Fall 1996: Keeping The Vigil — Pursuing The Promise

 

SEEKERS CHURCH
A Christian Community
In the Tradition of the Church of the Saviour
Fall 1996

Keeping The Vigil — Pursuing The Promise

REFLECTION

Neither virgin nor wise
I fill foolishly
my lamp, lest surprise
take me unprepared. Mulishly
at mid-morning sun-time
I pour in the oil.
(I’m anticipating as usual.)
Toil is my lot,
my daily drink and meat.
The Bridegroom will find me workworn and rough.
But my lamp is ready, and even as I am,
I’ll gladly greet Him who comes.
And that is joy enough.

"The preparation of Mary, mother of Jesus." Madeline L’Engle, A Cry Like a Bell, p 7.

PRELUDE

CALL TO WORSHIP (Unison)

We come here looking,
all of us carrying
our small lamps of hope.

We come here calling out,
hearing each other,
retelling the story of promise.

Here, we reach out to God,
and become the one Body of Christ,
breathing together with the Holy Spirit.

INVOCATION

HYMN

WORD FOR THE CHILDREN

SILENCE

LITANY

Leader:

Leaves turn yellow and crimson
and drop from the trees.

Voice 1:

Soon wind and rain and snow
will assault our bodies and invade our spirits.

Voice 2:

It feels like time to close the windows,
build a fire and hibernate,
comforting ourselves with dreams of Spring,

Leader:

But sometimes we are called outside into the cold
to hunt for what we have not clearly seen,
and then we feel alive.

Unison:

We live in the tension
of this waiting, searching time.

SILENCE

PRAYERS

CONFESSION (Unison)

Giver of New Life,
although you call us from our comfort into newness,
too often we want to stay within our habits,
and we refuse the adventure that you offer.

Forgive us, Holy Source of Hope,
for our unwillingness to watch and wait;
for our reluctance to look for you.

INDIVIDUAL PRAYERS OF CONFESSION

ASSURANCE (Leader)

The Good News of salvation in Christ is this:
Our human failings are forgiven
so that we might truly be
the eyes and ears and hands and feet of God.
Amen.

PRAYERS OF THE COMMUNITY

HYMN

THE WORD

SCRIPTURE

SERMON

SILENT REFLECTION

The first Sunday of each month we switch to a Communion Liturgy here.

OFFERING

SHARED REFLECTIONS

ANNOUNCEMENTS

HYMN

BENEDICTION (Leader)

God wants us to allow ourselves
to see the Holy Face continuously.

For God wants to be seen,
and wants to be sought.

God wants to be wanted,
and wants to be trusted.

Amen.

Julian of Norwich, Meditations with Julian of Norwich, p 35.

We expect a theophany of which we know nothing but the place, and that place is called community.

Martin Buber