Bradenton-Sarasota Congregation Online Worship
November 1, 2020
Welcome
Welcome and thank you for taking this opportunity to worship. God and His Son Jesus the Christ are worthy of our praise, the maker of all creation, and mindful of each one of us. May you be blessed and receive the healing touch of His hand. You will be invited during this service to partake in communion. Please take a moment to prepare a symbol of your choice that will represent the bread and wine.
Prelude by Daniel Harmon
Prayer
We come together in spirit to worship God, to hear God’s word, and to partake in the sacrament. We are gathered, humbled, thankful, ready to worship, listen and learn. Our hearts are full of praise, our ears are open to hear, and our minds are awake to new insights. We offer our praise to God for this day of blessing. In Jesus name, Amen.
Disciples Generous Response: The Present
Video “The Present”
Like the young person in this video “The Present”, it’s easy to focus on what we enjoy and want for ourselves. But sometimes we need to stop and enjoy “The Present” that God has provided all around us. There are six principles of a Disciple” Generous Response: receive God’s gifts, respond faithfully, align heart and money, share generously, save wisely, spend responsibly. When we open God’s “present”, how will we respond to God’s generosity?
Communion Message
Come to the Lord’s table where “All Are Welcome” as Gwendolyn Hawks-Blue reminds us to accept one another in love. From the “Witness the Word” video sermon series March 2015 release.
Prayer for Peace
Sovereign God, we have been reminded of many of the ways we, your children, have been the source of pain, dissension and separation. Your ways of living at peace with one another seem difficult to achieve. We pray that you will continue to guide us in our yearning to change, to become peacemakers in your troubled world. May the spark of peace you have placed in our hearts light a fire that ignites within us the ability to partner with you in restoring peace to all your creation. We offer this in the name of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Meditation: “Love, Love, Love, Love”
Invitation to the Table
All are welcome at Christ’s table. The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, is a sacrament in which we remember the life, death, resurrection, and continuing presence of Jesus Christ. In Community of Christ, we also experience Communion as an opportunity to renew our baptismal covenant and to be formed as disciples who live Christ’s mission. Others may have different or added understandings within their faith traditions. We invite all who participate in the Lord’s Supper to do so in the love and peace of Jesus Christ.
Prayer of Blessing and Serving of the Bread and Wine
“O God, the eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread and wine to the souls of all those who partake of them, that they may eat and drink in remembrance of the body and blood of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them, that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.”
Please take this time to partake of the symbols that you prepared.
Prayer
God, we leave this sanctuary renewed with your spirit and reminded of your call to discipleship. Help us chose wisely in our use of time, talent and treasure. We will need your help and I know that you will be our guide. We also ask for a blessing on those who are in need of healing and for all of the caretakers and the first responders. Thank you, God, for being in the midst of us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
This service was prepared by Charyn Walker.