Follow Me: What have you to do with us?

GATHERING MUSIC

GREETING and ANNOUNCEMENTS

If someone loves God, they are known by God. Love God, and trust that you are known by God.

Psalm 111:1–4 NIV

Praise the Lord. I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them. Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate.

*CALL TO WORSHIP

One: Come, let us praise the Lord!

All: We praise God with our whole heart!

One: God’s works are great!

All: Open our hearts and spirits to see your works, O Lord!

One: Come, let us worship the Lord who has saved us!

All: May our lives reflect the wondrous love of God that all may see and know of God’s greatness. Amen.

*PRAISE SONG Oceans

*OPENING PRAYER

Almighty and most merciful God, we give thanks that you know us and love us. Help us, through the power of your Holy Spirit, grow deeper, wider, and fuller in our knowledge and understanding of your ways. Help us, through the bestowal of your divine Wisdom, bring others closer to you and to your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Loving God, love through us, as we worship your holy name. Love through us, as we listen for your holy word.

Love through us, as we live your teachings and offer your love to our world.

In your majestic name, we pray. Amen.

PASTORAL PRAYER

What have we done, Lord? We want to praise you, so we splash your words on screens on a wall, with brightly colored and powerful images. We shout your praises, with hands held on high. We teach and preach your word. But we don’t listen carefully for you. We are so busy trying to shout above the noise of the day, that we don’t take time to really listen and know you. The voices of the prophets spoke to people long ago who were too busy and anxious to hear. Their words streamed in the winds of time and have come to us. We need to pay attention to your message offered through them. You are our God, the God of all creation, the God of power and love, whose mercy is offered to us. In Jesus’ time, he proclaimed the good news through words and actions, reaching out to those who were troubled, alienated, cast aside. He offered healing and hope to those others turned away. Help us to learn that you alone can heal us and fix those areas in our lives that are wounded and twisted. Help us to understand that you alone can offer to us a new way of life through Jesus Christ. Remind us again that as we have spoken the names of people and situations that concern us, praying for your healing touch, that the same touch is offered to us in Jesus’ name. Lord, we need to let go of our control issues and place our trust wholly in you. Now and forever. AMEN.

THE LORD’S PRAYER Our Father, who art in heaven; hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.

OUR TITHES AND OFFERINGS

As actions of love and grace, let us offer our gifts and lives to God.

OFFERTORY PRAYER

Holy, awesome God, we bring gifts of paper and coin, symbols of our gratitude and our love.

Bless these symbols, that they may become acts of love and grace. Bless us and our gifts, that we may transform the world with love and grace.

In gratitude and hope, we pray. Amen.

HYMN El Shaddai

SCRIPTURE LESSON Mark 1:21-28

They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26 The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” 28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

MESSAGE Follow Me: What have you to do with us?

*CLOSING HYMN He Touched Me

*DISMISSAL WITH BLESSING

Jesus comes to us, offering healing and hope, speaking and acting with authority. Listen to him. Go into this world, confident in God’s love and healing power. Go in peace and may God’s love and peace always be with you. AMEN.

Go our from this place to a world fully known by God. Where there is fear, remember the authority of Christ Jesus.

Where there is need of love, give it.

Where there is pain, bring peace.

For you are loved by the One who redeems, and freed to live by the Word of life.

Go in peace with the knowledge that God’s power is given to the church, the body of Christ, for the sake of the life of the world.

Go now to love as beloved children of God.

Go now to live as living signs of Christ’s presence.

Go now to transform the world with the power of the Holy Spirit.

*RESPONSE Alleluia!