Praising God the Maker

Week 1:

In the Spotlight of God’s Love

Call to Worship

This is the day that the Lord has made.

We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Song: “I Love You, Lord” ^{LUYH, CH 78, SNC 16, WR 85}

Prayer of Adoration

Song: “Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty” ^{LUYH, CH 3, PH 138, PsH 249, SWM 28, TH 100, WR 136}

Prayer of Confession

Assurance of God’s Grace

With the whole creation, we wait with deep longing for God’s saving, redeeming presence. Our hope is in the victory of Christ Jesus over anything that hinders God’s good purposes in creation. We and our world belong to Christ, and he will not rest until he reconciles all creation to God. Be assured, then, that God’s grace sets you free to live in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Song: “To Show by Touch and Word” (Words: Fred Kaan, © 1974 Hope Publishing Company. Words available with proper license or for purchase at www.hopepublishing.com.)

Scripture: Isaiah 43:1-7

Song: “Many and Great” (st. 1) ^{LUYH, PH 271, SFL 94, SNC 83, SWM 58, WR 26}

Scripture: Psalm 8 (from The Message)

Song: “Many and Great” (st. 2)

Scripture: Matthew 10:28-31

Message: “Humans in Creation: In the Spotlight of God’s Love”

(In the sermon we heard about a rabbi who suggested each of us should carry two stones in our pockets. One stone is to remind us, “I am but dust and ashes.” We are not immortal; we are creatures and we live within limits. The other stone is to remind us, “For my sake, the whole universe was created.” The rabbi suggested that each of us should use each stone as we need it.)

Response

(The congregation was invited to come forward and take two stones each from a bowl. They could carry those stones with them into the week, one in each pocket. They could also take two extra stones to give to someone else and to share the good news of God’s wonderful love and care.)

Song: “Worship the Lord” (Words: Fred Kaan, © 1974 Hope Publishing Company. Words available with proper license or for purchase at www.hopepublishing.com.)

Offering

Doxology: “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow” ^{LUYH, CH 166/814/815, PH 591/592, PsH 638, SFL 11, TH 731/732/733, WR 34/44/147}

Prayers of the People

We live day by day wrapped in your love, sustained by your Spirit’s breath, set free through Jesus’ death and resurrection to share in your reconciling work. We praise you for such glorious gifts. Help us to enter more deeply into the truth of your creative power.

We live day by day in a world groaning from the effects of our carelessness and arrogance. We thank you for those people who work to waken us to the wonders of creation; who give voice to the suffering of this earth; who keep calling us to greater care and better stewardship of our fragile home.

We pray for children who are finishing their school year, anticipating the joys of summer. Open their eyes to your glory in the beauty of this world. Make us attentive to opportunities to journey more deeply with them into wonder and awe.

You send us out week by week to witness to your grace and love in the places where we live and play and work and serve. We open our spirits to your Spirit, that the witness we make may reflect your glory and bring you joy, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Song: “Let All Things Now Living” ^{LUYH, CH 794, PH 554, PsH 453, TH 125, WR 22}

Blessing and Commissioning

God has placed us in creation not as owners but as loving caretakers. May the grace of God sustain you, the love of Christ be your glad delight, and the Holy Spirit renew the image of God in you day by day.

Song: “You Shall Go Out with Joy” ^{PsH 197, SFL 196, WR 710}

Postlude

Week 2:

Taste and See that the Lord Is Good

Call to Worship (from Psalm 19:1-4)

Your glory is written in the sky, God;

your artistry is carved on the face of the earth.

From one day to another, the message passes on,

and each night puts the next one in the know.

Not a word is spoken,

not a sound do they make;

yet their silence reverberates around the earth

and their unspoken message echoes from pole to pole.

The stars and angels and all creation are worshipping God.

Let us join the chorus.

—© 2001 Nathan Nettleton, www.laughingbird.net.

Song: “I Love You, Lord” LUYH, CH 78, SNC 16, WR 85

Prayer of Adoration

Lord of all creation, you have given us this day of beauty, full of your handiwork. Open our eyes wide to see your Spirit’s artistry in all that happens. Open our hearts to the surprising ways of your creative goodness. Then grant us grace to reflect your glory, through the transforming power of Christ, your Word, who beckons us into life abundant. Amen.

Song: “All Creatures of Our God and King” LUYH, CH 63, PH 455, PsH 431, SFL 86, SWM 14, TH115, WR 23

Prayer of Confession (Psalm 19:11-14, The Message)

God of life, your Word warns us of danger and directs us to hidden treasure. Otherwise, how will we find our way or know when we play the fool? Who can see their own errors? Deliver me, Lord, from hidden faults! Keep me safe, also, from willful sins; don’t let them rule over me. Then I shall be blameless and free from the evil of sin.

[silent confession]

Let the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

Assurance of God’s Grace

Hear the good news: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. God’s mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Wherever this week takes you, remind yourself of this great truth and live from there.

Song: “As the Deer” LUYH, PAS 261

Scripture: Colossians 1:15-23

Song: “Thy Word” CH 184, SFL 57, SNC 86, SWM 177, TH 136, WR 664

Responsive Reading (Psalm 19:5-10, adapted from The Message)

[For this reading, divide the congregation into two groups.]

Leader: God makes a huge dome for the sun—a superdome! The morning sun’s a new husband leaping from his honeymoon bed, the daybreaking sun an athlete racing to the tape. That’s how God’s Word vaults across the skies from sunrise to sunset, melting ice, scorching deserts, warming hearts to faith.

Group 1: The revelation of God is whole.

Group 2: It pulls our lives together.

Group 1: The signposts of God are clear.

Group 2: They point out the right road.

Group 1: The life-maps of God are right,

Group 2: showing the way to joy.

Group 1: The directions of God are plain.,

Group 2: They give understanding to the mind.

Group 1: Reverence for the Lord is good; enduring forever.

Group 2: The judgments of the Lord are just; they are always fair.

Group 1: They are more desirable than gold, even much fine gold;

Group 2: Sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.

Song: “Thy Word”

Scripture: John 4:46-53

Message: “The Wondrous World of Creation: Pay Attention”

Response

(The congregation was told that rabbis would place drops of honey on a Torah scroll and invite very young children to lick the scroll. They wanted them to experience, even before they could read, that the way of life revealed in the scroll was sweet. As Psalm 19 was read again, the congregation was invited to come to the table and share pieces of seasonal fruit that were on plates on the table. As they enjoyed the sweetness, they were to “taste and see that the Lord is good” [Ps. 34]. As they did that, they were encouraged to reflect on the words of Scripture that had been precious in their own lives.)

Song: “For the Music of Creation” ^{LUYH, SNC 37, WR 641}

Offering

Doxology: “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow” ^{LUYH, CH 166/814/815, PH 591/592, PsH 638, SFL 11, TH 731/732/733, WR 34/44/147}

Prayers of the People, ending with the Lord’s Prayer

Song: “Go to the World” ^{LUYH, SNC 294, WR 553}

Blessing and Commissioning

Song: “You Shall Go Out with Joy” ^{PsH 197, SFL 196, WR 710}

Week 3:

Wondrous Time

Call to Worship: Psalm 29

Song: “I Love You, Lord” ^{LUYH, CH 78, SNC 16, WR 85}

Prayer of Adoration

Praise to you, Creating God, for you are good and your love is everlasting. Your wisdom made the heavens; you set the earth on the waters; you made the lights that make our days bright; you made our inmost selves. For all these mysteries and the wonder of your works, we praise your holy name. Amen.

Song: “Morning Has Broken” ^{PH 469, WR 35}

Prayer of Confession

Assurance of God’s Grace

The Scriptures tell us: “Those who are in Christ are a new creation.” This means that our failures and defeats and our faults no longer need to shape our lives. Christ shapes us. We belong to Christ, and he has showered us with mercy and with grace. Live this week knowing you are Christ’s reconciled and redeemed people. Live each day with grateful thanks to God who claims you as his own.

Song: “Who Made the Earth and the Heaven?” (Andrew Donaldson)

Scripture: Genesis 1

(Seven readers read verses from Genesis 1, one reader for each day of creation. Each one finished with the line “. . . and there was evening and there was morning, the [first] day.” The congregation responded with: “Let them praise the name of the Lord, who commanded and they were created.” The congregational response was printed in the bulletin.)

Scripture: John 2:1-12

Message: “The Creation of Time”

Song: “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” ^{LUYH, CH 139, PH 276, PsH 556, SWM 194, TH 32, WR 72}

Offering

Doxology: “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow” ^{LUYH, CH 166/814/815, PH 591/592, PsH 638, SFL 11, TH 731/732/733, WR 34/44/147}

Prayers of the People

Song: “One More Step Along the World I Go” (Sydney Carter)

Blessing and Commissioning

Song: “You Shall Go Out with Joy” ^{PsH 197, SFL 196, WR 710}

Week 4:

God the Gardener

Call to Worship: Psalm 68

Song: “I Love You, Lord” ^{LUYH, CH 78, SNC 16, WR 85}

Prayer of Adoration

It is good, O God, to praise you and to give you thanks in your Son, Jesus Christ. In season and out of season, in good times and in bad, the one constant is your faithfulness. You listen to our cries and reach out to save us. Your Holy Spirit permeates every troubled place, and we are not alone. You move against those who would defeat your purposes for us, and we are strengthened and renewed. We praise you, we sing your mighty power.

Song: “We Sing the Mighty Power of God” ^{LUYH, CH 128, PH 288, PsH 430}

Scripture: Genesis 2:4b-15 and John 6: 1-15

Message: “God the Gardener: The Creation of Place”

Song: “All Things Bright and Beautiful” ^{LUYH, PH 267, PsH 435, SFL 90, TH 120}

Offering

Doxology: “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow” ^{LUYH, CH 166/814/815, PH 591/592, PsH 638, SFL 11, TH 731/732/733, WR 34/44/147}

Prayers of the People

Through days of joyful celebration and days of sadness and pain, through times of struggle and times of comfort, all through our lives, your grace surrounds us, your hand guides us, your redeeming power is at work. We thank you. Open our eyes to see you, and grant us hearts that move toward joy in your presence. Open our ears to hear you, and grant us spirits that move in tune with your caring love. You know the concerns that worry our minds. You hover over your creation, weeping with those who weep. You have planted us among friends and family with concerns of their own. You promise strength for this day and hope for tomorrow. We offer you, then, our prayers for [names]. Open our hands to receive you and grant us light for the way. Let the rivers of your love flow in us and through us and around all that we do, so that we may find joy in trusting you and delight in serving Christ our Lord, in whose name we pray.

Lord’s Prayer

Song: “Through the Heart of Every City” (Sylvia Dunstan)

Blessing and Commissioning

Song: “You Shall Go Out with Joy” ^{PsH 197, SFL 196, WR 710}

Week 5:

The Gift of Community

Call to Worship: Psalm 33:1-5

Song: “I Love You, Lord” ^{LUYH, CH 78, SNC 16, WR 85}

Prayer of Adoration

Creator, creating God,

by your Word you created a creation full of wonders.

Through your Spirit you breathed into us the breath of life.

Accept creation’s hymn of praise from our lips.

May the praise that is sung in heaven

echo in the heart of every creature on earth,

to the glory of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

this day and forevermore.

—adapted from a prayer by John D. Paarlberg in Reformed Worship 35, p. 35

Song: “God, Whose Love Is Reigning O’er Us” (William Boyd Grove)

Prayer of Confession

God of all living things, you breathed into the mud and created human beings. Breathe into us, Breath of God.

You planted a garden and made all kinds of trees grow from the ground, trees beautiful to look at and good to eat; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Breathe into us, Breath of God.

You set us down in the garden, to work the ground and keep it in order. Breathe into us, Breath of God.

Out of the ground, you formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, inviting us to name them. You made us male and female, companions and partners in this place. Breathe into us, Breath of God.

Where our sense of wonder has waned, fill us with life anew. Where we have forgotten to cherish your creation, our home, fill us with life anew. Where we have failed to live in love and neglected the broken, the hungry, the poor, fill us with life anew. As the waters of our baptism washed us and welcomed us, fill us with live anew.

Song: “Breathe on Me, Breath of God” (st. 1) ^{LUYH, CH 393, PH 316, PsH 420, TH 334, WR 461}

Assurance of God’s Grace

This is God’s promise to you: If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; the old has passed away. Behold, the new has come. All this is a gift from God, who through Christ Jesus reconciled us to himself (2 Cor. 5:17-18). The breath of the Spirit moves through you, setting you free to live each day as beloved children of a holy God in God’s good creation.

Sung Response: “Behold, I Make All Things New” (John Bell)

Song: “The God Who Set the Stars in Space” (Timothy Dudley-Smith)

Scripture: Genesis 2:15-25; Psalm 92; John 5:1-18

Message: “The Creation of Community: The People of God”

Song: “This Day God Gives Me” (Words: attrib. St. Patrick, adapt. James Quinn)

Offering

Doxology: “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow” ^{CH 166/814/815, PH 591/592, PsH 638, SFL 11, TH 731/732/733, WR 34/44/147}

Prayers of the People

You have set before us the way that leads to life: a way of trusting you, caring for creation, loving neighbors, living in justice and mercy and truth. We would be signs and witnesses of your life-giving grace for all people, and so we begin with thankfulness and praise.

We thank you for life itself, for beauty that in mysterious ways restores our weary spirits; for sights and experiences that draw us out of ourselves in wonder and awe; for moments when we know ourselves deeply loved and called to love others. We find ourselves in the midst of large problems over which we have very little control, so today we pray for leaders in government, business and industry, education and agriculture. Grant them wisdom, humility, and courage to do what is right for all people.

We pray for leaders in our churches, that they may be open to the breath of your Spirit calling us into your new creation. By that same Spirit-breath, make us the kind of communities that shine the light of your truth in dark places. We pray for all who summon us to move beyond selfishness and greed and to cherish and protect and nurture the treasures we hold.

We are learning to trust you in all things, so we submit to you our concerns for those who are facing difficult challenges. We name before you [names].

In your graciousness, gather what we offer. Infuse us with your steadfast faithfulness and resurrecting, redeeming grace, through the power of your Holy Spirit and in the name of Jesus, who taught us to gather all our prayers together, saying . . . (congregation together says the Lord’s Prayer).

Song: “For Beauty of Prairies” (Walter Farquharson)

Blessing and Commissioning

Song: “You Shall Go Out with Joy” ^{PsH 197, SFL 196, WR 710}

Week 6:

Communion with God

Call to Worship

Song: “I Love You, Lord” ^{LUYH, CH 78, SNC 16, WR 85}

Prayer of Adoration

It is good, O God, to praise you and to give you thanks in your Son, Jesus Christ. In season and out of season, in good times and in bad, the one constant is your faithfulness. You listen to our cries and reach out to save us. Your Holy Spirit permeates every troubled place, and we are not alone. You move against those who would defeat your good purposes for us, and we are strengthened and renewed. We praise you; we put our lives into your hands.

Song: “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” ^{LUYH, CH 648, PH 376, PsH 568, TH 529, WR 358}

Prayer of Confession

You are the source of our life. You have given us a wonderful world and permeated it through and through with your grace and your love. You have promised that you will give us your Spirit, to be with us as we journey through this life. Yet, we confess the many times when our eyes can’t see you, can’t take you in, can’t comprehend how you can be at work in pain and disappointment and sorrow. We need your Spirit to lift our sights to your wide horizons. Teach us to pray with such openness to your Spirit that you make yourself plain to us. Bring us to that place where we are willing to place our lives in your keeping, to submit to your life-changing love, and to move with you into your large, open spaces of salvation. We ask these things in Jesus’ name, our light and our salvation, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Spirit in the bright glory of the holy Trinity, forever and ever. Amen.

Assurance of God’s Grace

We are God’s forgiven and reconciled community, called to make a holy witness of praise to him. That holy calling demands of us great trust in spite of our doubts and fears. Jesus has promised, “If you hold to my teaching, you really are my disciples. Then, you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Live into that truth and freedom, for it is God’s grace that defines who we are. Thanks be to God.

Song: “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” ^{CH 564, WR 504}

Scripture: Genesis 3:1-8; Psalm 23; John 14:15-24

Message: “God’s Great Desire: We Are Created for Communion”

Creed

Song: “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” ^{LUYH, CH 630, PH 403, PsH 579, SFL 52, SWM 172, TH 629, WR 473}

Offering

Doxology: “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow” ^{LUYH, CH 166/814/815, PH 591/592, PsH 638, SFL 11, TH 731/732/733, WR 34/44/147}

Prayers of the People

Song: “Standing in the Need of Prayer” ^{PsH 265, SFL 46}

Blessing and Commissioning

Song: “You Shall Go Out with Joy” PsH 197, SFL 196, WR 710

Week 7:

The Challenge of These Days

Call to Worship: Psalm 104:33-35

Song: “I Love You, Lord” ^{LUYH, CH 78, SNC 16, WR 85}

Prayer of Adoration

O God, you summon the day to dawn; you teach the morning to waken the earth. Great is your name. Great is your love.

For you, the valleys shall sing for joy; the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Great is your name. Great is your love.

Before you, rulers of the earth shall bow; the poor and persecuted shall shout for joy. Great is your name. Great is your love.

Your love and mercy shall last forever, fresh as the morning, sure as the sunrise. Great is your name. Great is your love.

Song: “O Worship the King” ^{LUYH, CH 104, PH 476, PsH 428, TH 2, WR 2}

Prayer of Confession

What a wildly wonderful world you have made for us, O God. In all its complexity and beauty, its chaos and order, its delight and terror, all creation sings a hymn of praise to you and we would join the chorus.

What a wildly wonderful salvation you have given us, O God. In Jesus you come among us with news of your love that welcomes us and challenges us; that comforts us and unsettles us; that pulls us beyond our own selves into the broad, open spaces of your truth. We seek the humility that is the gateway into the mystery of your gracious purposes.

What a wildly wonderful mission you have invited us to share, O God. By the breath of your Holy Spirit, you bring life where we can only see death. By your Spirit-driven winds of change, you sweep away our idols. We are awed at your relentless push toward life for all creation. You are more than our minds can comprehend. You summon us into realities beyond what we can explain.

Loosen our tight grip on that which we know. Open our hands and our hearts to your newness. Then teach us to will one thing: to follow you wherever you may lead us, through Christ our Lord and by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Song: “’Tis a Gift to Be Simple”

Assurance of God’s Grace

Song: “When in Our Music God Is Glorified” ^{PH 264, PsH 512, WR 7}

Scripture: Proverbs 30:18-19, 24-28; Psalm 104; John 3:1-8

Message: “Limits in Creation: We Don’t Know”

Song: “Teach Me, God, to Wonder” (Walter Farquharson)

Offering

Doxology: “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow” ^{LUYH, CH 166/814/815, PH 591/592, PsH 638, SFL 11, TH 731/732/733, WR 34/44/147}

Prayers of the People

What delight you take in your creation, O God. We thank you for those among us who help us hear creation’s echoing praise: for environmentalists who alert us to the ways in which our carelessness and greed are destroying that which you have given us to keep and tend; for poets and musicians who give voice to beauty and mystery; for communities of faith which, in small gestures of kindness and compassion, invite us to live more simply as well.

So often, others pay for our comfort and ease. We are conscious that much of our food is harvested by workers who live in appalling conditions; that much of our clothing is made by people who are underpaid; that our standard of living is putting this planet at risk. Yet, the problems seem larger than what we can resolve. Form us more nearly into the likeness of Christ our Lord, that his humility may move our actions, his compassion for all people may inform our decisions, his clear speaking may give us the courage we need for the challenges of these days.

We pray for those for whom we have special concern this day: [names]. Grant them the peace of your presence with them. In the midst of our need, show us the glory of your grace at work in our time and place. We ask it in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Song: “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” ^{LUYH, CH 90, PH 464, WR 59}

Blessing and Commissioning

Song: “You Shall Go Out with Joy” PsH 197, SFL 196, WR 710

Week 8:

The Wonder of the New Creation

Call to Worship

Introit: “Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty” (st. 1, 4) ^{LUYH, CH 3, PH 138, PsH 249, SWM 28, TH 100, WR 136}

Prayer of Adoration

Your praise rises from all corners of creation, and we gladly join the chorus. You call all life into being. The earth, the sea, the sky are yours. You summon all creation into your loving embrace. With grateful hearts made new by your Son, Jesus, we come.

Song: “Star and Planets Flung in Orbit” (Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr.)

Call to Confession

God meets us in the broken places of our lives and invites us into the Spirit’s healing work with this promise: “I know the plans I have for you; plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” Let us lean into this promise as we make our confession to God.

Prayer of Confession

Holy God, Mystery beyond our telling, your thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are your ways our ways. And yet, the Scriptures promise us that all your thoughts are filled with grace; all your ways lead us in paths carved by your love. From the day of our baptism, you encourage us to trust in you.

We come now in trust, but we also confess the times when we could not feel your presence and doubted your power to shape the world to your good purposes. We have lost our way and wandered far from the life you intend for us and for your beloved creation. Forgive in us what has gone wrong. Repair in us what is wasted. Reveal in us what is good and incline our hearts to do it. So may we follow wherever Christ may lead. So may we, with mind and body and soul, love you and join in the celebration you have planned for all creation.

Assurance of God’s Grace

Be assured that nothing we do or say can take us beyond the reach of God’s healing, transforming love. Christ gathers all our lives into his redeeming grace. Live each day in that truth, until it grows so deep into your spirit that you enter into freedom and joy.

Song: “In the Bulb There Is a Flower” (Natalie Sleeth)

The book of Jeremiah tells of a time of terror: when the beloved city of Jerusalem was invaded and destroyed. One of the tasks given to us in our baptism is to help give voice to the sorrow and grief that is in people’s hearts and to help them also find hope. We will read a small section of Jeremiah that expresses the sorrow. Then we will respond with a section from Lamentations.

Scripture: Jeremiah 8:18-9:1; Lamentations 3:19-26

Song: “The Steadfast Love of the Lord Never Ceases” ^{LUYH, CH 576, SNC 242}

Scripture: John 11:1-7, 17-25

Prayer for Illumination

Lord, open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit, that as the Scriptures are read and your Word is proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you say to us today. Amen.

Message: “God’s New Creation”

Offering

Doxology: “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow” ^{LUYH, CH 166/814/815, PH 591/592, PsH 638, SFL 11, TH 731/732/733, WR 34/44/147}

Prayers of the People

You are our life and our salvation. You are the destiny toward which we travel and our companion along the way. We thank you that you have called us to the adventure of following Jesus and being part of your mission of reconciling the world. We pray for those whose lives have taken them into wilderness places:

• people around the world whose homes and fields are in war zones or in the midst of famine;
• people in this community and beyond whose employment benefits have run out but who cannot find work or affordable housing;
• those who struggle with mental illness;
• those who are lonely or grieving or burdened with care.

You know those for whom we have special concern this day. We lift before you [names]. Lord Christ, as you tend your sick ones and grant rest to your weary ones and bless your dying ones, grant us the grace to reach out to one another in love.

Song: “Here I Am, Lord” ^{LUYH, CH 589, PH 525, SFL 243, SNC 268, WR 559}

Blessing and Commissioning

Song: “Praise the Lord with the Sound of Trumpet” ^{PsH 569, SFL 32}