Acts of the Apostles: Practice & Product (July 5, 2020)

Please participate in the following liturgy, reading aloud all the parts in bold italics.

Call to Worship:

Are any among us suffering?
We will pray.
Are any cheerful?
We will sing songs of praise.
Are any among us sick?
We will call on the name of the Wounded Healer.
Have any committed sins?
We confess our sins to each other, that we might be healed.

Father God, Creator & Sustainer of all things,
we turn our hearts to you now.
Lord Jesus, Author & Perfecter of our faith,
we fix our eyes on you now.
Holy Spirit, Counselor & Comforter,
we open ourselves to you now.
Amen.

Song: Holy is the Lord

Just a crumb from Your table
  just a drop from Your well
Is all desire
  enough to fulfill

But You welcome the hungry
  the weary and the least
To the river of life
  to a heavenly feast

Holy, Holy is the Lord
   Holy, Holy is the Lord
The one who has saved us
   Who is with us and made a way
Holy is the Lord
   Holy is the Lord

Just a glimpse of Your glory
   just the sound of Your voice
Can shatter the darkness
   and silence the noise

But I’ll soon shine in brilliance
   of an overwhelming light
And I’ll join the sound of angels
   in the presence of Christ

Holy, Holy is the Lord
   Holy, Holy is the Lord
The one who has saved us
   Who is with us and made a way
Holy is the Lord
   Holy is the Lord

You are the one who was
And is to come
   And is forevermore
We are the grateful ones
Daughters and sons
   We’re Yours forevermore

Prayers of the People

O God, your Son remained with his disciples after his resurrection,
teaching them to love all people as neighbors.
As his disciples in this age,
we offer our prayers on behalf of the world
in which we are privileged to live
and our neighbors with whom we share it.

Long ago his disciples were first called to minister
to those closest to them in Jerusalem.
We too now lift our prayers for those closest to us:
the lives in our homes and closely linked to ours. 

Offer a spontaneous prayer for our immediate family and friends
(unmute your microphone and speak for all to hear)

The disciples were also called to be a witness next door, so to speak.
They were called into Judea, a land nearby where they were welcomed.
We too now offer our prayers for the friend next door.
Let us pray to neighbors, coworkers, and all those we bump into daily.

Offer a spontaneous prayer for the wider community around us
(unmute your microphone and speak for all to hear)

To their discomfort, the disciples were also called into Samaria,
a place where they were unwelcome and not inclined to serve.
Still they served and loved and prayed like Christ in Samaria, and the world was changed.
We too now offer our prayers and our service for enemies and those who are the “other.”

Offer a spontaneous prayer for our enemies and those who are “other”
(unmute your microphone and speak for all to hear)

Christ said, “and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
We too are called to the ends of earth. 

Offer a spontaneous prayer for the world at large
(unmute your microphone and speak for all to hear)

Open our hearts to your power moving
around us and between us and within us,
until your glory is revealed in our love of both friend and enemy,
in communities transformed by justice and compassion,
and in the healing of all that is broken. Amen.

Song & Meditation: Holy Spirit | You Will Receive

There’s nothing worth more
That could ever come close
No thing can compare
You’re our living hope
    Your presence, Lord
I’ve tasted and seen
Of the sweetest of loves
Where my heart becomes free
And my shame is undone

Holy Spirit, You are welcome here
  Come flood our homes and fill the atmosphere
Your glory, God, is what our hearts long for
  To be overcome by Your presence, Lord

“You will receive” Meditation

Let us become more aware of Your presence
   Let us experience the glory of Your goodness

“Because the Holy Spirit has been given to us, God’s love is poured out into our hearts. So we can take pride even in our sufferings. Because we know these troubles produce endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us.”
(adapted from Romans 5)

Scripture Readings: Acts 2:42-47

“The believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the community, to their shared meals, and to their prayers. A sense of awe came over everyone. God performed many wonders and signs through the apostles. All the believers were united and shared everything. They would sell pieces of property and possessions and distribute the proceeds to everyone who needed them. Every day, they met together in the temple and ate in their homes. They shared food with gladness and simplicity. They praised God and demonstrated God’s goodness to everyone. The Lord added daily to the community those who were being saved.”

The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

The Acts of the Apostles: Practice & Product

Confession & Assurance

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor:

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of Your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in Your will,
and walk in Your ways, to the glory of Your Name.
Amen.

Silent confession (space to confess our sins and wait in God’s presence).

The Lord has already shown you mercy.
The Lord has already had compassion on you.
Jesus strengthens our weak knees
When we still have a long way to go.

Be free!
We are forgiven.
Laugh out loud!
We are forgiven.
Love God with everything!
We are loved.

Silent assurance (space to receive God’s merciful love and say “thank you” in response)

The Great Thanksgiving

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts!
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Is the Father with us?
He is.
Is Christ among us?
He is.
Is the Spirit here?
He is.

This is our God.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We are his people.
We are redeemed.

Therefore we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

Sacrament of Desire

Now, in union, O Lord with the faithful at every altar of Your Church,
I present to You my soul and body
with the earnest prayer that I will remain united to you.
And since I cannot now receive You sacramentally,
I pray that you would come to me spiritually.
I unite myself to you, and embrace you with my soul’s affection.
Let nothing separate me from you,
that I may live and die in Your love.
Amen.

Song: Rise

Your love will never fail, You’re steadfast
  Your promises are true, You’re faithful
You cover all my sin with forgiveness
  My eyes have seen Your ways, Your goodness

Love and faithfulness meet, we behold Your glory
   When righteousness and peace kiss, heaven’s all around us

Spring up, O Well, Living Water rise within us
Spring up, O Well, Holy Spirit deep within us
   Rise

We’ll see Your goodness in the land of the living

Community Life

The Cross of Christ

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!
And all our hopes,
We set on the Risen Christ!

Blessing & Sending

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you,
   wherever he may send you.
May he guide you in the wilderness,
   protect you in the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing
   at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing,
   once again into our doors.

Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

3 Good Minutes

What did you do for the 4th of July?