God’s Vision: Everyone Mirrors God

Service of Worship (Sunday, June 30, 2013)

http://www.ucc.org/synod/video.html

HYMN SING: “Glory, Glory Hallelujah” and “What a Covenant”

ORGAN SOLO: Sinfonia from Cantata 29 “We Thank You God, We Thank You” J.S. Bach

WELCOME

CALL TO WORSHIP:

Amazing, colorful Creator!

Amazing, colorful Creator! What do you want this world to look like? How do you want us to live? Who do you want us to be?

Loving, giving Christ!

Loving, giving Christ! What can we do to help? What can I do to help? How can I show my love—to you, to myself, to everyone and everything around me?

Playful, passionate Holy Spirit!

Playful, passionate Holy Spirit! Open our eyes. Open our hearts. Open our lives—so that we might share hope with the world!  Amen!

INVOCATION

FIRST WAVE – WE WATCH AND WAIT

THE PROCLAMATION: Revelation 22: 1-5  “Then the Angel showed me Water-of-Life River, crystal bright.  It flowed from the Throne of God and the Lamb, right down the middle of the street.  The Tree of Life was planted on each side of the River, producing twelve kinds of fruit, a ripe fruit each month.  The leaves of the Tree are for healing the nations.  Never again will anything be cursed.  The Throne of God and of the Lamb is at the center.  The Lamb’s servants will offer God service—worshiping, they’ll look on God’s face, their foreheads mirroring God.  Never again will there be any night.  No one will need lamplight or sunlight.  The shining of God is all the light anyone needs. And they will rule with God age after age after age.”

HYMN: “Shall We Gather at the River”

SECOND WAVE – WE MIRROR GOD THROUGH OUR GIFTS

INTRODUCTION

General Synod “Youth Sing Out”

“Jazz Gorilla”

Mime Troupe and Ariel Ruben Pires Moraes  “Joyful, Joyful We Adore You”

PRAYER

HYMN: “O Christ, You Are Life!”

THIRD WAVE – WE ARE CHALLENGED BY GOD’S WORD

OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURE: Habakkuk 2: 1-3 “I will stand at my watch-post, and station myself on the rampart; I will keep watch to see what God will say to me, and what God^* will answer concerning my complaint. Then God answered me and said: ‘Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it. For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay.’”      

                        

NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURE: Luke 7: 36-50 “One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table.  And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment.  She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair.  Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment.  Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.’  Jesus spoke up and said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ ‘Teacher,’ he replied, ‘speak.’  ‘A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  When they could not pay, he canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?’  Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You have judged rightly.’  Then turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair.  You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet.  You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.  Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.’  Then he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’  But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?’  And he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’

SERMON: “Do You See This Woman?”  The Rev. Martin B. Copenhaver

RESPONSE IN SONG: “Fiat Lux” (Let There Be Light)

OFFERING

CHORAL OFFERING: “I Will Guide Thee”

DOXOLOGY: To God, all glo-ri-ous heav-en-ly Light, to Christ re-vealed in earth-ly night, to God the Spir-it now we raise our joy-ful songs of thank-ful praise.

FOURTH WAVE – WE CELEBRATE THE SACRED MEAL

HYMN: “Somos Pueble Que Camina” (“We are People on a Journey”)

PROCLAMATION: Revelation 22: 6-8  “These words are trustworthy and true… See, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of prophecy… I am a fellow servant with you.  Worship God!”

CHORAL CALL: In each face di-vine re-flec-tion, child of God is ev-’ry one; no more la-bels to de-fine us, it’s with love that the vic-to-ry’s won! Yes, we’ll gather at the riv-er, the beau-ti-ful, the beau-ti-ful riv-er, Gath-er with the saints at the riv-er that flows by the throne of God.

CALL TO THE MEAL:

Shall we gather, gather at the table?

Yes, we’ll gather at the table, where so many have come before!

Shall we meet at this margin, between heaven and earth? On the edge of who we are and what God calls us to be?

Yes, we’ll gather at the margin to worship God, who from Genesis, to Revelation, to today reminds us that we are “Imago Dei”—created in God’s image.

We gather with the saints and prophets of old, and the prophets of today—with all who have kept, and strive to keep God’s vision.

We gather to remember and to reflect, to be nourished and to find courage. We gather to experience anew how each is part of the other, woven into creation by the One who birthed us all!

PRAYER: To you, O God, we lift our souls in song and praise:

Sung: I-mag-o De-i, I-mag-o De-i, born in the im-age of God are we. I-mag-o De-i, I-mag-o De-i, called to com-pass-ion; born to be free.

I-mag-o De-i, I-mag-o De-i, born in the im-age of God are we. I-mag-o De-i, I-mag-o De-i, called to com-pass-ion; born to be free.

Holy are You, God of all Eternity, You who know us intimately, as we are. You who continually call us to grow into your vision of who we might yet be!

Sung: How shall we live as im-ag-es of God? How best re-flect the won-der of our Mak-er? Hum-bly we will walk, with mer-cy re-spond and know the Es-sence of Love is always with us.

I-mag-o De-i, I-mag-o De-i, born in the im-age of God are we. I-mag-o De-i, I-mag-o De-i, called to com-pass-ion; born to be free.

Blessed are You, God of all History, You who intervene in matters of justice, mercy and peace, using our hands, our feet, and our voices.

Sung: How shall we love the neigh-bor filled with greed? How best re-spond to those con-sumed by ha-tred? Look be-yond the fear that keeps them from know-ing the A-bun-dance of Love that’s al-ways with us.

I-mag-o De-i, I-mag-o De-i, born in the im-age of God are we. I-mag-o De-i, I-mag-o De-i, called to com-pass-ion; born to be free.

Precious are You, God of Incarnation. You who took shape in the womb of humanity, You who endured both cross and tomb.

Sung: Then shall we see the im-ag-es of Christ. Then shall we know that God is in our neigh-bor. Hum-bly we will walk, with mer-cy re-spond, and know the Es-sence of Love is al-ways with us.

I-mag-o De-i, I-mag-o De-i, born in the im-age of God are we. I-mag-o De-i, I-mag-o De-i, called to com-pass-ion; born to be free.

On the night you were betrayed, You, our teacher, with a towel wrapped around your waist, showed us how to serve one another, and commanded us to love one another.

You, our teacher, prepared us for the time when you would be gone. You modeled for us a love stronger than death.

And a means for us to gather throughout time, to gather in communion with people the world over, to gather around this very table, and to remember the full extent of love.

You broke bread:   (someone else lifts and breaks bread) “This is my body, broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

You poured wine:  (someone else pours juice into the cup) “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this in remembrance of me.”

By eating the bread and drinking the wine, we proclaim Christ’s death, celebrate Christ’s resurrection, and await Christ’s coming again.

RESPONSE IN MOVEMENT

PRAYER OVER THE ELEMENTS: Precious, Holy Faithful God, bless this table!

By the power of Your Spirit transform these gifts!

So that we too may be transformed, changed, and made new.

And in turn, transform, change, and make new the world!

Through Jesus the Christ we pray. Amen!

INVITATION: (different voices, different languages) All things are ready, come to the feast! Come, for the table is spread!  Come, for the door is open wide! Come, God waits to welcome us here and now! Come, let us feast upon the love of God!

THE GIFTS ARE SHARED

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING: Let us Pray: Holy, Precious, Faithful, God, we thank you that by gathering at this table we are reminded that we are all one body—Your body, mirror images of you, reflecting your nature. Equip us with the fire of Your Spirit to go from here as Jesus did, to strive for a world where love reigns, where peace abounds, and where justice prevails. We pray this through the One who shows the way, the Christ.  Amen.

FIFTH WAVE – WE GO FORWARD TO CELEBRATE AND SERVE

HYMN: “We Are Marching in the Light of God” ends with “we are mir-rors of the face of God, we are mir-rors of the face of God…”