Tag Archives: Worship

Clean

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The Heart, Henri Matisse (1943)

image : The Heart, Henri Matisse (1943)

All Creatures of Our God and King (Francis of Assisi, 1225) [bandcamp track=3110760989  bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

Yes, God is Good (John H. Gurney, 1825) [bandcamp track=1502063583  bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

There is a Fountain Filled with Blood (William Cowper, 1772)

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Wilt Thou Forgive (John Donne, 1633) [bandcamp track=1206600735  bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

Jesus, I Come (William Sleeper, 1887) [bandcamp track=1190898373  bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

From Depths of Woe/Psalm 130 (Martin Luther, 1524) [bandcamp track=762862813  bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

Preparation for Worship

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“One night, a [Pharisee] came to Jesus and he wanted to know what he could do to be saved. Jesus didn’t get bogged down in the kind of isolated approach of what he shouldn’t do. Jesus didn’t say, ‘Now Nicodemus, you must stop lying.’ He didn’t say, ‘Nicodemus, you must stop cheating if you are doing that.’…He didn’t say, ‘Nicodemus, now you must stop drinking liquor if you are doing that excessively.’ He said something altogether different, because Jesus realized something basic—that if a man will lie, he will steal. And if a man will steal, he will kill. So, instead of just getting bogged down in one thing, Jesus looked at him and said, ‘Nicodemus, you must be born again.’ He said, in other words, ‘Your whole structure must be changed.’ ”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Call to Worship —Hebrews 10:19-23

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Since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.

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The Ministry of Prayer

Old Testament Reading — Isaiah 29:13-14

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And the Lord said:
“Because this people draw near with their mouth
and honor me with their lips,
while their hearts are far from me,
and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,
therefore, behold, I will again
do wonderful things with this people,
with wonder upon wonder;
and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish,
and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.”

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We Confess Our Sin Together

Most merciful Father, we have sinned against and are guilty before You. Forgive us the sins of our tongues:

For deception and untruthfulness in our dealings with others; for resentment, coldness, impatience, and tempers out of control.

Forgive us for the sins of our eyes:

For impurity in our glances and imagination; for pining after more beauty, comfort, status, and wealth than You have given us.

Forgive us the sins of our hearts:

For hard-heartedness toward You and our neighbors; for pride, self-absorption, self-pity; and above all for rebelling against Your Lordship and doubting Your love. Now, Holy Father, kill our envy, remove our pride, melt our hearts. Give us grace to be holy, kind, gentle, pure, to labor for You and not for ourselves, to be transformed into Your likeness, to live wholly for Your glory. Take away our mourning and give us music; remove our sackcloth and give us Your beauty. In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

God Declares Our Forgiveness — II Corinthians 5:21

God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

Sermon — Mark 7:1-23

1 Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, 2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, 4 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” 6 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

“‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
7 in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”‘ (that is, given to God)— 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13 thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

14 And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” 17 And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?”(Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Benediction

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Heart Prep for Jan 20 2013

Question  > > >  What makes you clean?

Ai Weiwei, Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn, 1995, Triptych

image  :  Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn, Ai Weiwei (1995)
audio :  We Never Change, Coldplay (2000)

Gospel  > > >  Mark 7:1-23

7 Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, 2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, 4 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” 6 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

“‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
7 in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)— 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13 thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

14 And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” 17 And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?”(Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

A Shepherd’s Compassion

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Queuing for Bread, Nicolae Tonitza (1920)

King of Saints (Joseph Hart, 1712-68) [spotify id=”spotify:track:1Sy6pkXlhduT0oqdHiciGR” width=”300″ height=”130″ /]

In Tenderness  (W. Spencer Walton, 1894)  [spotify id=”spotify:track:2VwGhbPtrLcEWvkTqbTsZ6″ width=”300″ height=”130″ /]

You Will Find Me (Andrew Ripp, 2010) [spotify id=”spotify:track:6droEgQMXnMqoF1akzDtVJ” width=”300″ height=”130″ /]

When I Survey (Isaac Watts, 1707) [spotify id=”spotify:track:20dH0zYVAhX4MHg9cSu18H” width=”300″ height=”130″ /]

Beautiful Things(Michael & Lisa Gungor, 2009) [spotify id=”spotify:track:06wxyCQFJOT0bjvSPMQj7x” width=”300″ height=”130″ /]

It Is Well With My Soul (Horatio Spafford, 1873) [spotify id=”spotify:track:7DsyA7F5giDMU5j5KiTkwQ” width=”300″ height=”130″ /]

image : Queuing for Bread, Nicolae Tonitza (1920)

Preparation for Worship

O Lord teach me to seek You,
and reveal Yourself to me when I seek You.

For I cannot seek You unless
You first teach me,
nor find You unless
you first reveal Yourself to me.

Let me seek You in longing,
and long for You in seeking.

Let me find You in love,
and love You in finding.

Ambrose of Milan, 4th century

Call to WorshipPsalm 95:6-7

Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.

The Ministry of PrayerPsalm 23. A Psalm of David.

The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Old Testament Reading — Numbers 27:15-17

Moses spoke to the Lord, saying, “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation  who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep that have no shepherd.”

We Confess Our Sin Together — from The Book of Common Prayer

Almighty and most merciful Father,
we have erred and strayed from Your ways like lost sheep.
We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts.
We have offended against Your holy laws.
We have left undone what we ought to have done,
and we have done what we ought not to have done,
and there is no health in us.
Yet, good Lord, have mercy on us:
restore those who repent,
according to Your promises declared to us in Jesus Christ our Lord.
And grant, merciful Father, for His sake,
That we may live a godly, righteous, and obedient life,
to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.

God Declares Our Forgiveness — John 6:35, 40

 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst…For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

Sermon — Mark 6:30-43

30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. 35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 36 Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” 38 And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. 42 And they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

Benediction

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Heart Prep for Jan 13 2013

Question  > > >  How has Jesus been a Shepherd to you?

The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes, Tintoretto (1579)

image  :  The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes, Tintoretto (1579)
audio  :  The Fish, Yes (1971)

Gospel  > > >  Mark 6:30-44

30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. 35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 36 Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” 38 And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. 42 And they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

The Death of John the Baptist

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Feast of Herod, Donatello (c.1425)

image:  Feast of Herod, Donatello (c.1425)

Come Thou Long Expected Jesus (Charles Wesley, 1745) [bandcamp track=2380528790  bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

Upon a Life I Did Not Live (Horatius Bonar, 1881) [bandcamp track=196705242  bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

Here I Am to Worship (Tim Hughes, 2001)

Jesus I My Cross Have Taken (Henry Francis Lyte, 1825) [bandcamp track=1790301436  bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

Behold Our God (Baird & Altrogge, 2011) [bandcamp track=4160179747  bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

The Power of the Cross (Townend & Getty, 2005) [bandcamp track=2484851654  bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

Preparation for Worship

“Calamities accumulate. A girl dances, a mother rages, there is rash swearing in the midst of the luxurious feast, and an impious fulfillment of what was sworn…” —Augustine

 “It is nothing to die. It is frightful not to live.” —Victor Hugo

Call to WorshipJohn 8:12

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Declaration of Faith — The Apostles’ Creed (2nd century)

We believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, We believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, died, and was buried; He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there He will come to judge the living and the dead. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church; the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.  Amen.

Ministry of Prayer — The Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11:2-4)

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.  Amen.

Old Testament Reading — Psalm 13. A Psalm of David

How long, O LORD?  Will you forget me forever?  How long will you hide your face from me?  How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day?  How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?  Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.  But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.  I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.

Sermon — Mark 6:14-29

14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” 17 For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.

21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 For when Herodias’s daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 23 And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” 24 And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. 27 And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison 28 and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Preparation for the Lord’s Supper — Luke 22: 14-20, 29-30

“When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, ‘I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.’ After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, ‘Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.’ And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you’… And I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom.”

We Confess Our Sin Together — John Wesley (1703-1791)

Forgive them all, O Lord; Our sins of omission and our sins of commission;
The sins of our youth and the sins of our riper years;
The sins of our souls and the sins of our bodies;
Our secret and our more open sins;
Our sins of ignorance and surprise,
And our more deliberate and presumptuous sin;
The sins we have done to please ourselves,
And the sins we have done to please others;
The sins we know and remember,
And the sins we have forgotten;
The sins we have striven to hide from others
And the sins by which we have made others offend You;

Forgive them, O Lord, forgive them all for His sake,
Who died for our sins and rose for our justification,
And now stands at Thy right hand
To make intercession for us,
Jesus Christ our Lord.

God Declares Our Forgiveness — John 1:29

 “Behold, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world!”

Songs of Response to God’s Grace

Benediction

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Heart Prep for Jan 6 2013

Question  > > >  What forces are at play in each person in this week’s text?  In you? 

Herod's Banquet, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lille (c. 1439)

image  :  Herod’s Banquet, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lille (c. 1439)
audio  :  Salome, Op. 54, “Dance of the Seven Veils”, Richard Strauss (1905)

Gospel  > > >  Mark 6:14-29

14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Somesaid, “John the Baptisthas been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” 17 For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.

21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 For when Herodias’s daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 23 And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” 24 And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. 27 And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’shead. He went and beheaded him in the prison 28 and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.