02/14/2025
We are anticipating another, possibly bigger, winter storm this Saturday and Sunday. We hope to be able to make a decision by Saturday evening as to whether or not we will gather for worship on Sunday morning, and to announce that decision by e-mail, social media, and WMUR. We offer the following home worship guide in case we are called to worship not gathered as a local church but in our homes.
FCBC Home Worship Guide
February 16, 2025
Our hope is that, if we are unable to gather together this morning in worship, we might instead express the unity of the gospel and our local church by worshipping dispersed in our homes. We invite all to join us for a video call at 11am (link will go out via email) to encourage, comfort, and exhort one another, passing on our experiences of home worship.
*Prayer of Preparation and Invitation: Ask God to quiet your heart and open your eyes to his presence as you worship.
*Call to Worship: Read Psalm 148. This Psalm starts by repeating the Hebrew word "Hallelujah," meaning “Praise the Lord!” It is arranged in couplets (two verses). If you are with others, you might consider sharing the reading, letting one person read two verses, and then passing to the next person. A second idea (which you can do in conjunction with the first) is for, whenever the Psalm states “Praise the Lord!” for everybody to respond, “Hallelujah!”
*Prayers of Praise: Reflect upon Psalm 148 and how it exclaims praise to the Lord:
- Who and what are called to Praise the Lord? (vv 1-5, 7-13)
- For what reasons are we called to Praise the Lord? (vv 5-6, 13-14)
Pray prayers of praise in that spirit. Praise God for who He is, what He has done, what He is doing, and what He promises to do.
*Song: "Crown Him with Many Crowns"
Video with lyrics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXBgh06XnyM
*Prayers of Confession and Repentance: Pray, confessing to God and to one another how you have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory, as we all have (Romans 3:23). Acknowledge that these are affronts to God and that you desire to turn from these ways and toward Jesus and his ways. Receive and give thanks for the forgiveness He offers through Jesus, our Lord and Christ.
*Scripture Reading and Discussion: Read the book of 2nd John (it’s very short). Some believe that “the elect lady” (v1 – called “dear lady” in v5) and “your elect sister” (v 13) are euphemisms for local churches, while others believe they refer to specific women. Regardless of which interpretation is correct, consider and discuss:
- The repeated and different expressions of love John makes regarding the “lady” and her children
- John’s commendations, requests, instructions, warnings, and wisdom
- What it looks like to live out the commandment to love one another
- John’s longing to be with them in person rather than writing from afar
Regarding that longing to be together, discuss what you miss most about not being able to gather this morning for Sunday worship. Commit to remember this, take joy, and thank God for it when we are next able to gather!
*Prayers of Thankfulness: Try this exercise: think of something for which you are especially thankful, and give thanks to God for that. Then think of something that had to exist or occur for that to have happened, and give thanks to God for that also. Continue this through several iterations as you spend time thanking God, and commit to living lives filled with gratitude for his blessings both seen and unseen.
Example: “Thank you God that we are safe and warm in the midst of this storm… for providing this place for us to live in, and the wood for our stove to give us heat… for providing the employment and funds to pay for these… for how you arranged the meeting that led to that job… etc”
*Prayers of Supplication: In light of what we have seen in the book of 2nd John, how might we pray specifically for the needs of others in our church and community as well as our own? Some ideas:
- To know the truth of Jesus’ gospel, that its truth might abide in us and others forever (vv1-2)
- To experience and exhibit God’s grace, mercy, peace, truth, and love (v3)
- To take joy in seeing Gospel truth being lived out (v4)
- To love one another by walking according to his commandments (vv5-6)
- To be on guard for and protected from those who would deceive and distort (vv 7-11)
- To hold to the true teaching of the Gospel (vv 8-9)
- To take joy in faithful community (vv12-13)
*Song: Sing this song in hope and anticipation for when we are indeed able to gather together!
“We Gather Together”
Video with lyrics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahjZhZygvOY
*Live out Gospel Hope: Some ideas for how to spend some time this morning:
- Write or send an email to one or more of our missionaries to connect with and encourage them
- Check in on a church member or neighbor who might be in need of assistance (and let us know if it is a need that the church might be able to address), particularly those who are alone or isolated.
- Share something you learned with a friend or family member outside of your home
- Give thanks and praise to the one who tells the snow "Fall on the earth." (Job 37:6a).
- Take notes to share at the next Magnify evening!
- Join with us at 11am via videochat to discuss your experience of worship this morning.
