[Theme: 'Peak Experiences']

1. APPROACH

‘Voluntary’: music to assist worshippers in preparation for worship. Organ quietens.

WELCOME: ‘Good morning. We’re here and God is here.’ (Pause, while someone begins to light three candles). It’s good that we’re here: let us believe “something good is going to happen” among us this morning. If you’re not normally here, it’s good that you’re here. Let us greet one another, and when the organ starts playing again we will move back to our seats and into a time of silence.

INVOCATION: ‘The Lord is in his holy temple: let everyone be silent in his presence’ [Habakkuk 2:20] …[silence]… ‘How I love your temple, Almighty Lord! How I want to be here… With my whole being I sing for joy to the living God.’ [Psalm 84:1,2] …[silence]…

Glory and majesty surround you,

power and joy fill your temple…[silence]…

Praise the Lord, all people on earth

praise his glory and might.

Praise the Lord’s glorious name;

bring an offering and come into his temple:

Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. [1 Chronicles

16:27-29]…[silence]…

RECOLLECTION OF THE LORD’S PRESENCE [Hymns and songs of adoration, highlighting the wonderful qualities of the God we have come to worship. This musical praise climaxes the 'overture' to the worship service]:

Immortal Invisible, God only wise. Great God of Wonders Holy holy. Be Exalted O God. I exalt thee.

PSALM OF THANKSGIVING: Responsive reading Psalm 139:1-18, 23-24.

2. LITANY OF CONFESSION AND RECONCILIATION

Leader: The Lord be with you

Response: And also with you

For the greed which exploits others and wastes the good earth

Lord forgive us

For wanting more and more while so many have less and less

Lord forgive us

For our indifference to the suffering of the poor: the hungry, the homeless, the tortured and the oppressed

Lord forgive us

For the lust which misuses others for our own selfish desires

Lord forgive us

For the pride which leads us to trust too much in ourselves and not in You

Lord forgive us

We confess that we have sinned – in thought, in word, in deed; and in what we have not said or done.

God forgive us. [pause]

If we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all wrongdoing.

God has forgiven us… Thank you Lord… We can now make a fresh start. Renew us Lord. Create in us a clean heart. Fill us with your Holy Spirit. Re-engage us in your service. We commit ourselves to forgive others as you have forgiven us. We’re yours, Lord: we’re all yours.

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 today our daily bread, Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.

3. COMMUNITY: RELATING TO EACH OTHER

STORY-TIME: Stories to and from the children. Visitors? – May be introduced by members, and may respond if they wish with details of their being with us. Mission notes: resident missionaries, Bible college students, evangelists etc. Spec- ial opportunities for mission. Then, to the children ‘Once upon a time…’ Brief stories shared by anyone in congregat- ion on our theme: peak experiences, encounters with God.

COVENANT: We are not alone, we live in God’s world. We believe in God: who created and is creating, who has come in the true man, Jesus, to reconcile and renew, who works within us and among us by his Spirit. We trust him. He calls us to be his church: to celebrate his presence, to love and serve others, to seek justice and resist evil. We proclaim his reign over us and the whole world. In life, in death, in life beyond death he is with us. We are not alone: thanks be to God!

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION AND SUPPLICATION: [prayers for each other, our community of faith, our surrounding community, our state and nation, the world].

4. LISTENING TO THE WORD

THE WORD OF GOD IN SCRIPTURE: [Brief explanation of relevance of Scripture readings to the theme of the service]

Genesis 28:10-22 [with mime by young people; then short silence]

2 Corinthians 12:1-10 [Short silence]

HYMNS: Jesus thou joy of loving hearts. My Jesus I love thee

SERMON: PEAK EXPERIENCES

5. RESPONSE

RESPONSIVE HYMN: O Thou Who Camest From Above

OFFERING: Seated, during singing of ‘I am Thine O Lord’

PRAYERS OF RESPONSE: Thanksgiving and commitment

6. COMMUNION

[Before communion, people are invited to come to the front and kneel for confidential prayer with laying on of hands by a pastor/elder of their choice for any concern - confession and reconciliation, physical or emotional healing, petition for oneself or an intercession for another. During this time congregation is in prayer. While organ plays congregation may quietly sing some songs of trust and thanksgiving and commitment].

[During distribution of bread and wine, someone quietly sings with guitar accompaniment 'Eat this bread...Remember Me']

HYMN: Because He Lives

7. COMMISSION [Dedication to commitment and service for week ahead]

BENEDICTION

SUNG RECESSIONAL: Now Unto Him

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[PS: 'Notices' are all printed in the weekly bulletin, not verbalized, except for welcome and invitation to community- meal afterwards, and special opportunities for mission. At some stage announce the theme for next Sunday to allow reflection and possible participation in that service. For this morning, people were invited last week to contact pastor/s with stories of peak experiences, particularly if they had not told anyone before, and might be a little fearful or embarrassed about them. Perhaps an invitation will be given to talk during the coming week about anything to do with peak experiences to a pastor or elder or group leader].

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