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SP I R I T U AL L I N K S
The praying for
The at the Center City
I.
CALL TO WORSHIP Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it: I. am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the LORD, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to idols. See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them. Isaiah 42: 5 - 9
SCRIPTURE Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall laud your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed, and I will declare your greatness. They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness, and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The LORD is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made Psalm 145: 3 - 10 COLLECT Merciful God,
II. MUSIC Rebecca Carr, soprano; Bernard Kunkel, piano "Take, O Take Those Lips Away"
WELCOME PREPARING FOR PRAYER MUSIC Rebecca Carr, soprano; Bernard Kunkel, piano "Fear No More the Heat o’ the Sun"
III. SCRIPTURE Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will
guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, beloved, whatever is
true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is
pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is
anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Gracious God, beautiful in majesty, inexhaustible in love,
From the earliest days of our dawning sense of you to the
farthest reaches of theology, O God, you have always been a God of stories and
their telling. Our faith is anchored in the central drama of your
Incarnation, spun
out in the length of your life among us as one of us, your passion, death and
resurrection. We look from
Creation to Exodus, from Prophecy to Apocalypse. We
inhabit the biblical narrative, living now between Ascension and Return, and
discover it to be a
story, as full now as in earlier acts, of mysterious omens and signs, exiles and
orphans, schemers and buffoons, encounters strange and commonplace, spirits,
spells, potions, dreams, good and evil, disguises and discoveries, plays within
the play and stories within the story -- yet all belonging to the same tale,
that reaches bottomless depths of grief, and rises from it to the joy that has
seen recovery of all that was lost, and all severed ties knit whole again. For one who seized the art of the drama as no one else, for
Shakespeare, we give you thanks and praise. Everywhere, O Lord, you have laced our world with
fine
We give thanks likewise for all the 'apostolic' succession of
artists: players, producers, directors, film makers who bring his plays to life.
We thank you for all who let our world and the world of the play, like parallel
universes intersect, and, passing through each other, net the truth. For the Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival, which laying
their art into Shakespeare’s, makes more, we thank you with our whole hearts.
Do more for them, that they may do more for us. We need the Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival so much more
than other things that try, and fail, to satisfy. Made in your image, we seek,
too, to create worlds and people them. For all those of the Philadelphia
Shakespeare Festival, who do so, we praise and thank you. For the way three
times each season they create a universe and invite us in, we give thanks. For the creativity and the genius in their art, that makes
them partners and fellow players with the playwright nearly five centuries gone
from us, thank you God. You Muses, all nine of you and more, we know gathered as the
many faces of One, and call by the name of the third Person of the Trinity: Holy
Spirit, Blessed Holy Spirit, Light of the Mind, Fire of Every Art! Go to each
member of this company: in set, light, technical and costume design, in
properties and stage managing, in the offices and on the boards, the fundraisers
and patrons, and especially the directors and actors, and give the inspiration, the strength, the lust for the craft, the
capacity for transcendence that can come finally from you alone. IV. SCRIPTURE In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
John 1: 1-14
THE PRAYER LIST The Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival seeks: . 2. To attract ten new donors who can give $10,000 each.
SILENT MEDITATION
The Room of the Muses
V. PASSING OF THE PEACE
BENEDICTION
"Our doubts are traitors, Lucio to Isabella Measure for Measure, I., v.
About Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival 2000- 2001 Season The season features the work of nationally known and critically acclaimed artists. The Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival, under the Artistic Direction of Carmen Khan, is pleased to announce its 2000-2001 season. The three play season began in October with Romeo and Juliet, continues in February with Measure for Measure and concludes in May with Twelfth Night. The season will feature the artistic work of some of the country's finest Shakespearean theatre artists including the nationally known and critically acclaimed director Tazewell Thompson, and a recent adaptation of Measure for Measure by Libby Appel, the Artistic Director of The Oregon Shakespeare Festival. All the productions will be held at The Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival's home at 2111 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-4405. For tickets, call The Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival Box Office (open Mondays through Fridays from 12:00 to 6:00 PM) at: 215-496-8001 The Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival 2111 Sansom Street About The Center City The Center City Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion has been "In the City for Good" for the past 125 years. We are a diverse, gospel centered congregation and a hospitable place of worship and learning. You are invited to join us for worship each Sunday at 11:00 a.m. We treasure our tradition of excellent music and the choir provides special music during festival times of the year. Our Community is open to all people. We are a Reconciled in Christ Congregation and welcome all people regardless of sexual orientation. Take advantage of the many opportunities for learning and community life during the week through bible study and discussion groups, small group ministry, music camp, Sunday school, adult forum, visits to interesting and historical places, or line dancing for all ages.
"We will praise god as we declare that Christ is our
savior, proclaim the gospel, serve our neighbors in the community and the world,
and love one another." The Center City
Twenty First and Chestnut Streets The Rev. Dr. David E. Farley, Pastor
The Alethia Foundation thanks the Pastor, Staff and Congregation,
About The The Alethia Foundation is an ecumenical, scholarly organization, dedicated to a Christian synthesis for a new age. The Alethia Foundation draws from Nicene theology in order to provide a Christian interpretation of the paradigm shift now taking place in human understanding. The Alethia Foundation seeks to make heard a voice of Christian enlightenment and to contribute to a renaissance of Christian thought and art.
Spiritual Links Staff
K. Brian Anderson
Service composed by Sandra Ellis-Killian
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