?
Leader:
Because the Lord has a special concern for those who are weak.
People:
Really?
Leader:
The Lord loves to help in times of trouble and despair.
People:
I could use some help.
Leader:
The Lord is ready to provide for you and to protect you.
People:
No matter what I'm facing,
Leader:
The Lord is there for you.
People:
I'm happy to know that.
Leader:
Come, let us worship.
People:
The Lord is our strength and our song.
Prayer Of Confession
Common Prayer Of Confession for forgiveness and healing that is drawn from the Psalm and Mark passages.
Leader:
We all come to you sinful and broken,
People:
O Lord, have mercy on us.
Leader:
We come to you weak and ashamed,
People:
O Lord, have mercy on us.
Leader:
We come, unable to heal ourselves or fix our sins.
People:
Heal us, for we have sinned against you.
Leader:
Sustain us, restore us.
People:
O Lord, have mercy on us.
In this one the Confession and Assurance are integrated.
Leader:
The thing is, I can hardly believe it.
People:
Believe what?
Leader:
That God really, truly loves me.
People:
Why can't you believe it?
Leader:
Because I am not worthy of it. I make a mess of things all the time. And I don't show much love for God.
People:
You're saying you're selfish?
Leader:
Yes. Very.
People:
Aren't we all!
Leader:
You too?
People:
Yes. Very.
Leader:
But you seem to have it so together.
People:
I hide it well.
Leader:
So how can God love us?
People:
Like a mother loves her child,
Leader:
Even when he makes a mess of things.
People:
Like a daddy loves his little girl,
Leader:
Even when she disobeys.
People:
That's just how it is.
Leader:
Amazing.
People:
God made us, and loves us, really loves us.
Leader:
Wonderful. But ...
People:
But, you must believe it or God's peace and power will never be yours.
Leader:
O Lord, help me to believe.
People:
Help us all to believe. Amen.
The following Confession and Assurance are derived from the Isaiah passage.
Leader:
Lord, in our trials and troubles,
People:
We have not called upon you.
Leader:
In all you've given for us,
People:
We have not given ourselves for you.
Leader:
In making day-to-day decisions,
People:
We have not put you first.
Leader:
In withholding and wasting our time and service,
People:
We have not honored you.
Leader:
Lord, you do not burden us with heavy demands.
People:
Yet we fail to bring you pleasure or delight in us.
Leader:
We have burdened you with our sins,
People:
We have wearied you with our offenses.
Assurance Of Pardon
How gracious is our God. "I, even I," says the Lord, "am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." God forgives all our offenses and failings; they are wiped away, no longer even kept in his memory. The burdens with which we've burdened God, in Christ are forever taken away and forgotten.
We are forgiven.
A second option.
Leader:
Rejoice that all is forgiven to those who turn to him with repentant hearts.
People:
We thank God for forgiveness.
Leader:
Rejoice that he strengthens those who rely on him.
People:
We sing praises for his strength.
Leader:
Rejoice that he never gives up on us.
People:
We rejoice in his amazing patience.
Leader:
Let us live according to his will, now and always.
People:
Amen.
Prayer Of Dedication
Let us pray: To you, Lord, we give all that we are, because from you we have received all that we are. Remind us of who we are and whose we are, so that we might be all that we are. Amen.
Prayer For Illumination
Done in unison.
O God, you are the source of our life. It was you who knit us together in our mothers' wombs. It was you who nurtured us through the love of family and friends. Nurture us now through the power of your Word. Anoint the reading, the singing, and the preaching of your Word today. Amen.
Parish Prayer
From the Mark passage, a responsive prayer for the congregation.
Leader:
He was a paralyzed man,
People:
Unable to stand up or to care for himself,
Leader:
Trapped in a body not working the way it was made to.
People:
There are paralyzed people all around us,
Leader:
Perhaps not in body, but in spirit.
People:
They've lost a loved one,
Leader:
And are paralyzed in grief.
People:
They've lost a job or a relationship or a dream,
Leader:
And are paralyzed in fear.
People:
They've lost meaning and purpose in their life,
Leader:
And are paralyzed in despair.
People:
Paralyzed people can't pick themselves up.
Leader:
They can't make their life work the way it was made to.
People:
They need Jesus,
Leader:
And faithful, caring friends
People:
To carry them to him.
Leader:
Jesus heals broken bodies and spirits.
People:
Jesus has power over all that paralyzes.
Leader:
Lord Jesus, we bring to you now our friends that are hurting,
People:
And lay them expectantly at your feet.
Leader:
Imagine carrying those God has placed on your heart into his presence, and in these moments of silence, pray for them. (Allow a time of silence) Thank you, Jesus.
People:
Amen.
Benediction
This is from 2 Corinthians 1:21-22.
Now it is God who makes us stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, and set his seal of ownership on us. He put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. With the knowledge of belonging to him, stand firm in Christ.
From Mark 2:1-12.
At the feet of Jesus, your sins are forgiven. Jesus says to you, get up, take up your mat and go home.
Hymns
Every Bridge Is Burned Behind Me
Faithful Men
God Of Grace And God Of Glory
Looking Upward Every Day
Lord, I Want To Be A Christian
Lord, Thy Church On Earth Is Seeking
My Lord, My Truth, My Way
O Breath Of Life
Revive Us Again
Rise Up, O Church Of God
Set My Soul Afire
Walking In The Good Old Way
What Is The World To Me?
Contemporary Choruses
Better Is One Day, Matt Redman
Come Just As You Are, Joseph Sabolick
Come, Now Is The Time To Worship, Brian Daerksen
Jesus, Draw Me Close, Rick Founds
Trading My Sorrows, Darrell Evans
Other Music
Great Expectations, Steven Curtis Chapman
Christians ought to have great expectations in this life, and for the next life.
Water Into Wine, Kathy Troccoli
A song about lives being changed by God.
In part, the passages for this week are calling us to live new lives. You may just want to sing the following little chorus as a Call To Worship.
Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me.
You can follow the singing with these words: Come, let us open ourselves to the Spirit of God.
Another approach would be to use the Isaiah 43 passage.
Leader:
Forget the former things,
People:
Do not dwell on the past.
Leader:
See, I am doing a new thing, says the Lord.
People:
I am making a way in the desert,
Leader:
And streams in the wasteland.
People:
I provide water in the desert,
Leader:
And streams in the wasteland,
People:
To give drink to my people, my chosen,
Leader:
The people I formed for myself,
People:
That they may proclaim my praise.
Leader:
As God's chosen people,
People:
From the dry and barren wastelands,
Leader:
We drink of the living water of life.
People:
Let us proclaim his praise.
This Call is reflective of Psalm 41:1-2.
Leader:
How are you today?
People:
I'm tired and overwhelmed.
Leader:
Well, be happy then!
People:
What? Why should I be happy about that?
Leader:
Because the Lord has a special concern for those who are weak.
People:
Really?
Leader:
The Lord loves to help in times of trouble and despair.
People:
I could use some help.
Leader:
The Lord is ready to provide for you and to protect you.
People:
No matter what I'm facing,
Leader:
The Lord is there for you.
People:
I'm happy to know that.
Leader:
Come, let us worship.
People:
The Lord is our strength and our song.
Prayer Of Confession
Common Prayer Of Confession for forgiveness and healing that is drawn from the Psalm and Mark passages.
Leader:
We all come to you sinful and broken,
People:
O Lord, have mercy on us.
Leader:
We come to you weak and ashamed,
People:
O Lord, have mercy on us.
Leader:
We come, unable to heal ourselves or fix our sins.
People:
Heal us, for we have sinned against you.
Leader:
Sustain us, restore us.
People:
O Lord, have mercy on us.
In this one the Confession and Assurance are integrated.
Leader:
The thing is, I can hardly believe it.
People:
Believe what?
Leader:
That God really, truly loves me.
People:
Why can't you believe it?
Leader:
Because I am not worthy of it. I make a mess of things all the time. And I don't show much love for God.
People:
You're saying you're selfish?
Leader:
Yes. Very.
People:
Aren't we all!
Leader:
You too?
People:
Yes. Very.
Leader:
But you seem to have it so together.
People:
I hide it well.
Leader:
So how can God love us?
People:
Like a mother loves her child,
Leader:
Even when he makes a mess of things.
People:
Like a daddy loves his little girl,
Leader:
Even when she disobeys.
People:
That's just how it is.
Leader:
Amazing.
People:
God made us, and loves us, really loves us.
Leader:
Wonderful. But ...
People:
But, you must believe it or God's peace and power will never be yours.
Leader:
O Lord, help me to believe.
People:
Help us all to believe. Amen.
The following Confession and Assurance are derived from the Isaiah passage.
Leader:
Lord, in our trials and troubles,
People:
We have not called upon you.
Leader:
In all you've given for us,
People:
We have not given ourselves for you.
Leader:
In making day-to-day decisions,
People:
We have not put you first.
Leader:
In withholding and wasting our time and service,
People:
We have not honored you.
Leader:
Lord, you do not burden us with heavy demands.
People:
Yet we fail to bring you pleasure or delight in us.
Leader:
We have burdened you with our sins,
People:
We have wearied you with our offenses.
Assurance Of Pardon
How gracious is our God. "I, even I," says the Lord, "am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." God forgives all our offenses and failings; they are wiped away, no longer even kept in his memory. The burdens with which we've burdened God, in Christ are forever taken away and forgotten.
We are forgiven.
A second option.
Leader:
Rejoice that all is forgiven to those who turn to him with repentant hearts.
People:
We thank God for forgiveness.
Leader:
Rejoice that he strengthens those who rely on him.
People:
We sing praises for his strength.
Leader:
Rejoice that he never gives up on us.
People:
We rejoice in his amazing patience.
Leader:
Let us live according to his will, now and always.
People:
Amen.
Prayer Of Dedication
Let us pray: To you, Lord, we give all that we are, because from you we have received all that we are. Remind us of who we are and whose we are, so that we might be all that we are. Amen.
Prayer For Illumination
Done in unison.
O God, you are the source of our life. It was you who knit us together in our mothers' wombs. It was you who nurtured us through the love of family and friends. Nurture us now through the power of your Word. Anoint the reading, the singing, and the preaching of your Word today. Amen.
Parish Prayer
From the Mark passage, a responsive prayer for the congregation.
Leader:
He was a paralyzed man,
People:
Unable to stand up or to care for himself,
Leader:
Trapped in a body not working the way it was made to.
People:
There are paralyzed people all around us,
Leader:
Perhaps not in body, but in spirit.
People:
They've lost a loved one,
Leader:
And are paralyzed in grief.
People:
They've lost a job or a relationship or a dream,
Leader:
And are paralyzed in fear.
People:
They've lost meaning and purpose in their life,
Leader:
And are paralyzed in despair.
People:
Paralyzed people can't pick themselves up.
Leader:
They can't make their life work the way it was made to.
People:
They need Jesus,
Leader:
And faithful, caring friends
People:
To carry them to him.
Leader:
Jesus heals broken bodies and spirits.
People:
Jesus has power over all that paralyzes.
Leader:
Lord Jesus, we bring to you now our friends that are hurting,
People:
And lay them expectantly at your feet.
Leader:
Imagine carrying those God has placed on your heart into his presence, and in these moments of silence, pray for them. (Allow a time of silence) Thank you, Jesus.
People:
Amen.
Benediction
This is from 2 Corinthians 1:21-22.
Now it is God who makes us stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, and set his seal of ownership on us. He put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. With the knowledge of belonging to him, stand firm in Christ.
From Mark 2:1-12.
At the feet of Jesus, your sins are forgiven. Jesus says to you, get up, take up your mat and go home.
Hymns
Every Bridge Is Burned Behind Me
Faithful Men
God Of Grace And God Of Glory
Looking Upward Every Day
Lord, I Want To Be A Christian
Lord, Thy Church On Earth Is Seeking
My Lord, My Truth, My Way
O Breath Of Life
Revive Us Again
Rise Up, O Church Of God
Set My Soul Afire
Walking In The Good Old Way
What Is The World To Me?
Contemporary Choruses
Better Is One Day, Matt Redman
Come Just As You Are, Joseph Sabolick
Come, Now Is The Time To Worship, Brian Daerksen
Jesus, Draw Me Close, Rick Founds
Trading My Sorrows, Darrell Evans
Other Music
Great Expectations, Steven Curtis Chapman
Christians ought to have great expectations in this life, and for the next life.
Water Into Wine, Kathy Troccoli
A song about lives being changed by God.
