Monday, July 9, 2012

Divine Plans


Divine Plans is our worship theme for the seventh Sunday after Pentecost, July 15, 2012. Our focus scripture is Ephesians 1:1-14.

Ephesians opens with a salutation and then moves directly into profound theological waters. The author declares: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places…”  Then come a number of assertions that define those blessings: Before the foundation of the world God chose us in Christ to come into a holy and blameless relationship with God. God decided to adopt us as God’s children. God took great pleasure in this decision. Because of Christ’s sacrificial death, our sins have been forgiven, according to the riches of God’s grace. With all wisdom, God has revealed the mystery of God’s will: that in the fullness of time all things in heaven and all things on earth will be unified under the authority of Christ. And that in putting faith in Christ we were marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit as a sign and pledge that we will ultimately receive the full (eternal) inheritance that God has promised us.

Wow! Such a panoramic view of God’s cosmic plan in so few words! But there it is, the author’s assurance that God is working God’s purpose out and that believers in Christ come at a critical juncture. Two thousand years later, what are we to make of this? In our world so full of individual and national ambition and the violence that accompanies it, is there reason to believe that, nevertheless, God is bringing all things into unity in Christ? If so, what does that mean for our churches and for our individual sense of purpose?

Here are two calls to worship based on the lectionary Psalms for this day. As usual, please feel free to use or adapt anything that is helpful to you.


Call to Worship   “The Rightful King Appears”   (from Psalm 24)

   L: The earth is God’s creation. Everything in it belongs to God!
             P: Who, then, may climb God’s holy mountain?
Who may stand in God’s holy house?
             L: Those with pure hearts and clean hands.
                   Those who won’t worship idols, who don't lie to themselves.
             P: God will bless them. They will enter God’s presence.
             L: Open up, Ancient doors! Open up, Holy Gates!
P: Your rightful King is coming! Your Mighty God awaits!
L: Open up, Ancient doors! Open up, Holy Gates!
  P: Prepare the way for the King of Glory!
       Prepare the way for the God of all the angels!
All: God is here! Let us worship God!

First published in WorshipCalls for Palm Sunday, April 1, 2012


Call to Worship   From Psalm 85

L:  God you blessed your land and reversed Jacob’s fortunes.  
     You forgave our ancestors and pardoned their sin. 
P: You didn’t get mad. You held back your anger.
L:  Restore us again, O God of our salvation! Put away your wrath.
     Don’t hold our wrongdoings against us forever!
     Revive us again so we can rejoice in you.
P: Give us your grace, O God. Save us!
L: Let us listen for God’s answer. Surely God’s peace is ready to dawn.
P: Love and faith will hold hands.
     Justice and peace will kiss.
L: Truth will spring up from the earth and justice will rain from heaven.
     P: God’s blessing will yield a harvest of bounty.
          God’s goodness will create a path to our future.
  All: Alleluia! Let us worship God!  

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