Gold Avenue Church At Home Worship Liturgy 12.6.2020
A Note before you begin:
Welcome to Gold Avenue Church’s At home Worship Liturgy; we’re so grateful to join together in Spirit as we worship! We want to give special thanks to our worship leaders: Kayleen Jasperse, Derek Sterenberg, and Marissa Walters who have been prayerfully discerning our Orders of Worship and Kayleen in particular who prayerfully discerned the songs and scripture for this liturgy.
Our prayer is that this liturgy helps us to create cultures of worship in our homes or wherever we utilize them, and that as we enter into his presence and give him praise, that we are each met, blessed, and challenged, and encouraged to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ.
Call to Worship:
The Call to Worship serves to focus our attention on the living God who is present with us; it calls us to position ourselves as those who are ready to worship and ready to receive from Him.
Reading scripture out loud over yourself, your home, and your loved ones can be a beautiful and powerful experience. Please read the following out loud as you fix your eyes on Jesus:
From Psalm 148:
Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights above.
Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his heavenly hosts.
Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens
and you waters above the skies.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for at his command they were created,
and he established them for ever and ever—
he issued a decree that will never pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,
lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
stormy winds that do his bidding,
you mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,
wild animals and all cattle,
small creatures and flying birds,
kings of the earth and all nations,
you princes and all rulers on earth,
young men and women,
old men and children.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
And he has raised up for his people a horn,
the praise of all his faithful servants,
of Israel, the people close to his heart.
Praise the Lord!
Pray for the Lord to fill you, your household, and your home with his presence and his peace. Invite him to stir up worship and take time to express your gratitude and thankfulness to the Lord as you feel led.
If you’re worshiping with your family or with friends, consider taking turns praying and giving thanks to the Lord.
Worshiping in Song:
You can access the video of each song by clicking on the video. We invite you to turn up the volume and to participate freely and fully: sing along, dance, kneel, listen and soak, read the included lyrics–however you feel led. You may find it fruitful to listen to a song more than once, to respond between songs with prayer, thanksgiving, meditation, or even discussion about how the Lord is at work in and through the song.
O Come All Ye Faithful
The Lord’s Greeting:
The Lord’s Greeting serves to remind us that we are in the presence of the living God. It makes space for him to greet us as our loving heavenly father who rules and reigns as the King over all and who is present with us as our loving heavenly father!
Fix your eyes on him as you read the following out loud:
From Ephesians 6:23-24
Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
Greeting One Another:
It might feel a little odd doing this at home, but take time to say these words to greet each other, as you shake hands, hug or elbow bump:
“The Lord be with you!”
and in response:
“and also with you!”
And if you’re alone:
“The Lord is with me!”
My Hope is Built on Nothing Less
Lion and the Lamb
As we consider our God: our firm foundation, the lion and the lamb who died for the sins of the world, the one who breaks chains, rules with power, and sits enthroned above, we turn our hearts to long for our King.
As the Deer
Testimony/Family Prayer Time:
As you transition, take a moment to reflect on how the Lord was ministering to you through song: what lyrics stood out to you? What emotions were you experiencing? What did God reveal to you about who he is? What did God reveal to you about what he says about you? How else were you ministered to?
How has the Lord been faithful to you in this past week?
If you’re worshiping alone, consider journaling about his faithfulness; if you’re worshiping with others, share about his faithfulness to you.
Take a few minutes to praise the Lord for his goodness and his faithfulness.
Are there areas in your life or in the lives of those around you in which you long to see the Lord’s goodness and faithfulness? Our loving father invites us to share our needs and concerns with him as his beloved children and also invites us to share his heart for those around us. Take some time to raise your requests and pray as His Holy Spirit leads you.
Regular offering:
Support ministry at Gold Avenue Church by giving to the general fund (Click the picture for more giving options):
- Text: send amount (number only, no extra symbols) to (616) 319-2259 and follow prompts to give securely
- Give online at https://goldavenuechurch.breezechms.com/give/online or give through PayPal here.
- Mail a check payable to Gold Avenue Church at 49 Gold Avenue NW Grand Rapids, MI 4950
Song of Preparation
The Song of Preparation serves to prepare our hearts to receive the Word of the Lord. Continue to fix your eyes on Jesus and surrender your attention and heart to him as we transition and prepare to enter into His Word. If this is a newer song, be blessed to listen and reflect on the words and join as you feel led.
Turn Your Eyes
The Preaching of the Word:
Access the audio of the sermon here: Sermon Audio Recording
Communion
If you are a baptized member of a church that declares Jesus is Lord, and if you are walking in the light and in pursuit of righteousness, we welcome and encourage you to join with us as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper! If you are not yet baptized or are not yet walking in the light, we encourage you to take some time to pray and reflect with the Lord or to confess and repent of your sins as His Word promises that when we confess, he is faithful to forgive! We welcome baptized children of believers to the table as parents discern they are ready, and also invite you to pray blessing over your children who are not yet ready to partake.
Song of Response:
The song of response helps us to receive and apply the words that we’ve just heard through the Word and the Lord’s Supper that we just received. If you need to and are able, take a few minutes to process what you’ve just heard and how the Lord may be inviting you to respond. Sing in response as you feel led.
Living Hope
The Lord’s Blessing:
The Lord’s Blessing serves to make space for us to receive the Lord’s blessing to equip and empower us to receive his word, to be obedient to it, and to walk it out in his grace and favor.
Fix your eyes on him as you read the following out loud:
From Number 6:24-26
The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.
Closing Song:
O Come Let Us Adore Him
