Lordship of Christ, The

Description

Here are worship resources inspired by the hymn of praise to Christ in Philippians 2:5-11.

Scripture

Philippians 2:5-11

Prayers

Opening Prayer

Most wonderful God,
the beauty we see in Jesus
is your beauty veiled in human flesh,
the love we witness from Bethlehem to Golgotha
is your love contracted to a span.
If Christ’s life is so holy as to fill us with wonder,
how much more would your unveiled beauty
leave us overwhelmed and trembling?
You are more than the eye could bear,
more than the mind can ever fathom.

Yet you have so carefully made us
that although we cannot fathom you,
we can yet love you.

Gratefully we bring our little lives to you,
asking that our worship may arise from love and be shaped by love,
and be directed towards that larger loving which is our soul’s desire.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen!

~ Bruce Prewer, posted on Bruce Prewer’s Homepage.
http://www.bruceprewer.com/DocA/55SUN26.htm

Prayer of Praise and Adoration

Though you are God,
with all the influence and status that the name implies,
you refused to pull rank,
and parade your power among us.

Instead, you chose to step down into our experience,
living among us, as one of us,
with all the struggle and suffering
that goes with being human.

More than that, you adopted the role of slave,
washing feet, serving people of no reputation or social standing,
and giving of yourself completely.

As incredible as it sounds,
you are the God who serves,
and we can respond in no other way
than to give ourselves to you in praise.

Amen.

~ written by John van de Laar, and posted on the Sacredise website.
http://www.sacredise.com/

Prayers for Others

God,
You are a God of compassion and love.
Time after time we have experienced your care and provision.
Time after time You’ve answered our prayers and met our needs—
often in ways we could never have dreamed possible.
We praise You for Your faithful love toward us.

Because we have known Your love,
we come to You with confidence,
offering our prayers for the world that You love.

We see so much pain and suffering.
so much violence and poverty and despair.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the needs around us.
But we continue to bring our prayers to You in faith,
because we know that nothing is impossible for You.
You are the God who rained down bread from heaven,
and made water flow from a rock in the desert;
the God who resurrected Jesus Christ from the dead,
and who brings new life and hope to all who believe.
For You, all things are possible.
Hear our prayers.

We pray for the many people around the world
without food,
without water,
without shelter,
without hope.
Because nothing is impossible for You, O God,
hear our prayer, and in Your love, answer.

We pray for the regions of our world caught up in violence and war:
for Afghanistan,
for Congo,
for Israel and Palestine,
for Syria, and Libya.
Because nothing is impossible for You, O God,
hear our prayer, and in Your love, answer.

We pray for those who live with serious illness,
those with chronic pain,
those without access to proper medical care,
those for whom treatment is no longer an option.
Because nothing is impossible for You, O God,
hear our prayer, and in Your love, answer.

Merciful God,
You sent Your Son, Jesus Christ, to show us a different way to live—
the way of deep humility and obedience.
You’ve called us to love one another,
and to work together with one heart and mind,
balancing our needs with the needs of those around us.

Give us courage to follow faithfully, and with integrity—
with actions that bear witness to the words we speak,
and worship that overflows into our daily tasks and relationships—
so that our lives will bring glory and honour to You,
our Redeemer and Lord.

Amen.

~ Christine Longhurst

Spoken Resources

Call to Worship

We come together to celebrate Jesus Christ,
who, though He was in the form of God,
did not consider being equal with God something to exploit.
Instead, he emptied Himself completely,
not only taking on human form,
but the form of a slave.
He humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even a humiliating death by torture on a cross of wood.

So God raised Him up with great honour,
and gave Him a name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus
everyone—
in heaven and on earth and even under the earth
might bow down,
and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord
to the glory of God the Father.

This is our God—
the God we have come to worship!

~ Christine Longhurst

Jesus is Lord

(gradually getting quieter)
Equal with God:
Jesus is Lord
Emptied himself:
Jesus is Lord
Came as a slave:
Jesus is Lord
Found as a man:
Jesus is Lord
Humbly obeyed:
Jesus is Lord
Went to his death:
Jesus is Lord
Death on a cross:
Jesus is Lord

(getting louder)
God raised him up:
Jesus is Lord
Gave him the name:
Jesus is Lord
Higher than all:
Jesus is Lord
Every knee bow:
Jesus is Lord
All tongues confess:
Jesus is Lord

~ Michael Perry. Copyright © The Jubilate Group (admin. Hope Publishing Company). Posted on the EngageWorship website.
http://engageworship.org/

Suggestions for use from EngageWorship: “This piece of spoken worship is particularly useful because it requires no printed or projected words to involve a whole congregation. Explain to the congregation that you are going to say a line, to which you want them to respond 'Jesus is Lord.' The interesting bit comes in that they say the response louder if your hand is higher, softer if your hand is lower. Start the paraphrase of the famous passage with your hand held high, and then gradually move it lower, so the crowd end up speaking the phrase in a hushed whisper. Then begin to raise your hand in the second half, building the response to a joyful shout. We've often had the band begin building music under the second half to aid the crescendo and help us move into a song of praise.”

Songs

Traditional Hymn: At the Name of Jesus

Worship Together #393

At the name of Jesus
every knee shall bow,
every tongue confess him
King of glory now;
'tis the Father's pleasure
we should call him Lord,
who from the beginning
was the mighty Word.

Humbled for a season,
to receive a Name
from the lips of sinners,
unto whom he came,
faithfully he bore it
spotless to the last,
brought it back victorious,
when from death he passed.

In your hearts enthrone him;
there let him subdue
all that is not holy,
all that is not true;
crown him as your Captain
in temptation's hour;
let his will enfold you
in its light and power.

Watch, for this Lord Jesus
shall return again,
with his Father's glory
o’er the earth to reign.
For the day is coming
when each knee shall bow,
so let hearts confess Him
King of glory now.

~ Caroline M. Noel, 1870 (alt)

Tune suggestion:
WYE VALLEY (abridged) (“Like a river glorious” without refrain)

Contemporary Song: He Is Lord

Worship Together #370

He is Lord He is Lord
He is risen from the dead
And He is Lord
Ev'ry knee shall bow
Ev'ry tongue confess
That Jesus Christ is Lord

Emptied of His glory
God became a man
To walk on earth in
Ridicule and shame
A Ruler yet a Servant
A Shepherd yet a Lamb
A Man of Sorrows agony and pain

Humbled and rejected
Beaten and despised
Upon the cross the
Son of God was slain
Just like a lamb to slaughter
A sinless sacrifice
But by His death His loss became our gain

Satan's forces crumbled
Like a mighty wall
The stone that held Him
In was rolled aside
The Prince of Life in glory
Was lifted over all
Now earth and heaven echoes with the cry

~ Claire Cloninger, Linda Lee Johnson, Tom Fettke. Copyright © 1986 Word Music, LLC (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.), Wordspring Music, LLC (Admin. by Word Music Group, Inc.). CCLI Song # 1515225. If you use this song in worship, be sure to report it on your CCLI license.

Contemporary Song: Meekness and Majesty

Worship Together #324

Meekness and majesty
Manhood and Deity
In perfect harmony
The Man who is God
Lord of eternity
Dwells in humanity
Kneels in humility
And washes our feet

O what a mystery
Meekness and majesty
Bow down and worship
For this is your God
This is your God

Father's pure radiance
Perfect in innocence
Yet learns obedience
To death on a cross
Suffering to give us life
Conquering through sacrifice
And as they crucify
Prays: 'Father forgive.'

Wisdom unsearchable
God the invisible
Love indestructible
In frailty appears
Lord of infinity
Stooping so tenderly
Lifts our humanity
To the heights of His throne

Listen to it here:
http://www.worshiptogether.com/songs/songdetail.aspx?iid=576685

Contemporary Song: You Alone Can Rescue

Who O Lord could save themselves
Their own soul could heal
Our shame was deeper than the sea
Your grace is deeper still

And You alone can rescue
You alone can save
You alone can lift us from the grave
You came down to find us led us out of death
To You alone belongs the highest praise

You O Lord have made a way
The great divide You healed
For when our hearts were far away
Your love went further still
Yes Your love goes further still

We lift up our eyes
Lift up our eyes
You're the giver of life
We lift up our eyes
Lift up our eyes
You're the giver of life

~ Jonas Myrin, Matt Redman. Copyright © 2008 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing), sixsteps Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing), Said And Done Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing), SHOUT! Music Publishing (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing). CCLI Song # 5376377. 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=1722527

Images

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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