Recommitment 1998: The Mystery of God

 

Seekers Church:
A Christian Community
In the Tradition of the Church of the Saviour

Recommitment 1998

The Mystery of God

Why do we people in churches seem like cheerful, brainless tourists on a packaged tour of the Absolute?…On the whole, I do not find Christians, outside of the catacombs, sufficiently sensible of conditions. Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies’ straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews."

Annie Dillard, Teaching a Stone to Talk

Prelude

Call To Worship

Leader:

We come, hungry and vulnerable,
listening for the Good News.

People:

We come in the spirit of those
who have gathered for centuries as the Body of Christ.

Leader:

God calls us to claim our inheritance
as a people of faith.

People:

We gather here as they have gathered —
on mountaintops, in catacombs, in storefronts.

Unison:

We join our hearts and our voices
with faithful Christians of all ages,
in praise and celebration.

Invocation

Hymn

Word For the Children

Silence

Litany

Leader:

Answer us when we call, O faithful God.

Voice 1:

"My joy is gone, grief is upon me.
My heart is sick" says the prophet.

Voice 2:

You cleared away our trouble,
You heard our prayer.

Voice 1:

"Hear the cry of my poor people,
from far and wide in the land:
Is God not with us?"

Voice 2:

Look! God astounds believers.
The Lord listens when we call.

Voice 1:

"For the hurt of my poor people,
I am hurt, I mourn,
dismay has taken hold of me."

Voice 2:

You put gladness in our hearts.
We sleep secure at night,
you keep us in your care.

Unison:

Your promises are sweet to taste,
sweeter than honey.
Because your decrees give wisdom,
I hate all evil.

(From Psalm 4, Jeremiah 4, and Psalm 119)

Silence

Prayers

Common Confession

Leader:

Too often we rely on strength or knowledge
to protect us from harm.

People:

Seatbelts and airbags
will protect us in an accident;

Leader:

Deadbolts and iron grates
will protect us from thieves;

People:

Education and intelligence
will save us from poverty, disease, and death.

Unison:

We forget that we are more threatened
by the everyday evils of greed, selfishness, and vanity
in ourselves and in others.

Individual Prayers of Confession

Assurance

Leader:

God says, I deliver all who cling to me,
raise the ones who know my name,
answer those who call me,
stand with those in trouble.

(From Psalm 91)

Prayers of The Community

Hymn

The Word

First Lesson

Silence

Gospel Lesson

Sermon

Silent Reflection

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

Offering

Shared Reflections

Announcements

Hymn

Benediction

Leader:

Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith,
love, endurance, gentleness.
Take hold of the eternal life
to which you were called
by Jesus, who is the Christ.