The Architecture of Faith

Good Morning and Welcome to Worship! Worship is often the first place that new people come into contact with this growing community of faith. And so, if you are joining us for the first time, I say to you what is said every Sunday: You are welcome here. Here is a place where all are welcome. For such is the love of God for God’s Very Good Creation.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise God, all creatures here below; praise God above, ye Heav'nly host: praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Almighty God, in Christ you have shown us the way, revealed us your truth, and offered to us a new way of life. Help us tune ourselves to the leading of your Spirit that we may see your path more clearly, know your love more fully, and share your life more abundantly; In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Let us unite our hearts in prayer, saying,

God of new life, we turn to you to cast us into living stones.

For the church throughout the world, that all who profess to follow the way of Jesusmay be faithful in their witness and courageous in their testimony.

God of new life, we turn to you to cast us into living stones.

For the governments of the world and its leaders. That the nations may dwell in peace, that good will prevail over strife, and people of faith may see your way forward.

God of new life, we turn to you to cast us into living stones.

For rain and sun that are both a blessing and a balance, and for abundant food and clean water for all of creation;

God of new life, we turn to you to cast us into living stones.

For the sick and those in need, and for any who are oppressed by wounds of the soul;

God of new life, we turn to you to cast us into living stones.

For our neighbors that we may live together in amity, and that strangers among us may find us to be hospitable friends;

God of new life, we turn to you to cast us into living stones.

Ever-present God, by your Holy Spirit, empower us to be built into the resurrected body of Christ and to minister to the world in love. May our work testify what we pray and show forth your eternal love, through Jesus who revealed the way. Amen.

Loving God, as we receive your Holy Word, open our hearts to the presence and power of your Holy Spirit, call us out of darkness, and lead us into your marvelous light. Amen.

² Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— ³ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. ⁴ Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and ⁵ like living stones let yourselves be builtinto a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.⁶ For it stands in scripture: “See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” ⁷ This honor, then, is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner,” ⁸ and “A stone that makes them stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. ⁹ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Jesus the Way to the Father ¹ “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believein God; believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴ And you know the way to the place where I am going.” ⁵ Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” ⁸ Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” ⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. ¹¹ Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, but if you do not, then believebecause of the works themselves. ¹² Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

Is the “dwelling place” that Jesus mentions in John’s Gospel a place in this life or in the life to come? What does Jesus mean when he says that his disciples will do greater works?” What does it mean to pray “in Jesus” name?

We offer both white and red grape juice. If you are afraid of spilling red grape juice, a limited number of cups with white grape juice are provided.

Here at Community Church, we celebrate “Open Communion.” Anyone who wishes to commune may come to God’s Table. You do not have to be sinless; God forgives you. You do not have to be perfect; God encourages you to grow. You need not belong to any church; God invites all people to this meal. It is enough to love and follow God with all your heart. This is what God asks us to do. Come to God’s Table in faith this day. Go from this place to live, and never be the same again. Let us commune as siblings in Christ.

God be with you. And also with you.

Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to our God.

Let us give thanks to the It is right to give our thanks and praise. Source of Love.

It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, O God, creator of all things. You formed us in your image and breathed into us the breath of life. When we turned away, and our love failed, your love remained steadfast. You delivered us from captivity, made covenant to be our sovereign God, brought us to a land flowing with milk and honey, and set before us the way of life. And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

Holy are you, and blessed is your Son, Jesus Christ. By his life and teachings, you have revealed your love for us, your co-creative ask upon us, and the gift of the Holy Spirit to empower us. By your great love for us we are born anew to a living hope and to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. Once we were no people, but now we are your children, declaring your wonderful deeds in Jesus, who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. When Jesus ascended, he promised to be with us always, in the power of your Word and Holy Spirit.

On the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said: “Take, eat; we are one body as we share in the bread together. Do this in remembrance of me.”

When the supper was over, he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said: “Drink from this, all of you; this is the cup of the new covenant, an ongoing sign of God’s love for you and all of God’s very good creation. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

On the day you raised him from the dead he was recognized by his disciples in the breaking of the bread, and in the power of your Holy Spirit your Church has continued in the breaking of the bread and sharing of the cup. And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith.

Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and fruit of the vine. Make them be for us the symbols of your love and desire for us to be your body knit together to build the new creation, your preferred future for us.

By your Spirit help the body of Christ be one. Help the left hand and the right hand work as one in ministry to all the world. Help the eyes and the ears sense your present and coming kindom. Bring the blessing of the diversity of the body to bear fruit until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at his heavenly banquet.

Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty God, now and forever. Amen.

Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.

The bread which we have eaten is a sharing in the bread of Christ. The cup over which we give thanks is the sharing in the cup of Christ.

Eternal God, we give you thanks for this holy mystery in which you have given yourself to us. Grant that we may go into the world in the strength of your Spirit, to give ourselves for others, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

As the body of Christ, let us offer ourselves and the fruit of our mutual labor for God’s continuing work in the world.

Ever-Loving God, receive these gifts we bring in gratitude for your enduring presence with us. Guide our lives to be the living foundation of your new creation that is ever unfolding in new and creative ways. Amen.

Go forth to be the living Body of Christ, and may the Spirit empower you to serve as a part of the living Body of Christ. Amen.