Pentecost 1992: The Breath and the Body of God

Pentecost 1992: The Breath and the Body of God

 

 

SEEKERS CHURCH

Pentecost, 1992

The Breath and the Body of God

 

REFLECTION

 

                        "God's desire is revealed in our body

                        the mouth is prisoner of the eyes

                        the glory of God is happy people

                        happy people are God naked…

 

                        "In the body God, and humankind meet."

 

                                                                              Rubem Alves, Resurrection of the Body

 

PRELUDE

 

CALL TO WORSHIP

 

Leader:            People of Seekers,

                        and all who dwell in Washington, DC,

                        Let this be known to you.

                        God speaks to us through the prophets, saying:

 

People:            In those days I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.

                        Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

                        The young shall see visions,

                        the old shall dream dreams;

                        And I will show wonders in the heavens above,

                        and signs on the earth beneath…

 

Leader:            Come.  Worship in the Spirit of Pentecost.

                                                                                                        From Acts 2:14-19

 

INVOCATION

 

HYMN

 

SILENCE

 

PENTECOST LITANY

 

Leader:            Transforming womb of God, conceive in us.

                        Transforming Breath of God, bring us to life.

 

Voice 1:           Break forth your living water, O birthing-Spirit;

                        Streaming grace upon us, cleansing us,

                        causing us to be whole;

                        Giving us living water…

 

Voice 2:           Expecting the yet unseen,

Anticipating the given moment,

Moving with your birthing rhythms;

Breathing with the pain.

 

Leader:            Signs of new beginnings casting forth into light.

Meeting of the Creator and the newly born;

A joyful morning!  A jubilee!

 

Unison:            O Christ, your name upon us;

our name engraved upon your palm.

                        Transforming womb of God, conceive in us.

                        Transforming Breath of God, bring us to life.

 

                                                                  After More Than Words, Janet Schaffran, Pat Kozak

     

SILENCE

 

PRAYERS

 

CONFESSION 

Unison:            Holy Spirit, who rides the wings of the wind,

                        We long to be enlivened by your Spirit-breath.

                        When it blows a gale, we hide,

                        Protect ourselves from change,

                        Defend ourselves against the ambush of your love.

 

                        O Holy One, forgive our fear,

                        our frightened searching for the gentle way,

                        our frantic longing for imagined comforts of the past.

 

INDIVIDUAL CONFESSIONS

 

ASSURANCE 

Leader:            The pressure is intense

                        to make us more and more like our surroundings;

                        The worldly gates of culture, tighter than the birth canal,

                        can squeeze the life from us.

 

                        But Christ has promised us the wind of life,

                        And we are free to fly, as God calls each of us, unique.

                        The Holy Spirit does not fill us to conform us to the world.

 

                        Let go of fear, and claim the power of your faith.

                        AMEN.

 

CONTINUING PRAYERS

 

HYMN

 

THE WORD

Scripture

Sermon

Silent Reflection

 

OFFERING

Offertory Music

Prayer of Dedication

 

SHARED REFLECTIONS

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

HYMN

 

BENEDICTION 

Leader:            The Holy Spirit, thunderstorm of creativity,

                        Brings unexpected life!

 

                        The Body of Christ is alive,

                        And each of us is some unique part…

                        An eye, an ear, a helping hand,

                        A broken heart.

 

                        Go forth to live the call of God!

                        AMEN.

 

 

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Recommitment 1992
Fall 1989: Learning from Work