Worshiping at Home on August 30

 

Worshiping at Home on August 30, 2020

 

GETTING READY TO WORSHIP TOGETHER AT HOME

When a family that includes children worships at home, it will look more free form than what happens in a sanctuary.  Especially HEARING THE WORD will be more active.  Children explore God’s word with eyes, voices, hands and even feet as well as their ears.  Within this free form it also good to have a few rituals that are repeated every week.  You will find suggestions for both ways to hear God’s particular Word each week and rituals that surround it every week.  Over the weeks, every family will develop their own worship style.  With that in mind check out the worship preparations and the worship plan focused on ….

 Worship Theme:  God came to Moses in a burning bush announcing a new and mysterious name, I AM WHO I AM.  This week we will tie that name to “Hallowed by thy name” in the Lord’s Prayer.  Hallowed means holy, awesome, more than anything I can imagine, most of all. 

 Set up your worship space.  Make a worship center if you wish.  Keep it simple today.  A candle to stand in for the burning bush, and a Bible or Bible story book with a great illustration open to this story (Exodus 3:1-15).  You may want to set chairs in a circle or rows, or just gather around. 

 Prepare 3 readers to read Exodus 3:1-15 using the script below.  Practice imagining how God and Moses would have said each speech. 

 It is possible to worship together without singing at all.  But if your family sings together, decide before worship what you will sing.  Sing whatever songs about Jesus and God your family knows.  If you have a hymnal, look up “God” or “Praise God” in the topical index to find familiar hymns.  If you have instrument players, choose the songs enough ahead that they can practice and play along as you sing.  If you have recorded music sing along with your favorite singer.  A few possibilities to consider:

Immortal Invisible God Only Wise

This Is My Father’s World

From All That Dwell Below the Sky – lots of Alleluias for the youngest singers

Guide My Feet

Will You Come and Follow Me

 

WORSHIPING GOD TOGETHER

 CALLING YOURSELVES TO WORSHIP

This week begin by saying, “God said to Moses, Take off your shoes for you are on holy ground.”  As we get ready to worship let’s take off our shoes and place them around the worship center.”  Then, switch on or light your candle and say, “Come, let us worship God together.”

 SINGING FOR GOD AND JESUS

Sing one or more songs of the happy praise songs that you selected as you got ready to worship.

 TELLING GOD WE ARE SORRY AND HEARING THAT GOD FORGIVES US

A parent reminds the family that each one of them have things they need tell God they are sorry about, maybe from the last week, maybe from a long time ago.  Allow a full minute of silence for everyone to close their eyes and talk to God about the ways they have messed up.  The same parent then says, “Look at me.  God promises us that whenever we mess up and are truly sorry, God forgives us.  God always loves us no matter what.  Because God loves us no matter what, we can love each other no matter what.  So…”  Pass the peace as you do in the sanctuary if you are all healthy.

 HEARING AND EXPLORING THE WORD

Hear 3 readers read Exodus 3:15.

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Exodus 3:1-15

 READER:  Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.    There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed.  Then Moses said,

MOSES:   I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.

READER:   When the LORD saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush,

 GOD:   Moses, Moses!

 MOSES:   Here I am.

GOD:   Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.  I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 

READER:  And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

GOD:   I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey….  The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them.   So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt."

READER:   But Moses said to God,

MOSES:   Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?

GOD:   I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.

READER:   But Moses said to God,

 MOSES:   If I come to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?

GOD:  I AM WHO I AM.  Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'I AM has sent me to you.  The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you': This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations.

                                                                                  From NRSV

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Ponder together:

·       I wonder how Moses felt when he first saw the burning bush.

·       Together list some of the names people use to refer to God.  To each one add the phrase “and more” - God, Lord, Father, Creator, Redeemer, God of Justice…

·       Reread the name God claims from the burning bush – I am who I am. 

What about that name feels good and what feels unsatisfactory?

·       Share stories of times you have felt God very close to you.  

When you finish your explorations, everyone says together, “This is the Word of the Lord.”

 OFFERING OUR GIFTS AND LOVE

Together list the things the church needs money for – even or especially during a pandemic.  Then write a check and send it off.  (This helps children learn how our family supports your church.)  When you finish say a brief prayer giving your gift to God and sing whatever song you sing at offering time at church.

PRAYING FOR OURSELVES AND THE WORLD

Briefly talk about what “Hallowed be thy name” means then pray this litany together.  One person reads the prayers.  Everyone replies to each line, “Hallowed by thy name.”

 

God who created the whole universe and is still shaping galaxies and watching over the smallest living creatures with the shortest lives...

              Hallowed be thy name.

Lord of the whole world, who watches over all people, all nations, all tribes, all families everywhere…

              Hallowed be thy name.

God of Justice, who works endlessly for justice for all people everywhere and who calls us to work alongside…

              Hallowed be thy name.

God of Mercy, who tenderly cares for all creatures and calls us to care for others also…

              Hallowed be thy name.

God who came among us as Jesus who taught us and gave his life for us…

              Hallowed be thy name.

God, who was before anything was and will be after all ends…

              Hallowed be thy name.

God, who is I AM WHO I AM,…

              Hallowed be thy name.

Hear us as we pray together the prayer that Jesus taught us.  “Our Father…  Amen”

 SING ANOTHER SONG MORE if you wish

BENEDICTION

Instruct each person to put their shoes back on.  Remind them that God sends us out into the world to take care of it and of all the people in it.  Then, each member of the family says to at least one other person, “Go in peace.  God loves you and I love you.”  This may be done by going around the circle or with each member of the family saying it to every other member of the family.