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Trinity UMC
Theme: Moving out of Scare City to the Land of Enough
Date: October 11, 2015
Weekly Theme: Walking with Pharaoh
Scripture: Exodus 1: 8-14
Music: Liz
Liturgist: Fern Rundall
Preacher: Roberta
Notes: Music
Use of Refrain of Child of God for centering Time
Use of new song for song of response after prayer of confession—WS # 3120-Amazing Abundance—we will use several times throughout the series
Notes: Visual
Use of big blocks ( like children’s large building blocks) will be used as a ‘wall in
front of the altar. During the time of confession,
Worship Theme Synopsis:
The sense that there is not enough drives greed, fear and exclusionary behavior. We
begin to live in “Scare City” where it seems that death, starvation, feelings of being
overwhelmed and swallowed up can lurk around every corner.
Pharaoh lived in Scare City. The mythology of scarcity is rooted in our fear of losing
what we have…security…wealth…privilege.
What holds us captive when we dwell in Scare City?
GATHER IN LOVE
GATHERING MUSIC
Liz
WELCOME
Roberta
CENTERING1 (Two Voices)
(Words interwoven with the choir song “Child of God”)
Voice 1- Ryan
Voice 2- Member from Choir with microphone in choir
Voice 1:
Worry and stress are not hard for us, God, we do them without thinking
Voice 2:
There is always the potential of threat to our security
Our comfort,
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Based on a prayer by John van de Laar. http://sacredise.com
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Our health,
our relationships,
our lives.
Piano plays first phrase of refrain of Child of God.
Voice 1:
We begin to foolishly think that we could silence the fear if we just had more money,
More insurance,
More people in our community,
More toys to comfort us,
More stored away for a rainy day.
Voice 2:
But our constant desire for more, More, MORE, leads us to live in Scare City.
The voice of fear is not dismissed easily.
Choir Sings Refrain:
O Child of God, child of God, child of God,
Rest assured, the Lord is with you.
O God of God, child of God, child of God,
Rest assured, the Lord is with you.
Voice 1:
In the small, silent places within us is another voice;
A Holy One that beckons us to enter a space of trust,
A voice that leads to the foolishness of faith,
A voice that points our gaze to the birds and the flowers,
A voice that in guarded moments, lets our muscles relax,
And our hearts lean into loved ones;
(Moment of Silence then bell rings)
Voice 2:
In unexpected whispers we hear it,
Calling us to remember your promises
To remember your grace
To remember your faithfulness
And suddenly we discover that it is enough. (bell rings)
Pause
Both Voices:
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It is enough (bell rings)
All Choir:
It is more than enough (bell rings)
Choir Sings Refrain:
(As we continue to use this as our centering during the worship series,
the congregation will be invited to sing)
O Child of God, child of God, child of God,
Rest assured, the Lord is with you.
O God of God, child of God, child of God,
Rest assured, the Lord is with you.
*INVITATION TO WORSHIP 2
Liturgist
Let us draw near to God, who hears our complaints that we do not have enough,
Let us come together in the name of Jesus, who understands our fear.
We come to receive manna in the wilderness.
We gather to celebrate that we have been offered the bread of life.
Let us open ourselves to God’s steadfast love that is always sufficient.
Let us sense the movement of the Holy Spirit who comes to restore our joy
We come to soak in God’s abundant grace that is freely given.
We enter this time of worship with grateful hears.
*PRAYER
Liturgist
Sustaining God, we hear your voice calling us to lives based in the gift of your
abundant grace rather than the anxiety that oozes from our frantic world. Lead
us into the new depths of trust that is beyond our knowing. May the Holy Spirit
guide us to new pathways of gratitude. In the name of Jesus the Christ we pray.
AMEN.
SONGS OF PRAISE
All are invited to light a candle of prayer or praise as we sing.
How Can we Name a Love
Grace Alone
UMH 111
FWS 2162
GROW IN FAITH
SCRIPTURE
Philippians 4: 4-7 (Common English Bible)
Liturgist
Be glad in the Lord always! Again I say, be glad! 5 Let your gentleness show in
your treatment of all people. The Lord is near. 6 Don’t be anxious about anything;
rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along
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Adapted from Lavon Bayler. Led by Love. UCC 1996
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with giving thanks. 7 Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will
keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus.
TIME WITH CHILDREN
Invitation
This is Where Children Belong
FWS 2233
Story – Building blocks to cover altar??—what keeps us from God’s grace
Blocks of fear
MINISTRY OF MUSIC
Celtic Laud ~ Martin and Mcourtney
Choir
SCRIPTURE
Exodus 1: 8-14
Pastor Roberta
Now a new king came to power in Egypt who didn’t know Joseph. 9 He said to his
people, “The Israelite people are now larger in number and stronger than we
are. 10 Come on, let’s be smart and deal with them. Otherwise, they will only grow
in number. And if war breaks out, they will join our enemies, fight against us, and
then escape from the land.” 11 As a result, the Egyptians put foremen of forced
work gangs over the Israelites to harass them with hard work. They had to build
storage cities named Pithom and Rameses for Pharaoh.12 But the more they
were oppressed, the more they grew and spread, so much so that the Egyptians
started to look at the Israelites with disgust and dread. 13 So the Egyptians
enslaved the Israelites. 14 They made their lives miserable with hard labor,
making mortar and bricks, doing field work, and by forcing them to do all kinds of
other cruel work.
SERMON
Unmasking the Myth of More
Pastor Roberta
RESPONDING IN HOPE
PRAYER OF CONFESSION3
During a musical video, people will be invited to come forward to the prayer
tables and take a block. They are invited to write a phrase or a word that may be
blocking them from experiencing life abundant in Christ. Writing a word is not
necessary though. They are invited to return to their seats with their blocks.
During the prayer of confession, they will be invited to hold their block up as a
sign of giving their fear to God.
Pastor and/or Ryan
You are invited to hold up your block as we pray--One:
Our lives are cluttered, Lord Jesus, by our desire for more…
More things, more to do, more to own.
We are often driven by our need to succeed
We are often distracted by our busyness.
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Marlene Kroph. Worship and Song Worship Resources (Adapted RJE)
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We often lose our way.
Pause for silent prayer
One: Faithful God,
All: Forgive us we pray.
Move us from the wilderness of our scarcity to the assurance of your
grace.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE
People of God, hear the good news: God’s grace is enough;
All: Enough for us; enough for the whole world
We are forgiven and free to live without fear,
Assured that the abundance of God’s love is all we need.
All: Praise God for satisfying our hungry hearts with Bread of Life.
In the name of Jesus Christ, we are a forgiven people. Glory to God.
Alleluia! Amen!
RESPONDING IN SONG
Amazing Abundance
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Sharing Joys and Concerns
Pastoral Prayer
Sung Lord’s Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer
*GREET ONE ANOTHER IN PEACE & JOY
WS 3120
WS 3071
Roberta
OFFERING OUR GIFTS
Call to Stewardship
Offertory
Jim
Doxology—Tune of UMH 95 (Old Hundredth) with following words
Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise God all creatures here below,
Praise God for all that love has done,
Creator, Christ and Spirit one. AMEN.
Prayer of Dedication
SENT OUT IN HOPE TO TRANSFORM THE WORLD
SHARING IN COMMUNITY
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SENDING SONG
God will Take Care of You
UMH 130
BENEDICTION4
Ryan: For all that God can do within us. For all that God can do without us.
All: Thanks be to God!
Roberta: For all in whom Christ lived before us, for all in whom Christ lives beside
us.
All: Thanks be to God!
Ryan: For all the Spirit wants to bring us, for where the Spirit wants to send us.
All: Thanks be to God!
Roberta: Listen, Christ has promised to be with us in the world as in our worship.
In peace, may we go out in hope as we share the love of Christ.
In the name of our loving God, in the grace of Jesus and the power of the Spirit,
we go.
All: Thanks be to God! AMEN
POSTLUDE
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Jim
Wee Worship Book. Wild Goose Resources. Morning Liturgy A. Adapted
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