For Sunday, 20 September 2020
Wherever & whenever you choose!
Church Without Walls: Driveway to Driveway
Beloved Anchor City Family,
We are so thankful that our church community demonstrates the reality of Psalm 68:6, “God sets the lonely in families.”
This week, instead of gathering via Zoom for worship, we are meeting in socially-distanced small groups — in driveways, backyards, parks, or wherever works for you!
Please use this simple worship guide to help connect you to God and to each other. We believe transformation happens in community, so we encourage you to bring open hearts in worship, prayer, and friendship! You’ll find suggestions in green throughout, but feel free to make this worship service your small group’s expression of worship!
This Church Without Walls is for young and old alike. We know the littles can be squirmy at times, but please include and encourage them to participate! We’re praying for grace, friendship, and love to overflow as you worship God together this weekend!
Call to Worship
Suggestion: You can read this out loud together or have one person read. If you have kids in your group who can read, this might be a great way to get them involved in leading worship too.
Read Psalm 133:1 out loud.
How good and pleasant it is
Psalm 133:1
when God’s people live together
in unity
Opening Prayer
From @prayersfromterry via Instagram
Suggestion: Read this prayer out loud in unison as a group.
O God who makes the whole world Your temple,
just as You have consecrated our sanctuaries,
make the place where we are standing holy ground.
In the absence of the human adornments of the chapel,
make the grass, the air, the light, the sky,
and sights and sounds of town
into signs of Your glory
and enrichments of our worship.
Send forth the sights and sounds of our praise
as a witness to our neighbors;
a symbol of the ongoing expansion
of the love, hospitality,
and sacred space of the Holy Spirit,
who reigns with You and our Savior Jesus Christ,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.
Praise
From Psalm 148
Suggestion: Instead of singing a praise song, make this Psalm your group’s praise today. If you have kids in your group, make sure to create motions as you read each verse out loud.
Feel free to make this praise your own! You can have one person read a verse, and then have the group repeat it while doing motions, or you could read one verse at a time together as a group as you do each motion — be creative and have fun with this!
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 148:1
Praise the Lord from the heavens!
Praise him from the skies!
Praise him, sun and moon!
Psalm 148:3
Praise him, all you twinkling stars!
Praise the Lord from the earth,
Psalm 148:7
you creatures of the ocean depths
Wild animals and all livestock,
Psalm 148:10
small scurrying animals and birds
Let them all praise the name of the Lord.
Psalm 148:13
For his name is very great;
his glory towers over the earth and heaven!
Bible Reflection
James 5:13-15
Suggestion: You can read the passage out loud together, have one person read the whole passage, or have different people (including kids!) read different verses.
After reading out loud, please take some time to share as a group.
Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.
Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.
And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.
James 5:13-15
Please share 1-3 things for which you need prayer.
Please share 1-3 things that give you hope.
Finally, please share 1-3 dreams that you have (these could be for yourself, our church, the community, or the world)
If you’re comfortable doing so, please wrap up the reflection time by praying for each other.
The Lord’s Prayer
Suggestion: Please close your time of worship by praying the Lord’s Prayer out loud together. You can have one person say, “Let us pray the prayer Jesus taught us to pray, saying. . .” as a way of prompting everyone to pray together in unison.
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom
and the power
and the glory, forever.
Amen.
Anchor & Hope Church 