This New Life: Good News for the Ashamed (September 13, 2020)
Please participate in the following liturgy, reading aloud all the parts in bold italics.
Call to Worship:
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.
The Lord of hosts is with us.
Let us lift up our hearts!
We lift them up to the Lord!
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God!
It is a good and joyful thing to give God thanks and praise!
Let us pray:
Holy God,
we come together as your people
searching for sacred space,
longing to be cherished,
craving a real connection.
In this hour of worship
let thankfulness sink deep
and joy spring up.
We lift our hearts and souls and minds
to the God of our creation,
for we are wholly yours
now and forever.
Amen.
Song: Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble?
Did you feel the mountains tremble?
Did you hear the oceans roar?
When the people rose to sing of
Jesus Christ, the Risen One
Did you feel the people tremble?
Did you hear the singers roar?
When the lost began to sing of
Jesus Christ, the Saving One
We can see that, God, You’re moving
A mighty river through the nations
When young and old will turn to Jesus
Fling wide you heavenly gates
Prepare the way of the risen Lord
And open up the doors
And let the music play
Let the streets resound with singing
Songs that bring Your hope
Songs that bring Your joy
Dancers who dance upon injustice
And do you feel the darkness tremble?
When all the saints join in one song
When all the streams flow as one river
To wash away our brokenness
We can see that, God, You’re moving
A time of jubilee is coming
When young and old will turn to Jesus
Fling wide you heavenly gates
Prepare the way of the Risen Lord
And open up the doors
And let the music play
Let the streets resound with singing
Songs that bring Your hope
Songs that bring Your joy
Dancers who dance upon injustice
I put off all my heaviness
And I put on a garment of praise
You turn my mourning into dancing
You turn my night into day
Scripture Reading: Acts 8:26-39
Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch
“Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Get up and go towards the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ (This is a wilderness road.) So he got up and went.
Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over to this chariot and join it.’ So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ He replied, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this:
‘Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,
and like a lamb silent before its shearer,
so he does not open his mouth.
In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.’
The eunuch asked Philip, ‘About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?’ ‘
Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?’ He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.”
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Family Ministry Spotlight
This New Life: Good News for the Ashamed
Confession & Assurance
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor:
All:
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.
The cross of Jesus has turned mourning into dancing,
And washed clean the ashes of repentance.
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)
Eucharist and Sacrament of Desire
Now let’s draw near in the presence of our Savior.
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.
On the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying,
“This is my body given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way he took the cup saying,
“This cup is the new covenant sealed in my blood, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me.”
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 by taking this bread & drinking this cup, we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
These are the gifts of God for the People of God. Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you, And feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.
Alternatively, for those who are not receiving communion, the Sacrament of Desire may be prayed.
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: Holy Spirit
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
Let us become more aware of Your presence
Let us experience the glory of Your goodness
