Older Adult Month Worship Service ~ May 2014 By rank Ramirez all To Worship (based on Eccl 3:1, Mark 1:15, and al 6:9) One: The Teacher said: To erythg re a season, and a time for ery purpose under heaven. All: Th a time for worship th a season to consider s blessgs. One: Jes said: The time up! The Kgdom right next to! All: Th time for s realm to be made vible, with, through, around! One: The Apostle said: Let not grow weary dog right, for when season ripe we will reap bountifully if we don t give up. All: Workg toger s service we can shoulder load, gar harvest, all due season, all s time. One: ome, let gar toger name One beyond time, present all seasons, vible all hearts. Unon Invocation All: We come toger to worship, travellg as many paths as re are faces present here today! or some it has been a hectic time. Ors among have experienced peace. Some have groaned a good deal gettg ready. Ors among move easily. Some bear emotional, physical, or spiritual burdens. or still ors jney has meant light burdens and a light heart. In each rhythms life have made mselves felt jney faith and dcipleship. Toger, faithful worship, rhythms undergird one great mic faithfulness and love., great composer rhythms lives, author song we are livg, write a new stanza lyric lives toger, as we celebrate passage seasons life. Amen. Hymn prae: life Hymnal: A Worship Book #486 Page 1 4
Prayer onfession (lten) all seasons, and beyond time, present Word made lesh, we come before you as a people share a multitude experiences, arrivg from a variety backgrounds, fully aware truth y scripture, that to erythg re a season and a time to ery purpose under heaven. Yet despite th truth we compla becae we dwell one season life and not anor. When we are young we strive to look and act older. When we are older we pretend it possible for to look and act younger. When we ought to be silent we speak. When we are led by y Spirit to speak we are silent. When sorrows th world beg for to weep with y sufferg people we laugh it f, and when y joy lifts up y people en midst hardship we frown and demand that all should look solemn. We compla about those wail. We compla about those dance. Lord life and death, sovereign seedtime and harvest, grant wdom that all seasons we might be y people, witnessg to y love, sharg y work, bearg each or s weakness. So that war and peace, where re love and where re hate, we might always strengn weak good time and serve you by servg hungry, thirsty, n naked, improned, and sick all seasons. These thgs we pray name Jes hrt, Amen. Prayer Thanksgivg One: In birth and death we prae you, becae you are present all rhythms life. All: While seed sleeps earth, when tomato ve bent from weight bright fruit, we thank you with grateful prae. One: Where re harm, call to be present, that healg its time may return, and all may rae ir hands and hearts thanksgivg. All: When it time for tearg down may hands stack bricks, that we may also be by buildg new mtries. One: May we cry with those weep, rejoice with those laugh, All: Throwg and garg stones One: Recognizg boundaries, embracg due season, All: Seekg, losg, keepg, and dcardg, and all thgs thankg you, seeg you ery good purpose, seekg you and aidg you when it y will to restore and renew. One: When hearts are torn grief, when lives are reassembled after dark night past and joy renewed with morng, All: When it y will we are silent, when it y will we speak out, One: When we love, when we hate il that destroys life and seek to conquer it love, All: In war, peace, One: In war, brgg peace All: thankg you time and season for y presence, hear, receive heartfelt thanksgivg, bless with perspective, love, and hope. Amen. Page 2 4
Hymn Peace: We are people 's peace Hymnal: A Worship Book #407 Offerg Meditation (lten) The teacher tells re a time to be born and a time to die. We don t have to be morbid or gloomy to know that we all have a limited time, and re s no tellg how much time we have. Like poet Andrew Marvell said, But at my back I always hear, Time s wged chariot drawg near. But what if we didn t have to thk about dyg? In a short story titled The Martyr by Alan E. Nse, a few especially talented or gifted dividuals are given expensive medications to lengn ir lives. A senator begs an vestigation to fd out why th serum n t given to all, but what he dcovers that composer a search for perfection ner quite completes h composition. The ventor ner fhes an vention. The immortals are accomplhg little or nothg. Without death re seems to be no centive to get most out life. In time ferg we need to remember that only time we can count on now! Th opportunity to make a difference congregation, community, world, through fergs wealth, effort, and will to be good dciples name Jes. Offerg Sentence (lten) To erythg re a season. Th time for purpose changg world s name. Offerg Prayer (lten) Receive, racio, givg all good thgs, what we have given y name, for y work, with y heart. In each proper time and season lead those receive se gifts to e m for y glory. Amen. Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 Message: Rhythms Life: for erythg re a season. Hymn Service: Will you let me be y servant? Hymnal: A Worship Book #307 ommsion Statement (lten) In season, time, all life s twts and turns, be present, and share s presence love. Page 3 4
Unon Benediction All: o forward s time, So that ery season We might ery begng and endg Prae reator, uided by s Spirit, In pattern Redeemer. Amen. rank Ramirez pastor Union enter hurch Brethren, Nappanee, Indiana, and a well-known and prolific writer. He and h wife Jennie serve as volunteer staff for denomation s National Older Adult onference (NOA). Encagg dividuals, families, and congregations to celebrate s gift agg through observation Older Adult Month a mtry hurch Brethren s Older Adult Mtry. or more formation about agg: www.brethren.org/oam kebersole@brethren.org (847) 429-4305 Page 4 4
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