CONSTRUCTING THE CENTENNIAL WORSHIP SERVICE ORDER CHOICES, CHOICES, CHOICES Every church celebrates worship each Sunday in ways that are comfortable and expected by that congregation. Although the Centennial Sunday may contain some unique additions to the worship order, October 5, 2008, in your church should be planned to fit your congregation. There is no one-size-fits-all in constructing a worship order for more than 18,000 churches of various sizes, cultures, and worship styles. Plan your service using the following suggestions. Among the options, choose those that “sound like” or “look like” your church. One sample worship order is given here. Use it, adapt it, reorganize it, or add to it to fit your needs. Specific ideas for each component of the worship service are given on pages 37-41. Musical Prelude Welcome and Introduction of Theme Scriptural Call to Worship Prayer of Invocation The invocation may be a personal prayer, a scriptural prayer, or one of the options on page 38. Choose what fits your congregational worship. 73 Congregational Music “Choices, choices, choices.” Type and style of music are individual to every church. The titles listed on pages 39-40 include hymns and choruses, traditional and contemporary, centuries old and new. Their groupings suggest where they might be used in conjunction with other elements of the worship service. Select from these for all portions of the service order, or use music you feel would best fit your church for the various segments of the worship service. Presentation of Centennial Heritage Award See page 60. Pastoral Prayer The pastoral prayer may be personal and extemporaneous for including local requests. The option given on page 40 as part of a personal pastoral prayer directs the congregation through a celebration of thanksgiving for our Wesleyan-Holiness heritage. Announcements, Tithes and Offerings Provide an offertory of your choosing followed by the Centennial music presentation “One,” or use “One” as the offertory. Centennial Music Presentation: “One” Centennial DVD Presentation: “Out of Many One, Out of One Many” If you have not yet shown any portion of the DVD, show the entire presentation now. If you have shown one segment in the chapterized version each of the three preceding Sundays (see page 52), show segment four now. In either format, the end of the DVD bridges into the sermon. Centennial Sermon: “The Church as a Chosen People,” 1 Peter 2:9-10 74 See pages 12-17. Prayer in Response to the Message The Lord’s Supper See pages 31-33. Congregational Music See music suggestions on pages 39-40. Benediction Sharing the gospel in Mayag, Car, Mountain Province, Philippines Other service elements that may be included, substituted, or planned for Sundays preceding the Centennial Celebration Sunday: “The Hallelujah March” performed by children (see pages 46-49) History of the local church by video, personal, or group presentation (see pages 63-64) Testimonies from charter members Baptism (see pages 30-31) Reception of Church Members (see pages 33-34) Church Planting Ceremony (see pages 34-35) Greetings or proclamations from civic or community leaders in person or through correspondence (see page 56) 75 OPTIONS FOR WORSHIP SERVICE COMPONENTS Options for elements of the worship order are given here. Choose the ones that fit your church, adapt these, or create your own. WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION OF THEME Option 1: Good morning! We come together in worship to praise God for the establishment of the Church by Jesus Christ, His Son. Today we have the once-in-a-lifetime privilege to join with our brothers and sisters around the world in celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Church of the Nazarene. We celebrate the past—what God has done through the people called Nazarenes. We celebrate the future—where God is taking us to fulfill His Great Commission. And now we celebrate the present moment, meeting God as we bring our worship and praise to Him. As I stand before you today, I join with more than 18,000 of my fellow Nazarene pastors, who also stand before their congregations. We are many, yet we are one. What holds us together is stronger than what distinguishes us from one another. In 151 world areas in 24 time zones today, we will worship together through the Holy Spirit transcending cultural, time, and geographical boundaries as we partake of the Lord’s Supper together, read common scriptures, and share His Word for us today. Join us now in worshipping Christ, the Head of the Church. Option 2: Greetings in the name of our wonderful and holy Savior, Jesus Christ. My name is ____________________, and I am the pastor of the _______________Church of the Nazarene. I want to welcome each one of you to this historic worship service—the Centennial of the Church of the Nazarene, celebrating 100 years of proclaiming holiness. We are a part of a global worship celebration that is taking place in 151 world areas today. We are a church of many cultures, languages, and nations. Yet we are one in Christ. This 100-year anniversary marks a significant time of prayer, reflection, and renewal. From John Wesley, holiness preacher, through Phineas Bresee, one of the principal founders of the Church of the Nazarene, to the present, Holiness people have been on a mission to make disciples of all nations and to proclaim the message of scriptural holiness . . . a message of personal and social transformation through the power of the Holy Spirit. 76 Today’s worship service is an opportunity to celebrate God’s faithfulness to the Church in the past, to ask God to grace the Church in the present, and to depend upon God for the Church in the future. Come. We invite you to celebrate 100 years of proclaiming holiness with us today. SCRIPTURAL CALL TO WORSHIP Options: Psalm 24, Psalm 95:1-7, Psalm 100, Psalm 107:1-9, Isaiah 35:1-10, Acts 2:42-47, 1 Peter 2:1-11 (today’s sermon text) PRAYER OF INVOCATION Option 1: Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whose eyes no secrets are hidden, cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit that we may perfectly love You and worthily magnify Your Holy Name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Option 2: Most gracious God, by whose knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop the rain, we give You thanks and praise for the return of seed-time and harvest, for the increase of the ground and the gathering of the fruits thereof, and for all the blessings of Your merciful providence bestowed upon the Church of the Nazarene for these 100 years. May Your grace appear in our lives by a humble, holy, and obedient walking before You all our days, through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Spirit, be all glory and honor, world without end. Amen. Adapted from The Book of Common Prayer Option 3 can be read in unison by changing singular pronouns to plural. Duplicate and distribute the words for the congregation or place them on media screens. Option 3: 77 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Psalm 51:10-12 CONGREGATIONAL MUSIC Denver, Colorado, Westminster Church of the Nazarene Worship and Praise “And Can It Be?” (Sing to the Lord, 225) “O Worship the King” (Sing to the Lord, 64) “Our Great Savior” (Sing to the Lord, 109) “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” (Sing to the Lord, 44) “Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty” (Sing to the Lord, 2) “O God, Our Help in Ages Past” (Sing to the Lord, 95) “Joyous Light” (Hymns, Ancient & Modern, Passion Worship Band) “O Come, Let Us Adore Him” (Sing to the Lord, 136) “Be the Centre” (Hungry, Vineyard) “Be Thou My Vision” (Sing to the Lord, 460) “Glory” (Casting Crowns) “Forever” (Worship, Michael W. Smith) “Here I Am to Worship” “I Worship You, Almighty God” “Lord, I Lift Your Name on High” “Blessed Be the Lord God Almighty” 78 Los Angeles Iglesia Del Nazarene Boyle Heights Holiness “Holiness unto the Lord” (Sing to the Lord, 503) “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” (Sing to the Lord, 507) “Sanctifying Power” (Sing to the Lord, 509) “Holy Spirit, Rain Down” “Come, Holy Spirit” “Create in Me a Clean Heart” “Refiner’s Fire” “The Potter’s Hand” Baptism “Baptized in Water” (Sing to the Lord, 739) “Come, Holy Spirit, Dove Divine” (Sing to the Lord, 741) “I’d Rather Have Jesus” (Sing to the Lord, 456) “There is None Like You” “Who Can Satisfy My Soul Like You” “With All My Heart” Reception of Church Members “A Glorious Church” (Sing to the Lord, 672) “Blest Be the Tie That Binds” (Sing to the Lord, 677) “In Christ There Is No East or West” (Sing to the Lord, 678) “The Family of God” (Sing to the Lord, 681) “Make Us One” Lord’s Supper “Here at Thy Table, Lord” (Sing to the Lord, 745) “Lord, Have Mercy” (Worship Again, Michael W. Smith) “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” (Sing to the Lord, 239) “Here I Am To Worship” (Matt Redman) “Have Mercy On Me” (Andy Park, Vineyard) “Hungry” (Falling On My Knees, Vineyard) “I’m Forever Grateful” “Hallelujah to the Lamb” “We Sing Worthy” 79 Prayer Chorus “Spirit of the Living God” (Sing to the Lord, 297) “Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus” (Sing to the Lord, 327) “Lord, Be Glorified” (Sing to the Lord, 457) “Open Our Eyes” (Sing to the Lord, 459) “I Will Pray” “In the Presence” “Open the Eyes of My Heart” “Change My Heart, O God” “We Fall Down” “I Will Come and Bow Down” Responses to Prayer “Glory Be to the Father” (Sing to the Lord, 9) “God Is So Good” (Sing to the Lord, 50) “I Will Never Be the Same Again” “I Give You My Heart” Benediction and Recessional “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow” (Sing to the Lord, 7) “A Charge to Keep I Have” (Sing to the Lord, 536) “That’s Why We Praise Him” “Shout to the Lord” PASTORAL PRAYER (for inclusion in a personal prayer) Our loving heavenly Father, we give You thanks for the vast and rich heritage that is ours in Jesus Christ. We especially thank You for raising up the Church of the Nazarene and for the heritage of Wesleyan-Holiness faith, which has been handed to us by Your faithful servants. We call to mind the early days of our denomination and give You praise for its vital ministry in fulfilling the Great Commission these past 100 years. Enable us in the days to come to discover anew our passion and mission to make Christlike disciples in the nations and here in our own community. PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO MESSAGE Grant, we humbly ask You, Almighty God, that the words we have heard this day with our outward ears, may through Your grace be so grafted inwardly in our hearts that they may bring forth in us the fruit of good living, to the honor and praise of Your Name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Adapted from The Book of Common Prayer BENEDICTION All of these options may be pronounced by the pastor 80 from the references given. The congregation may read Option 3 in unison in Sing to the Lord. Option 1: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you now and forevermore. Alleluia! Amen! Option 2: God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Glory to God in the church! Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus! Glory down all the generations! Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes! Ephesians 3:20-21 (The Message) Option 3: To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. Jude 24-25 Sing to the Lord, page 786 81