Worship resources

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Pieces of A Christmas Sunday Service

I had the honor of leading our worship service this Christmas Sunday. Here is how we began and ended our service.

Call to Worship     (written by Cheryl Lawrie of holdthisspace)
We are here because we have heard a promise of peace
      and we have faith its day will come.
we have heard a rumor of justice
     and we have faith its day will come.
we have heard a whisper of hope
     and we have faith its day will come.
we have heard a hint of love
     and we have faith its day will come.
we have heard of the birth of the Christ-child
     and we have faith his day is here.
Welcome to Christmas.
Welcome to worship.

Prayer
Father God, we thank you for sending your Son to earth to live and minister and bring new life to the lost—to us. How wise and wonderful you are to chose this way, the humble birth of a baby, to dwell with us forever. We look forward to unwrapping more of this wondrous mystery today.

Jesus, on your birthday, we welcome you again into the human story, and into our lives. We are deeply grateful that you came as the Prince of Peace and we grasp tightly to your promises of peace, of justice, of hope, and of love. We confess that we need you and your gifts to live this life. May we not forget to open our hands and hearts to share your promised gifts with those around us.

Holy Spirit, you are with us always, everywhere, reminding us of God’s big story of love, and our part in that story. May we know your presence today, and your wisdom guiding us tomorrow. Continue to teach us how to be your disciples, your storytellers, and your just and joyful witnesses to the world. We celebrate that you are here now, joining in our worship. May all that we do, say, and sing, be a blessing to your kingdom come. Amen.

Benediction
Now go, wrapped in the deep love and great blessing of God, your Father. You hold the gift of the Christ-child in your hearts. So go, give it away. Amen.

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Like Peter: Following Jesus on Good Friday

I’m working with our worship pastor to shape our Good Friday service. We are using a series of dramatic readings, shaped from the Gospel of John, to tell the story of Christ’s last days. I was looking for a responsive reading that would work well after Peter’s denial of Jesus in John 18:15-27. Despite many online resources, I couldn’t seem to find what I was looking for. So I created something new, borrowing from something old.

This responsive reading is simply built; it’s snippets of conversation between Jesus and Peter, taken from all four gospels. It’s designed so that the congregation walks in Peter’s sandals as he follows Jesus. In one minute, the reading reflects three years of discipleship. I want the congregation to connect with the idea that we are all like Peter. Our lives are full of moments of passionate belief followed by doubt, fear, confusion, and passionate denial. You are welcome to use this as you will.

St. Peter in Penitence, El Greco, 1580s

St. Peter in Penitence, El Greco, 1580s

Leader:     Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.

People:    I will follow you.

Leader:     Who do you say that I am?

People:    You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!

Leader:     No one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father. Will you go away like the others?

People:    Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.

Leader:     I must wash your feet.

People:    Lord, you shall never wash my feet.

Leader:     If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.

People:    Lord, not just my feet – wash my hands and head too!

Leader:     I must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things, be killed and raised on the third day.

People:    No, Lord! This will never happen to you!

Leader:     If anyone wants to come with me, you must deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me.

People:    I will follow you. I will lay down my life for you.

Leader:     Tonight all of you will run away because of me.

People:    Even if everyone runs away because of you, I will never run away!

Leader:     Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.

People:    Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!

[pause]

Leader:     Weren’t you with Jesus the Galilean?

People:    I don’t know what you mean.

Leader:     Yes, you are with Jesus of Nazareth!

People:    I don’t know the man.

Leader:     I am sure you are one of his disciples.

People:    I am not!