Liturgy for May 24, 2020
May 24th, 2020 | April Karli
Arise, Shine, For Your Light Has Come
by, Jerred McKenna (Cardiphonia Music)
Arise shine for your light has come and the glory of God is on you
Rise see though the earth grows dark that the Lord will arise upon you
The Lord will arise upon you
Nations will come to your light lift up your eyes and see
We’ll gather together and all come to you
And your love will be all that we know
Your love will be all that we know
Arise come to the open gates for the Lord is welcoming you
Fear not for the Lord brings peace and redemption to all who believe
And redemption to all who believe
The sun will not shine cause you’ll be all the light that we need
and violence will end all the wars that we wage will cease
Oh the sun will not shine cause you’ll be all the light that we need
and violence will end all the wars that we wage will cease
We will glorify your name
We will glorify your name
Call to Worship
This Easter Season let’s join together
As participants and hosts,
Whether passionate believer or hopeful skeptic,
We gather today, to celebrate our joy that death ends in the resurrection.
If you are new to our liturgy,
we welcome you to be a full participant or a thoughtful observer.
Let’s pause together for a moment of quiet.
(Wait for a short moment of silence)
We offer thanks for our Savior, the Light of the world
who has brought death to death, and life to life.
Free us, Lord, as your own people,
to sing your praise in the work of our everyday lives.
In those comings and goings of our simple and complicated living,
make us instruments of your peace and grace
in weary days, with weary people.
We come into your presence
lifting our voices in praise,
bearing witness,
and proclaiming your glory to all who will listen.
Come Down, O Love Divine
by, Bianco of Siena (1434) arr. Seth Woods
Come down, O Love divine, seek thou this soul of mine
and visit it with thine own ardor glowing
O Comforter, draw near, within my heart appear
and kindle it, thy holy flame bestowing
O let it freely burn, till earthly passions turn
to dust and ashes in its heat consuming
And let thy glorious light shine ever on my sight
and clothe me round, the while my path illuming
And so the yearning strong with which the soul will long
shall far outpass the power of human telling
For none can guess its grace ‘till Love create a place
wherein the Holy Spirit makes a dwelling
Doxology
by, Thomas Ken (1674)
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Praise God for whom all Saints proclaim
Praise Him with honor due his name
Praise Him who gave his son to save
Praise God above the heavens reign
Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Confession allows us a moment to honestly reveal our hopes and pains.
Let us cry out to God as a community.
Our response will be in bold.
God, we believe you have called us to unity,
but often we have isolated ourselves from others,
God, forgive us for the times we have turned our backs
on those who are different.
God, we believe you have called us
to live together as one body,
God, forgive us for the times we have created division
within your worldwide church.
God, we believe you ask us to look, listen,
and learn from others,
God, forgive us for the times we have ridiculed and attacked
those with different viewpoints.
God, we believe you ask us to accept and seek to understand
all who are called by your name,
Forgive us for the times we have offended you
by failing to love others as we do ourselves.
God, we believe you call us to be one
even as you are one,
Forgive us for the disunity we have harbored
and make us one.
God and Creator of all humankind,
your son Jesus Christ prayed that your church might be one
even as you our God are one.
May you renew our minds and rekindle your love in our hearts,
so that by the power of the Spirit,
we might find the Oneness that you intend for us.
God, may we see in your Oneness
our need for unity,
God, may we see in your Three-ness
our need for community
God, may we see in your creativity
our need for diversity,
God, may we see in your Self
our need to love each other.
Amen.
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.“
(Then start off with a prayer of your own as an example.)
“With the prayers that have been spoken, and those that are unspoken,
let us finish by praying this prayer together…”
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory. Forever and ever. Amen
Eucharist
(We now come to the center of our Liturgy, the Eucharist. Parents may invite your children back into the room at this time. Today we’ll receive the Eucharist in our homes, separated by space, but knitted together by God’s Spirit. Please examine your hearts and pray this prayer with me. Your responses will be in bold.)
The Lord is with us
He is with us indeed
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give thanks and praise.
It is right and good that with hearts and minds and voices
we should praise you, God almighty
On that first Easter morning, as the sun was dawning, Jesus rose triumphantly from the dead. The earth shook as the angel rolled the stone away.
No grave could hold his body down. He is risen. He is risen indeed!
As Mary Magdalene and the other Mary looked on in fear, the risen Lord revealed himself to them, and they departed with great joy.
Rejoice! And again I say rejoice! For Christ Jesus has broken the curse of death and destroyed the power that it once had over us.
The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is now given to those who believe in him.
Let us receive this spiritual power and use it wisely for the liberation of all God’s people!
Let us make a joyful noise unto the Lord. For there is none like him who can break the chain of oppression, evil, and the grave. He is risen and is seated at the right hand of God.
“Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”
For this is the Passover feast,
when Christ, the true Lamb of God, is slain
whose love consecrates the homes of all the faithful.
Glory to you for ever.
For the moment when you first saved our ancestors,
freeing Israel from her slavery and leading her safely through the sea.
Glory to you for ever.
For this most blessed of all moments! When hatred is cast out,
peace and justice find a home, and heaven is joined to earth
and all creation reconciled to you.
Glory to you for ever.
For Christ the morning star has risen in glory;
Christ is risen from the dead
and this flame of love burns within us!
Christ sheds his peaceful light on all the world!
Christ lives and reigns for ever and ever!
Amen.
On the night Jesus was betrayed, the nation of Israel was celebrating their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. In the midst of the meal, Jesus took the symbols of the feast and gave them new meaning.
He took the bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of Me.”
(Pause for everyone to take the bread together)
Later, Jesus took the wine. Again, He gave thanks, gave it to them, and said, “Drink this, all of you. This is My blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for you. Do this for the remembrance of Me.”
(Pause for everyone to take the wine together)
After Eucharist
Let us finish our time of communion together with this prayer.
Christ, you are risen from the dead.
We are risen with you.
May our life never deny
this eternal life,
this peace and hope and joy.
Praise and glory to the God of life
who is stronger than all kinds of death.
We have seen with our eyes
and touched with our hands
the bread of life.
Strengthen our faith
that we may grow in love for you and for each other;
through Jesus Christ the risen Lord.
Alleluia, Christ is Risen
He is risen indeed, Alleluia!
Offering
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.
Giving is an act of love for God and for our community. 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.
Rise Up, O Saints of God
by, Daniel Reed & Norm Forness
Rise up, O saints of God! From vain ambition turn;
Christ rose triumphant that our hearts towards love would turn.
Let’s tear down these walls that keep us from love
Let’s give of ourselves to lift each other up
And share the bread and wine
As Christ invites us all
For in our neighborly love
We also love our God
Wake up O saints of God there’s a sickness in our veins
This kingdom task embrace; give justice larger place.
Give heed, O saints of God!
Creation cries in pain;
Stretch forth your healing hand,
In love redress, sustain.
Benediction
Austin Mustard Seed, As you leave today:
Go with this truth firmly placed in your heart
That our story does not end in Death.
But that through death we are invited into new life.
Go now into the world,
inspired by the extravagant love of God.
Live generously, with open hands,
loving one another as if your lives depended on it.
Be good stewards of the gifts you have received,
so that God may be glorified in all that you say and do.
And may the abundant love of God surround you,
may the extravagant grace of Jesus Christ sustain you,
and may the constant presence of the Holy Spirit
inspire and encourage you in every good deed and word.
Amen.
Go in Peace,
Live the Church,
See you throughout the week online at Community Groups and other meetups. Stick around for an extended Passing of the Peace and say hello before we sign off.
(Prayers today are written by Christine Sine & reWorship. Eucharist prayers are adapted from the African American Lectionary and The Prayer Book of New Zealand)