Come, All Who Thirst

Description

Here are worship resources which explore spiritual thirst, and celebrate God as the source of living water.

Scripture

Psalm 42:1
Psalm 63:1-8
Isaiah 55:1-3
John 4:10-15
John 7:37-39
Revelation 21:6

Prayers

Opening Prayer of Praise (inspired by Psalm 63: 1-8)

O God, You are our God, the One in whom we trust.
We’ve gathered together today to worship You—
to open our hearts and minds to Your presence.
We long to meet You here, and to hear Your voice.

We come with confidence,
because we’ve met You here before;
we’ve been awed and inspired by Your glory and Your power.
We come with gratitude,
because we’ve known Your steadfast love—
a love which is better than life itself.

And so we praise You—
lifting our voices, lifting our hands
in joy and expectation.

Come among us in Your power.
Pour out Your spirit on our thirsty souls,
that we may be filled with Your goodness and love.

Amen.

~ Christine Longhurst

Opening Prayer

God of our hearts…here we are!
We’ve come with thirsty hearts,
praying that your Word will satisfy us.
We come with aching hearts,
praying for good news to comfort us.
We come with overflowing hearts,
praying for a chance to share your love.
You, who know our hearts and hear our prayers,
be with us now in this hour of worship.

Amen.

~ written by Carol Penner. Posted on the Leading in Worship blog.
http://carolpenner.typepad.com/leadinginworship/

Prayer for Others

Holy God,
whose Spirit moved over the waters at the dawn of creation,
hear our prayers for all who thirst today.

We pray for those who are spiritually thirsty,
who long to know Your presence, but don’t know where to find You.
We pray for those who are alone and without hope,
those who long to feel needed and loved,
those who are searching for meaning and purpose.

O healing river,
pour down Your waters, and heal Your people.

We pray for all who are physically thirsty,
who don’t have enough water to drink, or feed their animals,
whose fields are parched, whose crops have withered;
those who have to walk long distances to find enough water to survive,
or who have to be content with water that is unclean.
We pray for those whose homes and villages are torn apart
because of drought or famine.

O healing river,
pour down Your waters, and heal Your people.

We pray for those who are thirsty for justice,
who long for an equal sharing of resources among peoples and nations;
those who put their lives at risk to protect streams and rivers and oceans;
those who are working to find clean water,
and make it available to those who need it.

O healing river,
pour down Your waters, and heal Your people.

God, we ask that you would open our hearts to the needs of all who thirst.
Give us courage to work together for justice,
to stand alongside those who are thirsty,
so that all people, everywhere, may live without want or fear,
and may discover the abundant life You promise to each one.
In the name of Jesus Christ—the source of living water—we pray.

Amen.

~ Christine Longhurst

Spoken Resources

Call to Worship

Only the hungry search for bread.
Only the thirsty look for water.
This is a place for those who are hungry and thirsty in spirit.

Only those who ache for meaning will pursue it.
Only those who yearn for a deeper life will seek it.
This is a place for those who ache and yearn for something more.

So let us come here today with our hunger and thirst,
our unsatisfied longings, our heart-felt yearnings,
and let the God of life satisfy our souls.

~ written by Ann Siddall. Posted on the website of the Stillpoint Spirituality Centre.
http://stillpoint.unitingchurchsa.org.au/

Call to Worship (based on Isaiah 55:1-3)

Come to the water,
all you who are thirsty!
Though you have no money,
come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk without money—free!

Why spend your money on what cannot nourish,
and your wages on what will never satisfy?

Listen carefully to Me,
and you shall eat what is good,
and delight in the richest of foods.

Come,
pay attention!
Listen carefully to what I have to say,
and you will live!

~ Christine Longhurst

Commission & Benediction

Go now from this service of worship
to the service of God’s people near and far,
refreshed by the living water that Jesus offers to you.
Listen for the parched voices of the least of these;
search out the dry places and the arid souls,
and become for them a spring of living water.
And as you go,
may the blessings of the God of life,
the Christ of love,
and the Spirit of grace
be upon you this day and forevermore. Amen

~ adapted from the Ecumenical Water Network’s Seven Weeks for Water campaign. Posted on World Communion of Reformed Churches
http://www.wcrc.ch/node/780

Songs

Traditional Hymn: Oh, Have You Not Heard

Worship Together #476

Oh, have you not heard of that beautiful stream?
So deep and serene is its flow;
Its waters are bright in a heavenly light,
Come, drink of its life-giving flow!

Oh come to this beautiful stream,
So deep and so fully it flows!
Its waters so free are flowing for thee.
Come, now, O sinner be free!

Its fountains are deep and its waters are pure,
Inviting the weary to rest;
It flows from the throne of Jehovah alone,
Come, drink, and forever be blest!

This beautiful stream is the river of Life,
It flows for all nations so free,
In wonderful healing its waters abound,
O sinner, it floweth for thee!

~ Richard Torrey, Jr., translated by Peter Klassen.

Contemporary Hymn: Come to the Water

O let all who thirst,
let them come to the water.
And let all who have nothing,
let them come to the Lord:
without money, without price.
Why should you pay the price,
except for the Lord?

And let all who seek,
let them come to the water.
And let all who have nothing,
let them come to the Lord:
without money, without strife.
Why should you spend your life,
except for the Lord?

And let all who toil,
let them come to the water.
And let all who are weary,
let them come to the Lord:
all who labor, without rest.
How can your soul find rest,
except for the Lord?

And let all the poor,
let them come to the water,
Bring the ones who are laden,
bring them all to the Lord:
bring the children without might.
Easy the load and light:
come to the Lord.

Listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJJVrZKqKNE

Music available for purchase here: http://www.ocp.org/products/97837

Contemporary Song: Come to the Water

Oh come, come to the water
All who are thirsty
Come and be filled
Oh come, come to the river
Brothers and sisters
Come and be healed
Come and be healed

We believe in the Kingdom come
We believe in the risen Son
You bring our hearts to life
Lord we come with our hands up high
We believe You will satisfy
You bring our hearts to life
You bring our hearts to life
We are alive
We are alive

Oh see the people returning
The love of the Father
Drawing us in
Oh see salvation coming Jesus our Savior
Light of the world
Light of the world

Let revival come
Let the people sing
The glory of Your name
The glory of Your name (oh)

~ Kristian Stanfill, Brett Younker. Copyright © 2012 sixsteps Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing). worshiptogether.com songs (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing). CCLI Song # 6364481. If you use this song in worship, be sure to report it on your CCLI license.

Listen to it here: http://www.worshiptogether.com/songs/songdetail.aspx?iid=1960512

Contemporary Song: All Who Are Thirsty

All who are thirsty
All who are weak
Come to the fountain
Dip your heart in the stream of life
Let the pain and the sorrow
Be washed away
In the waves of His mercy
As deep cries out to deep
(We sing)

Come Lord Jesus come
Come Lord Jesus come
Come Lord Jesus come
Come Lord Jesus come

Holy Spirit come
Holy Spirit come
Holy Spirit come
Holy Spirit come

As deep cries out to deep
As deep cries out to deep
As deep cries out to deep

Listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKu_JjRtvAE

Images

Additional Resources

“Thirst” on Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck0028dgUmA

Notes

This worship resource was created/compiled by Christine Longhurst. You are welcome to use it free of charge, and where appropriate, please note the source. If you are printing any of the resources for distribution, please print the source as well. The content of the worship resource does not necessarily represent the views of the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, which oversees the Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies. For more worship resources by Christine Longhurst, see http://www.re-worship.blogspot.ca or http://www.faithmatters.ca.

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