Calls to Worship
| Leader: | John had a vision of heavenly worship recorded in the book of Revelation. "Then I looked," John writes, "and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, singing with full voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!"' As all creatures in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea praised God the four living creatures said "Amen!" And the elders fell down and worshiped. |
| Leader: | God invites us to worship. God calls us to worship. Let us join with the angels, the living creatures and the elders, the myriads and the thousands in their praise and worship. |
| Response (printed in bulletin or on banner or overhead projector): |
"Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" |
| Leader: | God invites us to believe the good news of Jesus' resurrection. |
| People: | We accept the invitation. We believe. |
| Leader: | God invites us to worship. |
| People: | We accept the invitation. We have come to worship |
| Leader: | Through belief and worship God invites us to change. |
| People: | We believe. We worship. |
| Leader: | May this time of worship move us to accept God's invitation to change |
| Hymns |
HWB |
MH | Songs | |
| Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing |
110 |
104 |
Ancient of Days (Blessing and honor, glory and power) (Kenoly) | |
| Christ, we do all adore thee |
105 |
644 |
To him who sits on the throne | |
| Jesus, thou mighty Lord |
115 |
96 |
I cry out (Vineyard) | |
| O worship the Lord |
124 |
-- |
You turned my morning to gladness (Kenoly) | |
| Sing hallelujah, praise the Lord |
67 |
-- |
Thou hast turned my mourning into dancing | |
| Blessing and honor and glory |
108 |
-- |
Worthy is the Lamb | |
| Thou art worthy |
Offering Suggestion
Offering received as part of praise/worship, echoing Peter' response,
"Lord, I love you."
Thought for the day: "Sometimes it feels like God doesn't like me very much because he is always prodding me to change. Other times I know he loves me very much because he continues to encourage me to grow."
Sermon Starter
Both the John and the Acts passages give us many fertile
stories and angles to look at God's invitation to change. Truly
believing in the resurrection of Jesus brings about the invitation
to a profound and sometimes painful change. Such change goes beyond
a single "worship experience" or "conversion experience."
Peter worships with the profession of faith "It is the Lord!"
(John 21:7) but then in a perplexing exchange with Jesus is invited
to a new faith venture of being a pastor of Jesus' sheep. Saul
experiences a profound change of mind on the Damascus Road as
he falls down and worship the Jesus whom he has persecuted (Acts
9), but it will take many more years and a complete reorientation
of his life until he becomes the dynamic preacher and church-builder,
Paul. Even Ananias must make deep changes in his life to be able
to guide Saul into spiritual light.
Story: When God keeps sending the enemy into your house (condensed from MCC Communications)
As Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) workers in El Salvador in the late '80's, David and Irene Morrow faced suspicion and harassment from the Salvadoran military fighting a civil war. Their neighbors faced repression and death. Returning to North America in turmoil and bitterness about the "enemy," they eventually began working with refugees in Texas.
One day, they were introduced a Salvadoran man who had just become a Christian. He said, "I remember you. You lived in the house next to the Baptist church. You had a cute little boy you'd push around town in a little wooden cart. I used to be a sergeant in the army. I came to your house one day." Indeed, they remembered that day when soldiers had barged in, asked lots of questions, and then spent time oohing and aahing over their infant son who was awakened
Now former sergeant Doroteo Rivera wanted David's help, wanted to come to his house and tell his story. David described the encounter with Doroteo as "strange and unsettling." "I didn't want him in our house! I felt like Ananias when the Lord told him to go and meet Saul after Saul had been blinded. No, Lord! I know this man's past! He's a man of violence!"
Out of their initial conversation grew reconciliation and friendship. Eventually, Doroteo was baptized upon his confession of Christ. Later, David, who had also experienced only infant baptism, took the same step. After studying in the Pastoral Ministries Program, Doroteo moved to Washington state where David was pastoring. He moved in with the Morrows and start a Hispanic congregation at their church. David now testifies that he still feels like Ananias. He says, "Ananias had learned what I now have learned. There are many biblical reasons to love my enemy, but perhaps the most simple is that my enemy today may one day be my brother."
Created by Paul D. Leichty