Mid-Week Worship
In the past, families would have a time of worship, on their own, on a weekly basis. There may have even been family altars, which held the family Bible, around which the parents and children would gather, read Scripture, and pray together. Like many good things in our world, this seems to be a thing of a bygone era, and yet now we have the opportunity to gather as a household, a couple, or an individual and come before God and worship again. This page is meant to help you do that. There will be prayers, music to listen to, and a Bible study that you can wrestle with, in order to make this worship experience your own. If something is helpful to you, perhaps return to this page again during the week. If something isn’t, feel free to move on.
The point is to carve out a space for God in our day and to proclaim Jesus the Lord of our lives.
At heart, the essence of worship is simply this: O come, let us adore him.
OPENING
PRAYER
O Lord our God, truly you know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning you awaken us to listen as those who are taught. Open our ears, O Lord, and give us courage that we might not be daunted or turn away from you. For you alone offer sure redemption; with your help, we will not be disgraced. For our Lord Jesus Christ has gone this way before, having fixed his resolve, knowing the suffering that awaited him in Jerusalem. Make us ready, we pray, to worship and serve you with utmost devotion and faithfulness, in the name of Jesus, the name above all other names.
HYMN
CALL TO
CONFESSION
READ SILENTLY:Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness; and being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross. In the spirit of humility and obedience, let us confess our sins, the very sins for which Christ Jesus has died, knowing that this rejected one has become the very cornerstone of our faith.
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PRAYER OF
CONFESSION
READ ALOUD: Our Lord Jesus Christ, when you rode into Jerusalem upon a donkey’s colt, you came in peace and humility, to shouts of “Hosanna! Save us!” Truly, you came to save us. Yet, such a salvation was not what we expected. We confess that we have wanted salvation on our own terms. Unwilling to humble ourselves, presuming to know better, we have repeatedly resisted your will and your call to repentance and faith. Forgive us, O Lord, for all the ways in which we have kept you at arm’s length. We recognize now, more than ever, that we need your saving grace. We pray, once again, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” Amen.
ASSURANCE
OF PARDON
Read silently until the bold,
“Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me. It is the Lord God who helps me; who will declare me guilty?” Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in whom there is no sin and over whom sin has no power, has obediently suffered death for our sins. Therefore, God has highly exalted him and given him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Know that, in Christ, we are forgiven and free to live for the praise of his glory. Thanks be to God!
THE WORD
CHILDREN’S
MESSAGE
BIBLE
STUDY
THE RESPONSE TO THE WORD
Questions for Reflection
- Are there any ways that I have limited God’s reach into my life? Is there any area I have declared to be “mine” and effectively barred God from reaching or speaking into?
- Is there any way I’ve tried to make God into my own image – to shove him into a box of my own making?
- In what ways does God call us to lay aside property, like the colt and donkey, or go to great lengths, like the branches, for God?
HYMN
HYMN
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE & THE LORD’S PRAYER
Take this time to pray for the concerns of your heart. Conclude with the Lord’s Prayer.
THE SENDING
The Benediction
Friends, remember that no matter where you have been, or where you may go, our God has been with you. He is with you on the mountain and he is with you in the valley. Our God is a God of everlasting hope, love, and grace. Trust in him in the midst of these difficult times. Go in peace. Serve the Lord in gladness, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Previous Mid Week Liturgies
The Opening Prayer, Call to Confession, Prayer of Confession, and Assurance of Pardon were all borrowed or adapted from Timothy Matthew Slemmons’ wonderful liturgical resource book, Lightning from the East: Liturgical Elements for Reformed Worship, Year A (p. 121-122).