Jubilee 2005

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