JOIN US FOR WORSHIP
Worship isn’t about performance; it’s about participation.
This Worship Guide serves as a weekly resource as we join in singing, praying, and celebrating the work God is doing in our community.
Whether you’re at the Lyric Theatre or tuning into our live stream, we’re so glad you are joining us!
Let’s jump in.
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
Luke 1:39-55
PRAYING TOGETHER
Key Thoughts:
“Who among us will celebrate Christmas correctly? Whoever finally lays down all power, all honor, all reputation, all vanity, all arrogance, all individualism beside the manger; whoever remains lowly and lets God alone be high; whoever looks at the child in the manger and sees the glory of God precisely in his lowliness.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Visit restorationlex.com/practice to learn more about the spiritual practices we share as a Church family.
GROWING TOGETHER IN COMMUNITY
Start your time together by having a few people share where they’ve seen God at work in their lives throughout the week.
God is not contained to a service or a building. We want to live with the expectation that God is present and at work in the everyday stuff of our lives. We listen, join him in his work, and share stories of how he’s moving!
Talk It Over
1. It’s safe to say that no one expected the Messiah to arrive in the womb of a poor, unmarried teenage mother in a nowhere town, and it follows a pattern – God does his best work where we least expect it. Where has God surprised you be working in and through a place or situation where you never expected him to show up?
2. Andy Crouch defines power as “the capacity for meaningful action.” We all have some measure of power. And in a world where we’ve seen abused of authority all around us, what are some of the marks of healthy expressions of authority and empowerment? Where have you seen leadership exercised in a healthy way?
NEXT STEPS AND RESOURCES