Opening Song—What Wondrous Love
What Wondrous Love–Youtube
Call to Worship: (Based on Psalm 121) by Emily Frazier
The call to worship is responsive reading based on Psalm 121, one of the “psalms of ascent.” It is thought the Israelites sang these Psalms while traveling together to Jerusalem to worship God at the three yearly festivals. The psalms were written long ago by people living in a time and place very different from ours, yet they express emotions we all feel, and so continue to speak to us and make them helpful for our journey through life. While we are not physically journeying somewhere together right now, we are participating in a shared experience of disruption (for better or worse), and I hope that continuing some of our worship liturgies, even apart, can unite us and help us remember we are not truly isolated.
The “leader” can read the italicized portions.
I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
Where do we look for help? Let it be first and foremost in you, Lord God. With your word you spoke all of creation into being. Help us remember you are our true hope.
He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
You keep us close with your ceaseless and steadfast love. You never stop upholding your precious ones. We can sleep, because you do not.
The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
Lord you are our protection, day and night, always. You are ever present– as close as our right hand, ready to defend and protect, comfort and encourage. You provide just what we need.
The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.
Lord you enfold us in your love and have victory over our enemy–there is nothing immune to your power. You faithfully guard every moment of our day. You not only go before us, you are presently with us, and you mind what is behind us. You are our protector, provider, refuge, strength, and safeguard. May we find our life in you alone.
Songs of Praise/Adoration/Declaration
I Lift My Eyes Up
All the Poor & Powerless
All the Poor & Powerless–Youtube
Valley Song
Valley Song—Youtube
Community Prayer
Feel free to pray as you are led in response to what is in your heart or to the songs we have been singing.
In unison, pray the pray Jesus taught his disciples:
Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be your name,
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever, Amen.
To submit prayer requests email: prayer@letteredstreetscc.com
If you would like a phone call from pastor Chris this week, email: info@letteredstreetscc.com
Offering—
This week LSCC is investing $750 in the Lighthouse Mission to help cover the increasing costs of food, staffing, and other resources as they seek to minister to some of the the most vulnerable among us.
Pray over your offering of finances and heart. May the Lord continue
his work through LSCC by multiplying these gifts and granting us wisdom to invest them well.
You may give online HERE, or by mailing to:
LSCC
P.O. Box 5645
Bellingham, WA 98227
Offertory Song: Abide with Me
Abide with Me—Youtube
Scripture Reading: Genesis 15.1-18
If there are young readers in the room, encourage children to participate in the scripture reading!
Message: (John 19.30-)—It Is Finished!
*Download Children’s Resources, HERE. (Thank you, Jen Milsten!)
Communion Song: How Deep the Father’s Love for Us
How Deep the Father’s Love for Us—Youtube
Song of Response: God With Us
God With Us—Youtube
*See the bottom of the page for more worship resources
Benediction (A Numbers 6.24-25)
Declare aloud to one another!
The LORD bless you and keep you,
the LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you,
the LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.
Announcements:
-All gatherings of any size associated with LSCC will remain cancelled in an effort to ‘flatten the curve’ of the Coronavirus. Keep checking your email for updates as this new landscape is ever changing.
-Small groups won’t be able to meet in person, but please keep checking in on each other. Keep posted for virtual group interaction via Zoom or other platforms.
-Let’s be good to each other. Let our kindness and generosity be a living witness to the love of Jesus during this season when so many are afraid.
-Feel free to contact LSCC with other creative ideas for serving, at: info@letteredstreetscc.com
-Finally, if you are sick or feeling down due to isolation Please Reach Out. Your staff and Lead Team are praying for you and are ready to serve and mobilize our amazing community that is LSCC.
God bless you and keep you!
Chris
For further listening:
Your Name is Power—Youtube
Your Name is Power—Rend Collective
This song has been speaking to me in this season of Lent, as well as well what can easily feel like the darkness and chaos of quarantine life. It’s a great reminder of true hope and freedom we can find in Jesus, despite circumstances that may lead to despair. Anxiety and fear need not have power over us. I hope the song brings encouragement to you as well. (Emily Frazier)
Want more? Try this:
Considering rewriting Psalm 121 in your own words.
Practice breath prayer using Psalm 20:7
“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God”
Have you practiced breath prayer before?
“Breath prayer has been practiced in the church for millennia. It is a form of contemplative prayer linked to the rhythms of breathing. Contemplative prayer is prayer that is focused on being with God, awakening to his presence in all things. Contemplative prayer in some forms can be prayer without words, or few words. This allows us to be released from thinking too much about praying the “right words,” being in our heads too much as we pray, and being released into praying with our hearts instead.”
“Start with practicing taking full, deep breaths (sometimes called belly breathing). Most of us only breathe with our chests, a very shallow form of breathing. Fill your chest, your ribs, and your belly with a full breath. Take 10 full breaths. What do you notice about your body? How do you feel? Maybe you notice that you carry tension in your chest and you feel anxiety. Or maybe you notice that your heart is beating strongly and you feel healthy. Pay attention to what your body is feeling.”
Breathe in slowly quoting “some trust in chariots and some in horses”….
And slowly exhale: “but we trust in the name of the Lord our God”
Do this cycle several times and then sit quietly. Listen to what the Lord may speak to you. Is there somewhere or something you have been putting your trust in lately, apart from God, or perhaps in addition to, that you want to speak out and confess? Create your own prayer.
“Some trust in ____ and some in ___”
“But I trust in the name of the Lord my God”
Continue this cycle and change your prayer as needed. Come back to this breath prayer throughout your day, when anxiety hits, when you need a reminder of God’s truth…Re-centering our minds and hearts toward God, and remembering and welcoming his presence is what I consider what Paul referred to as praying without ceasing and Brother Lawrence practicing the presence of God.
“It is also a critical reminder that just as we can’t live without breathing physically, we can’t live without breathing spiritually with God as the source of oxygen to our souls.”
References from: