Worship – Page 27 – The Parish of Newbattle

Sitting in different chairs, joining in at different times throughout the day, God’s people still gather for worship on this, the Lord’s day. Welcome, to Sunday worship.

Call to Worship with parts in bold to say aloud

Based on Isaiah 5.

May we sing a love-song to our beloved,

with visions of hillside vineyard,

resplendent with luscious vines.

Under the watchtower grew a harvest,

yet the abundance of grapes

were overcome by the wild.

Your plans for your people,

rejected by their own devious ways

and selfish demands.

May we heed their error,

and in respect and faith

come to worship you, Lord God.

HYMN Christ is Made the Sure Foundation

Prayer of Adoration and Confession

O planet-weaver, the skies

declare your glory.

O star-spinner, the vault of heaven

proclaims your handiwork.

Day to day pours forth speech,

night to night declares knowledge

yet there are no words,

their voices cannot be heard.

But creation’s pure sound reverberates

throughout the cosmos

for in the heavens

you have set a tent for the sun

and on earth a place for us all.

Yet we often forget

that we are creations of your breath,

tenants of your vineyard.

We silence your voice.

We subjugate your land.

We mar your image within and around.

We reject the cornerstone and

kill your son.

Yet you do not shy away.

You meet our hate with love,

our violence with steadfast loving kindness,

our forgetfulness with remembrance.

Remind us this day and this night

that we can kill your love

but we cannot keep it dead and buried.

Redeem us each day and each night

that we might live in tune

with the words of your son,

with the reverberations of your cosmos

thus enabling the words of our mouths

and the meditation of all our hearts

to be acceptable to you,

O Lord, our rock and our redeemer.

Amen.

Reading: Matthew 21:33-46 read by Di Russell

Dramatised reading:

Reflection:

HYMN – The Servant King

Prayer for Others and Ourselves

If all our accomplishments,

all our acumen,

all our wisdom,

our work,

our will

were to be stripped away

we still belong to you, O God.

Therefore we press onwards

towards the goal.

Not to earn your grace

but to share your love.

So we pray for the twisting of our priorities,

for the confusion of our belonging,

for the marring of your image.

We are your children,

we are your tenants,

we are made in your image.

May we live up to that reality,

in our actions and thoughts.

We pray that those in power

might seek service over celebrity

and work to uplift the poor

rather than their popularity.

We pray that those without power

might find strength in you

and partners in us

even when we feel powerless.

We pray for the courage

and strength to press onward.

We pray for humility and compassion

to transcend the past

and press forward to what lies ahead.

For you are our beginning,

you are our present,

you are our destination.

Amen.

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Prayer of Dedication

We are tenants on your vineyard,

guests at your table,

children in your household.

Transform our pride with your prophetic presence,

subvert our expectations with your abiding grace,

so that we might work for your purposes

and live for your kingdom.

Take all that we have and all that we are

and align them with your good intentions.

In your name,

we pray.

Amen.

HYMN – Crown Him with Many Crowns

Sending

As one of God’s children

you are not cast aside.

God loves you

and cherishes you.

You belong and are treasured.

Take this affirmation

and live into it this week.

May you feel God’s love,

Christ’s inclusion,

and the Spirit’s presence

as you go,

this day,

this week,

and evermore.

Amen

Category: Worship

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