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call to worship

CTW: early on the first day of the week

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Call to Worship     (John 20:1 and Psalm 118:19-23)
Leader One: Early on the first day of the week…
Leader Two: Open to us your gates of righteousness,
All: That we may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.
Leader One: While it was still dark…
Leader Two: This is the gate of the Lord;
All: The righteous shall enter through it.
Leader One: Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw…
Leader Two: We thank you that you have answered us;
All: We thank you that you have become our salvation.
Leader One: …that the stone had been removed from the tomb.
Leader Two: The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
All: This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes!
Submitted by Rev. Martha Spong, First Congregational Church, North Yarmouth Maine.

CTW: run the risk of being transformed

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You may not see it…but the air is full of exciting energy!
You may not notice it…but something is stirring that cannot be contained!
You may not recognize it…but nestled deep within each one of us…
and within this community…are life-changing seeds of renewal!
So let’s sing, “Hosanna!”…and run the risk of being transformed…
As we worship God, together!

submitted by Scott Cervas, pastor at Meadowthorpe Presbyterian Church (Lexington, KY)

CTW: palm sunday

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L:    We come to prepare for the holiest of weeks.
P:    We will journey through praise, with joy on our lips;
we will travel through betrayal and death,
cradling hope deep in our hearts
L:    Jesus leads us through this week, and we will follow,
for he is the life we long for,
he is the Word who sustains us.
P:    We wave palm branches in anticipation,
we lay our love before him, to cushion his walk
L:    Setting aside all power, glory, and might, he comes:
modeling humility and obedience for all of us.
P:    Hosanna!  Hosanna!
Blessed is the One who brings us
the kingdom of God.

 

Submitted by Rev. Thom Shuman, author of Lectionary Liturgies.

gathering liturgy–into the waters

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GATHERING LITURGY for two voices

ONE: In the beginning, at creation, there was water,
TWO: bringing life.
ONE: In the beginning, Spirit hovered over the water,
TWO: transforming it into many oceans.
ONE: The water flowed from the oceans and became rivers…
TWO: Humankind, fish and fowl flourished.
ONE: Communities sprang up around rivers and streams…
TWO: And God’s spirit flowed throughout the land.
ONE: Once again, God is calling us to the River…
TWO: We are naturally drawn to the River of Life.
ONE: God is calling us to enter Into the Waters
TWO: We hesitate at first, but we know the waters will bring us renewal.
ONE: Go –Into the Waters.

Submitted by Rev. Erin Thomas, Calvary Presbyterian Church, Riverside, CA.

CTW: God is so faithful

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Call to Worship  from Ezekiel 36

God will gather you from all the countries, and bring you to your own fertile land.
God is so faithful.
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be cleansed of all your pollution.
God is so forgiving.
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.
God will renew us.
I will remove your stony heart from your body and replace it with a living one.
God will transform us and call us to return.
Amen.

Submitted by Rev. Erin Thomas, Calvary Presbyterian Church, Riverside, CA.