We encourage you to read and reflect on these scriptures, songs, notes, and prayers as we look forward to our time of worship together this coming Sunday.

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Please print this guide or have it handy in digital format for use during the service.

And don’t forget to join us Sunday immediately following the service in our virtual foyer for a group video chat! It’s easy to join! Just click here.

CALL TO WORSHIP

Our call to worship comes from Psalm 86:1-10 (New Living Translation). The language has been adjusted for corporate reading. Please join in on the bolded lines.

Bend down, O Lord, and hear (our) prayer; answer (us), for (we) need your help.
Protect (us), for (we are) devoted to you. Save (us), for (we) serve you and trust you. You are (our) God.
Be merciful to (us), O Lord, for (we are) calling on you constantly.
Give (us) happiness, O Lord, for (we) give (ourselves) to you.

O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.
Listen closely to (our) prayer, O Lord; hear (our) urgent cry.
We will call to you whenever (we’re) in trouble, and you will answer (us).

All the nations you made will come and bow before you, Lord; they will praise your holy name.
For you are great and perform wonderful deeds. You alone are God.

-Psalm 86:1-10 (NLT)

MUSIC: COME HOLY ONE

CCLI #6291516 | Eric J. Marshall© 2011 © 2011
Performed by Emmaus Road Worship Team

CONFESSIONAL PRAYER

Bold lines to be read aloud corporately.

Holy God, creator of all, giver of life, source of grace:
There are chasms in our lives,
deep valleys that separate us from one another and from You.
We confess that we have allowed those rifts to grow,
For fear of admitting our part in the separation,
For fear of being rejected when we reach out.
You call us to a reconciled life,
To healed relationships,
To a wholeness with one another and with You.
Forgive us, we pray, and make us new creations
Through the power and love of Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray.
Amen.

(Adapted from Beth Merrill Neel)

ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS

But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. (Ephesians 2:13-16 NLT)

All: Thanks be to God

WORD

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Holy – Week Two

Sermon Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-8 (NRSV) & Ezekiel 47:1-9 (NRSV)

RECAP

Holy means set apart and unique. 

In the Bible, God, time, people, things, and places are all called holy. God’s holiness doesn’t distance us from him. Rather, it invites us to participate in his own holiness.  

But, in the biblical narrative, this is not where the story starts. The story starts with an understanding that the holiness of God is dangerous and is incompatible with any impurity. The driving assumption under this system was that our impurities put God’s holiness at risk.  

Two Old Testament prophets have visions that change everything…..the first one if from Isaiah.

ISAIAH’S TEMPLE VISION

In this passage, the prophet has a prophetic vision that is going to change everything. A prophetic vision is a picture in the mind’s eye where God uncovers what is most real about the world.

In this vision, Isaiah is in God’s presence in the temple, which he understands is dangerous. 

A seraph took a coal from the altar and touched Isaiah’s lips with it. If we’ve been paying attention to the whole system of purity laws, we know that Isaiah’s impurity should be transferred to the coal!

Curiously, though, this is not what happens. The seraph touched Isaiah with a coal from the altar and then said, “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” 

God’s holiness is transferred to Isaiah! This is a total reversal of the way holiness has been understood to this point! Perhaps God doesn’t need to be protected from our impurity. Perhaps our impurity is endangered by God’s holiness! Maybe it isn’t our impurity that is the infectious agent. Perhaps it’s God’s holiness that is infectious.  

About 100 years later, the prophet Ezekiel receives a prophetic vision….

EZEKIEL’S TEMPLE VISION

In this vision, the prophet Ezekiel sees water flowing out of the temple toward the east. 

This water from the temple brings life to all that touches it. Trees grow along its shores. Fish and wildlife teem in its waters. Eventually this river flows into the Dead Sea, bringing it to life.  

This is significant because it used to be that you had to go to the temple and be pure to enter God’s presence and worship. In this vision, the life-giving presence of God (represented by the river) flows out from the temple into creation! Again, this is a total reversal of how holiness has been understood up to this point. 

But there is more. Ezekiel is careful to note that the river is flowing toward the east.  

In biblical typology, eastward movement is movement away from God.  

    -In the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve sin, they are kicked out to the East.  

     -After Cain killed Abel, he moved away from the presence of God to the East. 

So, metaphorically, you have all of these people living in the East who have moved away from God and away from His ways. In Ezekiel’s vision, the river flows from the temple of God toward the East to chase them down and bring life and purity! 

Oh LORD, may we let the river of your holiness catch up to us! 

TABLE

Prepare the elements of “bread” and “wine” for use as we gather around The Lord’s Table. These can be any items convenient around the home that symbolize these for you. 

CONFESSION OF THE MYSTERY OF FAITH

Leader: In unity with the Church throughout the ages, we confess our faith: 
All: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

As we pray together, we invite you to share your own requests and testimonies with us this week. If you have a request you can share it live in our video stream chat, or you may email us at emmausroadfc@gmail.com

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father in heaven,
        hallowed be your Name,
        your kingdom come,
        your will be done,
        on earth as in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins
        as we forgive those
        who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation, 
        and deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom, 
        and the power,
        and the glory for ever and ever.
Amen.

BENEDICTION

In the loving of neighbour
and the sharing of love
together we shall go on

In the celebration of life
and the sharing of that life together
together we shall go on

In the caring of the earth
and the sharing of her harvest
together we shall go on

In the variety of people
and the sharing of our talents
together we shall go on

In the laughter we make
and the sharing of the journey
together we shall go on

In the love of this community
and the sharing of our faith
together we shall go on

(Written by Roddy Hamilton)