Easter 2004

Behold, I am Doing a New Thing!

 

Seekers Church

A Christian Community

In the Tradition of the Church of the Saviour

 

Behold, I am Doing a New Thing!

Easter 2004

 

 

Reflection

Behold, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.

 Isaiah 43:19

 

 

PRELUDE

 

CALL TO WORSHIP

Leader:   Rejoice now, heavenly hosts and choirs of angels.
Let your trumpets shout salvation!

People:   Rejoice and sing now, all the round earth,
bright with a glorious splendor,
for the new thing that God has begun in our midst.

Leader:   Rejoice and be glad now, holy church.
Resound with the praises of your people.

All:          We pray to God the Eternal,
for the grace to sing the worthy praise of Jesus,

who is Christ and Lord,
and lives and reigns with the Eternal One,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

 

INVOCATION

 

HYMN

 

WORD FOR THE CHILDREN

 

SILENCE

 

CHANT

You have turned my mourning into dancing.

You have clothed me with joy.

Alleluiah!

 

SILENCE

 

PRAYERS

CONFESSION

Leader:      God of compassion

we acknowledge the times

we have lived too long with pain, terror and shame.

 

Voice 1:     We know the times we have clung

to sackcloth, clothed in weariness, anger, and sorrow.

 

Voice 2:     We grieve the occasions when we have lived

with alienation rather than association,

isolation rather than consolation.

 

All:             We confess our fear of the dark

and our uncertainty of the light.

 

INDIVIDUAL PRAYERS OF CONFESSION

 

ASSURANCE

Leader:      Our days of weeping are done.

Wearing garments of gladness,

we see one another in the light of your love,

and stand together

in the power of your resurrection.

In the name of Christ,

Amen.

 

PRAYERS OF THE COMMUNITY

 

JESUS PRAYER

All:       Eternal Spirit: Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,

Source of all that is and all that shall be,

Father and Mother of us all, creation resonates

with celebration of your nameless name.

 

Let justice and mercy flood the earth;

let all creation harmonize in your imagination;

and let us recognize

that every thought and thing belongs to you.

 

With the bread we need for today, feed us;

in the hurts we absorb from each other

and those we inflict on others, forgive us;

in times of test and temptation, stand with us;

from the grip of all that is evil, free us.

 

For you alone are creating our universe,

now and forever. 

 

Amen.

 

HYMN

  

THE WORD

FIRST LESSON

SILENCE

GOSPEL

SERMON

SILENT REFLECTION

 

OFFERING

 

SHARED REFLECTIONS

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

HYMN

 

BENEDICTION

Leader:      Now, with our mouths full of laughter

and joy on our tongues,

                  let us go out among the nations

                  proclaiming that God is doing a new thing,

for us and for all who dream.

 

All:             Alleluiah!  Amen.

 

 

Worship resources:

Call to Worship adapted from the Exsultet, an ancient prayer for beginning the Easter vigil

Chant based on Psalm 30

Confession and Assurance based on “Prayer of Confession”

by Jan Richardson, In Wisdom’s Path 

Benediction based on Psalm 126