Liturgist Guidelines First Presbyterian Church of Cleveland Thank you for volunteering your help in leading worship. Worship is the heart of our congregation and therefore should be done to the very best of our ability. We provide this guideline as a tool to help you prepare so that worship may flow smoothly. 1. The liturgist script is carefully prepared each week and will be ready for you to download from the website (fpccleveland.com) by the Friday before worship. 2. If you have difficulties with this, contact Steven Page at 918-630-0366 3. Read the script through thoroughly. Look for words that are difficult to pronounce. 4. If you re unable to pronounce any words go to this website for help: www.thebibleworkshop.com When you get to the website: 1. Click on a letter to view Bible names and words beginning with that letter. 2. Click on the Name you are looking for. 3. Click on the play button of the audio player. Now you can breeze through those difficult Bible names. 5. Practice reading the script aloud a few times. This shows respect for the congregation that you re leading. 6. Remember to remain after worship to count the cash and change in the offering plate. We suggest you and another member of the congregation count the offering in a private place. The Fellowship Hall would be a secure place to do the counting. After the counting leave the offering in the Computer Room and lock the door. The offering will be picked up by the treasurer. Thank you, again, for your leadership in worship. Page 1
(Eileen or Barbara will play the prelude, Sandy will make the announcements, you will begin with the Call to Worship after and the congregation sings the introit.) PRELUDE / ANNOUNCEMENTS / CONGREGATIONAL INTROIT CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: Happy are those who follow the ways of the Lord. People: God s ways are just and merciful. Leader: Those who follow God s ways are continually nourished in faith. People: In all that they do, they prosper. Leader: Come, let us open our hearts to God s compassionate love. People: Let us celebrate God s mercy and justice. AMEN. OPENING PRAYER Let us pray: Lord, be with us this day, helping us to put our priorities in order; so that we may faithfully serve you by serving your people. Heal our spirits. Enable us to follow your ways all the days of our lives. AMEN. PLEASE STAND AS WE SING OUR FIRST HYMN: *HYMN "Jesu, Jesu Glory to God Hymnal #203 Page 2
(You will read the first part, which is the Call to Reconciliation, the congregation will begin speaking when you say: Please, join me as we pray, to the one who never ceases to Love us saying) *CALL TO RECONCILIATION / *PRAYER OF CONFESSION (unison) While we try to live in God's way, we know how often we follow the wrong advice, or walk down sin's shadowed streets. Yet, God watches over us and calls us to confess, so we might be welcomed into the embracing arms of mercy and healing. Please, join me as we pray to the one who never ceases to Love us, saying: People: God of patience and mercy, we come to you, offering lip service to serving you, but when things get difficult; when we are called to do something which is hard for us, we shy away from the duty and the opportunity. We turn our back on service out of fear of failure. Forgive us, gracious Lord. Heal our fears and our weaknesses. Strengthen us and give us courage to truly be your disciples, not counting the rewards, but rejoicing in the work. In Jesus Name, we pray. AMEN. ASSURANCE OF PARDON: This is the good news! God plants in us the forgiveness and healing we need, so we might share the good harvest of joy and mercy with everyone we meet. May the peace of Christ be with you. Page 3
(Give the congregation time to be seated before you start reading the prayer of illumination) PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION Let us Pray: Prepare our hearts, O God, to accept you Word. Silence in us any voices but your own, so that we may hear your Word and also do it; through Christ our Lord. Amen. In Our First Scripture Lesson Is from Proverbs The book of Proverbs ends with a poem about a capable wife. Many of the qualities are those of wisdom, so this is also a summary of the book of Proverbs. Page 4
Reading from The Book of Proverbs A truly good wife is the most precious treasure a man can find! Her husband depends on her, and she never lets him down. She is good to him every day of her life, and with her own hands she gladly makes clothes. She is like a sailing ship that brings food from across the sea. She gets up before daylight to prepare food for her family and for her servants. She knows how to buy land and how to plant a vineyard, and she always works hard. She knows when to buy or sell, and she stays busy until late at night. She spins her own cloth, and she helps the poor and the needy. Her family has warm clothing, and so she doesn t worry when it snows. She does her own sewing, and everything she wears is beautiful. Her husband is a well-known and respected leader in the city. Page 5
She makes clothes to sell to the shop owners. She is strong and graceful, as well as cheerful about the future. Her words are sensible, and her advice is thoughtful. Charm can be deceiving, and beauty fades away, but a woman who honors the Lord deserves to be praised. Show her respect praise her in public for what she has done. She takes good care of her family and is never lazy. Her children praise her, and with great pride her husband says, There are many good women, but you are the best! Page 6
Our Next Scripture Lesson Is from James Reading from the Book of James According to the author, a sin commonly found in the community is unrestrained speech. Another common sin is arrogance. Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. Avoiding arrogance requires shunning earthly wisdom and praying for godly wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. Page 7
For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace. Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. Page 8
You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. This is the word of the Lord! Page 9