Order of Service

Below is my order of service. I have been thinking about liturgical services for some time. This service is the latest movement from a traditional Baptist service towards a more liturgical service. If you have any comments or suggestions, ideas for doing this differently, please leave your comment. The liturgy is from several sources: The Book of Common Prayer, Liturgy Alive, and my own creative process.

The Lord is in His holy temple,
let all the earth keep silence before Him

Call to Worship

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Collect of the Day

Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Hymn No. 415 Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus

The Ten Commandments

Then God spoke all these words:
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.
You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.
Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. For six days you shall labour and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.
Honour your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.

Now is the Time of Repentance
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name.
Almighty God strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen.

First Scripture Reading 1 Kings 19:4-8
The Lord Bless the Reading and the Hearing of His Word.

Hymn No. 283 The Solid Rock

Second Reading From Scripture Psalm 34:1-8
[Read Responsively]
1 I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Silent Meditation

Pastor’s Prayer

Almighty and everliving God, who in thy holy Word hast taught us to make prayers, and supplications, and to give thanks for all men: Receive these our prayers which we offer unto thy divine Majesty, beseeching thee to inspire continually the Universal Church with the spirit of truth, unity, and concord; and grant that all those who do confess thy holy Name may agree in the truth of thy holy Word, and live in unity and godly love.
Give grace, O heavenly Father, to all thy people give thy heavenly grace, and especially to this congregation here present; that, with meek heart and due reverence, they may hear and receive thy holy Word, truly serving thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of their life.
We beseech thee also so to rule the hearts of those who bear the authority of government in this and every land, that they may be led to wise decisions and right actions for the welfare and peace of the world.
Open, O Lord, the eyes of all people to behold thy gracious hand in all thy works, that, rejoicing in thy whole creation, they may honor thee with their substance, and be faithful stewards of thy bounty.
And we most humbly beseech thee, of thy goodness, O Lord, to comfort and succor Nell Beavers, Niki Bird, Kim Bloodworth, Danny Hammett, Doris Hammett, Florence Hammett, Lorene Hammett, Louise Hammett, Tina Kelly, Rev. David Ramey, Betty Ramey, Margie West, Shurrell West, Linda Wheeler, Mary Wooten and all those who, in this transitory life, are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity.
Grant these our prayers, O Father, for Jesus Christ’s sake, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen

Third Reading From Scripture Ephesians 4:25-5:2
The Lord Bless the Reading and the Hearing of His Word.

Worship the Lord with Tithes and Offerings

Hymn No. 99 When I Sruvey the Wondrous Cross

The Lord’s Prayer

And now, let us pray
as our Savior hath taught us

Our Father...

Giving as an Act of Worship

Presenting Our Gifts to the Lord

Doxology

Anthem

Fourth Reading From Scripture John 6:35, 41-51
The Lord Bless the Reading and the Hearing of His Word.

Sermon:

Let Us Pray...

Deliver us, Lord from every evil
and keep us from discouragement.
When we run out of resources
and our strength crumbles,
help us to accept our limitations
and give us the bread of strength of your Son
to keep us going in joyful hope
until the coming in glory
of our Savior Jesus Christ.
For the Kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
both now and for evermore.
Amen.

Invitation
Hymn No. 347 Wherever He Leads I'll Go

Closing Prayer & Blessing

Numbers 6:22-26

And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,
Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying,
On this wise you shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
The LORD make his face shine upon thee,
     and be gracious unto thee:
The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee,
     and give thee peace.