Invocation By Turner Ritchie. National Youth Sunday May 3, 2009 WORSHIP RESOURCES. One: Come take off your shoes

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1 National Youth Sunday May 3, 2009 WORSHIP RESOURCES CALL TO WORSHIP By Tricia Ziegler One: Come take off your shoes All: For where we stand is holy ground Come love your neighbor and do good to all around you For where we stand is holy ground Come and respect the planet For where we stand is holy ground Love all that God gave us for we are all standing on holy ground Invocation By Turner Ritchie Within a single grain of sand, lies the entire Universe. The light of life sprouts the seed. The delicious fruit is eaten. We die and fertilize the earth. For what is the reason? We are connected by you, God. It is indeed that you have a task for us. What it is, is for each of us to decide. Moses found you in a burning bush. There is no reason why we could not find you in a single grain of sand. Let your presence come and fill our spirit with the insight given to us this day.

2 WORSHIP RESOURCES page 2 Invocation By Joel Rhodes Heavenly Father, center us on your Holy Ground this morning. Open our minds and our hearts this morning as we worship You. Help us to clearly see Your presence in all moments today. Make us ready for the challenges that alter our way of thinking and acting. Amen. LITANY By Bekah Houff Leader 1: We are here for God has called us Leader 2: Step aside from your busy lives and look toward God. People: God has called us to this Holy Ground Leader 2: Where is Holy Ground? Just at church or in Sunday School? People: Everywhere can be Holy Ground Leader 1: Everywhere we go, everywhere we find God. Leader 2: Pay attention! People: This is Holy Ground Leader 1: Take off your shoes People: For we are standing on Holy Ground Leader 1: Moses! Moses was on Holy Ground! Leader 2: God called to Moses and asked him to take off his sandals People: For he was standing on Holy Ground Leader 1: Are you listening? Is God calling you to Holy Ground? Leader 2: Take off your shoes People: For we are standing on Holy Ground

3 WORSHIP RESOURCES page 3 LITANY By Dawn Ottoni Wilhelm We Stand on Holy Ground Our God is the creator of heaven and earth; We stand on holy ground. Through flames of fire and in God s name; We worship on holy ground. For sun and soil, the earth and its bounty; We bless this holy ground. There is reason to weep and confess our sins; We abuse this holy ground. Forests are clear-cut and icecaps are melting; We mourn for this holy ground. Neighbors are in need and our trash piles higher; We kneel on holy ground. The world is aching yet beloved of God; We will pray for this holy ground. Nature itself changes with each season; We will learn from this holy ground. Give us eyes to see and hands to help; We will care for this holy ground. As gardeners and teachers, recyclers and poets, We will sing of this holy ground. With Christ s wisdom and the Spirit s power; We will love this holy ground.

4 WORSHIP RESOURCES page 4 PRAYER By Sara Haldeman Scarr God, Today we are gathered in this place made holy by Your presence, Your life, Your love. Reach out to us as You have reached out to those who have gone before us so that we might be a part of a journey that makes a difference in the life You call us to. Call to us from burning bushes, like You did with Moses, So that we might be able to take Your message of liberation to those oppressed. Send us blinding lights, like Saul, So that we might be transformed and use our experiences to transform others. Grant us the gift of Your presence in the belly of a whale, like Jonah So that we might obey Your call and continue the journey knowing You will be just and forgiving even when we can not. Struggle with us like You did with Jacob So that we, too, might be a wounded healer. Journey with us to the mountain top to see the glory of the transfigured God So that in our returning we can remain quiet and act in faith knowing the presence of God among us. Share breakfast with us on the lakeside like You did with Peter and the disciples, So that we too can celebrate the newness of the morning, forgiveness and the excitement of the resurrection. May we be gifted with communities of believers who will gather at the table of the Lord So that we can break bread together, and drink wine together remembering Jesus until He comes again. Holy ground, Lord, Is ground made holy by Your presence and Your love, Ground made sacred by an encounter and call from You. May we recognize it when we see it, Live it when called And remember that all ground is holy, We just have to open our ears, our hearts and our spirits to Your presence. Amen.

5 WORSHIP RESOURCES page 5 Exodus 3:1-5 OFFERING PRAYER By Russell Haitch Holy God, when you call to us from a burning bush or speak to us in the stillness of this sanctuary, we want to be aware of your presence. We want to hear your voice. We want to be able to respond as did your servants Moses and Mary, Samuel and Isaiah. They all said: Here I am. Lord, here we are, on holy ground. Here are our gifts. They come originally from the earth that you created. We offer them back to you. Sanctify them, we pray, and make us holy too. May these offerings be used for works of service and acts of love. We pray in the name of your Son Jesus, whose love and care surround us always. Amen. Worship Resources for National Youth Sunday May 3, 2009