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Preparation for Worship
Songs: Ask yourself and the people who will be worshipping with you (kids included), “What are some of the songs we sing that talk about God’s power?” Play them on Spotify, sing them acapella, or create your own instrumental arrangement.
Bible: You will need a Bible to read from the scriptures. You can use this doc or your phone as well, but I’d recommend using an actual Bible.
This week’s liturgy is based on the following texts: Acts 7:55-60, Psalm 31:1-5,15-16, John 14:1-14, 1 Peter 2:2-10.
You can decide who will lead the different movements of this gathering. It would be great for every person to have a part.
Gathering
Silence
You are invited to center your hearts for worship by beginning with 2 minutes of silence.
Call to Worship
Leader: Come, people of God!
Take refuge in the Lord,
All: You are our God;
our lives are in your hands.
Leader: God listens when we cry out,
God rescues us when we call,
and God leads and guides us according to his unfailing love.
All: You are our God;
our lives are in your hands.
Leader: Let’s worship God together!
Song of Praise
Sing one or two songs that focus on the risen Savior and God’s saving grace.
Some suggestions:
He’s Alive, He’s Alive (for kids)
For other song ideas click here.
Prayer of Confession
Let us confess our sins together.
Merciful God,
We confess that we have sinned against you
In thought, word, and deed,
By what we have done,
And by what we have left undone
We have not loved you
With our whole heart and mind and strength
We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
In your mercy forgive what we have been,
Help us amend what we are,
And direct what we shall be,
So that we may delight in your will
And walk in your ways,
To the glory of your holy name.
Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Words of Assurance
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
As a father has compassion for his children,
So the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.
For he knows how we were made;
He remembers that we are dust.
But the steadfast love of the Lord is from
Everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear him,
And his righteousness to children’s children,
To those who keep his covenant
And remember to do his commandments.
In Christ Jesus we are forgiven.
Psalm Reading
A reading from Psalm 31.
In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
in your righteousness deliver me!
Incline your ear to me;
rescue me speedily!
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a strong fortress to save me!
For you are my rock and my fortress;
and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me;
you take me out of the net they have hidden for me,
for you are my refuge.
Into your hand I commit my spirit;
you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.
My times are in your hand;
rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
Make your face shine on your servant;
save me in your steadfast love!
Prayer for Illumination
Lord God,
Help us to know your ways;
Teach us your paths.
Lead us in your truth, and teach us,
For you are the God of our salvation;
For you we wait all day long.
Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Listening
(The time of listening is a series of reading the scripture, re-telling the story, and paying attention to where God is stirring your hearts as you listen. Invite everyone to listen to the words of the scriptures and to be ready to re-tell the story.)
Hear the word of the Lord from John chapter 14.
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.”
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”
Re-Telling
Slowly re-read the passage. In each paragraph, pay attention to the word or phrase that calls out to you. Pause for a moment at the end of each paragraph and sit with the word or phrase that has spoken to you.
Paying Attention
What word or phrases captured your attention? Why do you think these words/phrases spoke to you?
What message do you think Jesus was trying to deliver to his disciples in this text?
Who do you think are some of the people we need to make room for in our lives? In our churches? In our communities?
What will we carry into this week from this text? Is there a word/an action/a challenge that we have received from this text?
How can we be praying this week?
Responding
Song of Response
Prayers of the People
Prayers are conversations with God. We join our hearts and voices to offer our prayers to God.
Almighty God,
you have built your Church
on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Jesus Christ himself
being the chief cornerstone.
Join us together in unity of spirit
that we may become a holy temple,
acceptable to you:
May we honor your name
not by paying you lip service,
but by trusting you to lead us.
May we honor you by following you.
May we speak into the word with our actions
and show that we are your people by the way we live.
May we love in your name.
May we speak in your name.
May we care in your name.
We pray for those who are hungry and in need. (pause)
We remember the sick, especially those we name silently or aloud. (pause)
We lift up those things weighing on us today. (pause)
Holy Spirit,
Give us joy that outlasts our sorrows,
Give us a hope stronger than the despair of our discouragement.
And now we pray together the prayer you taught us to pray saying,
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever. Amen.
Sending
Leader: People of God,
Let us live a life worthy of the calling we have received.
Be completely humble and gentle;
be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit
through the bond of peace.
All: Remember that at one time we were without Christ,
having no hope and without God in the world.
But now in Christ Jesus we who once were far off
have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Leader: Once you were not a people,
but now you are God’s people;
once you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy.
All: We come to him, as living stones,
rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight,
Leader: And like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house,
to be a holy priesthood,
to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God
through Jesus Christ.
All: For we are a chosen race,
a royal priesthood,
a holy nation,
God’s own people,
in order that we may proclaim the mighty acts of the one
who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Leader: Go in Peace to love and serve the Lord.
Living Room Liturgist 