Sabbath
Worship
THE WORK OF THE PEOPLE
Liturgical Aids
Call to Worship
Indeed, this is a day of rest and gladness.
This is God's Sabbath, created for our reflection and renewal.
Let us then not profane it, but keep it holy.
We do this as we honor God and commit ourselves to the well--being of God's creation.
Each of us individually needs a personal rejuvenation of spirit.
Together we seek a strengthening of community, a community that continues to build itself in love.
So do we come as one people to worship God, our Maker and our Sustainer.
So do we recognize the source of our growth as children of God.
Invocation
Gracious and wise God, we thank you for Sabbath rest. In your wisdom you recognize that we, your children, need time off from the hectic schedule of daily living, time to focus on those things that are of ultimate meaning and worth: our relationship with you and those bonds of love that link us to family. Moreover, we need the rest, that we be restored in body, mind, and spirit. For only so will we be prepared, not merely to endure, but to respond creatively to the challenges of this week and every week. Thus do we seek your presence and guidance in worship - the encouragement of your Word and the refreshing of your Spirit. We pray in the name of the Lord of the Sabbath, the name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.
Call to Confession
Even as many a Jew in Jesus' day squeezed joy out of the Sabbath, so are we in our day guilty of stripping holiness from the Sabbath. In our society it seems that anything goes on this day. Far from being a day to honor God, and so find ourselves refreshed spiritually, it has become a day to pursue one's own personal pleasure. Instead of building up the total person with such resources of renewal as God can offer, we continue to push ourselves to the brink of emptiness, of estrangement from that which ultimately counts and makes for life, in other words, to the very point of spiritual exhaustion. Let us in confession ask forgiveness and a sure word from God regarding our future.
Prayer of Confession
God of all wisdom, God of all love, God of Sabbath rest and renewal, we think that we can go and go and go and never have our spiritual tanks run dry. Whereas we value a good night's sleep for the refreshing of our physical body, we skimp on the time allocated for spiritual renewal. Just think how fidgety we become when the worship hour is extended by just a few minutes. The thought of a whole day, a Sabbath devoted to prayer and praise, a day wherein all members of the family seek to honor you and together to grow in your way, why that boggles the mind and strains to the limit our concept of the possible. Yet you rested, O God, and you would have us rest, that with renewed perspective and vigor we may be able faithfully to pursue the holy and so find purpose and joy in our living. Forgive us, we pray, past failures in this regard, and create in us a right spirit to truly remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. With Christ as our guide, we would like to give it a try. Grant us another opportunity. Amen.
Words of Assurance
God is indeed merciful and gracious! When others in exasperation give up on us, God with patience awaits our about face and our return to the family. God's arms are ever open to embrace us and to receive us back - that we might rest in his presence, and so be revitalized for faithful witness and for useful service in the world around.
Thanks be to God - that rest and renewal are gifts of God ever available to us.
Psalter Reading (Psalm 121)
I lift up my eyes to the hills - from where will my help come?
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.
Offering Sentences
Thanksgiving to God, concern for the well--being of friend and neighbor, our own desire to grow in spirit - all find tangible expression in the tithes and offerings that we now bring and dedicate to God's work in this place. May we all act from glad, grateful, and generous hearts, willing that God direct us in each gift's use.
Prayer of Dedication
Grant us the joy of participating in the use of these gifts, O God. In your wisdom, lead us to those places where healing is needed, where growth can be encouraged, where hope can be kindled, where love that is shared can truly make a difference. May a portion of this giving enable Sabbath rest and renewal; yet another portion, the fulfilling of your mission in the world. May all be done according to your will and to further your way. For so do we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Benediction
May you find on every Sabbath day that nurturing, that empowering which will enable you to be a faithful witness and servant of God throughout the week. Utilize both the riches and the rest of the Sabbath to prepare you fully for that joyful task of being a child of the Most High, called to a very special place in God's creation, there to represent God. You have been called - and prepared - and now sent. Amen!
Indeed, this is a day of rest and gladness.
This is God's Sabbath, created for our reflection and renewal.
Let us then not profane it, but keep it holy.
We do this as we honor God and commit ourselves to the well--being of God's creation.
Each of us individually needs a personal rejuvenation of spirit.
Together we seek a strengthening of community, a community that continues to build itself in love.
So do we come as one people to worship God, our Maker and our Sustainer.
So do we recognize the source of our growth as children of God.
Invocation
Gracious and wise God, we thank you for Sabbath rest. In your wisdom you recognize that we, your children, need time off from the hectic schedule of daily living, time to focus on those things that are of ultimate meaning and worth: our relationship with you and those bonds of love that link us to family. Moreover, we need the rest, that we be restored in body, mind, and spirit. For only so will we be prepared, not merely to endure, but to respond creatively to the challenges of this week and every week. Thus do we seek your presence and guidance in worship - the encouragement of your Word and the refreshing of your Spirit. We pray in the name of the Lord of the Sabbath, the name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.
Call to Confession
Even as many a Jew in Jesus' day squeezed joy out of the Sabbath, so are we in our day guilty of stripping holiness from the Sabbath. In our society it seems that anything goes on this day. Far from being a day to honor God, and so find ourselves refreshed spiritually, it has become a day to pursue one's own personal pleasure. Instead of building up the total person with such resources of renewal as God can offer, we continue to push ourselves to the brink of emptiness, of estrangement from that which ultimately counts and makes for life, in other words, to the very point of spiritual exhaustion. Let us in confession ask forgiveness and a sure word from God regarding our future.
Prayer of Confession
God of all wisdom, God of all love, God of Sabbath rest and renewal, we think that we can go and go and go and never have our spiritual tanks run dry. Whereas we value a good night's sleep for the refreshing of our physical body, we skimp on the time allocated for spiritual renewal. Just think how fidgety we become when the worship hour is extended by just a few minutes. The thought of a whole day, a Sabbath devoted to prayer and praise, a day wherein all members of the family seek to honor you and together to grow in your way, why that boggles the mind and strains to the limit our concept of the possible. Yet you rested, O God, and you would have us rest, that with renewed perspective and vigor we may be able faithfully to pursue the holy and so find purpose and joy in our living. Forgive us, we pray, past failures in this regard, and create in us a right spirit to truly remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. With Christ as our guide, we would like to give it a try. Grant us another opportunity. Amen.
Words of Assurance
God is indeed merciful and gracious! When others in exasperation give up on us, God with patience awaits our about face and our return to the family. God's arms are ever open to embrace us and to receive us back - that we might rest in his presence, and so be revitalized for faithful witness and for useful service in the world around.
Thanks be to God - that rest and renewal are gifts of God ever available to us.
Psalter Reading (Psalm 121)
I lift up my eyes to the hills - from where will my help come?
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.
Offering Sentences
Thanksgiving to God, concern for the well--being of friend and neighbor, our own desire to grow in spirit - all find tangible expression in the tithes and offerings that we now bring and dedicate to God's work in this place. May we all act from glad, grateful, and generous hearts, willing that God direct us in each gift's use.
Prayer of Dedication
Grant us the joy of participating in the use of these gifts, O God. In your wisdom, lead us to those places where healing is needed, where growth can be encouraged, where hope can be kindled, where love that is shared can truly make a difference. May a portion of this giving enable Sabbath rest and renewal; yet another portion, the fulfilling of your mission in the world. May all be done according to your will and to further your way. For so do we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Benediction
May you find on every Sabbath day that nurturing, that empowering which will enable you to be a faithful witness and servant of God throughout the week. Utilize both the riches and the rest of the Sabbath to prepare you fully for that joyful task of being a child of the Most High, called to a very special place in God's creation, there to represent God. You have been called - and prepared - and now sent. Amen!
