Order for Worship Education Emphasis
Note: In order to keep the time within limits of a worship service there is no Confession, Kyrie, Praise Song, Psalm, Greeting of Peace, Offering Song, Great Thanksgiving/Preface/Holy, Holy, Holy, Communion Song, or Thanksgiving Song.
Prelude
Gathering Song:
Prayer:
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Praise the Lord who reaches out to the hungry of spirit and heart.
C: Blessed be God, our breath and our life.
P: Praise the Lord who is source of all creation, hope and inspiration.
C: Blessed be God, our breath and our life.
P: Praise the Lord who speaks to our needs of mind and soul and body.
C: Blessed be God, our breath and our life.
P: Praise the Lord who is Creator, Savior and Counselor.
C: Amen. Praise the Lord!
P: Let us pray,
C: Dear God, your creative and loving power has brought us into being, fitting us for a life which is complete only through you. Grant us the joy of your creation, the knowledge of your will, the inspiration to understand, and the courage to be your congregation, your people in this world. Inspire us to prophesy and worship so that all who come seeking you might be touched, challenged and filled by your Holy Spirit. Take and use our words and music, litanies and liturgies, rites and rituals to further your will. We ask this in the name of the one who brings us back into a right relationship with you, your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Week One: Introduction:
Why do we worship? Response to God - Deuteronomy 5:1-12, Mark 12:29-30
Who is worship for, us or God? Us - a tangible way to move into relationship with God.
God - ditto?
Why worship in community? Support. Increased spiritual power - Matthew 18:19-20
What do we hope to accomplish? Nurturing - food for the soul - Matthew 15:1-11, Mark 7:1-15
What is our goal? Food for the hungry - new people - John 15:19-27
Week Two: Scriptural/Prophetic Worship:
Worship based on scriptural texts, evangelical (i.e. preaching the Gospel), Eucharistic, worship is/as prayer. Worship which emphasizes some scriptural “virtue”, “goal”, or “need” which calls for a change in attitude, spirituality, thought, and/or action by those who participate in worship; “comfort the afflicted, afflict the comfortable”.
Week Three: Social/Emotional Worship:
Worship which speaks/touches to the emotions, ideals, culture, politics, etc. of the individuals. Music works on two levels: knowledge/emotion, teaching aid “what we sing we come to believe”.
Week Four: Worship Styles/Practicalities:
Discuss traditional, contemporary, blended, contemplative, festal, liturgical (meaning of “liturgy”), non-liturgical, passive, active, Martin Luther’s comments re worship/order. Facility possibilities/restrictions/configuration, size of congregation (i.e. how many go to communion), time constraints, budgetary considerations, technological considerations, talent available/restrictions, receptivity of worshipers, lectionary/non-lectionary.
Prayer of the Day
1st Lesson
2nd Lesson
Music for Meditation
Gospel
Message
Theme Song:
Creed
Prayers
Offering
Offering Prayer
Eucharistic Prayer/Institution
The Lord’s Prayer
Distribution of Holy Communion
Thanksgiving Prayer
Blessing
Announcements
Sending Song: