Beacon Worship 5/30/2021

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

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

• We are looking for folks to help water the plants in the garden. You can sign up here: https://signup.com/go/hWWYJWR

• Our next in-person, outdoor worship service will be on Sunday, June 27 at 5pm for our Pride worship gathering

Facing God: adapted from Psalm 29

(Remain muted and read liturgy aloud at home)

Leader: The voice of the LORD is over the waters;

the God of glory thunders,

All: The voice of the LORD is powerful;

the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

Leader: The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire.

All: The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;

Leader: The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;

All: May the LORD give strength to his people!

Leader: May the LORD give peace to his people! Let us worship God.

O Love That Will Not Let Me Go

O Love that will not let me go,

I rest my weary soul in thee;

I give thee back the life I owe,

That in thine ocean depths its flow

May richer, fuller be.

O light that foll’west all my way,

I yield my flick’ring torch to thee;

My heart restores its borrowed ray,

That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day

May brighter, fairer be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain,

I cannot close my heart to thee;

I trace the rainbow through the rain,

And feel the promise not in vain,

That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,

I dare not ask to fly from thee;

I lay in dust life’s glory dead,

And from the ground there blossoms red

Life that shall endless be.

Laying Down Our Burdens & Assurance

(Remain muted and read liturgy aloud at home)

All: Holy God, we confess that at times we try to hide who we truly are. But you know us better than we know ourselves. You know our thoughts, our weaknesses, our motivations, and our sins. And you love us still. Forgive us when we doubt such love is true or possible. Forgive us when we wonder how you could love us just as we are. Forgive us when we forget that we are fearfully and wonderfully made in your image. Remove from us every thought that keeps us from you. Tear down the hostile walls we build around us. Help us to trust you anew. You know our hearts, O God, and you love us still. 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: I’m Gonna Live

I’m gonna live/pray/work/sing so God can use me

Anywhere, Lord, anytime.

I’m gonna live/pray/work/sing so God can use me

Anywhere, Lord, anytime.

Children's Bible Story

Lectio Conversation (Psalm 109:1-22)

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

What stands out to you about this text?

How do you think we should respond to these kind of ‘cursing psalms’?

Do not be silent, O God of my praise.

For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me,

speaking against me with lying tongues.

They beset me with words of hate,

and attack me without cause.

In return for my love they accuse me,

even while I make prayer for them.

So they reward me evil for good,

and hatred for my love.

They say, “Appoint a wicked man against him;

let an accuser stand on his right.

When he is tried, let him be found guilty;

let his prayer be counted as sin.

May his days be few;

may another seize his position.

May his children be orphans,

and his wife a widow.

May his children wander about and beg;

may they be driven out of the ruins they inhabit.

May the creditor seize all that he has;

may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil.

May there be no one to do him a kindness,

nor anyone to pity his orphaned children.

May his posterity be cut off;

may his name be blotted out in the second generation.

May the iniquity of his father be remembered before the Lord,

and do not let the sin of his mother be blotted out.

Let them be before the Lord continually,

and may his memory be cut off from the earth.

For he did not remember to show kindness,

but pursued the poor and needy

and the brokenhearted to their death.

He loved to curse; let curses come on him.

He did not like blessing; may it be far from him.

He clothed himself with cursing as his coat,

may it soak into his body like water,

like oil into his bones.

May it be like a garment that he wraps around himself,

like a belt that he wears every day.”

May that be the reward of my accusers from the Lord,

of those who speak evil against my life.

But you, O Lord my Lord,

act on my behalf for your name’s sake;

because your steadfast love is good, deliver me.

For I am poor and needy,

and my heart is pierced within me.

The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Discussion

Homily

Create in Me A Clean Heart

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a right spirit within me.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from thy presence, O Lord,

Take not thy Holy Spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of my salvation,

And renew a right spirit within me.

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.

Offering

To give online, click here: https://www.thewordatbeacon.org/donate

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

Canticle of the Turning

My soul cries out with a joyful shout

that the God of my heart is great,

And my spirit sings of the wondrous things

that you bring to the ones who wait.

You fixed your sight on your servant's plight,

and my weakness you did not spurn,

So from east to west shall my name be blest.

Could the world be about to turn?

Chorus:

My heart shall sing of the day you bring.

Let the fires of your justice burn.

Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near,

and the world is about to turn!

Though I am small, my God, my all,

you work great things in me,

And your mercy will last from the depths of the past

to the end of the age to be.

Your very name puts the proud to shame,

and to those who would for you yearn,

You will show your might, put the strong to flight,

for the world is about to turn.

Chorus

From the halls of power to the fortress tower,

not a stone will be left on stone.

Let the king beware for your justice tears

ev'ry tyrant from his throne.

The hungry poor shall weep no more,

for the food they can never earn;

There are tables spread, ev'ry mouth be fed,

for the world is about to turn.

Chorus

Though the nations rage from age to age,

we remember who holds us fast:

God's mercy must deliver us

from the conqueror's crushing grasp.

This saving word that our forebears heard

is the promise which holds us bound,

'Til the spear and rod can be crushed by God,

who is turning the world around.

Chorus

Sending/Blessing (from 2 Corinthians 2)

(Remain muted and read liturgy aloud at home)

As we close this time together, let us read this word from second letter to the Corinthians:

All: From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

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.