Pastor. Author. Inspirational Speaker
Worship Series:
Hope in the Wild
We are living in wild times. Through Proclamation of Hope, Provisions of Hope, Protection and Hope, Presence and Hope, Purpose and Hope, Passion and Hope, and Praise and Hope, we can see how God leads us in those Wild places. If we are looking for it, we can see the hope right before us. Do you see it. Walk with us through this Worship series about having Hope in the Wild. All the Worship Helps and Prayers are below and will be posted for others us use with permission. Email Pastor Laura: revlaurakelsey@gmail.com
Proclaiming Hope in the Wild: Week 1
Call to Worship - from Psalm 29
Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name; worship the Lord in holy splendor.
The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
The Lord makes Lebanon skip like a calm, and Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire. The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl, and strips the forest bare; and in his temple all say, “Glory! Glory!”
The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as the king forever.
May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!
Opening Prayer
O Lord, Our God, you are the hope we have that brings us through the trials that surrounds. We are in the wild and we are looking for the hope and help that only You can bring. You give us the strength we need. You give us the message of life that we are starving to hear. You give us peace when it makes no sense to have peace. Today, in these moments we proclaim our faith in You and choose to worship the One God of all, our Triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. O powerful, magnificent, omnipresent and transcendent are you our God. Thank you for allow us to be a part of your Kingdom and seek your kind of peace as we embrace the blessings given from the Divine. Amen.
† Call to Confession
We strive for Hope, but we forgot it doesn’t just arrive in our mailbox or on our doorstep. It is not produced in a factory of desires nor on an assembly line of various hope parts. It is a decision that we make. Hope is how we choose to live and it is full of grit and passion. Hope has an urgency to move forward through trials, tragedies and disruptions. Hope in God never fails. Today we join together to worship our God who brings Hope in the Wild and who brought to us people that amplified this message of Hope in hearts, especially during times when we are full of sin, brokenness and suffering. We also have experienced these same feelings, trials and urgency. Today we confess them to the Lord.
Prayer of Confession (Unison)
O God of Hope, we praise and worship You for we are ready to receive your life-giving message for each one of us. As we begin this new year together we see the disruptions that have continued around us and of which we have participated. How long are we willing to wait to serve You? How long will we hunker down in our shelter and protective walls that we have erected for our own person safety? They are keeping us from seeing the wild wind of the Spirit that wants to blow through our lives and our world and change us all. But if we have lost our saltiness, that is— our Hope, what can we do to breathe life on this torn up people? If we have lost our will to encourage others in what God is doing, then how can we help others to become what God seeks for them? Forgive us for the times when we chose to peek out rather than live. Help us to bring you into our conversations about protection from illness as well as manifesting a wild heart of hope for You, our God. May we choose life, choose hope, choose relationship, choose You. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
† Silent Prayers
† Words of Assurance
Hear and breathe in the Good News of God: God has given you everything you need to live a full and whole life of discipleship. You have received the lessons of Jesus. These he taught the people through words, actions, and resurrection. Today we receive them too. We can’t wait any longer to grab onto the grit of the Gospel. Live. Believe. Walk. Run. Embrace what God has done to bring you that amazing Hope in the Wild. God has forgiven you and seeks in you new life, relationship and targeted God-work.. Let us begin this work as we proclaim what we believe.
This is the Good News of the Gospel:
Thanks be to God. In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
Prayer for Illumination
O Lord, who brings to life the pages of Scripture, guide and amplify the reading and proclamation of your Holy Word that it may cause life-changing clarity for our days ahead. Amen.
​
Scripture Reading: Luke 3:1-21
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 43:1-28
The Message: “John the Baptist: Proclaiming Christ’s and Our Future Hope” Rev. Laura C. Kelsey
Invitation to Give Being a prophet has never been something people sought to be without clarity from God. Likewise, having hope when all around us says to doubt comes only from the Divine. When we choose such hope in the wild areas of our lives we do so to bring water to a parched world and life to bleached bones. Today we thank God for the Hope that has been given and for the water that never runs out. We give today in joy for the work of God that has begun right here and will bless the world.
† Prayer of Thanksgiving
O Lord, bless these offerings we share today of our lives, our monies and our hearts. We have given these willingly. May you transform each gift to glorify you. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
​
Prayer After Communion (Unison)
Gracious God who continues to give abundantly to God’s people, we thank you for the gift of your Son Jesus Christ the new life given to us all. May this Sacrament of which we received today reinvigorate each of us for service, mission, and proclamation that we may follow You and Your will. Amen.
​
Hymns:
† Hymn #475 (GTG) “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” Nettleton
† Hymn #435 (GtG) “There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy” In Babilone
​
Call to Worship - from Isaiah 62
For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch.
The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give.
You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lorddelights in you, and your land shall be married.
For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your builder marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.
Opening Prayer
O Almighty and Everlasting God, we worship you with honor and glory. You come to us in the wild places and show us the path to life and the way of hope. Guide this time of holy worship that we may see the provisions you bring to our lives, our spirit and our soul. Encourage us to stretch for hope and remind us that you are the God of New Life, Compassion and Joy. When we are discouraged guide us toward You and breathe into us abiding hope and new life. This we pray in the blessed name of Jesus. Amen.
​
† Call to Confession
When we worship the Creator of the Universe, Healer of the sick and Redeemer of all, we proclaim that we will follow the God of Hope wherever our Lord leads us. Being people of Hope means that we will seek after the provisions of God and move through life with a wild abandon for the Lord. As we focus on the God of Hope and the provision God gives us all, we realize that we tend to depend on worldly provisions rather than that of God. We seek after finite things rather than infinite things and the Divine. We allow our humanness to lead us rather than the Divinity of God. Today we ask God to recalibrate our lives as we seek God’s Hope in the Wild. Let us pray:
Prayer of Confession (Unison)
O God of Hope and Transformation, we love you and turn to you in the midst of the storms that overtake us. Help us to listen for your voice and respond with hope. May we believe that you provide for all of our needs and give us what is life-giving. When we trust in the world instead of you, guide us back to your path and lead us by your voice. When we scatter into the briar patches of our own making, help us to break free of their hold and navigate us back home. Encourage us to see you more clearly and follow your way through uncertainties and trials, as we embrace your never-ending love. Heal us and forgive us. Unite us with our Great God and show us who we are called to be, through the power of Jesus Christ. Amen.
​
† Words of Assurance Hear and Believe the Good News of the Gospel. Jesus Christ came to educate, train, heal and save us. By his power at work and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit we accept and believe in the forgiving work of God. We are freed, healed and saved by God’s grace in Jesus Christ.
This is the Good News of the Gospel:
Thanks be to God. In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
​
Prayer for Illumination
O Lord, speak to our hearts. Encourage our minds. Enrich our spirits. May we receive your words of life and step out in faith, for the sake of Christ Jesus. Amen.
Scripture Reading Genesis 37:1-36, 39:1-6a, Genesis 40:1-41:45, (45:1-25)
​
The Message “Joseph: God’s Care from Pit to Leadership” Rev. Laura C. Kelsey
Invitation to Give Friends, we have what we need because of the provisions of God. We are who we are because of God’s love and faithfulness. We strive forward in faith because we have received grace upon grace. Let us now return a portion of what we have already received to our Amazing Bountiful God.
† Prayer of Thanksgiving
O Blessed God, we thank you for giving us all that we need to live productively as your children. Bless these gifts and our lives. May each be used for your glory, your mission and our own sakes. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
Hymns:
Hymn #307 GTG “God of Grace and God of Glory” CWM Rhondda
Hymn of Response #305 “Come Sing, O Church in Joy!” Darwall’s 148th
Hymn ##741 GTG “Guide My Feet” Guide My Feet
​
Provisions of Hope in the Wild - Week 2
Protection and Hope in the Wild - Week 3
Call to Worship - from Psalm 7
O Lord my God, in you I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers, and deliver me, or like a lion they will tear me apart; they will drag me away, with no one to rescue.
O Lord my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands, if I have repaid my ally with harm or plundered my foe without cause, then let the enemy pursue and overtake me, trample my life to the ground, and lay my soul in the dust.
Rise up, O Lord, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies; awake, O my God; you have appointed a judgment.
Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered around you, and over it take your seat on high.
The Lord judges the peoples; judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me.
O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous, you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God.
God is my shield, who saves the upright in heart.
​
Opening Prayer
O Transcendent God, You walk with us on our journeys. We thank you for bringing us into relationship with you and guiding us toward the hope only You can bring. Today we worship You and honor You, Our God. As we walk in the wild with our Savior, we ask you to show us those moments when your protection covers us. Encourage us today to Hope in You and follow your light. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
† Call to Confession
Leaning on God for our protection and hope in the wild is not easy. We have to trust that God is leading us to safety and bringing us healing and hope. Today we recall all the times when we did not trust the Lord nor follow after the plan of God. We seek God’s forgiveness and healing through the power of Christ Jesus. Let us pray:
Prayer of Confession (Unison)
O Holy God, Protector of your people, Healer of the sick, and Savior of the world, we call on you to bind up our broken hearts. Today we recall with David those times when people sought us for ill. Help us to see ourselves with clarity and acknowledge our part in our own brokenness and sin. Forgive us, we pray. Help us seek out your healing and follow your calling to choose life. May your protecting hand lead us to safety and guide us to places of peace. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
† Words of Assurance
Hear the Good News of the Gospel. Without God, we cannot achieve any of the goals we have set for ourselves. We will not experience fulfillment nor healing nor new life. We need the gift of God’s only Son Jesus and the sacrifice he made for us in order to achieve wholeness given by our Almighty God.. Because of Him, you are forgiven and freed. You have received life everlasting.
This is the Good News of the Gospel:
Thanks be to God. In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
​
Prayer for Illumination
O Lord our God, guide us to your living water and show us the path to life. In you is fullness of joy forevermore. May these Holy Scriptures inspire us for your glory. In Christ Jesus we pray. Amen.
Scripture Reading 1 Samuel 18:1-6, 17-30
Scripture Reading 1 Samuel 19:1-7
​
The Message “David: Protection from the King” Rev. Laura C. Kelsey
​
†Affirmation of Faith (Unison) - The Apostles’ Creed (Confessions, 2.1-2.3)
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.
​
Invitation to Give
Experiencing God’s direction and protection is one of the greatest gifts we can receive. Today we celebrate God’s care for us and we give to the Lord. We are thankful for all God has given for our sakes. We honor God today and give freely from our hearts.
​
† Prayer of Thanksgiving
Lord, we receive these gifts today with open hearts and we ask you, Lord Jesus to bless them and use them for the building up of your kingdom. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
​
Hymns from Glory to God Hymnal
† Hymn #612 “We Praise You, O God” Kremsler
† Hymn #438 “Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me” Toplady
† Hymn #697 “Take My Life” Hendon
​
Presence and Hope in the Wild - Week 4
Call to Worship - from Psalm 71
In you, O Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame.
In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me and save me.
Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me, for you are my rock and fortress.
Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel.
For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
Upon you I have leaned from my birth; it was you who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you.
Opening Prayer
O God of Creation and New Life, on this wintry day when all the earth is covered with ice and snow, we honor your as the one that created all things and has breathed into us the breath of life. We worship you, ready to receive your message of life everlasting, knowing that your living water has already quenched our parched lips and continues to reinvigorate us. Thank you, O Almighty God, for your willingness to be present with us in the times of success and celebration and in the times of trial, brokenness, and death. Help us, O Lord, to lean on you in all times and reach for our Lord’s hand to steady our steps on our walk of faith. Amen.
† Call to Confession
The presence of God in our lives is the greatest of gifts given. Having an active and present God who loves us, leads us, and liberates us is breath-taking and life-giving. Hope grows when we have the presence of God with us to grow it. Life renews when we have the author of life with us to nurture it. However, no matter how present God can be, we have the capacity to block out things we do not wish to see for the human realities that stare us down. We believe the lies told that we are alone and have no savior coming. However, when we choose relationship with God over the lies told to us, we receive new life, healing and abundant hope. Together let us choose hope, choose life, and choose love. Let us pray.
Prayer of Confession (Unison)
O God of New Life, Abundant Hope, and Divine Resiliency, today we come ready to connect with our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. We believe in the power of God at work in our lives. We believe in many ways our Almighty Everlasting God seeks us out and calls us forward in faith. Too often we choose a different way and an alternative path to that of the Lord. Whenever we do, we tend to languish, become more broken, and are filled with a sense of abandonment and hopelessness. Yet, when we follow the Lord we receive strength for our journey, confidence in the direction of God, and healing from all that life has thrown at us. Through the forgiveness and healing work of Christ Jesus, we have been forgiven, freed, and blessed beyond measure. May we receive this forgiveness given by God with open hearts and hands ready to serve. Amen.
† Words of Assurance
Friends, receive the Good News of Jesus Christ, for he came into the world not to condemn but to bring hope, healing and new life. He did not come for the I told you so’s but instead to offer hope and salvation for us all. When we believe in him and trust in God with our whole hearts, we receive the greatest gift of all: forgiveness, freedom, and salvation glory.
This is the Good News of the Gospel:
Thanks be to God. In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
​
Prayer for Illumination
Guide us, O Lord, as we read your Holy Scriptures. May they stir our hearts and help us to believe that you do indeed bring Living Water that renews, quenches and emboldens us for the journey ahead as disciples of Christ. Amen.
Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 1:4-10
Scripture Reading: John 4:1-42
The Message “Jesus at the Well: Our Living Water, Water that Never Runs Out” Rev. Laura C. Kelsey
†Affirmation of Faith (Unison) - The Nicene Creed (Confessions, 1.1)
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Invitation to Give
God has blessed us so completely on our journey of faith and shown us what life with God is truly about. The Living Water that Christ brings to our lips and to our hearts has transformed us from self-focused to God-focused. Today we give for the ministries of God with open hearts. We give not out of ambition but out of a great sense of thankfulness. We give not to be puffed up, but to raise others up for healthy living. Let us return a portion to God, thankful for all that God has done.
​
† Prayer of Thanksgiving
O Lord, receive these offerings given this day. Bless them for your purpose and encourage the givers that these gifts shall bless the people of God and bring help and healing to lives and souls. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Hymns from the Glory of God Hymnal
† Hymn #41 “O Worship the King, All Glorious Above” Lyons
† Hymn #182 “I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say” Kingsfold
† Hymn #396 “Brethren, We Have Met to Worship” Holy Manna
Purpose and Hope in the Wild - Week 5
Call to Worship - from Psalm 138
I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise;
I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness; for you have exalted your name and your word above everything.
On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul.
All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth.
They shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord.
For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly; but the haughty he perceived from far away.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies; you stretch out your hand, and your right hand delivers me.
The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord endures forever.
​
Opening Prayer
O Everlasting God of Purpose and Hope, we bless your holy name and glorify you. You have shown us true life and abundant hope. You have gifted us with purpose and vision. You enlighten our lives through call, gifting, and urgency. Today we come together in worship and praise of you, our Almighty and Omnipresent God. Center us upon you this morning and focus our spirits upon your will for us as we live in those wild places and seek hope and the purposes of God. Amen.
​
† Call to Confession
Following the direction and purposes of God is filled with uncertainty and times of unique nudgings from the Lord. We do not always understand what God is indeed doing. However, we know that when we have spent time in prayer and reflection we are most able to receive the word of God and follow with open hearts. Yet, when we have been focused on ourselves, our wants and desires, and our place in community, we can easily miss the direction God seeks for us to go. We lean into our sin rather than toward the urgings of God. We follow that ways of humanity rather than the stirrings of the Holy Spirit. Let us now refocus upon the Lord and ask the forgiveness of God. Let us pray.
Prayer of Confession (Unison)
O God of Purpose, Hope and Wild Wanderings, hear the beats of our hearts and the urgency in our spirits. We seek you and want to worship you, Our God. We want tour lives to be more than simply following a religion. We want to follow the One True God. We want to be True Disciples of Jesus the Christ. We want to seek God’s will and way over repeating the same things without truly understanding the whys. Help us, O God, to be about your purposes rather than the tasks at hand. Guide us in our worship, our service and our proclamation, that we may be servants to the Lord and worshippers of our Almighty God. Forgive us when we have not taken this as seriously as was needed. Encourage us to put you, O God, before all others and to stand strong as disciples of Jesus Christ. Amen.
† Words of Assurance
Friends, believe God’s message of Good News that has found us today: for Jesus Christ has come to focus our hearts, actions, and impulses upon our Almighty God. Through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we have found what we were made to do – worship and glorify God, serve God only and follow the call from our Lord wherever it leads. Let us all believe and claim life with Christ. You have been forgiven through the blood of the lamb. You have been save through Jesus the Christ.
This is the Good News of the Gospel:
Thanks be to God. In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
​
Prayer for Illumination
O Lord, illumine our hearts and the Word of God, that we may see with clear eyes the message of hope you have set on these pages. Show us, O Lord, that we may follow through on the message we hear this morning. May we seek to bring to life these words for the betterment of our world. Amen.
​
Scripture Reading: Esther 2:1-18, Esther 4:1-17 (8:1-17)
The Message: “Esther: For Such a Time as This: Believing in the Power Given for the Purposes of God"
​
†Affirmation of Faith (Unison) - from A Brief Statement of Faith (Confessions, 10.3)
We trust in God, whom Jesus called Abba, Father. In sovereign love God created the world good and makes everyone equally in God’s image, male and female, of every race and people, to live as one community. But we rebel against God; we hide from our Creator. Ignoring God’s commandments, we violate the image of God in others and ourselves, accept lies as truth, exploit neighbor and nature, and threaten death to the planet entrusted to our care. We deserve God’s condemnation. Yet God acts with justice and mercy to redeem creation. In everlasting love, the God of Abraham and Sarah chose a covenant people to bless all families of the earth. Hearing their cry, God delivered the children of Israel from the house of bondage. Loving us still, God makes us heirs with Christ of the covenant. Like a mother who will not forsake her nursing child, like a father who runs to welcome the prodigal home, God is faithful still.
​
Invitation to Give
Living into the purpose and hope of God brings us into places filled with opportunities for new beginnings, uncertain present moments and journeys of faith as we live life together. Today we are overwhelmingly thankful for the chance to worship together, love each other and serve God as one people. These offerings gathered today remind us of what community can look like if we choose to share with each other and look to a time where every need is met because of the goodness of God and our trust in the provisions of the Lord. We seek God’s purposes fulfilled and through these gifts, tithes and offerings we make a covenant to be part of the gift giving by God’s hand. Let us now share in the building up of the Kingdom of God.
​
† Prayer of Thanksgiving
O Lord, bless these offerings and the hands that gave them, that they may multiply for your work that is yet to be done and for our participation in its completion due to the will of God. Amen.
Hymns from Glory to God Hymnal
† Hymn #331 “God of the Ages, Whose Almighty Hand” National Hymn
† Hymn #336 “We Gather Together” Kremser
† Hymn #649 “Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound” Amazing Grace CM
​
​
Passion and Hope in the Wild - Week 6
Call to Worship -from Psalm 1
Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers;
Their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night.
They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.
The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord watches over them all.
Opening Prayer
Amazing God of Miracles, we ask you to open this time of worship and bless it, for we seek to glorify you. We lean into the passion we see in John the Baptist who spent his life preparing for the coming of our Messiah Jesus. Guide us as we worship and show us the way to the promises you provide. In Jesus’ name. Amen
​
† Call to Confession
Following the call of God comes with extra – extra vision, extra responsibility, extra risk and extra reward. We follow the God who sent Jesus to save us. We follow the God who sent John the Baptizer to prepare us. We follow the God who called Peter who denied and who became one of the greatest preachers of the Word created. We sin. We feel lost. We become broken. Yet through it all we all can experience the depth and height that God brings us through. Today as we confess our sins, may we reflect on how we have neglected the call, but also how God has forgiven us and encouraged us through our trials to bring the Good News to the world. Let us pray:
Prayer of Confession (Unison)
O Holy and Everlasting God, Creator of the world and Author of Salvation, we are in awe of all that you have done to make us whole and live with us in eternity. We acknowledge and accept that we do sin, fall short, go the wrong way, and fail to live up to your vision, will and expectations for us. We are repentant and grieve the hurt that we have caused You, ourselves and our world. Today, we also acknowledge that you are a forgiving God, and we seek to refocus our lives on your will and our faithfulness to your plan. Help us to be about kingdom building and proclaiming your life-giving Word to our generation and the generations to come. We ask this all in the name of Jesus. Amen.
† Words of Assurance
Friends, believe in the Good News of the Gospel that we hear proclaimed today. For God seeks relationship with every single one of us, and this relationship is holy, intimate, and beautiful. Through forgiveness we come back into right relationship with God. Believe today that God seeks relationship and values your part in God’s plan. Believe today that Christ died and rose for you. Believe today in the forgiveness of all of your sins because of Christ Jesus.
This is the Good News of the Gospel:
Thanks be to God. In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
Prayer for Illumination
O Lord, unify our hearts as we reflect upon your Holy Word. Show us how to respond faithful to the Word you have shown to us and the way we are called to serve you. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Scripture Reading: Luke 1:57-80
Scripture Reading: Luke 3:1-20
The Message: “Passion in the Wild: John the Baptist, The One Who is All In” Rev. Laura C. Kelsey
​
Invitation to Give
It is a great honor to serve God and be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Such dedication encourages risk taking . Through the act of serving Jesus Christ and others we have found how important is giving with an open heart. Today we seek to respond with grateful hearts, ready to fully serve God. Let us give to the Lord.
† Prayer of Thanksgiving
Lord, bless this offering gathered today, as well as all our gifts and hearts. May we be instruments of your purposes and progress the Gospel for the sake of Christ. Amen.
​
Hymns from Glory to God Hymnal
† Hymn #2 “Come, Thou Almighty King” Italian Hymn
† Hymn #418 “Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling” Softly and Tenderly
Praise and Hope in the Wild - Week 7
Call to Worship - from Psalm 47
Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with loud songs of joy.
For the Lord, the Most High, is awesome, a great king over all the earth.
God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises.
For God is the king of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm.
Opening Prayer
O God of Praise, Laughter and Joy, we come to worship you and honor you. O God of Creation, Transformation and New Life, we celebrate all that you are as we proclaim your holy name. Guide this time of worship and show us the hope we can find in the wild when we trust in you, our God. Together, show us your will as we walk alongside you on our journey together. Amen.
† Call to Confession
Praising God and embracing hope in the wild is a journey we take with God. We do not take it alone, nor without guidance on our journey. There are ups and downs and sideways shuffles on the way forward. We will make missteps and yet God shows us the joy in the journey. Taking a moment to praise God in the midst of our trials, tragedies, challenges and celebrations are just as important as prayer, reflection and discernment. We are called to praise the Lord. Let us now take these next moments in prayer to praise God and look for the hope in the wild that is waiting for us to grab hold. Let us pray:
Prayer of Confession (Unison)
O God of our past, present and future hope, we lean on you during the journey, the trial, the triumph and the celebration. We know that it is you that holds us fast, sets the course, encourages the journey, and reminds us that You are with us still. And yet we see the struggles that not only challenge but are filled with doubt, fear and lack of trust. We acknowledge all of these as we praise you, O Lord, and ask you to turn our weeping into laughter, our mourning into dancing, and our struggle into all out joyful praise. Forgive us, O Lord, for not trusting you to sort out all our heartaches. May we be people who trust, who turn toward God, and who choose to follow You in the midst of the wild places we live and even adore. Guide us forward in faith, O Lord. Amen.
† Silent Prayers
† Words of Assurance
Hear and Believe the Good News of the Gospel. God has come to bring us all that we need to live whole lives full of joy, love, and peace. We have received the forgiveness promised as believers of Christ Jesus. We are freed, renewed and healed.
This is the Good News of the Gospel:
Thanks be to God. In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
Prayer for Illumination
O Lord, enlighten these holy pages of Scripture and set us on our journey of faith as willing participants in your life-giving plan. May we take seriously your call to bring joy and praise to our worship and daily lives. Encourage us to live as children of the Lord, in faith, in hope and in love. Amen.
​
Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 31:1-14
Scripture Reading: Exodus 15:1-21
The Message: “Moses and Miriam, They Sang and Danced to the Lord Thankful for God’s Saving Grace” Rev. Laura C. Kelsey
​
Affirmation of Faith (Unison) - from The Confession of 1967 (Confessions, 9.50)
The Church responds to the message of reconciliation in praise and prayer. In that response, it commits itself afresh to its mission, experiences a deepening of faith and obedience, and bears open testimony to the Gospel. Adoration of God is acknowledgment of the Creator by the creation. Confession of sin is admission of all our guilt before God and of their need for God’s forgiveness. Thanksgiving is rejoicing in God’s goodness to all people and in giving for the needs of others. Petitions and intercessions are addressed to God for the continuation of his goodness, the healing of people’s ills, and their deliverance from every form of oppression. The arts especially music and architecture, contribute to the praise and prayer of a Christian congregation when they help others to look beyond themselves to God and to the world which is the object of God’s love.
​
Invitation to Give
What a wonderful and amazing God we worship and serve. Today as we focus on Praising God and Believing in the Hope that the Lord plants in the wild, may we use this time as an opportunity to plant hope also in our neighborhoods, our church, and our families for the goodness of God. Let these gifts, tithes and offerings gathered here today share these opportunities to grow hope in the lives of others for the sake of Christ.
† Prayer of Thanksgiving
Lord, bless these offerings given and the hands and hearts that gave them. May we live into the promises of God and may each gift be multiplied for your glory. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Hymns from Glory to God Hymnal
† Hymn #49 “The God of Abraham Praise” Leoni
† Hymn #234 “Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain” St. Kevin
† Hymn #385 “All People That on Earth Do Dwell” Old Hundredth LM
​
​
Contact
I'm always looking for new and exciting opportunities. Let's connect.
248-727-3842 cell