Living in The City Of God
Seekers Church
A Christian Community
In the Tradition of the Church of the Saviour
Jubilee 2005
Living in The City Of God
CIRCLE TIME
ENTRANCE
REFLECTION
Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the city of God would come, Jesus replied, "The city of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the city of God is within you and among you and around you.
Luke 17:20-21
CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: Holy Builder of all that is,
you are our dwelling place,
the true home of our hearts.
People: Before the mountains,
before you formed the earth and stars,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
Leader: You call us to live in your holy city,
where you reign in justice and peace,
where all who come find safety and joy.
All: Satisfy us with your steadfast love,
so that we may rejoice in you.
INVOCATION
HYMN
WORD FOR THE CHILDREN
SILENCE
RESPONSIVE READING
Leader: Blessed are those
who will eat at the feast in the city of God.
Voice 1: The city of God is like treasure hidden in a field.
Voice 2: The city of God is like a mustard seed.
Voice 1: The city of God is like a landowner
who went out early in the morning
to hire workers for the vineyard.
Voice 2: The city of God is like yeast that a woman took
and mixed into a large amount of flour
until it worked all through the dough.
Leader: The city of God is like a net
that was let down into the lake
and caught all kinds of fish.
All: The city of God is within us and among us and around us.
SILENCE
PRAYERS
CONFESSION
Leader: Holy God, you call us to be part of your new Creation.
Voice 1: We want to be your people,
but we are living in this world.
Voice 2: We’ve learned to love the life we have,
and look for ways to hold it fast.
Leader: Living Christ, we want to hear your call,
Voice 1: but all the noise of hurricane and war
has filled our ears with fear and dread.
Voice 2: We work and save
to take good care of those we love
and don’t have much to give away.
All: Holy Spirit of transformation,
Nail to the cross our arrogance,
selfishness and pretensions,
and raise to life from the tomb
everything in us which needs to be made whole.
INDIVIDUAL PRAYERS OF CONFESSION
ASSURANCE
Leader: Behold, our God is making all things new.
We cry to God in troubled times,
and we are delivered from our distress.
Give, thanks, for God is good;
with steadfast love that lasts forever. Amen
PRAYERS OF THE COMMUNITY
JESUS PRAYER
All: Eternal One, Father and Mother of us all,
Holy is your name.
Let justice and mercy fill all Creation
and let us recognize
that every thought and thing belongs to you.
Feed us with the bread we need for today.
Forgive our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Stand with us in trial and temptation.
Free us from the grip of all that is evil.
For you alone are creating our universe,
now and forever.
Amen.
HYMN
THE WORD
FIRST LESSON
SILENCE
GOSPEL
SERMON
SILENT REFLECTION
OFFERING
The first Sunday of each month we switch to a Communion Liturgy here.
SHARED REFLECTIONS
ANNOUNCEMENTS
HYMN
BENEDICTION
Leader: Go out into the world.
Share your goodness with others,
give your gifts away cheerfully,
take in the breath of life
and know that you are the living city of God.
God everlasting is in us, among us, and around us.
All: Amen.
Worship Resources
Call to Worship adapted from Psalm 90
