Beacon Worship 5/2/2021

We hope you join us for worship, either live-streaming on our Youtube Channel or via Zoom. Email info@thewordatbeacon.org for zoom info.

Gathering Time (unmuted)

Feel free to say hi and check in with others before the service begins!

Welcome/Announcements

• We will be celebrating communion today, so you are invited to join us in this sacred practice

• Our next work day Saturday, May 22, starting at 10am

• Our virtual midweek prayer gathering will be this Wednesday at 6pm on Zoom

Facing God (from Psalm 13)

(Remain muted and read liturgy aloud at home)

Leader: How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?

All: How long must I bear pain in my soul,

and have sorrow in my heart all day long?

Leader: Consider and answer me, O Lord my God!

All: But because I trust in your steadfast love;

my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

Leader: I will sing to the Lord. Let us worship God.

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;

Streams of mercy, never ceasing,

Call for songs of loudest praise.

Teach me some melodious sonnet,

Sung by flaming tongues above.

Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,

Mount of Thy redeeming love.

Here I raise my Ebenezer

Hither by Thine help I've come

And I hope, by Thy good pleasure

Safely to arrive at home

Jesus sought me when a stranger

Wandering from the fold of God

He, to rescue me from danger

Interposed His precious blood

O to grace how great a debtor

Daily I'm constrained to be

Let that grace now, like a fetter

Bind my wandering heart to Thee

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it

Prone to leave the God I love

Here's my heart, O take and seal it

Seal it for Thy courts above

Here's my heart, O take and seal it

Seal it for Thy courts above

Laying Down Our Burdens & Assurance

(Remain muted and read liturgy aloud at home)

All: God, we know weariness and we know grief. Loss, anxiety, and heartbreak overwhelm us. Our hearts ache from the emptiness and uncertainty of this season. And yet, we rarely make time or space for our pain and the pain of others. We try to fix rather than feel. We set aside our emotions and plow forward with our work instead of acknowledging the suffering in this world. Steady us God. Forgive us for forgetting your presence in every part of life, even the painful parts. Give us permission to grieve and grieve deeply, remembering that Jesus also wept. And may our tears make a path for transformation. Amen.

Leader: The Good News is that Christ has come and Christ will come again.

All: In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. Thanks be to God.

Refrain: Beautiful Things

You make me new,

You are making me new

You make me new,

You are making me new

Children's Bible Story

Lectio Conversation (Psalm 6)

(Hold onto these questions while we read our scripture.)

What stands out to you about this text?

What do your lament prayers look like?

Why do you think these lament psalms so regularly take a turn toward praise at the end?

O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger,

or discipline me in your wrath.

Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;

O Lord, heal me, for my bones are shaking with terror.

My soul also is struck with terror,

while you, O Lord—how long?

Turn, O Lord, save my life;

deliver me for the sake of your steadfast love.

For in death there is no remembrance of you;

in Sheol who can give you praise?

I am weary with my moaning;

every night I flood my bed with tears;

I drench my couch with my weeping.

My eyes waste away because of grief;

they grow weak because of all my foes.

Depart from me, all you workers of evil,

for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.

The Lord has heard my supplication;

the Lord accepts my prayer.

All my enemies shall be ashamed and struck with terror;

they shall turn back, and in a moment be put to shame.

The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Discussion

Lament Reading: Lamentations 3:17-18, 21-24

My soul is deprived of peace,

I have forgotten what happiness is;

I tell myself my future is lost,

all that i hoped for from the Lord.

But I will call this to mind,

as my reason to have hope:

The favors of the Lord are not exhausted,

The mercies of the Lord are not spent;

They are renewed each morning,

so great is God’s faithfulness.

My portion is the Lord, says my soul;

Therefore I will hope in God.

Lament Reading: Lament Psalm Four by Ann Weems

O Holy One, I can no longer see.

Blinded by tears

that will not cease,

I can only cry out to you

and listen

for your footsteps.

Are you, too, O God

blinded by tears?

Have you watched this world

pile its hate

onto the faces

of your little ones

until your eyes are so filled with tears

that you cannot see me

waiting for you?

Are you, O God,

deafened by the expletives

of destruction and death?

Have you heard

so many obscenities

that you cannot hear my moaning?

O God, if you are blind,

can't you hold out

your hand to me?

If you're deaf,

can't you call my name?

How long, O God,

am I to sit

on the plain of blindness?

How long am I to listen

to the profanity

of my enemies

who mock:

"Where is your God now?"

Show them, O my God,

that you remember.

Reach out your hand

and dry my eyes

that I might see

a new beginning.

Open your mouth

and call me by name

that I might know

you remember me.

Claim me that I might

announce in the marketplace

that my God is here.

O my heart,

give thanks!

My God is here

even in the midst of destruction.

Homily

By Way Of Sorrow

You've been taken by the wind

You have known the kiss of sorrow

Doors that would not take you in

Outcast and a stranger

Chorus:

You have come by way of sorrow

You have come by way of tears

But you'll reach your destiny

Meant to find you all these years

Meant to find you all these years

You have drunk a bitter wine

With none to be your comfort

You who once were left behind

Will be welcome at love's table

Chorus

All the nights that joy has slept

Will awake to days of laughter

Gone the tears that you have wept

You'll dance in freedom ever after

Chorus

Prayers of the People

Now is the time when we share the prayers on our hearts and minds. If you have a private prayer, you can email them to us throughout the week and the pastoral team will pray over them.

If you have a prayer, please unmute your mic to share.

After each prayer, I will lead our response on mute:

Lord in your mercy // hear our prayers

***

Now I will offer a prayer for the greater community and world. We will end by saying the Lord’s Prayer together in whatever language you prefer. Let us pray.

(muted)

Leader: Just as God/Christ taught us to pray...

All: Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever, Amen.

Communion

Invitation

Leader: The Lord be with you.

All: And also with you.

Leader: Lift up your hearts.

All: We lift them up to the Lord.

Leader: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

All: It is right to give God thanks and praise.

Prayer

Institution

Offering

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To give your prayers, email us at info@thewordatbeacon.org

How Can I Keep from Singing

My life goes on in endless song

Above Earth's lamentations

I hear the real, though far-off hymn

That hails a new creation

Through all the tumult and the strife

I hear its music ringing

It sounds an echo in my soul

How can I keep from singing?

While through the tempest loudly roars

I hear the truth, it liveth

And though the darkness round me close

Songs in the night he giveth

No storm can shake my inmost calm

While to that rock I'm clinging

Since love is lord of heaven and earth

How can I keep from singing?

When tyrants tremble in their fear

And hear their death knell ringing

When friends rejoice both far and near

How can I keep from singing?

In prison cell and dungeon vile

Our thoughts to them are winging

When friends by shame are undefiled

How can I keep from singing?

Sending/Blessing (from 1 John 1)

(Remain muted and read liturgy aloud at home)

As we close this time together, let us read this word from first letter of John:

All: We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life — this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it— we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

Leader: The steadfast love of God goes with you, the deep and abiding peace of Christ goes with you, and the comfort and guidance of the Holy Spirit goes with you, now and always. Amen.

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Feel free to hang out a little longer and catch up with others! Please also leave us feedback in the chat so we know what's working well and what to tweak for the future.