LAY MINISTRY IN THE 21ST CENTURY
UNDERSTANDING THE BIBLE – PART 4
April 11, 2015
OPENING DEVOTIONS
Gathering (sung)
Spirit of the living God fall afresh on me,
Spirit of the living God fall afresh on me,
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me,
Spirit of the living God fall afresh on me.
Centering
Litany
Awesome, wondrous God,
dark, deep, and holy one,
we come to feel the mystery of your name.
Green growing God,
Christ of many stories and disciples,
we come to hear the parable of your love.
Bright, flashing God,
blowing wind and Holy spirit,
we come to speak the gospel of your fire.
Distant yet intimate God,
woven, puzzled, grained by time,
we come to find the Trinity of your grace.
Scripture Reading – 1 Corinthians 1:4-9
Maren C. Tirabassi
I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ
Jesus, 5 for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind-- 6 just
as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you-- 7 so that you are not lacking in any
spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will also strengthen you to the
end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful; by him you were
called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer
Resource from Before the Amen: Creative Resources for Worship, Maren C and Maria I Tirabassi
(Cleveland: The Pilgrim Press, 2007), p.102
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COMMUNITY BUILDING
“Weaving a Tapestry”
Name one thing you hope to do this summer.
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CLOSING DEVOTIONS
Thanksgiving Prayer
Gracious God, source of all Blessings,
You have been extravagant in your Generosity.
You have planted within us the seeds of Hope.
You have nurtured within us the saplings of Faith.
You have harvested the fruits of your Creation and
spread before us the feast of all Possibility.
Words cannot express the gratitude with which we come before you.
May we embody our thanks with extravagant generosity.
May we offer our lives to you in acts of compassion for one
another.
May we walk gently upon the earth,
ever mindful of your gifts of Breath, of Love, of Life itself.
Amen.
Anne G. Cohen
Resource from Before the Amen: Creative Resources for Worship, Maren C and Maria I Tirabassi
(Cleveland: The Pilgrim Press, 2007), pp.130
Benediction