This week we will be celebrating World Communion Sunday. At Travis Park we will be focusing not only on the unity of the church but also (and, primarily) on the stewardship of the earth. Below is the liturgy for the 9:00 service. (I'm at home and will add the closing hymn when I get back to a hymnal!)
Travis Park UMC-Sunday Morning Worship
Sunday, October 1st, 2006
9:00 a.m.
PRELUDE: Kenneth Freudigman, cello
CALL TO WORSHIP*
Leader: Friends, fellow creatures of God, how can we be silent in the face of such beauty?
People: We see the beauty of the work of a master artist: a sculptor, a painter, a
musician, a poet…God! We see the beauty in the world and in each other.
Leader: Fellow creations of Yahweh, how can we be silent in the face of such creativity?
People: From the octopus to the deep blue desert skies, we see God!
Leader: As we consider the work of God’s hands, what shall we do?
People: We shall open our eyes to beauty, open our souls to love, open our hearts to
worship, and open our mouths to sing!
Leader: Come, let us worship God!
--Rev. Joe Stobaugh
OPENING HYMN* Sing for God’s Glory ALL
Text: Kathy Galloway
Tune: LOBE DEN HERREN
Sing for God’s glory that colors the dawn of creation,
racing across the sky, trailing bright clouds of elation;
sun of delight succeeds the velvet of night,
warming the earth’s exultation.
Sing for God’s power that shatters the chains that might bind us,
searing the darkness of fear and despair that could blind us,
touching our shame with love that will not lay blame,
reaching out gently, to find us.
Sing for God’s justice disturbing each easy illusion,
tearing down tyrants and putting our pride to confusion;
life-blood of right resisting evil and slight,
offering freedom’s transfusion.
Sing for God’s saints who have traveled faith’s journey before us,
who in our weariness give us their hope to restore us;
in them we see the new creation to be,
spirit of love made flesh for us.
PRAYER of CONFESSION
Even as we sing your praise, we grow in our awareness of the hurt we cause the world. Like any good parent, you gave us freedom to grow and the freedom to become fully human but you also gave us parameters. You asked us to tend your garden and we have instead dominated it. We have allowed our greed to overwhelm our common sense. We have allowed our arrogance to overrun our mandate to care for the earth. Only even now are we beginning to understand the damage we have done. Forgive us God!
--Rev. Joe Stobaugh
SILENT PRAYERS
WORDS OF ASSURANCE
MESSAGE Rev. Karen Vannoy
A Witness to Transformation Roger Barnes
TITHES AND OFFERINGS: The Earth and All Who Breathe
Text: Ruth Duck; Music: Attributed to J. S. Bach
The Sanctuary Choir
The earth and all who breathe exist through love divine,
who formed the sea, the flow’ring tree, the wren, the fragrant pine.
each woman, man, and child created from the dust
is called to share creation’s care, a sacred living trust.
The good abundant earth is ours to tend and keep,
yet land lies waste, consumed in haste, and hungry children weep.
The nations proudly build new Babel’s to the sky.
Their bombs destroy creation’s joy; their missiles terrify!
Creation now awaits humanity’s rebirth
as last to claim one common aim: to nurture life on earth.
Awake, all human kind, the challenge now embrace,
apply your strength, your voice, your means, as stewards of God’s grace.
(Please register your attendance in the red registration books.)
*DOXOLOGY
(This morning’s doxology is found in the back of The Faith We Sing found in your pew rack.)
SERVICE OF HOLY COMMUNION
Leader: The Spirit of God be with you.
People: And also with you.
Leader: Lift up your hearts to heaven
People: where Christ in glory reigns.
Leader: It is right, and a good and joyous prayer, always and everywhere to give you thanks. For
in the beginning, Creator God, You made the earth; round, rich, and fertile, the mother of all life, the seedbed of all growth.
People: You bent low and gently gathered up a handful of clay and shaped and
wonderfully and intricately made man and woman.
Leader: You breathed wind and spirit into flesh and bone.
People: We became like you, formed in your image carrying the stars in our eyes,
the moon in our hearts and the cosmos in every breath.
Leader: And, so with all the saints who have gone before, all the creatures of the earth, and all the
faithful touched by the Spirit, we praise your name and join the unending hymn of praise:
--from Water Words by Larry Peacock
SANCTUS #2257-b in The Faith We Sing ALL
WORDS OF INSTITUTION AND CONSECRATION
Leader: Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here and on these gifts of bread and wine.
Make them become for us the presence of Christ, so that we may be signs of new life for our searching world. By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with all creation and one in service to all the world until Christ comes in radiant glory and seats all at the heavenly table.
All: Eternal Spirit, Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be, Father and Mother of us all, living God, in whom is heaven:
The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by the people of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and forever.
Amen.
--from A New Zealand Prayer Book
DISTRIBUTION OF THE ELEMENTS
COMMUNION MUSIC: Kenneth Freudigman, cello
HYMN OF INVITATION* No. ???? ALL
BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE: Hope for Resolution
Arr. Caldwell & Ivory, Text: Traditional Zulu
Joyful Melodies
Nations do not cry!
Jehovah will protect us.
We will attain freedom
Jehovah will protect us.
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