14.05.11 Easter 4A English

Song:  We worship Christ (Patrick Matsikenyiri, Mozambique)* 

Call to Worship
Song:  Lo, I am with you (John Bell)
Prayer of Confession
Song of Praise:  Themba Amen (Sunrise Hospice, Themba, South Africa)*

Prayer of the Day

Gospel Acclamation (William Ramirez, El Salvador)

Gospel Reading: 

Sermon
Song:  Gather us in (Marty Haugen)
Affirmation: The measure of faith

Prayer Song:  Peace before us (based on a Navajo prayer / David Haas)*
Silent Meditation
Prayers of the People
Announcements

Offerings (regular and food)

Song:  We shall go out with hope of resurrection (June Tillman / LONDONDERRY AIR, Irish)

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Song:  Jesus Christ is risen (Ghana)

Touch the earth lightly (Shirley Erena Murray / TENDERNESS, Colin Gibson)

*seasonal for Easter

Forces:
Soprano
Piano

May 11, 2014

4^th Sunday of Easter

Please stand, all who are able.

Song

One:  We worship Christ!

All:  //We worship Christ!//

There is no one who will ever be like him.

One:  There is no one who will ever be like him.

All:  There is no one who will ever be like him.

One:  Christ is alive!

All:  //Christ is alive!//

There is no one who will ever be like him.

One:  There is no one who will ever be like him.

All:  There is no one who will ever be like him.

One:  Christ conquered death!

All:  //Christ conquered death!//

There is no one who will ever be like him.

One:  There is no one who will ever be like him.

All:  There is no one who will ever be like him.

One:  Hallelujah!

All:  //Hallelujah!//

There is no one who will ever be like him.

Call to Worship

One:  We are people of all ages who enter this space
bringing our joys and our concerns.
All:  We come together in hope.

One:  We greet each other warmly with our voices and our smiles.
All:  We come together in peace.

One:  We share our growth and our aspirations.
All:  We come together in wonder.

One:  We share our losses and our disappointments.
All:  We come together in sorrow.

One:  We share our concern and our compassion.
All:  We come together in love.

One:  We sing and pray and listen.
We speak and read and dream.
We think and ponder and reflect.
We cry and laugh and reflect.
We mourn and celebrate and meditate.
We strive for justice and for mercy.
All:  We come together to worship God.

Please be seated

Song

1.  Lo, I am with you to the end of the world;

lo, I am with you to the end of the world;

lo, I am with you; lo, I am with you;

lo, I am with you to the end of the world.

2.  Lo, I am with you when you leave self behind;

lo, I am with you when you leave self behind;

lo, I am with you; lo, I am with you;

lo, I am with you when you leave self behind.

3.  Lo, I am with you in the struggle for peace;

lo, I am with you in the struggle for peace;

lo, I am with you; lo, I am with you;

lo, I am with you in the struggle for peace.

4.  Lo, I am with you when you struggle for love;

lo, I am with you when you struggle for love;

lo, I am with you; lo, I am with you;

lo, I am with you when you struggle for love.

5.  Lo, I am with you in the way of the cross;

lo, I am with you in the way of the cross;

lo, I am with you; lo, I am with you;

lo, I am with you in the way of the cross.

6.  Lo, I am with you in the darkness of death;

lo, I am with you in the darkness of death;

lo, I am with you; lo, I am with you;

lo, I am with you in the darkness of death.

7.  Lo, I am with you to the end of the world;

lo, I am with you to the end of the world;

lo, I am with you; lo, I am with you;

lo, I am with you to the end of the world.

Prayer of Confession

NOT ON PPT

When we were dead in our sins, God made us alive with Christ.

Through our baptism, we were buried with Christ, so too are we raised with him by the power of God – so that we too may live a new life.

One:  Do you accept God’s call to resist evil, injustice and oppression in whatever guise they present themselves?

All:  We do.

One:    Do you truly and earnestly recognize your human limits and brokenness and desire to grow in grace?

All:  We do.

One:  Do you accept Jesus as the symbol of unconditional grace, the source of your freedom to act – to act boldly – in this world?

All:  We do.

—Silent reflection—

One:  Merciful God, we pray that as we confront our weakness and limitations, we will continually be confronted by your grace.

All:  Strengthen us when we doubt;

challenge us when we become too self-assured.

One:  Let us struggle for justice and meaning and love;

and be filled and surrounded by your spirit.

All:  And, O God, we pray especially that you will at all times

remind us that we are each others',

and that all of us are yours.

Amen.

Please stand, all who are able.

Song of Praise

Amen!

Prayer of the Day

NOT ON PPT

Risen Christ,

you prepare a place for us,

in the home of the Mother-and-Father of us all.

Draw us more deeply into yourself,

through scripture read,

water splashed,

bread broken,

wine poured,

so that when our hearts are troubled,

we will know you more completely

as the way, the truth, and the life. Amen.

Gospel Acclamation

All:  //Aleluya, aleluya, aleluya.//

//Aleluya, aleluya, aleluya.//

One:  The boundless universe belongs to Jesus.

Christ is the King of all creation.

All:  //Aleluya, aleluya, aleluya.//

//Aleluya, aleluya, aleluya.//

Gospel Reading

Reader:  The gospel of Jesus Christ.

All:  Thanks be to God!

Sermon

Please stand, all who are able.

Song

1.  Here in this place new light is streaming,

now is the darkness vanished away,

see in this space our fears and our dreamings,

brought here to you in the light of this day.

Gather us in—the lost and forsaken,

Gather us in—the blind and the lame;

Call to us now, and we shall awaken,

we shall arise at the sound of our name.

2.  We are the young—our lives are a mystery,

we are the old—who yearn for your face,

we have been sung throughout all of history,

called to be light to the whole human race.

Gather us in—the rich and the haughty,

Gather us in—the proud and the strong;

give us a heart so meek and so lowly,

give us the courage to enter the song.

3.  Not in the dark of buildings confining,

not in some heaven, lightyears away,

but here in this place the new light is shining,

now is the Kingdom, now is the day.

Gather us in and hold us for ever,

gather us in and make us your own;

gather us in—all peoples together,

fire of love in our flesh and our bone.

Affirmation: The Measure of Faith

One:  We celebrate a faith that is measured

not by the usual signs of greatness,

but by the marks of love;

All:  And we celebrate the God who gives it.

One:  We celebrate a love that is measured

not by romance or emotion,

but by acts of compassion and service;

All:  And we celebrate the God who gives it.

One:  We celebrate a life that is measured

not by the trappings of wealth or power,

but by the lives that are healed and enriched;

All:  And we celebrate the God who gives it.

One:  God, who measures every heart and life,

we praise you for the life that is revealed in Christ,

and for the Spirit who empowers us to follow

Christ’s example.

All:  And we praise you for the love and grace

which we find in you, receive from you,

and against which we shall ultimately be measured.

Amen.

Please be seated

Prayer Song

Peace before us,

peace behind us,

peace under our feet.

Peace within us,

peace over us,

let all around us be peace.

Christ before us,

Christ behind us,

Christ under our feet.

Christ within us,

Christ over us,

let all around us be Christ.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Silent Meditation

Prayers of the People

News of the People

Not on ppt:

Welcome cards

Service concludes with bilingual celebration

Offerings

(regular and food)

Offertory Song

We shall go out with hope of resurrection.

We shall go out, from strength to strength go on.

we shall go out and tell our stories boldly,

tales of a love that will not let us go.

We’ll sing our songs of wrongs that can be righted.

We’ll dream our dream of hurts that can be healed.

We’ll weave a cloth of all the world united

within the vision of a Christ who sets us free.

We’ll give a voice to those who have not spoken.

We’ll find the words for those whose lips are sealed.

We’ll make the tunes for those who sing no longer,

vibrating love alive in every heart.

We’ll share our joy with those who are still weeping.

chant hymns of strength for hearts that break in grief.

We’ll leap and dance the resurrection story

including all within the circles of our love.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Please stand, all who are able.

Song

//Jesus Christ is risen!  Jesus Christ is risen!  Yesu!//

//Christ has conquered death!  Christ has conquered death!  Yesu!//

//Sin has done its worst!  Sin has done its worst!  Yesu!//

//Come and worship!  Come and worship!  Yesu!//

//Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!  Yesu!//

 [logo]

1. Touch the earth lightly,
use the earth gently,
nourish the life of the world in our care:
gift of great wonder,
ours to surrender,
trust for the children tomorrow will bear.

2. We who endanger,
who create hunger,
agents of death for all creatures that live,
we who would foster
clouds of disaster,
God of our planet, forestall and forgive!

3. Let there be greening,
birth from the burning,
water that blesses and air that is sweet,
health in God’s garden,
hope in God’s children,
regeneration that peace will complete

4. God of all living,
God of all loving,
God of the seedling, the snow, and the sun,
teach us, deflect us,
Christ reconnect us,
using us gently and making us one.