 |
| The Calling of St. Matthew + Caravaggio, 1600 A.D. |
The Bible offers a radical narrative of power inversion in which the Creator God in Jesus Christ lays down His life, the poor outclass the rich, and outcasts become family. The Gospel is a consuming fire of love across differences to burn up racial injustice and socioeconomic exploitation. + Rebecca McLaughlin, Confronting Christianity
El Paso + Dayton Lament | CRC Weekend of Justice
We can depend on Jesus, even when He helps us face the very pain we've worked hard to avoid. Let's allow His Spirit to consume the barriers and give us the opportunity for healing for ourselves and for our community. Let's never despise the margins, for Jesus encountered and honored many living and leading there. Let's engage the margins with Him, not just interacting horizontally with the pain and injustices, but being those who can focus vertically, set our face to Jesus, and be servants who step into the pain to receive heavenly wisdom, insight, and revelation. … Lord, help us to come to You first as the One who brings us true justice and healing. Help us to learn how to keep pressing in to You for more and how to keep going low; trusting You will lead us into greater revelation and the tremendous healing and breakthrough You have for us and anyone who is marginalized. Amen. + Natalia Kohn Rivera, Hermanas
Call to Worship | Psalm 147:1-3, 6-7
1 Hallelujah! How good it is to sing to our God, for praise is pleasant and lovely.
2 The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem; He gathers Israel’s exiled people.
3 He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. ...
6 The Lord helps the oppressed but brings the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving ...
Heal Us + William Cowper, 1779 A.D.
Heal us, Emmanuel, here we are.
We long to feel Thy touch.
Deep wounded souls to Thee we fly.
O Savior hear our cry!
Our faith is feeble, we confess.
We faintly trust Thy word.
But will You pity us the less?
Be that far from You, LORD! (Chorus)
She who touched You in the press
And healing virtue stole
Was answered, “Daughter, go in peace
Thy faith has made thee whole.” (Chorus)
Like her, with hopes and fears we come
To touch You if we may.
O send us not despairing home,
Send none unhealed away. (Chorus)
Satisfied + Clara T. Williams, 1875 A.D.
All my life long I had panted
For a drink from some cool spring
That I hoped would quench the burning
Of the thirst I felt within.
Hallelujah! He has found me,
The One my soul so long has craved!
Jesus satisfies all my longings,
Through His blood I now am saved!
Feeding on the filth around me,
‘Til my strength was almost gone
Longed my soul for something better,
Only still to hunger on ... (Chorus)
Well of water ever springing,
Bread of Life so rich and free!
Untold wealth that never faileth,
My Redeemer is to me! (Chorus)
Just a Closer Walk with Thee + African American Spiritual, 1800s A.D.
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
I am weak, but Thou art strong,
Jesus, keep me from all wrong,
I’ll be satisfied as long as I walk,
Let me walk close to Thee. (Chorus)
Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
(Chorus)
Jesus I Come + William Sleeper, 1887 A.D.
Written in Worcester, Massachusetts
Out of my bondage, sorrow and night,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into Thy freedom, gladness, and light,
Jesus, I come to Thee;
Out of my sickness, into Thy health,
Out of my wanting and into Thy wealth,
Out of my sin and into Thyself,
Jesus, I come to Thee.
Out of my shameful failure and loss,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into the glorious gain of Thy cross,
Jesus, I come to Thee;
Out of earth’s sorrows into Thy balm,
Out of life’s storms and into Thy calm,
Out of distress into jubilant psalm,
Jesus, I come to Thee.
Out of the fear and dread of the tomb,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into the joy and light of Thy home,
Jesus, I come to Thee;
Out of the depths of ruin untold,
Into the peace of Thy sheltering fold,
Ever Thy glorious face to behold,
Jesus, I come to Thee.
Thy Mercy My God + John Stocker, 1776 A.D.
Thy mercy, my God, is the theme of my song,
The joy of my heart. and the boast of my tongue;
Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last,
Hath won my affections, and bound my soul fast.
Without Thy sweet mercy I could not live here;
Sin would reduce me to utter despair;
But, through Thy free goodness, my spirit's revived,
And He that first made me still keeps me alive.
Great Father of mercies, Thy goodness I own,
And the covenant love of Thy crucified Son;
All praise to the Spirit Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy, and pardon, and righteousness mine!
All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy, and pardon, and righteousness mine!
Before the Throne of God Above + Charitie Lees Bancroft, 1860 A.D.
Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea,
A great high Priest whose name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands!
My name is written on His heart!
I know that while in heaven He stands,
No tongue can bid me thence depart,
No tongue can bid me thence depart.
When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end to all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free!
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me,
To look on Him and pardon me.
Behold Him there the risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace.
One with Himself I cannot die,
My soul is purchased by His blood!
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God!
With Christ my Savior and my God!
Be Thou My Vision + St. Dallán Forgaill, 6th Century
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.
1 Hallelujah! How good it is to sing to our God, for praise is pleasant and lovely.
2 The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem; He gathers Israel’s exiled people.
3 He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. ...
6 The Lord helps the oppressed but brings the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving ...
Heal Us + William Cowper, 1779 A.D.
Heal us, Emmanuel, here we are.
We long to feel Thy touch.
Deep wounded souls to Thee we fly.
O Savior hear our cry!
Our faith is feeble, we confess.
We faintly trust Thy word.
But will You pity us the less?
Be that far from You, LORD! (Chorus)
She who touched You in the press
And healing virtue stole
Was answered, “Daughter, go in peace
Thy faith has made thee whole.” (Chorus)
Like her, with hopes and fears we come
To touch You if we may.
O send us not despairing home,
Send none unhealed away. (Chorus)
Satisfied + Clara T. Williams, 1875 A.D.
All my life long I had panted
For a drink from some cool spring
That I hoped would quench the burning
Of the thirst I felt within.
Hallelujah! He has found me,
The One my soul so long has craved!
Jesus satisfies all my longings,
Through His blood I now am saved!
Feeding on the filth around me,
‘Til my strength was almost gone
Longed my soul for something better,
Only still to hunger on ... (Chorus)
Well of water ever springing,
Bread of Life so rich and free!
Untold wealth that never faileth,
My Redeemer is to me! (Chorus)
Just a Closer Walk with Thee + African American Spiritual, 1800s A.D.
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
I am weak, but Thou art strong,
Jesus, keep me from all wrong,
I’ll be satisfied as long as I walk,
Let me walk close to Thee. (Chorus)
Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
(Chorus)
Jesus I Come + William Sleeper, 1887 A.D.
Written in Worcester, Massachusetts
Out of my bondage, sorrow and night,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into Thy freedom, gladness, and light,
Jesus, I come to Thee;
Out of my sickness, into Thy health,
Out of my wanting and into Thy wealth,
Out of my sin and into Thyself,
Jesus, I come to Thee.
Out of my shameful failure and loss,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into the glorious gain of Thy cross,
Jesus, I come to Thee;
Out of earth’s sorrows into Thy balm,
Out of life’s storms and into Thy calm,
Out of distress into jubilant psalm,
Jesus, I come to Thee.
Out of the fear and dread of the tomb,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into the joy and light of Thy home,
Jesus, I come to Thee;
Out of the depths of ruin untold,
Into the peace of Thy sheltering fold,
Ever Thy glorious face to behold,
Jesus, I come to Thee.
Thy Mercy My God + John Stocker, 1776 A.D.
Thy mercy, my God, is the theme of my song,
The joy of my heart. and the boast of my tongue;
Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last,
Hath won my affections, and bound my soul fast.
Without Thy sweet mercy I could not live here;
Sin would reduce me to utter despair;
But, through Thy free goodness, my spirit's revived,
And He that first made me still keeps me alive.
Great Father of mercies, Thy goodness I own,
And the covenant love of Thy crucified Son;
All praise to the Spirit Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy, and pardon, and righteousness mine!
All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy, and pardon, and righteousness mine!
Before the Throne of God Above + Charitie Lees Bancroft, 1860 A.D.
Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea,
A great high Priest whose name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands!
My name is written on His heart!
I know that while in heaven He stands,
No tongue can bid me thence depart,
No tongue can bid me thence depart.
When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end to all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free!
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me,
To look on Him and pardon me.
Behold Him there the risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace.
One with Himself I cannot die,
My soul is purchased by His blood!
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God!
With Christ my Savior and my God!
Be Thou My Vision + St. Dallán Forgaill, 6th Century
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 and Thou my true Word
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord.
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son,
Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one.
High King of Heaven, my victory won!
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heav’n’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart whate’er befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all!
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord.
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son,
Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one.
High King of Heaven, my victory won!
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heav’n’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart whate’er befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all!
Prayers of Confession and Assurance
One: Jesus, we need You to be with us, satisfy us, and heal us. Meet us where we are in our need of You.
All: Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Silent Prayers
One: Jesus, with You, we can seek Your Kingdom first among those we have ignored and marginalized. May we welcome them like You welcome us.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Pass the Peace | In the Story of God, Jesus declared, "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you" (John 14:26) during humanity's darkest, most tragic weekend of His death. And then after Jesus was crucified and resurrected, defeating evil and death, He said, "Peace be with you ... Receive the Holy Spirit" (John 20:21-22). Somehow, with Jesus, peace is possible even in our darkest moments. During this time, we desire to share with each other peace that passes understanding, empowered by the Spirit of Christ.
All: Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Silent Prayers
One: Jesus, with You, we can seek Your Kingdom first among those we have ignored and marginalized. May we welcome them like You welcome us.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Pass the Peace | In the Story of God, Jesus declared, "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you" (John 14:26) during humanity's darkest, most tragic weekend of His death. And then after Jesus was crucified and resurrected, defeating evil and death, He said, "Peace be with you ... Receive the Holy Spirit" (John 20:21-22). Somehow, with Jesus, peace is possible even in our darkest moments. During this time, we desire to share with each other peace that passes understanding, empowered by the Spirit of Christ.
The peace of the Lord by always with you.
And also with you.
Prayers of Preparation for Eucharist
Next sermon audio + liturgy notes post: Matthew 8:23-9:8: Jesus' Divine Power Beyond Our Wildest Imaginations
Matthew 26:26-29; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Prayer Asking for Jesus' Help
Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.
I want to see. Please reveal to me who You are.
Give me ears to hear You, and understanding for
the Good News You are saying to me today. Amen.
Prayer for Communion with Jesus and Each Other
Jesus, by Your Spirit, fill us with Yourself,
the true Bread and Vine. We turn to You now to
unite us, strengthen us, and empower us
to be Your Kingdom family of servants and witnesses
together until You return and make all things new. Amen.
Eucharist | Thanking God for Communion with Christ and His Church
Our World Belongs to God Q&A 24
2008 A.D.
Q. Who is this Jesus who welcomes outsiders?
A. In His baptism and temptations, teaching and miracles,
battles with demons and friendships with sinners,
Jesus lived a full and righteous human life before us.
As God’s true Son, He lovingly obeyed the Father
and made present in deed and word the coming rule of God.
Benediction Based on "The Kingdom Is Yours"
by Common Hymnal (Matthew 5:3-12)
Blessed are the wounded ones in mourning, brave enough
to show the Lord their scars. Blessed are the hurts that
are not hidden, open to the healing touch of God.
Blessed are the ones who fight for justice, longing for the
coming day of peace. Blessed is the soul that thirsts for
righteousness, welcoming the last, the lost, the least.
Blessed are the ones who suffer violence and still have
strength to love their enemies. Blessed is the faith of those
who persevere; though they fall, they'll never know defeat.
The Kingdom is yours, hold on a little more, this is not the end.
Hope is in the Lord; keep Your eyes on Him. You are loved.
Now go with the Prince of Peace to declare and demonstrate
Jesus' Good News of the Kingdom of heaven that is near.
Prayer Asking for Jesus' Help
Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.
I want to see. Please reveal to me who You are.
Give me ears to hear You, and understanding for
the Good News You are saying to me today. Amen.
Prayer for Communion with Jesus and Each Other
Jesus, by Your Spirit, fill us with Yourself,
the true Bread and Vine. We turn to You now to
unite us, strengthen us, and empower us
to be Your Kingdom family of servants and witnesses
together until You return and make all things new. Amen.
Eucharist | Thanking God for Communion with Christ and His Church
Our World Belongs to God Q&A 24
2008 A.D.
Q. Who is this Jesus who welcomes outsiders?
A. In His baptism and temptations, teaching and miracles,
battles with demons and friendships with sinners,
Jesus lived a full and righteous human life before us.
As God’s true Son, He lovingly obeyed the Father
and made present in deed and word the coming rule of God.
Benediction Based on "The Kingdom Is Yours"
by Common Hymnal (Matthew 5:3-12)
Blessed are the wounded ones in mourning, brave enough
to show the Lord their scars. Blessed are the hurts that
are not hidden, open to the healing touch of God.
Blessed are the ones who fight for justice, longing for the
coming day of peace. Blessed is the soul that thirsts for
righteousness, welcoming the last, the lost, the least.
Blessed are the ones who suffer violence and still have
strength to love their enemies. Blessed is the faith of those
who persevere; though they fall, they'll never know defeat.
The Kingdom is yours, hold on a little more, this is not the end.
Hope is in the Lord; keep Your eyes on Him. You are loved.
Now go with the Prince of Peace to declare and demonstrate
Jesus' Good News of the Kingdom of heaven that is near.
Next sermon audio + liturgy notes post: Matthew 8:23-9:8: Jesus' Divine Power Beyond Our Wildest Imaginations
Emmaus City Church is a local church made up of City Groups.
A City Group (CG) is a group of 10-30 people – children, women, and men included – who are befriending, serving, and loving a community together in Jesus' name in Worcester. CGs are small enough that people can know you and value you, but large enough to make an impact in communities throughout Worcester. Each CG gets together throughout a month (i.e. dinners, times of prayer or learning from the Story of God in the Bible, acts of service, parties, etc.) to see Worcester become a city of neighbors and friends that showcase Jesus' love and compassion to all. Those who are cautious or curious to hear and see what it means to follow Jesus are just as welcome as those who believe Jesus is Lord and God and seek to follow Him in every area of life.
Current City Groups: Lincoln Street City Group | W.R.A.P. City Group
To connect with one of the City Groups above, please contact info@emmauscitychurch.com
Christ is all,
A City Group (CG) is a group of 10-30 people – children, women, and men included – who are befriending, serving, and loving a community together in Jesus' name in Worcester. CGs are small enough that people can know you and value you, but large enough to make an impact in communities throughout Worcester. Each CG gets together throughout a month (i.e. dinners, times of prayer or learning from the Story of God in the Bible, acts of service, parties, etc.) to see Worcester become a city of neighbors and friends that showcase Jesus' love and compassion to all. Those who are cautious or curious to hear and see what it means to follow Jesus are just as welcome as those who believe Jesus is Lord and God and seek to follow Him in every area of life.
Current City Groups: Lincoln Street City Group | W.R.A.P. City Group
To connect with one of the City Groups above, please contact info@emmauscitychurch.com
Christ is all,
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