Liturgy for March 29, 2020

March 29th, 2020 | April Karli

King of Glory (You Restore My Soul)

(All Sons & Daughters)

I know a place where I can find You

Here in the valley of the shadow

Give me eyes to see where You’re leading me

I know a place where I can feel you

Here in the freedom of forgiveness

Give me strength to hold fast to what I know

You restore my soul

I’m Yours alone, Oh King of glory

When dark gives way to light

Your hope will rise, Oh King of glory

I know a place where I can hear You

Your truth is a whisper in the chaos

Give me faith to stand strong in this rushing wind

You restore my soul

I’m Yours alone, Oh King of glory

When dark gives way to light

Your hope will rise, Oh King of glory

You restore my soul

I’m Yours alone, Oh King of glory

When dark gives way to light

Your hope will rise, Oh King of glory

Surely goodness and mercy follow me

Every moment I will dwell with You

You restore my soul

I’m Yours alone, Oh King of glory

When dark gives way to light

Your hope will rise, Oh King of glory

Surely goodness and mercy follow me

Every moment I will dwell with You

You restore my soul

I’m Yours alone, Oh King of glory

When dark gives way to light

Your hope will rise, Oh King of glory

You restore my soul

I’m Yours alone, Oh King of glory

When dark gives way to light

Your hope will rise, Oh King of glory

Call to Worship

The season of Lent is a time that is set aside

to embrace our mortality, shortcomings and brokenness.

Today we come,

As participants and hosts,

Whether passionate believer or hopeful skeptic,

To share our hope that death ends in resurrection.

If you are new to our liturgy,

we welcome you to be a full participant or a thoughtful observer.

Let us pause together for a moment of quiet.

(Wait for a short moment of silence)

The prophet asks: Can our soul-weary bones live again?

O God, you know!

We ask: Can we dance again after mourning, loss and grief?

O God, you know!

The gift is sure and unmistakable:

God’s breath poured out as new life for weary souls!

Let us celebrate the gift of God’s new life,

And come to worship God in laughter and dancing!

Compassionate God,

the wind of your Spirit is the very sign of life

for all who long for you.

One breath from you and we are rescued

from the arid valley of dry bones,

given muscles and sinews and joy with which to praise you,

and filled with the holy hope you grant to all your faithful children.

Let our whole lives be filled with the life-breath of the Spirit,

that what has lain dormant may burst into bloom,

and what looks to us to be death may be revealed as but sleep

before the emergence of new life.

Amen.

My God is So Big

(VeggieTales)

My God is so big, so strong and so mighty

There’s nothing my God cannot do

My God is so big, so strong and so mighty

There’s nothing my God cannot do

The mountains are His, the rivers are His

The stars are His handiwork too

My God is so big, so strong and so mighty

There’s nothing my God cannot do, hey, hey

My God is so great, so strong and so mighty

There’s nothing my God cannot do

My God is so great, so strong and so mighty

There’s nothing my God cannot do

Come As You Are

(David Crowder)

Come out of sadness, from wherever you’ve been

Come broken hearted, let rescue begin

Come find your mercy, oh sinner come kneel

Earth has no sorrow that heaven can’t heal

So lay down your burdens, lay down your shame

All who are broken, lift up your face

Oh wanderer come home you’re not too far

So lay down your hurt,

Lay down your heart,

Come as you are

There’s hope for the hopeless and all those who’ve strayed

Come sit at the table, come taste the grace

There’s rest for the weary, rest that endures

Earth has no sorrow that heaven can’t cure

So lay down your burdens, lay down your shame

All who are broken, lift up your face

Oh wanderer come home you’re not too far

So lay down your hurt,

Lay down your heart,

Come as you are

Come as you are!

Fall in His arms!

Come as you are

There’s joy for the morning oh sinner be still

Earth has no sorrow that heaven can’t heal

So lay down your burdens, lay down your shame

All who are broken, lift up your face

Oh wanderer come home you’re not too far

So lay down your hurt,

Lay down your heart,

Come as you are

Prayer of Confession

Confession allows us a moment to reveal our hopes and pains.

The season of Lent pulls into perspective our short life,

That from dust we came and to dust we shall return.

Let’s acknowledge together that we are only human

and cry out to God, by whom we are beloved.

Our response will be in bold:

Scripture tells us that creation groans

with labor pains,

waiting for healing and redemption—

and the Spirit groans alongside us.

We do not know how to pray;

there are not words to express all that we feel.

And yet, we hold on to the promise that God is with us,

and we bring all that we are and the people that we love before God.

Loving God, we gather in worship,

offering our praise, yet also acknowledging there is pain in our midst.

In whatever situation we may find ourselves,

you graciously welcome us into your presence.

Jesus Christ, you traveled through towns and villages curing every disease and illness.

At your command, the sick were made well.

Come to our aid now, in the midst of the global spread of the coronavirus, that we may experience your healing love. Heal those who are sick with the virus.

May they regain their strength and health through quality medical care.

Heal us from our fear, which prevents nations from working together and neighbors from helping one another.

Forgive us for the ways we have put our needs above those of our neighbors.

Heal us from our pride, which can make us claim invulnerability to a disease that knows no borders.

Soften our hearts and make us humble, Lord.

Jesus Christ, healer of all, stay by our side in this time of uncertainty and sorrow. Be with those who have died from the virus.

May they be at rest with you in your eternal peace.

Be with the families of those who are sick or have died.

As they worry and grieve, defend them from illness and despair.

Be with the doctors, nurses, researchers and all medical professionals who seek to heal and help those affected and who put themselves at risk in the process.

May they know your protection and peace.

Be with the leaders of all nations. Give them the foresight to act with charity and true concern for the well-being of the people they are meant to serve. Give them the wisdom to invest in long-term solutions that will help prepare for or prevent future outbreaks.

May they know your peace, as they work together to achieve it on earth.

In all manner of things, when praise resounds from our lips, when pain silences our souls, and all moments in between, your love endures and sustains.

Give us the faith to trust in your love and hope in you that all will be well.

Prayers of the People

We now invite you into a time of prayer. This is an opportunity for us to support one another and participate by sharing our prayer requests.

Many may need to share. Please keep your prayers to a sentence or two so that everyone who wishes to share is able to.

We welcome any guests among us and welcome you to pray with us and share a prayer request as well.

If you have a prayer request, let us know in the chat box. We’ll unmute your mic so you can share.

If you have something you’re thankful for, end your prayer with…

“Let us bless the Lord” and we’ll respond together, “Thanks be to God.”

If you have something you’d like prayer for, end your prayer with…

“Let us pray to the Lord” and we’ll respond together, “Lord, have mercy.”

“With the prayers that have been spoken, and those that are unspoken,

let us finish by praying this prayer together…”

For the things that are seen

and for those that are unseen

For the things that are known

and for those that are unknown

For that which has been done

and for that which has been left undone

We have hope in you O God

Who acknowledges our humanity

Who calls us into community

Who embraces our sadness and sin

And invites us into our true and whole selves.

We rest knowing our broken spirits don’t define us

but invite us to growth, In the covering of your empathy and love.

Our trust is in You, O Lord.

Now and forever.

Amen.

Eucharist

(Today we’ll receive the Eucharist in our homes, separated by space, but knitted together by God’s Spirit. Please read the bolded responses along with me as we pray together.)

The peace of the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

All things come from you, O Lord,

And of your own have we given you.

Is God with us?

God is.

Is Christ among us?

Christ is.

Is the Spirit here?

The Spirit is.

We are God’s people.

We are redeemed.

—

It is right and our delight to give you thanks and praise,

great Father, living God, supreme over the world,

Creator, Provider, Savior and Giver.

From a wandering nomad you created your family;

for a burdened people you raised up a leader;

for a confused nation you chose a king;

for a rebellious crowd you sent your prophets.

In these last days you have sent us your Son, your perfect image,

bringing your kingdom, revealing your will,

dying, rising, reigning, and remaking your people for yourself.

Through him you have poured out your Holy Spirit,

filling us with light and life.

Your word of mercy, peace and justice
Shake us into being
Fill us with hope and purpose
Empower us to rise renewed and re-charged
—

On the same night that he was betrayed

he took bread and gave you thanks;

he broke it and gave it to his disciples saying,

“Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you.

Do this in remembrance of me.”

Amen. His body was broken for us.

—

(Let us all take the bread together. Body of Christ, broken for you.)

Pause for everyone to take the bread

In the same way, after supper he took the cup

and gave thanks;

he gave it to them, saying,

“Drink this, all of you;

this is my blood of the new covenant

which is shed for you and for many

for the forgiveness of sins.

Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

We are brothers and sisters through his blood.

We have died together,

we will rise together,

we will live together.

(I invite us all to take the cup together. Blood of Christ, shed for you.)

Pause for everyone to take the cup

Let us finish our time of communion together by reading aloud this prayer:

Almighty God, eternal Father,

we have sat at your feet,

learned from your word,

and eaten from your table.

We give you thanks and praise

for accepting us into your family.

Send us out with your blessing,

to live and to witness for you in the power of your Spirit,

through Jesus Christ, the firstborn from the dead.

—

(The people accompany the first three responses with a sweep of the arm towards the cross on the screen, and their final response with a sweep towards heaven.)

All our problems

We send to the cross of Christ.

All our difficulties

We send to the cross of Christ.

All the devil’s works

We send to the cross of Christ.

All our hopes

We set on the risen Christ.

—

We now come to the time where we remember that nothing in this life is truly ours, but that all is a gift from God.

It is especially important during this crisis to remember to give to your local congregation whether that is Austin Mustard Seed or elsewhere.

We encourage you to celebrate God’s generosity and to give back as God has given to us online at austinmustardseed.org/giving).

If you are new or participating in our liturgy for the first time, please be our guest this morning.

We will sing one more song together as we prepare to close. This time is now yours, and we invite you to participate in worship.

I Saw The Light

(Hank Williams Sr.)

I wandered so aimless life filled with sin,

I wouldn’t let my dear Saviour in

Then Jesus came like a stranger in the night

Praise the Lord, I saw the light!

I saw the Light, I saw the Light

No more darkness, no more night

Now I’m so happy, no sorrow in sight

Praise the Lord! I saw the light!

Just like a blind man I wandered along,

Worries and fears I claimed for my own

Then like the blind man that God gave back his sight

Praise the Lord, I saw the light!

I saw the Light, I saw the Light

No more darkness, no more night

Now I’m so happy, no sorrow in sight

Praise the Lord! I saw the light!

I was a fool to wander and and stray

Straight is the gate and narrow the way

Now I have traded the wrong for the right

Praise the Lord, I saw the light!

I saw the Light, I saw the Light

No more darkness, no more night

Now I’m so happy, no sorrow in sight

Praise the Lord! I saw the light!

Benediction

Austin Mustard Seed, as we leave today,

Let’s go encouraging one another

to carry on in this somber season:

Father of Christ who revealed the way of life,

inscribe your law on our hearts that in this life,

we may be the body of Christ.

Help our hands to hold the sick and suffering.

Help our feet to walk with the poor.

Help our ears to listen to those who live in despair.

May our eyes be affixed upon the suffering of the cross

and the hope of the empty tomb

so that we may live as resurrection people.

Open our hearts to gladness,

call dry bones to dance,

and restore to us the joy of your salvation.

We pray these things by: the humble power of God,

the quiet strength of Christ, and the pervasive light of the Spirit, Amen.

Go in Peace,

Live the Church,

See you throughout the week.

Remember that to stay connected through a Community Group or one of our online meetups.

We hope to see you there.

Please take a moment to say hello as we sign off.

Peace be with you.

Today’s prayers were from:
Call to Worship, Come Out! On the Breath of God, Service Prayers for the fifth Sunday of Lent, written by the Rev. Elizabeth Dilley
Prayer of Confession: adapted from American Magazine & the Reformed Church in America service of Lament
Eucharist: adapted from the Prayerbook of Kenya