Epiphany 2000: Dangerous Borderlands
Seekers Church
A Christian Community
In the Tradition of the Church of the Saviour
Epiphany 2000
Dangerous Borderlands
SILENT REFLECTION
By “minister” I mean any person who lives in the dangerous, exhilarating, life-giving borderlands of human existence, where the everyday experience of life opens up to reveal glimpses of the HOLY — and not only lives there but comes to the aid of others who are living there.
L. William Countryman, Living on the border of the Holy, pg xi.
PRELUDE
CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: Come let us gather here, at the border of the Holy.
Voice 1: This border where we encounter the Holy
is not at the edge of our existence,
but at its center.
Voice 2: Here we find ourselves in community,
engaged in a mutual ministry
of support and reconciliation,
responding to God’s call.
Community: Come, reach out to God and to each other.
Celebrate the Good News
of Christ incarnate in the world.
INVOCATION
HYMN
WORD FOR THE CHILDREN
SILENCE
LITANY
Leader: The babe was born, the light came into the world.
Voice 1: Gifts were presented and the angel choir sang.
Voice 2: A community gathered — animals, kings and shepherds.
Leader: Now what?
Voice 1: Now it is time for the real journey to begin.
It is time to take our place in this glorious pageant.
Voice 2: Will you choose to simply visit this world?
Will you embrace amazement?
Will you cradle the world in your arms?
Community: Tell us, what do you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
SILENCE
PRAYERS
COMMON CONFESSION
Leader: There come times
when we have to take ourselves seriously or die.
Community: There come times
when we have to pull back from the incantations,
the rhythms we’ve moved to thoughtlessly.
Leader: But instead we further enthrall ourselves,
refusing to bestow ourselves to silence.
Community: We do not simply listen,
choosing instead oratory and formulas,
choruses and laments:
static crowding the wires.
INDIVIDUAL PRAYERS OF CONFESSION
ASSURANCE
Leader: Still God finds us,
becoming now the shard of broken glass
slicing light in a corner, dangerous to flesh;
now the plentiful, soft leaf
that wrapped around the throbbing finger, soothes the wound;
now the stone foundation,
rockshelf further forming underneath everything that grows.
PRAYERS OF THE COMMUNITY
HYMN
THE WORD
FIRST LESSON
SILENCE
GOSPEL LESSON
SERMON
SILENT REFLECTION
OFFERING
SHARED REFLECTIONS
ANNOUNCEMENTS
HYMN
BENEDICTION
Leader: Spread the good news that God’s light has come.
Draw from its life-giving source throughout your journey.
Dare to live in the borderlands of your existence
where you have the power
to be something of inexplicable value.
Make of yourself a light. Amen.
Worship Resources
Call to Worship: Adapted from William Countryman, Living on the Border of the Holy, pg xi.
Litany: Adapted from Mary Oliver, “A Summer Day”
Confession & Assurance: Adapted from Adrienne Rich, “Transcendental Etude”
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THE CALL OF SEEKERS CHURCH
Our call is to be a "Seekers community" which comes together in weekly worship rooted in the Biblical faith, with shared leadership; and disperses with a common commitment to understand and implement Christian servanthood in the structures in which we live our lives.
By "Seekers community" we mean an intentional body which sees Christ as our true life source. Koinonia with one another and genuine self-giving to the world are the ways we can be in Christ today. Seekers are not persons who have arrived, but persons who are intentionally on the way.
By shared leadership we mean empowering the gifts of women and men to help our worship flow out of and feed into the life of the community. We are committed to evoking and giving space to new gifts of preaching, liturgical leadership, creative worship forms, giving, mission and other acts of faith.
For us, Christian servanthood is based on empowering others within the normal structures of our daily lives (work; family and primary relationships; and citizenship) as well as through special structures for service and witness. We desire and welcome participation in Seekers of women and men of every race and sexual orientation. In Seekers Church we will equip and support each other in all of these areas and seek a balance among them.
The Seekers 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.
Seekers is committed to participation by persons of all ages. We see children, youth and adults of all ages as valuable and valued parts of our community, and desire their inclusion in our care, our ministry, and our life together.
Issued by Seekers Founding Members in July 1976
Revised by Seekers Core Members in November 1989
Revised by Seekers Core Members in May 1991
