VISUAL ARTS (PARAMENTS, GENERAL DECORATIONS, SPECIFIC DECORATIONS)
Brim: Creative Overflow in Worship Design
Banner Designs for the Church Year
- Locate a copy of the song “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang to play as a gathering song for worship each Sunday of the CE Season. You may not want to play the entire song since it is about four minutes long and repeats.
- Ask your worship committee or a creative bunch of folks to decorate the worship area with items that represent service. You may want to pile your altar high with canned goods from your food bank, prayer shawls from your prayer shawl ministry, blankets for a homeless shelter, etc. Also create a triptych collage by covering 3 pieces of poster board with pictures taken on various mission trips or pictures from our mission fields (For more information, ask a Mission Ministry Team staff member). Enlarge pictures on regular paper so people in the congregation can see them. Then create three stencils: one reading “Act Justly,” one reading “Love Mercy,” and one reading “Walk Humbly.” Using the stencil, spray paint these words on the collages. If you can’t make a stencil, have someone write these words clearly on each collage. Arrange them in the order above so they read as Micah intended! (Idea adapted from the book Come and See by Dean R. Heetderks, p.36).
- Look through the Additional Activities at the end of this liturgy and decide which of them you will do. Make plans to do them and gather materials as needed. You will also need to publicize and recruit people to help you with them so leave plenty of time to do so.
—Elinor Swindle Brown
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—Isaiah 52:7-10 NRSV
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for joy; for in plain sight they see the return of the Lord to Zion. Break forth together into singing, you ruins of Jerusalem; for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.”
—Victor Hassell
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CALL TO WORSHIP
Loving God,
We come to worship today to serve you through our praying,
singing, listening, and remembering.
We want to get to know you more fully
so we can embrace your plans for us,
for this community of faith,
for the world you love,
and for the kingdom you are building among us. Amen.
—Laurie Sharpe
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Leader: We come to this holy place to worship you, O Lord.
People: Come into our presence.
Leader: We come to worship you, our God and Savior.
People: Come into our presence.
Leader: We come offering ourselves as your servants.
People: Come into our presence.
Leader: We come with the abilities you have given us to use in your service.
People: Come into our presence.
—Sam Suddarth
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Listen… do you hear God’s mercy?
Creeping into the lives of folks who know heartache and despair.
Listen… do you hear God’s grace?
Whispering words of God’s unconditional love through Sunday school teachers
and van drivers—through folks providing a listening ear
and their undivided attention.
Listen… do you hear God’s forgiveness?
Reconciling and healing through truth-telling and meal-sharing,
loving and embracing.
Listen… do you hear God’ peace?
Providing a meal for those who worry they cannot,
providing a safe place to escape the hell folks are living in.
Listen… do you hear God?
—Victor Hassell
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Leader: God, look who has gathered here today to worship you.
All: We are yours, we are your children.
Leader: God, look who has gathered here today to love you.
All: We love you with all our hearts, our souls, and our minds.
Leader: God, look who has gathered here today to serve you.
All: Our love for you moves us to serve you and to serve our neighbor.
Leader: God, look who has gathered here today to worship you.
All: We are yours, we are your children.
—Lisa Cook
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INVOCATION
God of unconditional love, give us ears to hear the countless ways you reach out to us with mercy, grace, and forgiveness. Help us to listen for the countless ways you uphold us in times of sorrow and despair. Open our eyes to the beauty of your forgiveness reaching out to us when we think we are unforgivable. Help us see your face in the lives of the folks you have placed in our paths. And, help us to embrace the peace that you are constantly offering us with the gift of your Holy presence—through the one who has come, is coming, and will come again. Amen.
—Victor Hassell
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MUSIC (HYMNS, SONGS, ANTHEMS)
Called as Partners #343 (Hymns, Psalms and Spiritual Songs)
Make Me a Servant #653 (The Worshipping Church)
Renew Your Church, Her Ministries Restore #725 (The Worshipping Church)
We are Called… #710 (The Worshipping Church)
A Charge to Keep I Have
Make Me a Blessing
O Jesus, I Have Promised
—Laurie Sharpe
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- Days of Elijah
- Open My Eyes, That I May See
- Open Our Eyes, Lord
—Victor Hassell
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CALL TO CONFESSION
Let us ask God to forgive our sins.
—Laurie Sharpe
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Isaiah 30:18 says “Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.”
We come to confess our shortcomings and ask the Lord to hear our prayers.
—Sam Suddarth
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Although God calls all of us to love and serve, we are broken and sinful creatures who fall short of that calling often. We willfully ignore that which God desires for our lives. So, we have an opportunity now to acknowledge our brokenness and sinfulness both as a community together, and during a time of silence, where you can spend time alone with God.
—Lisa Cook
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PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Gracious God,
Search deeply within our lives and see our “hoped for” faith.
We want to be led by Holy-Spirit’s power,
to serve your purpose and glorify you.
We know our good intentions fall short,
our outreach is overshadowed by our own needs,
and our fear of people who are different from us
shortens our perspective of who you are and who you call us to be.
God, move us toward wholeness,
as we partner with you in building the kingdom to come.
Renew our lives with your mercy we pray. Amen.
—Laurie Sharpe
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Holy God, we come confessing that we often fail to yield to your calls to service.
Many times by omission we have not served others as you have called us.
It is too easy not to serve when we encounter barriers.
We often fail because we do not try.
We often fail because we are too busy with our own desires.
Forgive us Lord and remove all obstacles that hinder us. Amen.
—Sam Suddarth
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O God, we confess that there are times when we are not mindful of your presence. When you are hungry, we do not feed you. When you are thirsty, we give you nothing to drink. When you are sick, we do not care for you. When you are in prison, we do not visit.
Please forgive us, and open our hearts and our minds and our spirits to your holy presence—that we may be willing to do what is holy and what is right. Amen.
—Drew Gray
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God of mercy and compassion, you hear this same thing from us all the time.
Do you grow tired of hearing about how we have fallen short once again?
Do you grow weary of our excuses that you hear over and over,
proving we do not learn from our mistakes?
Do you know how much we need your forgiveness for all that we have done wrong,
and all the right we have left undone?
Do you feel us drawing close to you God, right now,
admitting who we really are and asking for you to love us and to forgive us anyway?
(Time for Silent Confession)
Amen.
—Lisa Cook
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ASSURANCE OF PARDON
Hear the good news! We are God’s forgiven partners. Those the scripture tells us “he has appointed to his service.” Thanks be to God for the gifts given and the abundant grace showered on all whom God loves.
—Laurie Sharpe
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—Psalm 103:8-12 (Living Bible)
He is merciful and tender toward those who don’t deserve it; he is slow to get angry and full of kindness and love. He never bears a grudge, nor remains angry forever. He has not punished us as we deserve for all our sins, for his mercy toward those who fear and honor him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west.
—Sam Suddarth
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(While pouring water into the baptismal font say…)
Listen… and feel God’s cleansing presence reaching out with forgiveness and love—promising that whatever is broken in our lives can be restored. Know and live in the blessing of God’s forgiveness. Amen.
—Drew Gray
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What a wonderful and loving God we worship and serve; a God who stands ready to pick us back up when we fall, and allows us to stand on faith and try again. To try again with full knowledge that God loves us and forgives us always. Thanks be to God! Amen.
—Lisa Cook
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CHILDREN’S SERMON
Read the book A Rose for Abby by Donna Guthrie. If you do not own this book, this is a great opportunity to buy it for yourself or for your church’s nursery or library. After reading it, you may want to make the following points:
- Today we are talking about people who see things that need to be done and then do them even if they have to leave their home to do so. Sometimes they only need to look out their windows to see what needs to be done. Doing things for others is called service; we are celebrating Christians who serve others because they love God.
- In this story, Abby looks out the window of her home which was next door to the church since her dad was the preacher. She saw a poor woman who was looking through the trash cans trying to find stuff she needed. Abby wanted to help her but didn’t know how, so she asked her dad if the church could help. Her dad said that the church was poor too. But that answer didn’t stop Abby from thinking.
- She thought about the lost and found box that had some gloves in it, so she took a paper bag, drew a rose on it, put the gloves in it, and then put the bag in the trashcan for the woman to find. And the woman did find it and was happy about the gloves because it was cold. Abby did this everyday with something different from the lost and found box. She also told her father that she knew the neighbors also had something to give. So they went to the neighbors to collect day old food, bowls and even found someone to cook soup for the street people. After the neighbors and the church served the crowd, Abby found a red paper rose placed in one the bags she had given the woman.
- Abby, a little girl, had a heart for service: which means that she felt the need to do good things for others. She shows us that we can all do something for other people to help them. And in the process, we are being a good example to other people, helping them to want to serve others too, which is what God wants us to do.
- Then pray something like this: God, we thank you for people like Abby who show us how important it is to serve others. Thank you for the people in the world who serve others and for the people in this church who serve others. Help us to be like them and like Jesus. Amen.
—Elinor Swindle Brown
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PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Creator God,
You mold us, equip us, inspire us, and call us for holy purposes
to be your partners in the world.
Strengthen our faith as we resolve to become all you intend us to be,
and transform our lives through the use of our gifts and talents.
Thank you for the skills and abilities uniquely gifted to each person,
and for equipping and calling us to live like our brother, your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
—Laurie Sharpe
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Lord your light is hidden from us by the demands of family, work, friends, hobbies, and other things that take up time that we could spend in prayer and meditation. We ask that you allow the light of your word and your calling to shine in and through us in this dark world. We pray for the Holy Spirit to guide us to the light, fill us with your presence that we may be beacons to the lost. We know that your word is the lamp to guide our feet, and the light to lead us on the path you have laid before us. Help us not to stumble, not to leave the lighted path, so that our service will be a sweet fragrance before your throne today, tomorrow, and forever. Amen and Amen.
—Sam Suddarth
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Lord, we seek to be transformed by your word. May your Holy Spirit guide us in the truth of your love and power. Open our ears, to hear your voice, our minds to understand your will and
our hearts to trust in your love, so that we may serve you by serving others. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
—Victor Hassell
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SCRIPTURE TEXTS/SERMON IDEAS
- 1 Timothy 1:12
“I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service.”
- Genesis 1
The creation story retold in the short story “Partners.”
[Does God Have a Big Toe? by Marc Gellman, Harper Collins, 1989, ISBN: 0-06-440453-6, “PARTNERS”- pp. 1–3]
—Laurie Sharpe
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- Isaiah 52:6-10
- Matthew 25:31-46
- Luke 4:14-21
Testimonies of Faithful Service
For the sermon, ask three individuals to give testimonies of how God has used a specific ministry (Soup kitchen, VBS, warming shelter, Room in the Inn, mission trip, etc.) to help draw them closer to God. Ask them to be very specific—using examples of where they have seen God working through such ministries.
—Victor Hassell
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- Old Testament Reading―Proverbs 11:25
- New Testament Reading―Romans 7:6
- Gospel Reading—Mark 10:45
—Lisa Cook
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SOCIAL MEDIA HELPS (VIDEOS, TAPED SONGS)
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PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Equipping God,
As we gather from different places to serve you through worship
you remind us that you desire more than Sunday morning people.
Through you, we come to know the living Christ who encourages, empowers,
and enriches us, and the whole world.
We praise you for the opportunities you give everyone to come to know you through service.
We offer prayers that connect us in love to one another, to the stranger, and to you,
now and long after we leave this place. Amen.
—Laurie Sharpe
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We come to thank you Lord for past, present, and future blessings. You have opened the windows of heaven and poured your anointing upon us, and we don’t have the words to say thanks. Let the Holy Spirit take our words as we pray and translate them into the heavenly language so that our praise and supplications may be heard before your throne.
- We pray for the people of our great country, for the country is the people. We pray for our leaders, may they humble themselves before you and govern according to your will.
- We pray for those in the militaries around the world, keep them safe and take them back to their own countries and loved ones.
- We pray for those who are suffering from illness and accidents; comfort, heal, and strengthen them.
- We pray for all those displaced by war, famine, and poverty; give them hope of better lives to come.
- We pray for those who have lost loved ones; may they be comforted and given strength to carry on. Lift them on your shoulders and carry them through the hurt.
- We pray blessings on all who give their lives to Christian service; locally, nationwide, and world missionaries. Give them great portions of your Holy Spirit so they can finish the path you have laid before them.
- Bless pastors, elders, deacons, Sunday school teachers, youth workers, ushers, choir members and song leaders, and all others who strive to do your will.
We pray that you will lead, guide and direct us as we use the gifts you give us to further your kingdom. We pray in the holy name of Christ Amen.
—Sam Suddarth
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Hear, O Lord, the cries of your people. Be gracious to us and answer us as we lift up the concerns of our hearts…
You are invited to voice your prayers at this time and we will respond.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayers!
O God, we give you thanks for the many blessings of this life
and for the gift of heaven which is ours even now.
We give you thanks for those who have helped draw us closer to you.
Thank you for the servants you have used to reach out, love on, and care for us.
We ask that you would just be with us now—
as we try to live out the calling you have place on our lives—
so that we may bear witness to your abiding compassion for all who suffer.
We give you the glory now and always, God in Community,
even as we pray as we are taught, 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.
—Victor Hassell
If you intend to commission some of your service activities, you may want to do it here.
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With hope, we pray to you, Lord God.
For people in their lives and work each day;
For communities, our country, the world, and all of your creation;
For those who work for justice, freedom, and peace among all people;
For victims of hunger, poverty, homelessness, fear, injustice, and oppression;
For all who are in danger, all who are sad, or experiencing trouble of any kind;
For those who help and minister to the ill and those who need special attention;
For the peace and unison of the church and its people;
For all the unspoken and unknown needs and concerns on our hearts and minds;
Hear us, Lord, for your mercy is great, as we pray with one voice:
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.
—Lisa Cook
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LITANY
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INVITATION TO THE OFFERING
God gives us abundant life and our response to God’s great love is to spend ourselves in service to God and to others. Let us express our intention to share our abundance through the singing of the hymn “Here Am I Lord.” (As the offering is received)
—Laurie Sharpe
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We come to the time in worship when we give our tithes and offerings. God created all things, there is nothing in the world that God has not made. We are stewards of creation, therefore let us give as Holy God has given to us. Malachi 3:10 says, “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so that there will be food enough in my Temple; if you do, I will open up the windows of heaven for you and pour out a blessing so great you won’t have room enough to take it in! Try it! Let me prove it to you!” (Living Bible)
—Sam Suddarth
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“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation…” Let us give so that all the ends of the earth might see the salvation of our God.
—Victor Hassell
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We serve a God who has blessed us beyond compare. One way in which we serve God and others is to prayerfully consider giving back a portion of those blessings so that our tithes and offerings can be transformed into an instrument of your will for creation.
—Lisa Cook
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OFFERTORY PRAYER
God, we offer ourselves as friends in service to the sick, the lonely, the hurting, and the devalued among us. We offer ourselves in words of compassion over judgment and abundant sharing over fear-filled hoarding. We offer ourselves for the purpose of serving you, those whom you love, and the world which you long to save. Amen.
—Laurie Sharpe
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Lord, this offering we lay on your altar. We know that little becomes much when we place it in your hands. So take it, multiply it, and use it according to your will and your purposes. Lord we also offer our lives, our talents and gifts to you, enhance them, grow them, use us in ways we don’t yet understand and those ways we already know. Lord, use us so that our lives and the lives of those we touch will be blessed. Amen.
—Sam Suddarth
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We give you thanks, O God, for this opportunity to give and for the many gifts that have been given. We ask that you would take, bless, and use these gifts to make your presence known so that all may experience your salvation. Amen.
—Victor Hassell
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God, we humbly offer to you these gifts from your children. May your blessing be upon them and may they serve all of creation in such a way that brings glory and honor to you Lord. Amen.
—Lisa Cook
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CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
Take God’s love and grace to a world that is dying to be saved.
We are compelled to be much more than Sunday People!
Let our service, empowered by the Holy Spirit, become saving grace.
Bringing God’s kingdom into view for the glory of God,
Who brings new life to all things, every morning. Amen.
—Laurie Sharpe
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We leave this place and go out into the dark world.
What shall we do?
Shall we hide from the darkness or carry a light to show God’s way?
Shall we go boldly where God leads us?
Shall we serve ourselves or others?
Jesus said “go and I shall be with you always, even to the end of all things.”
Let us go then, and share and serve.
Isaiah said, “Woe is me for I am undone”, but he still answered “Here am I, send me.”
God says to us also: Will you go for me?
We are the hands and feet of God.
Let us go and serve. Amen.
—Sam Suddarth
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Go now, and be who Christ has called and created you to be—
Go and feed and give and visit and care and serve—
Go and be blessed—
For surely whatever you do to the least of these is a blessing to all—including yourself.
And the blessing which you have received from God the Creator,
Redeemer, and Sustainer be with you always. Amen.
—Victor Hassell
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May God’s will for you and your place in this world be made known,
May you find a way to serve God and your neighbor in your own special way,
May you find peace and love in your daily walk with God and others,
May you be blessed and full of the knowledge that God loves you completely.
Go in peace, love, and kindness for all. Amen.
—Lisa Cook
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OTHER HELPS (COMMISSION, COMMUNION, BLESSINGS)
(long-wise horizontal). Then use a projector and a transparency of a flat map to draw a map onto the table cloth. Ask people to use the sticky notes and pens provided to write a note of hope for particular parts of the world (a country or region) and put the prayer on that area of the map. Leave this prayer wall up for several weeks to give people a chance to read the prayers and offer their own prayers for both the writer and the situation.
Leave a Piece of Your Church—Have a group from your church gather to discuss having something for mission workers from your church to give to someone on the mission field. It may be a coffee cup with your church’s logo on it or a handcrafted item that one of your members has made. Consider its size and weight, which is usually an issue when packing for a trip. Have the church member giving the gift to take a picture with the recipient and post it somewhere special at the church.
Commission Your Servants—Have the pastor set up a regular time in a worship service to commission those who are going to be working in Christian service. These people may include those who work regularly in a soup kitchen, a homeless shelter, a mission trip, as a volunteer at a local hospital, a teacher, etc. Broaden the church’s idea of what it means to be a Christian servant. You might be surprised at those who are serving and those who would like to serve given the chance.
—Elinor Swindle Brown