Colby Community Church
A Guided Liturgy For Home Worship
March 29, 2020
During this time of physical isolation, we offer this outline for use at home with your family, as a way to continue to worship and be formed in Christ. Any of these sections can be led by whoever feels able, and it may be fun to have different people lead different readings or in prayer!
Tips To Get Started:
- This service will take around 45-60 minutes
- To begin, browse this outline and quickly assign who will read what.
- Lyrics for the songs are in the YouTube videos or you can pull up the lyrics by searching in Google. You can also find these songs on our Spotify playlists here.
- You may also want to prepare bread and juice/wine for communion if you choose to do communion.
- Get your coffee, Bible, and notepad. Take a deep breath. Breathe again!
- Begin – anticipating Christ’s presence!
Opening:
Welcome to the Jesus to the Nations weekend! This is a time to join God in his wondrous work in our world – thanking him for how he is already moving in power and opening ourselves to how he is inviting us to join in his kingdom work, locally and abroad.
This morning’s guided liturgy will be focused around the new life Jesus gives from the Father, through the Holy Spirit. Whether it is God’s promises to the prophet Ezekiel while Israel is spending 70 bone-dry years in exile; or the Psalmist’ cry from the depths and petition to wait on the Lord; or Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, all of the Scripture passages today talk about God’s power to bring life where there was once death. These are promises we need to stand on in these times: facing the current pandemic, observing the season of Lent when we are graciously faced with our need for Christ’s constant presence and restoration in us, and during this J2N weekend when we celebrate and long for God’s resurrection and restoration throughout our world.
So let’s begin by looking to the source of this resurrection-life and our only hope.
Opening Prayer:
Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father,
you have brought us in safety to this new day:
Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin,
nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father,
you have brought us in safety to this new day:
Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin,
nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Song: Nothing To Fear – Audrey Assad
Scripture Reading: Psalm 130
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
2 Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
3 If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,
Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
so that we can, with reverence, serve you.
5 I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
6 I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.
7 Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
for with the Lord is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.
8 He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins.
Family Prayer
Take some time to pray for the things God leads you to pray for. One person could pray, or anyone.
“Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” (Jeremiah 32:17)
Give us the faith to believe, truly, that “nothing is too hard for you.”
(Take a minute of silence: reflect on what is weighing down your mind and your heart this morning.)
Faithful father, we lay at your feet our fears, our anxieties, our frustrations. Nothing is too hard for you. Nothing. Increase our faith, we pray.
We approach your throne with confident reverence. Thank you that you hear our prayers and that you long to meet with us this morning.
Give families who are isolated at home together during this time an extra dose of patience. Give those who are alone the assurance of your divine and constant presence. Give those who are without stable housing during this time a place of safety and security.
We ask you to open our eyes to see how and where you are working in the midst of this time, a time when we are consumed with news of sickness, job loss, tightening restrictions on our liberty and economic instability. May we be conduits of peace and messengers of hope to a world in turmoil. Anchor us in your eternal hope.
Other things to pray for could include:
- For our missionaries: The Mayich’s in Thailand, Kai, and Michelle Omar in Atlanta, Tyler, and Christiane in England, Josy-Anne LeBel in Ottawa (heading to Dallas)
- For people seeking God’s will about serving in missions part-time or full-time
- For refugees in precarious situations around the world
- For refugees and immigrants who have recently come to Nova Scotia and need support and help with language barriers and adjusting to this new culture
- That we, as ambassadors of Christ, would respond when God prompts us to share the Gospel in our contexts.
Family of the week: Jake and Kaylah Chitouras
Scripture Readings:
Have someone read Ezekiel 37:1-14
Have someone else read John 11:1-45
Sermon: If you can, take this time to check out one of the keynote talks J2N has posted on their Facebook page or YouTube page from this weekend so far.
Jesus to the Nations Links:
Responsive Prayer to the Reflection:
Lord Jesus, you desire every nation and every person to know you and be one with you, as you are one with the Father.
We ask that you would empower us your people, to proclaim your Gospel in word and action.
Help us to walk in righteousness and justice.
May your people be like streams of water in a dry place and like a shade in a weary land so that all nations can see you, hear you, know you and praise you.
By the power of your name, Amen.
Response: Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I 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 to hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to 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.
I 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.
*that is, the true Christian church of all times and all places
Celebrating Communion
Song: We Will Feast in the House of Zion – Sandra McCracken
Communion Reflection/Prayer:
Although we are not physically present with one other this morning, we are nevertheless unified as we celebrate communion. Whether you observe this sacrament by sipping coffee and eating a bagel, or whether you have bread and grape juice available, the Lord Jesus invites all of us to participate in this meal of remembrance.
You are invited to this perhaps unconventional, yet still sacred, Lord’s table this morning.
The Bread of Life offers you bread to eat; a symbol of his own body. The Lamb of God offers you juice; a symbol of his blood. May this meal be a reminder that we are sustained by Christ. “In him, we move and breath and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Thank you, Jesus, for your sacrifice. Thank you that this meal reminds us that you provide us with all that we need for life’s journey.
The world around us is full of uncertainty and fear. Things are changing every day. We celebrate this meal this morning, reminding ourselves that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
Do you feel lonely this morning? Be assured that Jesus himself is always present with you. Take a deep breath in. He is closer than the very air filling your lungs.
Are you anxious this morning? Ground yourself in the knowledge that “the Lord of peace himself [gives] you peace at all times and in every way” (2 Thessalonians 3:16). Ask him for his peace. He is faithful.
Take communion now, with gratitude and reverence.
Receive nourishment, sustenance, and hope from Christ himself this morning.
Benediction:
We serve a loving and compassionate God,
A God who brought comfort to the grieving sisters, Mary and Martha
God’s breath alone brings life to dry bones and weary souls.
We ask you, God,
To pour out your Spirit upon us,
that we may face despair and death with the hope of resurrection
and faith in the One who called Lazarus forth from the grave.
May we, in turn, be loving and compassionate to others.
May we recognize how our mission fields are changing,
and seek fresh ways of sharing the hope we find in You.
Amen.