Sunday, May 25, 2014

Emmaus City Liturgy | Sunday, May 25, 2014 – Devotion is Abiding: A Constant Returning and Remaining (Special)

Emmaus City Church Sunday May 25 2014 Special Sermon Acts 29 Soma Worcester Massachusetts


EMMAUS CITY LITURGY – CELEBRATING JESUS AND BEING PART OF HIS STORY

For previous special Sunday liturgies, click on the links below:


This posts will feature the themes, verses, sermon notes, and hymns and songs (audio and lyrics) we enjoyed together during this Sabbath gathering. 

Curious to know more? Want to spend some time with us? Don't hesitate. Contact us and come join us. In the meantime, enjoy the readings and listening to the songs below.

WORSHIP THROUGH THANKSGIVING, PRAYER, AND SONG

Psalm 107:1-9

Sharing Gratitude

Welcome and The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in heaven, may Your name be kept holy.
May Your Kingdom come, may Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need,
And forgive us our sins

As we have forgiven those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation,
But rescue us from evil.
(For Yours is the Kingdom,
the power and the glory forever. Amen.)

We Have Come (Bless the Lord)
By Will Reagan and the United Pursuit Band
2010 A.D.



We have come to give You glory;
We have come to give You praise.

You’re welcome in this place!
Have Your way!

Bless the Lord, oh my soul,
And let all that’s within me shout out! 

It’s only You we want!


WORSHIP THROUGH HEARING, LISTENING, AND DISCUSSING

Devotion is Abiding: A Constant Returning and Remaining (Special)
Pastor Michael Howarth


Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning.
The old commandment is the word that you have heard.
At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, 
which is true in him and in you,
because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.

Notes

Blood flows out into the body and returns. One foot goes out and returns to provide stability for the next to go out in the journey. As we move, our bodies may be ready to venture, but are our hearts ready to return?

Creation is beautiful, complex, and immense. In Romans 1:20, we see that creation tells us about our Creator's divine nature, power, and presence. In Psalm 19, we see and hear that creation has a voice that declare's the Creator's character. 

Within nature, there is powerful repetition. For example, our cells grow by moving and repeating themselves, multiplying over and over.

In looking at the repetition, cycles, and repetition, we see God is ordered in purposeful in how He shares and multiplies His goodness. He wants to be known by us and He shares His goodness with us.

The way of life and worship is faithfulness. We see this in the life of Jesus. He was constantly returning to His Father and being sent out by the Spirit. But it was not only His faithfulness alone that proved fruitful, it was who He was faithful to. The same goes for us. The "old" commandments were made visible, tangible, and relevant in Jesus. So we return to Him, abide in Him, and remain in Him to be fruitful.

As people who follow Jesus, are we attempting to teach something that is new and novel or we returning to who is faithful and needed?

We live in a culture of instant gratification. If the answer does not immediately reveal its impact, then we need to find another. This is influenced by the growing presence of technology which seems to provide fast and efficient solutions. But there is no spiritual technology to accomplish this in our wayward hearts.

Spiritually, we grow organically with the One who created all things. And many of the things we not only grow in together with Him, but with each other. The way of following Jesus is not just about learning more and more new things, but returning to the same One for deeper and deeper meanings. The seed may not look like an oak tree in its beginning, but plant it, water it, and return to it, and see how it grows.

We can ask, "How deep do His truths actually go into our hearts?" "How deep is the well that Jesus says can satisfy all our longings?" When we look to our lives, what patterns do we see? Fast trips for quick relief? Or steadfast journeys resulting in faithful abiding?

So we return to His words. God loves when we remember His words, especially when He tells us again that He loves us.


WORSHIP THROUGH CONFESSION, COMMUNION AND REJOICING
700s A.D.


Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart.
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought by day or by night.
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my wisdom, Thou my true word.
i ever with me, and Thou with me Lord.
Thou my great Father, and i Thy true son.
Thou in me dwelling, and i with Thee one.

Riches i heed not, nor man's empty praise.
Thou mine inheritance now and always.
Thou and Thou only but first in my heart;
High King of Heaven, my treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, Thy victory won!
May i reach heaven’s joys, O bright heav’n’s Son!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall;
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.




May Your voice be louder, may Your voice be clearer
Than all the others, than all the others.

May Your face be dearer, may Your words be sweeter
Than all the others, than all the others.

(Chorus)
In my life …
Please keep my eyes fixed on You!
Please root my heart so deep in You!
Keep my abiding! (3x)
That I may bear fruit.

May Your presence be truer,
May Your presence be nearer
Than all the others, than all the others.

May Your light shine brighter,
May Your love move deeper
Than all the others, than all the others.
(Chorus Repeat)


Once my heart was lost, tangled deep in sin
Wandering far from grace, and veiled in shame;
Yet with boundless love You have brought me home.
Now my greatest prize: to know Your name.

Chorus:
Knowing You, Jesus, only You
There is no greater aim.
In Your presence here my joy is found.
There is no higher gain!

Oh my soul cries out just to know You more
To be fettered by unfailing love.
Though the fires may flash, mighty thunders roar
Still my hope’s secure in Christ above.

(Chorus Repeat)

Bridge:
Your love is higher, Your glory brighter,
And my hope is set on You!
My greatest longing is found in knowing
That my hope is set on You!

May my life be steeped in unceasing praise
‘Til in death we’ll meet on heaven’s shore.
Oh that glorious day, ‘tis Your face I’ll see
And in Your arms I’ll sing forevermore.
(Chorus and Bridge Repeat)


WORSHIP THROUGH SENDING

Our World Belongs to God (39) 

2008 A.D.

The church is a gathering
 of forgiven sinners called to be holy.

Saved by the patient grace of God,
 
we deal patiently with others

and together confess our need 
for grace and forgiveness.

Restored in Christ’s presence,
shaped by His life,
 

this new community lives out
 the ongoing story of God’s reconciling love,

announces the new creation,

and works for a world of justice and peace.

Benediction

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
2 Corinthians 13:14


 Sully

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