Pentecost 2004

Fear … and Deep Desire!

 

Seekers Church

A Christian Community

In the Tradition of the Church of the Saviour

 

Fear … and Deep Desire!

Pentecost 2004

 

 

Reflection

            Rush of wind, light moves higher;

            See our fear, our deep desire;

            Can we trust this healing fire?

From the 1985 Pentecost liturgy             

Seekers Church                  

 

PRELUDE

 

CALL TO WORSHIP

Leader:      Rushing through our ordinary lives

we have ignored the divine wind.

 

Voice 1:     We pause here, in a new place,

                  to feel the power of God's breath within us.

 

Leader:      God has put in us the light

that demands openness and vision.

 

Voice 2:     In the light of Christ

                  we look at God's world

                  from a new perspective.

 

All:             Answering the wind's call,

we gather in the holy light.

 

HYMN

 

WORD FOR THE CHILDREN

 

SILENCE

 

CHANT

      Rush of wind, light moves higher,

      See our fear, our deep desire!

      Can we trust this healing fire?

SILENCE

 

PRAYERS

CONFESSION

Leader:      We turn away
from the wind of the Spirit
afraid to know our deepest desire.

 

People:      We hide from our longing,
fearing to hear the voice of God.

 

Leader:      We turn away

from the light of Christ
afraid to feel it burning within us.

 

 

People:      We run from our calling,
fearing to see a hurting world.

 

All:             We turn away
from the touch of God,
unwilling to trust this healing fire.

 

INDIVIDUAL PRAYERS OF CONFESSION

 

ASSURANCE

Leader:      In a rush of wind,
the Spirit burns away our fears.
Our trust is in this healing fire.

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:      Trust the Holy Spirit.

Go out into the world.

Carry God's healing flame in your heart.

Pass it on to every one you meet.

 

                  Amen.