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 the Triune God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit)?” 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:
Isaiah 6:1-8 and Psalm 29, Romans 8:12-17, John 3:1-17
You can decide who will lead the different movements of this gathering. It would be great for every person to have a part.
Gathering
Call to Worship
Leader: As followers of Christ, we are called to live into a new kingdom.
We bring a hopeful understanding of our world
declaring that God called all of creation “good.”
All: With hopeful hearts we gather.
Leader: We are called to bring this hope
with us wherever we go
knowing that God makes all things new again.
All: With hopeful hearts we gather.
Leader: We are called to love God and to love one another.
So with hopeful hearts and renewed vision we gather
to worship and give thanks!
All: Let us worship our great God!
Song of Praise
Sing one song that focuses on God’s love and God’s call.
Some suggestions:
All Creatures of our God and King
For other song ideas click here.
Reading from the Psalms
The Psalmist writes in Psalm 29 (ESV),
Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.
3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord, over many waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf,
and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth
and strips the forests bare,
and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
11 May the Lord give strength to his people!
May the Lord bless his people with peace!
Prayer for Illumination
God of Love,
We offer this time of worship to you,
praying that it may reflect our praise and thanksgiving
for the gifts of creation and for all that Jesus has done for us.
Now, by your Spirit,
Open our eyes and ears
That we might recognize what you are saying to us. 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.)
A reading from Isaiah 6. In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”
4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
A reading from John 3.
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Re-Telling
Let’s remember together what was said in these readings. What was said first? What happened next? (Go around the circle and tell the story to each other. Try to remember as many details as possible.)
Paying Attention
What word or phrases captured your attention? Why do you think these words/phrases spoke to you?
What questions came up for you as you heard this text read and re-read?
What is God up to in these texts?
What will we carry into this week from this text?
How can we pray this week?
Responding
Prayers of the People
Holy God,
whose Spirit moved over the waters at the dawn of creation,
hear our prayers for all who thirst today.
We pray for those who are spiritually thirsty,
who long to know Your presence, but don’t know where to find You.
We pray for those who are alone and those who have lost hope,
those who long to feel needed and loved,
those who are searching for meaning and purpose.
Heal your people, we pray. (pause)
We pray for all who are in need,
Those who don’t have enough water to drink or food to eat.
Those who are worried about their job and their future.
Provide for your people, we pray. (pause)
God, we ask that you would open our hearts to the needs of all who thirst.
Give us courage to work together for justice,
to stand alongside those who are thirsty,
so that all people, may discover the abundant life You promise to each one.
In the name of Jesus Christ—the source of living water.
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 sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
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
Benediction
Dear Friends,
Go with this blessing.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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