First Week Worship

First Week Worship
UWorship Resource
Option 1 (page 50-52)
Notes for Leaders
•  You’re welcome to use, not use, or adapt
anything in UKirk’s UWorship Resource
•  Elements of worship not included directly
in the First Week Option 1 section have
been supplemented with language from
the general section of Uworship.
•  If there is a response the entire gathered
group will say, it has been bolded &
italicized
•  This service is intended to be two
Scripture readings and two short
meditations followed by silence, but you
may also choose to use just one passage
and meditation.
•  The readings included in this resource are:
Genesis 12:1-9 & John 15:5-17.
•  You’re welcome to choose other
passages.
•  For some students, this will be their first
week away from home. They will feel the
anxiety of leaving home for the first time
and the excitement of something new. For
others, it will be the first week of their
return to school. This service is designed
to give a sense of place in the midst of
change.
•  Be sure to check the notes on the Power
Point slides for more suggestions or
explanations.
Playlist
•  *“10,000 Reasons,” Jonas Myrin, Matt Redman, CCLI #6016351
•  “Come, Now Is the Time to Worship,” Brian Doerksen, CCLI
#2430948
•  *“The House of God Forever,” Jon Foreman, CCLI #5295702
•  “How Great Is Our God,” Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash, Jesse Reeves,
CCLI #4348399
•  “The Kingdom,” Bethany Dillon, So Far: The Acoustic Sessions
•  “No One Like You,” David Crowder, Jack Parker, Jason Solley,
Jeremy Bush, Mike Dodson, Mike Hogan, CCLI #4276894
•  *“Not with Haste,” Mumford and Sons, Babel
•  *“Where We Belong,” Josh Blakesley, Free
•  “You Are Holy,” Marc Imboden, Tammi Rhoton, CCLI #2332149
•  *Lyrics included in this PowerPoint resource
General Order of Worship
•  Hi! and Clearing the
Air
•  Listening to The Other
•  Responding &
Sharing
•  Bye! And Say Hi To
Gather
Encounter
Respond
Bless
GATHER
Call to Worship
Leader: I long, yes, I faint with longing to
enter the courts of the Lord.
People: With my whole being, body and
soul, I will shout joyfully to the living
God.
Leader: Even the sparrow finds a home, and
the swallow builds her nest and raises her
young at a place near your altar, O Lord
of Hosts, my ruler and my God!
People: What joy for those who can live
in your house, always singing your
praises.
Opening Prayer
Giver of hope and new beginnings, we give
you thanks for gathering us here today.
We come to worship bringing our
excitement, our worries, our fears, and
our joys. Loving God, help us remember
that we’ve come to sing your praises and
not our own. May we find our way and our
place as we settle into life at school and
away from home. Remind us that we are
never alone. In Christ’s name, we pray.
Amen.
“10,000 Reasons”
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
O my soul.
Worship his holy name.
Sing like never before,
O my soul.
I’ll worship your holy name.
The sun comes up,
it’s a new day dawning.
It’s time to sing your song again.
Whatever may pass and whatever lies
before me,
Let me be singing when the evening comes
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
O my soul.
Worship his holy name.
Sing like never before,
O my soul.
I’ll worship your holy name.
You’re rich in love
And you’re slow to anger.
Your name is great
and your heart is kind.
For all your goodness I will keep on singing,
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
O my soul.
Worship his holy name.
Sing like never before,
O my soul.
I’ll worship your holy name.
And on that day
when my strength is failing,
The end draws near
and my time has come,
Still my soul will sing your praise unending.
Ten thousand years and then forevermore.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
O my soul.
Worship his holy name.
Sing like never before,
O my soul.
I’ll worship your holy name.
Call to Confession
Even as we enter into God’s presence with
praise, we fall back, ashamed; we come up
short. Who can stand in the presence of the
Lord? No one—not one—is righteous before
the Holy One. But God remembers our
creation from just a handful of dust and looks
upon us with compassion. Trusting in God’s
steadfast love, let us give to the Lord all that
gets in the way of following him as we
confess our sins together.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: We bless you, Holy God, with
everything we have. We bless your holy
name.
People: You are the God who forgives us,
redeems us, heals us. You are merciful
and gracious, slow to anger and full of
love. As far as the east is from the west,
so far do you remove sin from us.
Leader: Sins for which we can’t forgive
ourselves, sins for which others cannot
forgive us.
People: Forgive us, Lord, and show us
how to forgive.
Leader: Free us from the things that get in
the way—of our relationship with others,
with ourselves, and with you. Cast out our
sin and enter into our lives, that we might
be your people grounded in love, grace,
humility, and peace.
People: Amen.
Assurance of Forgiveness
This is what good news means: There is
nothing you can do to make God love you
any more . . . and there is nothing you can
do to make God love you any less.
We are beloved.
We are forgiven. Amen.
ENCOUNTER
Prayer of Illumination
Gracious God,
we long to experience
the world as you created it to be.
In our world, on our campus, in our lives— we
see your reign having already begun but not
yet fully realized.
By the power of your Holy Spirit, open your
Word to us so we can experience a new
world of possibility opened before us. Amen.
Genesis 12: 1-9
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your
country and your kindred and your father’s
house to the land that I will show you. I will
make of you a great nation, and I will bless
you, and make your name great, so that you
will be a blessing. I will bless those who
bless you, and the one who curses you I will
curse; and in you all the families of the earth
shall be blessed.”
So Abram went, as the Lord had told him;
and Lot went with him. Abram was seventyfive years old when he departed from Haran.
Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s
son Lot, and all the possessions that they
had gathered, and the persons whom they
had acquired in Haran; and they set forth to
go to the land of Canaan.
When they had come to the land of Canaan,
Abram passed through the land to the place
at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that
time the Canaanites were in the land. Then
the Lord appeared to Abram, and said, “To
your offspring I will give this land.” So he
built there an altar to the Lord, who had
appeared to him
From there Abram moved on to the hill
country on the east of Bethel, and pitched
his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on
the east; and there he built an altar to the
Lord and invoked the name of the Lord. And
Abram journeyed on by stages toward the
Negeb.
Reflection
Just as Abram was called from the land of
his parents, we are being called forth to
establish ourselves in the new space of
college. This applies for those moving far
away, those moving down the road, and
commuters who are forming a new
community as well.
Abram was called from his homeland.
Calling wasn’t just something that happened
thousands of years ago. College is a time
that God can use to mold and shape us ,
using us now in spreading the good news
and preparing us for where we will be led
following graduation. How might we be
attentive to God in the bustle of college life
to be ready to heed God’s call?
Abram builds an altar in his new home place
(and then in the next one too). How might
we be intentional about claiming a place for
God in our college homeland? What might
that look like physically and spiritually?
Silent Reflection
“Where We Belong”
A city on a hill
Where our strength is filled,
A beacon in the night
Shines a holy light.
Let the darkness fall;
There’s a new day for us all.
This is where we belong,
The place that we call home.
We gather as one Body in one Lord.
This is where we belong.
The place that we call home.
We come to live and love where we belong.
A chosen place revealed,
People being healed,
New life will begin,
The dead will rise again.
Open up the doors,
And let the healing waters pour.
This is where we belong,
The place that we call home.
We gather as one Body in one Lord.
This is where we belong.
The place that we call home.
We come to live and love where we belong.
This is where we give our hearts,
This is where we share our faith,
This is where we make a diff’rence,
Right here in this place!
This is where we belong,
The place that we call home.
We gather as one Body in one Lord.
This is where we belong.
The place that we call home.
We come to live and love where we belong.
John 15: 5-17
Reflection
What does it mean for your daily life that
Jesus is the true vine and we are the
branches? What does it look like to remain
in God and God’s Word as a college student
—away from home and from our parents’
faith (or lack thereof)?
What does one make of Jesus saying, “If
you remain in me and I in you, then you will
produce much fruit. Without me, you can’t
do anything” (v. 5b)? How is this conditional
statement applicable for students
experiencing a new beginning/new choices?
Are Jesus’ words comforting or threatening?
Why?
How do we as college students remain in
God’s love and also love one another? What
are some ways to show God’s love and to
have God’s joy be made complete in you?
How can we explore things on campus and
yet still remain attached to Christ, the true
vine?
What do you make of Jesus’ statement “You
didn’t choose me, but I chose you and
appointed you so that you could go and
produce fruit and so that your fruit could
last” (v. 16)? How does one produce
kingdom fruit that lasts on a college
campus?
Silent Reflection
•  How might we be attentive to God’s calling
this new school year?
•  How might college be a time of
preparation for living into God’s dreams for
us and for the world?
•  How might we carve out sacred space for
encounters with God amidst the busyness
of college?
“House of God Forever”
God is my shepherd
I won't be wanting
I won't be wanting
He makes me rest in fields of green
With quiet streams
Even though I walk through the valley
Of death and dying
I will not fear 'cause You are with me
You are with me
Your shepherd's staff comforts me
You are my feast in the presence of enemies
Surely goodness will follow me
Follow me
In the house of God forever
(In the house of God forever)
God is my shepherd
I won't be wanting
I won't be wanting
He makes me rest in fields of green
By quiet streams
Even while I'm walking through the valley
Of death and dying
I will not fear 'cause You are with me
You're always with me
Your shepherd's staff comforts me
You are my feast in the presence of enemies
Surely goodness will follow me
Follow me
In the house of God forever
(In the house of God forever)
RESPOND
Affirmation of Faith
In life and in death we belong to God.
Through the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ,
the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit,
we trust in the one triune God, the Holy
One of Israel, whom alone we worship
and serve.
-from “A Brief Statement of Faith”
Prayers of the People
Lord, we come before you as your people,
full of hope and gratitude, carrying doubts
and fears.
We take this time now to voice the things
that are on our hearts.
•  For the students, faculty, and staff at our
campus . . .
•  For people who are hungry right here in
our community . . .
•  For those who are sick and in need of
healing . . .
•  For friends who don’t believe you love
them unconditionally . . .
•  For the leaders of our state and nation . . .
•  For the needs in our world . . .
Lord, hear these prayers that we have lifted
up to you, prayers for your people, for
your world, for our community and
campus, even for ourselves. Hear us.
Amen.
Offering
•  How will you offer yourself to God in a new
way this school year?
•  This is what we have to offer. Lord, take
these gifts. Lord, use these gifts. Lord,
bless these gifts. This is what we have to
offer. Amen.
Invitation to Communion
Friends, come to God’s table.
Christ has prepared it for us.
He invites anyone and everyone to trust him
and to taste and see that God is good.
So come.
Prayer of Great
Thanksgiving
We are grateful, Lord.
We take part in this sacrament not because
we feel like we have to. We want to receive
communion because it is a time for us to
come to your table and say, “Thank you!”
Thank you for loving us; thank you for
creation; thank you for the ways you
provide!
We are grateful for your covenants,
for giving us the guiding words of the Old
Testament, and for speaking through the
prophets.
We are grateful for your patience with us! Even
though your followers continued to go their own
way, you sent your Son, Jesus Christ, as a free
gift of grace, not only for them, but for all of us.
How can we thank you for all of these things,
Lord? One way is by receiving your body and
blood with gratitude.
Lord, we ask your Holy Spirit to be present here
with us, and for us all to know and believe in
Christ’s presence here. May we, as your
grateful people, truly understand this meal as a
way for us to be nourished, united, and
reminded of our role in the world, as members
of the body of Christ.
As we participate in this sacrament, we say,
“Thank you, Lord!”
Hallelujah!
Amen.
Breaking The Bread
Here we are at the Lord’s Table.
We see this bread and this cup,
and we need to be reminded of what Jesus
did on the night he was arrested.
That very night, he was with his closest
friends, his disciples. He took some bread,
and he asked God to bless it.
Then he broke it, and said to them,
“This is my body broken for you.” He
instructed them to eat bread.
He then took the cup and poured wine into
it.
He gave thanks to God, and then he said to
them, “This is my blood of the new
covenant, shed for you, and poured out for
many.”
He instructed them to drink the wine.
Jesus taught this sacrament to the disciples
that night because he knew his followers
would need something physical
to practice as a remembrance of his
sacrifice for us.
So we are here at the Lord’s Table,
and we take part in this sacrament,
proclaiming his death, resurrection, and
ascension, affirming we believe Jesus
reigns, and that he will come again!
Communion
Prayer after Communion
Loving God,
you have satisfied us with good things.
Through the bread and cup, we have been
filled. Now, send us out—filled to the brim—
to be your people in the world, serving one
another in the name of Jesus Christ, our
Lord. Amen.
BLESS
Closing Prayer
God of all places, we gather at a new beginning. Some of
us have been here before, but we come today with new
challenges, new hopes, new possibilities. Some of us are
creating a whole new home for ourselves, looking at a
blank slate ready to be filled with new friendships, crisp
clean textbooks, and bedrooms freshly decorated. We
ask your blessing on the year before us. May we find
home in this place. May we be attentive to the ways you
call us to embrace you above all that comes with being a
college student. Help us to set aside time to remember
who we are in light of who we know you to be. Mold us
that we may not just grow smarter but may grow in ways
that prepare us to heed your claim on our lives. In
Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
“Not With Haste”
Your eyes they tie me down so hard
I’ll never learn to put up a guard
So keep my love, my candle bright
Learn me hard, oh learn me right.
This ain’t no sham.
I am what I am.
Though I may speak some tongue of old
Or even spit out some holy word
I have no strength from which to speak
When you sit me down, and see I’m weak.
We will run and scream
You will dance with me
They’ll fulfill our dreams and we’ll be free
And we will be who we are
And they’ll heal our scars
Sadness will be far away
So as we walked through fields of green
Was the fairest sun I’d ever seen
And I was broke, I was on my knees
And you said yes as I said please
This ain’t no shame
I am what I am
I leave no time
For a cynic’s mind
Charge
As we leave this place of worship to go out and
face our new beginnings this school year, may
we remember that we are never alone. God is
always with us. Our Prince of Peace will never
forsake us. May we live in hope that we are
connected to God and God to us: living our
lives to bear the fullest, lushest fruit. May we
never forget how many of us have experienced
loneliness, fear, and new adventures. And may
we share God’s love as we reach out to others,
especially when it is difficult and we feel as if
we have no time.
Benediction
And now may the love of God, the grace and
peace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the
friendship and fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with you all forevermore—world without
end. Amen.