Reconciling in Christ 2005

Reconciling in Christ Worship

Service of Affirmation and Inclusivity

Order for Worship

Prelude & Lighting of candles

Call to Worship: Unite us, God, in peace

by Dominique Ombrie, Agape Songbook, Oxford

Stand

Litany:

A: Whom do you see today?

Whom do your eyes “blank out”?

Whom do you greet?

Whom do you pass over?

Whom do you visit?

Whom do you ignore?

Whom do you associate with?

Whom do you “turn invisible”?

Whom do you welcome?

Whom does your mind “erase”?

P: We all do it. Everyday.

Open yourself and change.

Open yourself and become Christ to all you encounter.

A: See as Christ sees:

C: Everyone.

A: Consider as equal those Christ considers his:

C: Everyone.

A: Welcome as Christ welcomes:

C: Everyone.

P: For who is your inferior?

C: No one.

P: For who is more worthwhile?

C: Others.

P: Be Christ and empty yourself for others.

Gathering Song: I Was Glad

Text: Psalm 122:1, refrain; Jay Beech, stanzas

Music: Jay Beech

Augsburg Fortress

Refrain: I was glad when they said to me. . ."Let us go to the house of the Lord."

Called from ev'ry nation . . , make the walls and rafters ring. Refrain

Words that must be spoken, . . shouted out in Jesus' name. Refrain

Here the poor are welcomed. . . Here, in Christ, we all belong. Refrain

Greeting

Prayer of the Day

Sit

Suggested Anthem: Because he came into our world

Homero Perera , Agape Songbook, Oxford

First Lesson: Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32

Psalm 25:1-8

Refrain: You Are Compassion (see Music)

W. Michael Aguilar III , Shandy Music Industries, PO Box 10402, Portland, OR 97296.

Second Lesson: Philippians 2:1-13

Stand

Holy Gospel: Matthew 21:23-32

Sit

Music for Meditation

Message

.Stand

Theme Song: The Summons

Text: John Bell, GIA Publications, Inc.

Music: Scottish traditional KELVINGROVE

"Will you come and follow me. . . be grown in you and you in me?

"Will you leave yourself behind . . answer prayer in you and you in me?

"Will you let the blinded see. . . what I mean in you and you in me?

"Will you love the you you hide. . . and sound in you and you in me?

Lord, your summons echoes true. . . grow in you and you in me.

Testimony of Faith:

I believe in God, Creator of the universe, who is mother and father of us all.

I believe in God, Christ Jesus, who, leaving his divinity, became a human, a man who walked this earth. He was born of a woman, grew up, and became a teacher and healer, the Light of the World. He was executed by Pontius Pilate. He conquered death, rising to true life, whole and real. He returned to his Father and will come again to judge this world.

I believe in God, the Holy Spirit, our comforter and guide, who with the Creator and the Christ is God, now and before and after all time.

Prayers of the Church

Sit

Offering

Stand

Offering Prayer:

A: Let us pray,

C: O God, of love and grace, we humbly bring you all that we are and have. For being humble is not a passive thing, but an active thing. Putting others first means more than caring. It means doing. We must act. We must stand up. We must risk ourselves. We must risk our status, our wealth, our lives. This we offer to you, O God, for you first gave us everything. Amen.

Litany

A: Clothes

C: Don’t matter.

A: Cleanliness

C: Doesn’t matter.

A: Gender

C: Doesn’t matter.

A: Sexual orientation

C: Doesn’t matter.

A: Race

C: Doesn’t matter.

A: Nationality

C: Doesn’t matter.

A: Poverty

C: Doesn’t matter.

A: Possessions

C: Don’t matter.

A: Piety

C: Doesn’t matter.

A: Worldliness

C: Doesn’t matter.

A: Christ sees only

C: Faith in God:

A: Great as the ocean,

C: Small as a molecule.

A: All Christ sees is that faith, that trust, that belief.

C: And in Christ we are created a community. One community throughout time and place.

A: One people

C: Reconciled

A: United

C: Through the blood and body of Christ brought into kinship, brought back into the family of God.

Greeting of Peace

P: God has received us, pardoned us and loved us; let us forgive each other in love and share the peace of Christ. Peace be with you.

C: And also with you.

(All may greet one another in the name of the Lord.)

Communion Song: God Has Spoken, Bread Is Broken

verses 1,2,4 sung by the Cantor, All sing Refrain and verses 3 & 5

Refrain: God has spoken. . . coming through us to the world.

Jesus, the vine. . . and bear much fruit. Refrain

If you have thirst. . . water of peace. Refrain

One is the bread . . and one in Christ. Refrain

Prayer:

P: We either include or exclude.

We cannot do both.

To say it is right to allow this sinner baptism, but not full participation in ministry is to gainsay or take issue with God.

C: O God, help us to accept such a baptism and acknowledge the fullness of God’s word.

P: To say it is right to allow that sinner communion, but not full participation in community is to contest God.

C: O God, help us to share with everyone in full communion with Christ through his body and blood under the bread and the wine so that we do not separate ourselves from Christ. Help us to acknowledge the full power and breadth of God’s love and accept all of God’s people as equal heirs in the Kingdom - now and always - so we do not turn our backs on God and all of God’s creation.

P: Those God has accepted, those God has received, those God chooses to call are of God.

C: O God, help us to see that when we refuse anyone complete and full communion in the Body of Christ, we cut ourselves off from that body.

P: For what Christ shared with his disciples, he shared with all people. As Christ called the outcasts of society to his side, so today he calls to everyone, and gives to all the gift of life.

P: Blessed is the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ

who has blessed us in Christ

with every spiritual blessing in the heavens;

Just as God chose us to be in Christ

before the foundation of the world,

God chose us to be holy and blameless

before God in love.

God destined us for adoption through Jesus Christ

According to the favor of God’s will,

For the praise of the glory of God’s grace

which God gave us in the beloved, Jesus Christ,

In whom we have redemption through his blood—

the forgiveness of our sins—

According to the riches of God’s grace

Which he lavished on us

in all wisdom and insight.

God has made known to us the mystery of the divine will

According to the favor which God set forth in Christ

As a plan for the fullness of time

to sum up all things in Christ—

all the things of heaven

and all the things of earth in him—

In whom we also were chosen,

destined according to the purpose of the one

who sets everything in motion

According to the council of God’s will

For we exist to praise the glory of God—

we who first hoped in Christ.

Ephesians 1:3-12 (trans. Annal Frenz)

P: For I received from the Lord

that which I also handed down to you—

that the Lord Jesus

in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;

and after giving thanks, He broke it and said,

“This is My body, which is for you;

do this in remembrance of Me.”

In the same way also He took the cup after supper, saying,

“This cup is the new covenant which is in My blood;

do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,

you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

I Corinthians 11:23-26 (trans. Annal Frenz)

P: Let us pray,

C: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen.

Sit

Distribution

Stand

Dismissal from Communion:

P: Now may the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ keep you always in God’s grace.

C: Amen.

Post Communion Song: No Longer Strangers

Text: David Haas

Music: David Haas

GIA Publications, Inc.

We once were lost, without hope. . . saved by the promise of God!

Refrain: No longer strangers. . . We are one in the house of God!

We once were cut off, but now we are brought near. . . one body of Christ! Refrain

We who once were dead. . . who raised us to life! Refrain

Post Communion Prayer:

A: Let us pray. God of love,

C: You have fed us with the bread of life and the blood of redemption. Fulfill in us the promise of Christ’s glory that we may overflow with the boundless compassion and forgiveness which was first given us through Jesus Christ our Lord that all the world may be nourished. Amen.

Blessing: May You Run and Not Be Weary

Text: Handt Hanson

Music: Handt Hanson

Prince of Peace Publishing/Changing Church Forum, Inc. (CCLI)

May you run and not be weary . . And may the road you travel always lead you home.

Sit

Announcements

A: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

Postlude