Seeker's Church

Look What's Here!

GATHERING                                   

ENTRANCE

REFLECTION

The universe, open to the eye today, looks as it did a thousand years ago. If we cannot find God in your house or in mine; upon the roadside or the margin of the sea; in the bursting seed or opening flower...in the procession of life, ever entering afresh, and solemnly passing by and dropping off, I do not think we should discern [God] any more on the grass of Eden, or beneath the moonlight of Gethsemane. 

CALL TO WORSHIP                                   

Leader:            The heavens proclaim the glory of God,

                        calling us to find the Good News in unexpected places.

Voice 1:            We look across a threshold

                         between darkness and light,

                         and are surprised by unexpected glimpses of hope.

All:                    Look what's here!

Voice 2:            We see surprising opportunities to serve,

                         to walk with Jesus into an unknown, hopeful future.

All:                    Look what's here!

Leader:            When God calls out "Who shall I send?"

All:                   We see ourselves, surprised by the Good News.

INVOCATION

HYMN

WORD FOR THE CHILDREN

SILENCE

PRAYERS

COMMON CONFESSION

Leader:      Holy One, you dare us to lift up our eyes

                  and see the glory that has risen upon us.

People:      Yet we keep our eyes averted,

                  fearing we will see only darkness covering the earth.

Voice 1:      Too many times

                   we've begun to see your light in the world,

                   only to have it extinguished

                   by the darkness of war, hunger, greed, and death.

Voice 2:      Too many times

                   we thought we had discovered your path for us,

                   only to find it was the way to a false god.

All:             We cry out in despair

                  of seeing righteousness triumph

                  in our lives and in the world.

INDIVIDUAL PRAYERS OF CONFESSION

ASSURANCE

Leader:      When we cry out, God answers us

                  and increases our strength.

                  God's steadfast love endures forever.     

All:                                    Amen.

PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING AND INTERCESSION

PRAYER OF DEDICATION AND COMMITMENT

All:             O Holy One, we come today

                  to claim our relationship with you.

                  We pray for the commitment to grow together,

                  sharing the gifts you give us with others

                  here and in the wider world.

                  Give us strength and discipline

                  to nurture our relationship with You;

                  to care for every part of Your Creation;

                  to foster justice and be in solidarity with those in need;

                  to work to end all war, and violence, and discord;

                  and to respond joyfully when you call,

                  freely giving our selves as you have shown the way.

                  We open our hearts to you and your Creation

                  in the name of Jesus, who is the Christ. 

                  Amen.

HYMN

THE WORD

SCRIPTURE

SERMON

SILENT REFLECTION

OFFERING

COMMUNION

Great Thanksgiving

Leader 1: Creator and Sustainer, we give you thanks

                that you call us by name,

                and that we are yours.

Voice 1:   We give you thanks for opening our eyes

                to the variety of gifts that you shower upon us.

Voice 2:  We are grateful for the gift of the Holy Spirit,

               nudging, encouraging and giving us strength

               to live out our call to be your people.

All:         We are thankful for the life, death and resurrection

              of Jesus, the Christ, whose people we are

              and whom we celebrate in this bread and cup.

Blessing the Elements

Leader 2: Christ invites everyone to eat the bread of life,

                to drink the cup of the new covenant.

Leader 1: Jesus said, I am the bread of life.

                You who come to me shall never hunger,

                You who believe in me shall never thirst.

Leader 2: On the night of his arrest, Jesus took bread,

                and after giving thanks to God, broke it and said,

               This is my body, which is for you;

               do this remembering me.

                This is the cup of the new covenant;

                Whenever you drink it, do so remembering me.

Leader 2: And so we eat and drink this ordinary bread and cup,

                seeing you among us

                as we proclaim the mystery of faith:

All:           Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

SHARE THE ELEMENTS

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING AND DEDICATION

All:           God of abundance and mercy,

                we give joyful thanks

                for your eternal love and healing presence

                in our celebration of bread and cup.

                Bless this body of Christ

                that we may attend faithfully

                to our call to be your servants,

                with each other and throughout the world. 

                Amen.

SHARED REFLECTIONS

ANNOUNCEMENTS

HYMN

BENEDICTION

Leader:      Look what's here, in every house,
                  in the procession of life on the roadside,

                  by the margin of the sea.
                  Know the love of the Holy One is present
                  in every experience, in every place.

People:      Amen.