Preparation for Worship
While worshipping at home, set aside a time and a place each week for worship. Light two candles to begin worship: one to represent Christ’s humanity and the other to represent Christ’s divinity. If you would like to celebrate communion have something to eat and drink for everyone. The type of food and drink does not matter for they are merely symbols which help us celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Today is Reformation Sunday. This Sunday celebrates the occasion of Martin Luther posting his 95 theses on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517. Thus began the Protestant Reformation. Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531), a Swiss minister, was another strong leader of the Reformation. In autumn of 1519, he spent his days ministering to the citizens of Zurich afflicted by the bubonic plague. That fall, Zwingli and his brother Andreas contracted the disease falling seriously ill. By spring Zwingli was making a slow recovery. However, Andreas along with 25% of the population of the city died from the epidemic. At the end of the year 1520 Zwingli wrote the following song to memorialize his illness and recovery. May it serve as a witness to us of how others respond to great lose and mysterious tragedy.
I. At the Beginning of the Illness
Help, Lord God, help in this trouble! I think death is at the door.
Stand before me, Christ; for Thou hast overcome him!
To Thee I cry: If it is Thy will, take out the dart, which wounds me,
Nor lets me have an hour’s rest or repose!
Will’st Thou, however, that death take me in the midst of my days, so let it be!
Do what Thou wilt; me nothing lacks.
Thy vessel am I; to make or break altogether.
For if Thou takest away my spirit from this earth,
Thou dost it, that it may not grow worse,
nor spot the pious lives and ways of others.
II. In the Midst of the Illness
Console me, Lord, God, console me! The illness increases,
Pain and fear seize my soul and body.
Come to me then, with Thy grace, O my consolation!
It will surely save everyone, who his heart’s desire
and hopes sets on Thee, and who besides despises all gains and losses.
Now all is up. My tongue is dumb, it cannot speak a word.
My senses are blighted.
Therefore it is time that Thou my fight conductest hereafter;
Since I am not so strong, that I can bravely make resistance
To the Devil’s wiles and treacherous hand.
Still will my spirit constantly abide by Thee, however he rages.
III. During Convalescence
Sound, Lord God, sound! I think I am already coming back.
Yes, if it please Thee, that no spark of sin rule me longer on earth.
Then my lips must Thy praise and teaching bespeak more than ever before,
However it may go, in simplicity and with no danger.
Although I must the punishment of death sometimes endure,
Perhaps with greater anguish than would now have happened, Lord!
Since I came so near; so will I still the spite and boasting of this world
Bear joyfully for the sake of the reward by Thy help,
Without which nothing can be perfect.
May the following serve as a guide in your worship of God.
The Worship of God
Lighting Two Candles
We begin worship by lighting candles to remind ourselves that the One whom we worship, Jesus, is the light of the world. We light two candles to remind us that Jesus is God and lived alongside us as a human being.
Passing the Peace
Say to one another, “May the peace of Christ be with you.”
And reply, “And, also with you.”
Invitation to Worship
Heaven and earth, be witness to our work
of creating a world steeped in liberation for all.
We commit ourselves to working for justice,
standing up for the defenseless,
and defending the vulnerable.
God, we know that the nation’s hands are bloody.
We cannot change the past.
We are invited to learn from it.
We can create a new reality in the present.
God, we commit to being transformed people.
We will no longer oppress.
We will no longer marginalize.
Poverty will no longer prevail.
Supremacy will be unwoven from this nation’s tapestry.
Inequitable laws will not thrive in our justice system.
God, just as you love us, we will love all people.
Love will be infused in all that we do.
Opening Prayer
God, thank you for giving us life. Thank you for setting us here in this moment and in this place. Thank you for tending to our growth. Thank you for showing us how to scatter the seeds of justice and righteousness. Thank you for showing us how to tend earth’s bounty. Sometimes in our haste we set out bad plants and leave fragrant blossoms to the killing frosts. Come among us, Keeper of the vine, and show us how to cultivate your world, for you are wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom. Amen.
Hymn of Praise
We Praise You, O God, Our Redeemer
Tune: KREMSER (Netherlands Folk Song)
Author: Julia Cady Cory
1 We praise you, O God, our Redeemer, Creator;
in grateful devotion our tribute we bring;
we lay it before you; we kneel and adore you;
we bless your holy name: glad praises we sing.
2 We worship you, God of our fathers and mothers;
through life’s storm and tempest our guide you have been;
when perils o’ertake us, you never forsake us,
and with your help, O Lord, our battles we win.
3 With voices united our praises we offer,
our songs of thanksgiving to you we now raise;
your strong arm will guide us, our God is beside us,
to you, our great Redeemer, forever be praise.
Psalm Reading
Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17. Common English Bible
Lord, you have been our help,
generation after generation.
Before the mountains were born,
before you birthed the earth and the inhabited world—
from forever in the past
to forever in the future, you are God.
You return people to dust,
saying, “Go back, humans,”
because in your perspective a thousand years
are like yesterday past,
like a short period during the night watch.
You sweep humans away like a dream,
like grass that is renewed in the morning.
True, in the morning it thrives, renewed,
but come evening it withers, all dried up.
Come back to us, Lord!
Please, quick!
Have some compassion for your servants!
Fill us full every morning with your faithful love
so we can rejoice and celebrate our whole life long.
Make us happy for the same amount of time that you afflicted us—
for the same number of years that we saw only trouble.
Let your acts be seen by your servants;
let your glory be seen by their children.
Let the kindness of the Lord our God be over us.
Make the work of our hands last.
Make the work of our hands last!
Prayer for Others
Pause after each paragraph to give voice to prayers as prompted. Let us pray,
Merciful God, who shelters us and guides us,
we give you thanks for….
God who comforts,
receive those who are fearful and lonely….
God whose love is steadfast,
be refuge for the ill, the dying, and those who care about them.…
God of righteousness,
we ask for your wisdom and ways of justice to prevail
in our community, this nation, your world…. God who seeks our trust, grow us and guide us in your ways
that are life-giving in your world. Amen.
Choral Anthem
Prayer of St. Richard of Chichester
Composer: Roland E. Martin
O holy Jesus, merciful Redeemer,
friend and brother,
may I know thee more clearly,
love thee more dearly, and follow thee more nearly, day by day.
Celebrating Communion
Communion celebrates our unity–our unity with God and with one another. At Cullowhee Baptist Church we practice an open communion which means anyone seeking to live the Way of Jesus Christ is invited to share in communion with us. Although we are not able to meet together, our bond still remains with one another and God through Jesus Christ.
Imagine Jesus setting a table for us, a place where we may come together and share a meal. Before we “come to the table,” let us set our hearts aright and seek the Lord’s forgiveness for our shortcomings.
Prayer for Forgiveness
When our culture or religion binds us
to complicity in the systems of oppression,
O Lord bring your love to set all free.
Turn our hearts and minds away from intrigue and duplicity.
Turn our hearts and minds away from systems that confine.
O Lord bring your love to set all free.
O Lord forgive us.
Fire within us a mood of coexistence,
that we may work to end repression,
to set lives free, and to break the bonds of hidden hatred.
O Lord forgive, begin with me. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
2 Corinthians 5:17-18a, Common English Bible
If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, to whom we have been reconciled through Christ.
Invitation to Communion
The table has been prepared as Jesus requested,
and we have been invited to the meal.
Come to the heart of Christ, where all are one:
which alone expects nothing in return;
Through the boundless hospitality of the Spirit.
In this communion, find healing, rest, and release;
In one another, find love for body, mind, and spirit;
Come to the table of God and be at peace.
Share the Meal
Share what you have to eat and before eating, have someone say, “This food represents the body of Christ. As we eat, we remember Jesus.”
Share what you have to drink and before drinking, have someone say, “This drink represents the covenant Christ made with us that our sins will be forgiven. As we drink, we remember Jesus.”
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Dear God, thank you for your abounding compassionate love. Thank you for guiding and leading us through these difficult times. Thank you for always being with us. Amen.
Song of Faith
Amazing Grace
Tune: NEW BRITAIN (from the Virginia Harmony, 1831)
Author: John Newton
‘Mazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wrench like me.
I once was lost, but now I’m found,
Was blind, but now I see.
The Gospel Lesson
John 3:1-8, Common English Bible
There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a Jewish leader. He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could do these miraculous signs that you do unless God is with him.”
Jesus answered, “I assure you, unless someone is born anew, it’s not possible to see God’s kingdom.”
Nicodemus asked, “How is it possible for an adult to be born? It’s impossible to enter the mother’s womb for a second time and be born, isn’t it?” Jesus answered, “I assure you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, it’s not possible to enter God’s kingdom. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. Don’t be surprised that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’ God’s Spirit blows wherever it wishes. You hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. It’s the same with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Proclaiming the Word
The Answer to the Soul’s Eternal Question
Dr. James Forbes
The Alliance of Baptist has provided a wonderful opportunity to hear Dr. James Forbes preach for Reformation Sunday. How fortunate for the Vickery’s who were away this past week and weekend celebrating the marriage of their daughter.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Thank you, God for constant love. Please help our church family grow deeper and deeper in your love. Amen.
Song of Faith
O Christ, the Great Foundation
Author: Timothy Tingfang Lew
Tune: AURELIA
O Christ, the great foundation on which your people stand
To preach your true salvation in every age and land:
Pour out your Holy Spirit to make us strong and pure,
To keep the faith unbroken as long as worlds endure.
Baptized in one confession, one church in all the earth,
We bear Christ’s own impression, the sign of second birth:
One holy people gathered in love beyond our own,
By grace we were invited, by grace we make you known.
God, for today’s encounters with all who are in need,
Who hunger for acceptance, for righteousness and bread,
Bring us new eyes for seeing, new hands for holding on;
Renew us with your Spirit; God! Free us, make us one!
Sending Out
May the blessing and peace of God uphold you,
May the compassion and love of Christ enfold you,
and may the vitality and power of the Holy Spirit embolden you,
today and always.
Amen.
Closing Song
Blest Be the Tie
Tune: DENNIS (Nageli)
Author: John Fawcett
Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love.
The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above. Amen.
Acknowledgements:
The Invitation to Worship was written by Aretha Flucker, Director of Community and Spiritual Life at Brite Divinity School. The Opening Prayer is based on writings in Litanies and Other Prayers for the Revised Common Lectionary, Year A, edited by Phyllis Cole and Everett Tilson. The Prayer of Forgiveness is based on the hymn When Our Culture or Religion by Andrew Pratt. The Invitation to Communion was written by Julie Greenan from Acorns and Archangels, published by Wild Goose Publications, Iona Community. The anthem was sung by Mindy and Laura. Tracy played the organ and Mindy sang the hymns. Aidan played the piano for Amazing Grace. Permission to podcast / stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #A-724755. All rights reserved. All writings have been used by permission from the posting sites or authors.
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