Download PDF Order of Worship Day 4
DAY FOUR – “WAKE UP AND DREAM”
Isaiah 55:12-13 , Matthew 2:10-12
Thursday, July 31st – 11:00 AM
Preacher: Jerry Cannon
PRELUDE : “Beautiful” by Christina Aguilera
CALL TO WORSHIP
ONE: What are your dreams, people of God?
ALL: To be filled with laughter; to cry with joy, not with sorrow.
ONE: What are your hopes, people of God?
ALL: To be free of the chains that bind us; to shout with thanksgiving, not with anguish.
ONE: Rejoice, people of God; here and now,
ALL: God makes our hopes and dreams come true.
SONG – Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
CALL TO CONFESSION (With body movement.)
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
God, I am struggling to face the difficult thing I know I should do. The conversation I’ve been avoiding. The help I should have asked for months ago. The symptom I have long ignored.
O God, help me. I’m afraid to act, but afraid to admit my inaction might be making things worse.
God, help me begin – or even begin to begin- though I can’t know how this will go. Fill that inner space where I am quietly overwhelmed and stuck in mud. Or maybe it’s quicksand.
I hear you say, “I will strengthen you and help you.” You go before me and you are right here with me. Even now. In my panicking, in my anxieties, in my master-avoidance. Your love never fails. Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON (again, with movement.)
People of God, you are a new creation, being made anew each day by the extravagant grace of God. As scripture says, “The old has passed away. Behold everything is becoming new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) Friends, believe this good news; in Jesus Christ We. Are. Forgiven. Thanks be to God! Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING – Isaiah 55:12-1, Matthew 2:10-12
SERMON – Rev. Jerry Cannon
OFFERING – Hope Village and Room at the Inn
CHOIR
INVITATION TO WAKE UP AND DREAM
Now it is time to wake from your slumber; to wake from your apathy, to wake from your paralysis and inaction. Now it is time to WAKE UP AND DREAM!
COMMISSIONING [In delegation groups with glitter ashes, marking a cross on the forehead]
From scripture we learn that we come from dust and to dust we shall return. But that dust and all of the universe was created by the exploding of stars. Yes, our origin is star dust. When worshipers received the glitter ash on their forehead, their Group Leader(s) will say: “From dust you have come, to dust you shall return. Wake up and dream!”
SONG – Waymaker
CALL TO PRAYER
In his inaugural address, President Nelson Mandela quoted from Marianne Williamson’s book, A Return to Love. He said: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are born to manifest God’s glory within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And, as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear our presence automatically liberates others.” With the boldness of liberated and beloved children of God, let us pray.
COMMISSIONING PRAYER (In Unison)
Gracious and holy God, you have touched us with your grace this week. You have awakened us to dream anew. You have marked us as your own. As we prepare to leave this place, we thank you that you are and always will be God-with-us. Empower us to let your light shine in and through us. May this moment launch us onto new ways of living, learning and loving with a power that comes from you. May we truly go out with joy and be led forth by your peace. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
The following prayer has been created by YOU. Many of you came to the Prayer Center this past week. You shared the words that “sparkle” and awaken the dreams in you. This prayer is a compilation of your dreams, your prayers, your awakenings.
SONG – Beautiful Things, by Gungor
SPOKEN BENEDICTION – Rev. Jerry Cannon
SUNG BENEDICTION – The Blessing
