Opening Prayer:
Living and faithful Spirit,
the God in whom we live and move and have our being, the God who is made known in Christ Jesus, bless us one and all as we wait on you this day.
Please remove from our minds and hearts
whatever impediments hinder worship or dampen our joy. Increase within us that holy longing for closeness which can open our lives to fuller delight and to a deeper commitment.
May our hymns and prayers,
our searching thoughts, and our hearing of the Scriptures, be an exercise in the holiest love making.
By you, with you and for you, may our lives publish your praise. In the name of Christ Jesus.
Amen!
written by Bruce Prewer, and posted on Bruce Prewer’s Homepage. http://www.bruceprewer.com/ Reposted on RE: Worship: https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2012/06/call-to-worship-prayer-proper-8-b.html
STF 24 Come, now is the time to Worship
Chorus
Come, now is the time to worship
Come, now is the time to give your heart
Come, just as you are to worship.
Come, just as you are before your God,
Come
One day every tongue will confess
You are God
One day every knee will bow.
Still the greatest treasure remains for those
Who gladly choose You now
Chorus
One day every tongue will confess
You are God
One day every knee will bow
Still the greatest treasure remains for those
Who gladly choose You now.
One day every tongue will confess
You are God
One day every knee will bow
Still the greatest treasure remains for those
Who gladly choose You now.
Willingly we choose to surrender our lives
Willingly our knees will bow
With all our heart, soul, mind and strength
We gladly choose you now.
Chorus
By Brian Doerksen Words & Music © 2005 Thankyou Music & Integrity Music. Admin by worshiptogether.com
CCL:I Song Number: 4662491
Bible Reading
Psalm 1
The Two Ways
Happy are those
who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread,
or sit in the seat of scoffers;
but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law they meditate day and night.
They are like trees
planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Time to reflect:
Life has been expressed by many as being like a ‘tapestry’ in which the intertwining threads are created through our experiences; some filled with joy, others with sorrow and others with the ordinary rhythms of life. The different seasons of life is a metaphor also used to express that life is never static, instead it changes depending on life experiences and events.
In the month of May we begin to look forward to the warmer weather of summer, even though we are still in the season of spring. All around us are green shoots of life and the trees that were once bare, have green leaves and buds on. The bare trees of winter are no more. Instead, we are surrounded by different shades of green, with the different varieties of trees that are all around. Take a moment to reflect on the beauty of God’s creation that surrounds us.
Life as a tapestry which reflects the seasons of life is poetically captured throughout the 150 Psalms, which are written in response to different life events and experiences. There are Psalms of; praise and wonder, cries of help and laments, each of which reveals the depth of God’s grace and love. Our Bible reading today is Psalm one. A Psalm which encourages us to reflect on how we approach the reading of the scriptures and whether God is the director and source of life through all the seasons. Psalm 1: verses 2-3:
“…. but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruits in season and whose leaf does not wither whatever they do prospers.”
The streams of waters that nourish the different trees; words that are echoed in Psalm 23 verse 2, where God leads us “beside quiet waters” refreshing our souls. Also in John Chapter 15 verse 1, where Jesus talks about the Vine and the branches. “I am the vine, and my Father is the gardener.” God enables us to grow, brings refreshment through which we flourish, as we rest in streams of living water.
The beauty of the psalmist use of the metaphor of people being like trees, is that it reflects our individual nature by not naming a particular tree. It instead paints a rich tapestry of the diversity of human life, as we imagine all the different varieties of trees.
Psalm one’s message is that the source of life is God. It calls us to reflect on whether we delight in God’s scriptures daily to nourish us and trust in God’s love to guide us through life’s challenges. If, however, we forsake God in our daily lives Isaiah 1 verse 30 says “You will be like an oak with fading leaves, like a garden without water”. It maybe that today you are feeling dry and/or are seeking direction from God on a particular issue. The invitation is to rest in God’s streams of living water through the Holy Spirit. If that is you, Jesus says to you “Come to me, all you are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
In sitting by the still waters and receiving refreshment we meet God, who is trustworthy. There we can release our desire to self-direct our lives and trust in God’s guidance. A place that is captured in Psalm 52 verse 8, who uses the imagery of an Olive tree. “But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever”. Amen.
Prayers of intercession
You are invited to pray silently for:
The needs of the world…
The Church and its calling…
Loved ones going through difficult times…
For peace, justice, and reconciliation…
In Jesus name.
Amen.
The Lord's Prayer
Please use the version that you prefer
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 evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name,
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
On earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
As we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
And deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power
and the glory are yours
Now and for ever.
Amen.
StF 530 To be in your presence
To be in your presence
To sit at your feet
When your love surrounds me
And makes me complete.
Refrain
This is my desire, o Lord.
This is my desire.
This is my desire, o Lord.
This is my desire.
To rest in your presence
Not rushing away
To cherish each moment
Here I would stay.
Refrain
Noel Richards. © 1986 Thankyou Music. Admin: Integrity Music. CCLI Song Number: 121074
Final Prayer: Prayer for Grace.
Lord, help us welcome you and all who come in your name. Give us a deep love for your living word and for all our brothers and sisters. Help us to avoid slander and deceit in all our dealings. Guide us, O God, by the law given by your Spirit that our way may be blameless and pure.
Help us to always seek to please you
rather than the favour of others.
Make us gentle and compassionate, humble, and forgiving, just, and holy in all our relationships.
Help us be like Christ in whom we believe.
Help us to meditate on his word and his example day and night.
Lord, help us not only to share the good news of your love with all we meet, but also to share our very selves.
Prayer based on based on Psalm 1, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Matthew 22:34-40) Copyright © Rev. Richard J. Fairchild. Posted on Kir-Shalom website. Reposted on RE: https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2011/10/prayer-for-grace.html