This blog is a record of the call to worship, Scripture readings, and prayers from our Sunday liturgies. If you are interested in writing something for the liturgy, or if you have a concern about any aspect of our liturgy, please email jamie@ubcwaco.org.
Call to Worship
we have gathered to worship the One who made all things
the One who is making all things new
to enter the story of God and the people of God
and find our own stories transformed
to learn to see our neighbors as God does
that we might learn to love as God does
Amen.
Scripture
Psalm 23
The Eternal is my shepherd, cares for me always.
The Eternal provides me rest in rich, green fields
beside streams of refreshing water,
soothes my fears;
The Eternal makes me whole again,
steering me off worn, hard paths
to roads where truth and righteousness echo the Name.
Even in the unending shadows of death’s darkness,
I am not overcome by fear.
Because You are with me in those dark moments,
near with Your protection and guidance,
I am comforted.
You spread out a table before me,
provisions in the midst of attack from my enemies;
You care for all my needs, anointing my head with soothing, fragrant oil,
filling my cup again and again with Your grace.
Certainly Your faithful protection and loving provision will pursue me
where I go, always, everywhere.
I will always be with the Eternal,
in Your house forever.
John 10:11-18
Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.
I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”
Prayer
This week's prayer was written by Maggie Griffin:
God,
We are especially grateful that you’ve given us each other.
You gift us communities and places in which we are able to be ourselves and become ourselves.
You use us to craft stories, plays, and melodies that point us to humanity’s many conditions, so we can better understand your people.
You use us to teach others about art and nature, sparking awe and wonder about Your creation.
You use us to create children’s programming to share your message of radical inclusivity, radical empathy, radical humility, and radical love.
You use us, each in our own way, with different passions, skills and talents to offer one another a better, broader, brighter picture of your character.
You use us to offer community to each other at our loneliest; to show us grace when we can’t look ourselves in the mirror; to remind us of our part in the gospel when we’ve written ourselves out; to challenge each other when we become complacent; to sit with each other in doubt and grief and to celebrate with each other in times of joy and redemption.
God, today we are particularly grateful for the gift of the individuals who are soon graduating. Thank you for the ways in which their presence, passion, and talents have formed our community.
Amen.