GATHERING
ENTRANCE
REFLECTION
Whenever Jesus says come and follow him, he is saying: I’d like to invite you to join my community. I’d like you to pick up your life, to pack up your bags and come share your life with us. Come join us, come experience the new kind of security that we have found by trusting God together.
Jim Wallis, The Call to Conversion, p.65
CANDLE LIGHTING
CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: Holy One, Holy Three,
we come to celebrate
being together in your presence.
People: We are here to claim our place in your committed family,
carrying your love for all creation,
thankful that there are others alongside
who are ready to help us.
Leader: Holy Spirit, come fill us with the reassurance
that we are not alone.
All: Thanks be to you,
Holy Maker of atoms and stars and all that lives,
that we are here, together, on the way with you!
OPENING PRAYER
HYMN
WORD FOR THE CHILDREN
SILENCE
PRAYERS
CONFESSION
Leader: Jesus calls us to come
and share our lives with his community.
People: Caught up in our humanity,
we do not know what to do.
Leader: Jesus calls us to pick up our lives,
pack our bags, and follow him.
People: We make excuses
about time, energy, and other commitments.
Leader: Jesus calls us to experience a new kind of security
found by trusting God together.
All: We hesitate,
unwilling to fully respond,
yet no longer comfortable holding back.
INDIVIDUAL PRAYERS OF CONFESSION
ASSURANCE
Leader: Jesus’ voice is firm and gentle;
his words, caring;
his community, secure.
We are understood and forgiven.
All: Amen.
THANKSGIVING AND PRAISE
INTERCESSION AND PETITION
COMMITMENT
All: O Holy One, we come today
to claim our relationship with you.
We pray for the commitment to grow together,
sharing the gifts you give us with others
here and in the wider world.
Forgive us for the hurt we have inflicted,
and help us forgive those who have hurt us.
Give us strength and discipline
to nurture our relationship with you;
to care for every part of your creation;
to foster justice and be in solidarity with those in need;
to work to end all war, and violence, and discord;
and to respond joyfully when you call,
freely giving our selves as you have shown the way.
We open our hearts to you and your creation in the name of Jesus, who is the Christ,. Amen
HYMN
THE WORD
SCRIPTURE
SERMON
SILENT REFLECTION
OFFERING
COMMUNION
PREPARATION
Leader 1: This is the table of the Heavenly Feast,
the joyful celebration of the people of God.
Leader 2: We gather now as one body, joined around the table.
Here we celebrate God’s presence among us
united in Christ’s spirit, broken and whole all at once;
All: Nourished and hungry, loved and loving,
sinner and forgiven; we make one circle of knowing,
believing, rejoicing, being,
as God lights and rests among us.
GREAT THANKSGIVING
Leader 1: Holy Maker of atoms and stars and all that lives,
we give you thanks for this world and all its creatures,
for inviting us to live as one in peace and justice for all.
People: We give you thanks for your Holy Spirit,
who sends us dreams and visions of abundant life,
in which all are joined in the great communion of love.
Leader 2: We give you thanks for Jesus the Christ,
who invites us into his community
of all who love and trust in you.
All: We give you thanks for your holy Church,
where we practice being united in you,
trusting you together in every sorrow and celebration.
BLESSING THE ELEMENTS
Leader 1: Christ invites everyone to eat the bread of life,
to drink the cup of the new covenant.
Leader 2: Jesus said, I am the bread of life.
You who come to me shall never hunger,
You who believe in me shall never thirst.
Leader 1: On the night of his arrest, Jesus took bread,
and after giving thanks to God, broke it and said,
This is my body,
broken for the healing of the world.
Whenever you eat it, do so remembering me.
Leader 2: After supper, Jesus took the cup and said,
This is the cup of the new covenant,
poured out for you and for all.
Whenever you drink it, do so remembering me.
All: O Holy One, send down your Spirit
that these gifts of bread and cup
may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Unite us with Christ forever
and bring us with the whole creation
to your eternal realm.
SHARE THE ELEMENTS
If you do not wish to receive the elements today you are welcome to join the circle and allow them to pass, or remain in your seat. We serve grape juice in our cups.
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING AND DEDICATION
All: God of abundance and mercy,
we give joyful thanks
for your eternal love and healing presence
in our celebration of bread and cup.
Bless this body of Christ
that we may attend faithfully
to our call to be your servants,
with each other and throughout the world.
All: Amen.
SHARED REFLECTIONS
ANNOUNCEMENTS
HYMN
BENEDICTION
Leader: Let us go forth with renewed security,
trusting in the Holy Creator,
guided by the Holy Spirit,
and following in the footsteps of Jesus the Christ.
And now, acknowledging with gladness
that we are, indeed, all in this together,
let us greet one another with signs of peace.
All: Amen.
Special Note Regarding the June 19, 2016, Seekers Service
The tragic events in Orlando, FL caused us to use the following in place of the Reflection piece at the beginning of the service.
REFLECTION
The Call of this church says “The Seekers Church community sees itself called into Christ’s ministry of deliverance from bondage to freedom in every personal and corporate expression. We recognize the value of each individual and seek to heal any wounds of discrimination inflicted by our society and church.” As a small step toward such healing, we offer the following excerpt from Jim Wallace’s recent article, “A Theology of Love and Hate: From Charleston to Orlando” posted on June 16 on the Sojourner’s website:
Just as black Americans felt unsafe after Charleston, LBGTQ Americans are feeling unsafe now. The club served as a safe space for an LGBTQ community that too often feels unwelcome in our pews. It is important for Christians to stand up for the safety, humanity, and dignity of LBGTQ people — human beings bearing the image of God. This should wake us all up and cause a re-examination of Christian conscience and compassion in our treatment of all LBGTQ people.
