SermonStudio

Call To Worship
Relationships are one theme of our passages for this week. The liturgy will reflect this.
Leader:
To know you and your ways, O Lord,
People:
This is why we come.
Leader:
Give us teachable minds,
People:
And receptive hearts,
Leader:
That we might discover your will,
People:
And live in the center of it
Leader:
As long as we live.
People:
Amen!
Leader:
Let us worship our God.

Our most important relationship is with God.
Leader:
There is no greater love than this: that a life would willingly be laid down for others.
People:
This is what our God,
Leader:
The Creator behind the universe,
People:
Has done for us.
Leader:
For while we were yet sinners,
People:
Jesus Christ gave his life,
Leader:
That we might be cleansed of all sin,
People:
And receive the gift of eternal life.
Leader:
Our God is so good!
People:
Our God is so good!
Leader:
Let us praise God
People:
With hearts, and hands, and voices.
Leader:
Amen.

See "Creative Ideas" for a creative Call To Worship that emphasizes that each one of us is important to God.


Prayer Of Confession
In our Gospel Reading for this morning, Jesus talks about those who honor God with their lips but not their hearts. We, too, are good at appearances.
Leader:
Real Christians never swear.
People:
And real Christians don't drink.
Leader:
And gambling is a definite no-no.
People:
And no short skirts,
Leader:
Not too much make-up.
People:
They never get angry,
Leader:
Don't work on Sunday,
People:
Are careful about dancing ...
Leader:
O Lord, forgive us for the rules we impose on ourselves and others.
People:
Forgive us for thinking faith is following a set of regulations.
Leader:
Forgive us for judging others harshly in light of our laws.
People:
Forgive us for being self-righteous.
Leader:
Forgive us whenever we offer others
People:
Anything less than the grace
Leader:
That you offered us at the cross.
People:
Forgive us, and remind us
Leader:
That we might be people of love
People:
Rather than law.
Leader:
In the name of the gracious one,
People:
Jesus Christ. Amen.

James 1 reminds us that every good and perfect gift comes from above.
Leader:
All good gifts around us
People:
Are sent from heaven above.
Leader:
And all these gifts
People:
Have been entrusted to us
Leader:
To be used to glorify God,
People:
And enrich God's children.
Leader:
But we have used them selfishly,
People:
Hoarding them,
Leader:
Hiding them,
People:
Using them only to enrich ourselves.
Leader:
Lord, forgive us for forgetting
People:
The source of our gifts,
Leader:
And for trusting in our riches and talents
People:
Instead of in you.
Leader:
We pray in Jesus' name.
People:
Amen.

Relationships are about trust, but trust is hard.
Leader:
Lord, I find it so hard to trust.
People:
I've been let down,
Leader:
And hurt so many times,
People:
It seems easier,
Leader:
And safer
People:
To trust no one
Leader:
But myself.
People:
Father, build our confidence
Leader:
And overcome our fear,
People:
That we might learn to trust
Leader:
In you.
People:
For you are always faithful,
Leader:
Always true,
People:
You will never abandon us
Leader:
Or forsake us.
People:
Thank you, Lord!
Leader:
Thank you.

Another one on good gifts from above.
Leader:
God of Grace,
People:
We have abused your gifts.
Leader:
You gave us the garden,
People:
We created toxic dumps;
Leader:
You gave us plentiful food,
People:
We created a starving world;
Leader:
You gave us water for refreshment,
People:
We created acid rain;
Leader:
You gave us a rainbow of races,
People:
We created the Ku Klux Klan;
Leader:
You gave us sexuality,
People:
We created pornography;
Leader:
You gave us minds to think,
People:
We created weapons of mass destruction;
Leader:
You gave us Bethlehem,
People:
We created Golgotha.
Leader:
O God in heaven,
People:
Forgive us!

We can easily become like the Pharisees.
Leader:
He came to the table and sat to eat;
People:
His hands were dirty, his clothes not neat.
Leader:
Everyone stared, and embarrassed this man;
People:
Who had not eaten in quite a long span.
Leader:
"Surely," one said, "you're not eating like that."
People:
"Of course not," said the man, before grabbing his hat.
Leader:
"Leave us and return when you're clean and straight."
People:
"I'll do that," spoke the man as he headed for the gate.
Leader:
And never again was he seen in that place,
People:
Where the people were more concerned with good form
Leader:
Than good grace.

(Pause)

Leader:
Father, forgive us for putting form ahead of love,
People:
And for cleaning the outside of our lives
Leader:
While neglecting to cleanse our hearts.
People:
For we ask it in the name of the one whose death
Leader:
Washed away our sins,
People:
Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.


Assurance Of Pardon
This Assurance goes well with the Confession immediately above.
It begs the question, doesn't it? Why should he? Forgive us, that is. All his good gifts, twisted and broken; his design ignored and perverted; his intent disregarded. Why shouldn't he just give up on us?

Simply because he can't. He is love itself, and love is not capable of giving up on the beloved.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, and never, ever ends. God's loving kindness and patience endure forever.

Let us praise our God for these truths!


Prayer For Illumination
We hear with our ears, Lord, but we listen with our hearts. Help us to be listeners this moment, so that your Word may penetrate our hearts and transform us further into your image. Amen.


Benediction
Jesus said, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men."

Let us not be these people. Amen!


Hymns

A Charge To Keep I Have

Freely, Freely

I'll Live For Him

Jesus Calls Us

O To Be Like Thee

People Need The Lord

Teach Me Thy Way, O Lord

To Be Like Jesus

They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love

Trust And Obey


Contemporary Choruses

In Moments Like These

Much

Pour Out My Heart

Power Of Your Love, The, Geoff Bullock

Your Love, O Lord, Mac Powell


Other Music

Reasons, Al Denson
Talks about the things we pursue in life that we shouldn't.

We Aren't As Strong As We Think We Are, Rich Mullins
Reminds us that if we rely on our own strength we are in trouble.


Creative Ideas
This Call To Worship is truly a "call" to worship. It is a simple skit titled "The Phone Call."

Before you begin worship have a chair and a phone in a visible place in the front of the worship space. The liturgist will enter and place a phone call. The monologue will go something like this:

"Ahhhh yes, ahh, hello. My name is _________ and ahh, well yes, it is a Sicilian name. That's very perceptive of you. So, I was wondering if, and I know this is asking a lot, I mean I know he's very busy and all, but I was wondering if it might be possible sometime to speak to, ahh, you know, the ahh, big guy."

(Pause)

"Yes, I mean God himself."

"Whhhatt? Th -- th -- this is God."

"Well I, I didn't think I was going to get directly to you. I thought I would get some sort of intermediary; an operator; I don't know, maybe an angel or something."

(Pause)

"No intermediaries, huh? Just straight to you, anytime day or night. You're always available to talk. Wow! That's really great. So this is really you, God? What an honor. But aren't you too busy to waste time talking to me?"

(Pause)

"Hmm. You don't see it as a waste of time, huh? You always have time for me. What an awesome God you are."