Order of Worship

3-22-26

Always maintaining a proper balance between proclamation of the word about life with the deeds which make life good.

Prelude ~

Shared by Clayton Freed

Welcome and Announcements

Shared by Pastor Ken

We welcome everyone to our service and hope you are blessed by worshipping with us.

Opening Words

Shared by Pastor Ken

One: Who are we and what are we called to do?

All: We are the sensitive and responsive ones called to create a world where every person is radically affirmed, and barriers between people become

bridges of inclusion, justice, and spirituality.



Call to Worship ~ Linda Johnston

One: Welcome to the weary and the worn.

All: Welcome to the wiggly and the eager.

One: Welcome to the skeptical and the seeking.

All: Welcome to the early risers and those still trying to wake up.

One: Welcome to the rule followers and the rule breakers.

All: Welcome to those hungry for justice and those

desperate for mercy.

One: Welcome to the sinners and the saints.

All: This is the house of the Spirit of Life and Love.

One: You can make yourself at home here.

Let us worship our just, merciful, and faithful God!

Singing Our Faith ~ For the Beauty of the Earth

1. For the beauty of the earth,

For the glory of the skies,

For the love which from our birth

Over and around us lies,

God of all, to Thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.

2. For the wonder of each hour

Of the day and of the night,

Hill and vale and tree and flower,

Sun and moon and stars of light,

God of all, to Thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.

3. For the joy of ear and eye,

For the heart and mind’s delight,

For the mystic harmony

Linking sense to sound and sight,

God of all, to Thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.

Centering Moment ~ Pastor Ken

Invitation to Confession ~ Linda Johnston

Jesus once said to a crowd,

“Let anyone among you who is

without sin be the first to throw a stone.”

Friends, none of us are without sin. This was not said to make us feel bad. It was wisdom to remind us that all of us are human and it tears us apart from each other when we act holier than thou. None of us get it right all the time. None of us can get by without God’s grace.

In the Prayer of Confession, we acknowledge this truth.

We put down our stones and we turn to God for forgiveness.

Join me in this act of transformation.

Let us pray:

Prayer of Confession ~ Linda Johnston

Holy God,

we love to live our lives by the rules.

We love clear answers. We love right and wrong. We love swift justice. We love to pick up stones, but you show us another way. You welcome shades of gray and nuanced conversation. You prioritize mercy over legality. You prioritize people over tradition. You prioritize love over everything.

Forgive us for losing sight of what truly matters. Forgive us for clinging tighter to laws than to each other or to you.

Forgive us. Soften our hearts. Root us in mercy, justice, and love. With hope for a better tomorrow, we pray. Amen.

Words of Forgiveness

Led by Pastor Ken

Shadow Rock Church family,

Jesus saw a crowd ready to throw stones and invited them to

choose another way. Jesus offered them grace, mercy, and

compassion, and the same can be said for us.

So hear and believe the good news of the gospel:

Our God is a God of mercy.

Our God is a God of compassion.

Our God is a God of grace.

We are forgiven, loved, and invited to choose another way.

Thanks be to God for yet another second chance.

Amen.

Celebrating Forgiveness and A New Start ~

Shared by Clayton Freed

Celebrations For the Deep Goodness of Life

Led by Pastor Ken

This is our time to share the celebrations of our lives: birthdays, anniversaries, words of kindness and works of peace and justice.

Music for Thinking of You Cards

Shared by Clayton Freed

Invitation to Give ~ Linda Johnston

One: In the light and beauty of day

All: We give thanks in awe and wonder.

One: In the dark and stillness of night

All: We dream of healing and hope.

One: And so we give of ourselves and our offerings to God.

QR Code for Giving Page

The Chime Calls Us to The Word About Life

Word About Life ~ Pastor Ken

Concept of Religion-less Christianity

In his letters from prison, particularly one dated April 30, 1944, Bonhoeffer articulated his thoughts on what he termed

"religionless Christianity." He expressed concern that the world was moving towards a time when people could no longer engage with religion in the traditional sense. He stated,

“We are moving towards a completely religionless time;

People as they are now simply cannot be religious anymore.”

This statement reflects his belief that conventional religious

expressions had to become irrelevant in the face of modern

existential crises and moral failures, particularly in light of the atrocities committed during World War II.

Burning of the Prayer Flags

Led by Peggy Hesley

One: From Tibetan culture we borrow a ritual of hanging prayer flags on a dar-ding. Prayer flags are gentle reminders to open our hearts and minds. They create an intention for

more kindness for ourselves and all beings.

All: The wind is believed to carry the mantras and prayers inscribed on these cloth strips as silent blessings across the land, promoting peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom for all sentient beings.

One: When they weather, the traditional method of disposal is to burn them, allowing the smoke to carry the inscribed

blessings into the air to be spread by the wind.

All: Today we enter a ritual reminding us to share our

intentions to be loving and kind.

One: Kind in our dealings with one another.

All: Kind to the animals in our care and those living in the natural world.

One: Kind to the sacred earth, our home.

All: Kind to those we know and those we don’t.

One: Kind in our thoughts and in our deeds.

All: As a final act of trust and respect for the messages on

these flags, we burn them knowing the wind will carry

these intentions to all corners of the earth.

One: It is our wish that we will continue to spread loving

kindness in our daily lives. May it be so.

Sending Forth Song ~ Loving Kindness

by Marilyn Rampley

Wind, lift our intentions

Let them float on the breeze

Scatter them over the earth

And plant them in softened hearts

And nourish their growth.

Chorus:

Loving Kindness to one another

Loving Kindness to our home

Loving Kindness in our thoughts and deeds

May we practice loving kindness.

Breath of Life, clear out the clutter

Hold kindness close

Then spread it to every corner

Singing in power

Even in our hearts.

Chorus:

Loving Kindness to one another

Loving Kindness to our home

Loving Kindness in our thoughts and deeds

May we practice loving kindness.

Sending Forth

Led by Marilyn Rampley

One: You are invited to move to the labyrinth where we will burn the prayer flags from our dar-ding, entering into a ritual

practiced by many cultures through the ages, sending

voice and spirit on the wind.

All: May the breeze carry across the land the inscribed

loving intentions and goodwill from these prayer flags.

One: May we be reminded that all things come to an end, that death awaits us all.

All: Yet our faith tells us that life conquers death, that hope lives on, that our loving kindness provides healing and hope wherever needed.

One: As you leave this place, when you meet anger, speak with love. When you meet fear, speak with hope. When you

meet pain, speak with gentleness. But no matter what,

speak this good news. The good news of the gospel is love

and justice for all. It is joy that surprises, and it is

nonviolence that transforms.

These are the times!

All: We are the people!

One: All of Creation is blessed!

All: May we love all and serve all!

One: God be with you.

All: And also with you.

One: Amen.

All: Amen.

Sermon Reboot is ON for today.

This is a time to talk about the message and explore together using the ORID Art Form Conversation methodology. What is ORID? It stands for Observation, Reflection, Interpretation, and Decision. You will get the hang of it.