Dancing Your Praise: Celebrating God's Gift of Long Life

Opening Prayer

To you, God of creation, we sing a new song of praise.
A song of trees planted by streams of living water,
A song of cities delighting in heavenly harmony,
A song of people who were lost and have been found.
For the earth is the Lord's, and we shall be glad in it.
Hallelujah
The People of Pitt Street Unity Church
Sydney, Australia

Call to Worship

Leader: And God said; "I promise that I'll bless you with everything I have — bless and bless and bless.

People: Our hearts are glad in the blessings of the Lord. We praise God today.

Hymn: "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling," 384, United Methodist Hymnal

Proclamation of the Word

Psalm 15

O God, why have you abandoned me?
I sit and wait for you, and you do not come.
I watch everyone who passes,
but it is not you.
I sit by myself on the side of life
and cry to you,
but you do not come.
I stand and look from the window,
but you are nowhere in sight.
I need you, O God, but you have left me all alone.
I try to talk myself into believing
that you're on the way, perhaps tomorrow,
or the next day…
but you do not appear.
How can I walk in this pain all alone?
How can I stand knee-deep
in suffering without you?
Where are you,
O God of my life?
Where are you when I'm in such danger?
Will you let me slip away, simply
because you didn't get here on time?
O God of mercy, do not abandon me.
Show your face at my window
and wipe the tears from my life.
Please come to me. Please take care of me,
I will shout your name from the rooftops!
I will dance your praise
among the stars.
I will tell the world that you would
never abandon me.

Hymn: "Be Thou My Vision," 451, United Methodist Hymnal

Affirmation of Faith: A Litany for Aging by Dr. Richard H. Gentzler, Jr.

Leader: Then the Lord said, "My spirit shall not abide in mortals forever, for they are flesh; their days shall be One hundred twenty years" (Genesis 6:3).

People: Dear Lord, we do need time to grow.

Leader: Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you (Exodus 20:12).

People: We pray that the long years will be good years.

Leader: The glory of youths is their strength, but the beauty of the aged is their gray hair (Proverbs 20:29).

People: Give us strength and experience.

Leader: Remember the days of old, consider the years long past; ask your father, and he will inform you; your elders, and they will tell you (Deuteronomy 32:7).

People: Remind us to ask, and teach us to listen.

Leader: Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life (Proverbs 16:31).

People: Day by day, we strive to be more holy.

Leader: Listen to your father who begot you, and do not despise your mother when she is old. (Proverbs 23:22).

People: We are grateful for parents who teach and nurture in love.

Leader: So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to all the generations to come (Psalm 71:18).

People: We love to tell the story of Jesus and his love.

Leader: In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap (Psalm 92:14).

People: We must look past the wrinkles and see the soul.

Leader: You who are younger must accept the authority of the elders (I Peter 5:5).

People: Yes, we too will soon know and understand . . . give us wisdom so that we may serve others as we have been served. Amen.

New Testament: John 10:1-18

Message: "I Know My Own"

Honoring the Stories of Our Elders
(Ask two or three senior adults of the congregation to share their faith stories at this time.)

Hymn: "He Leadth Me: O Blessed Thought," 128, United Methodist Hymnal

Offering

Prayer of Dedication

O God, as you accept these gifts today, may we celebrate the gift of long and joyous life.
May we be present to those you have given into our care and be instruments of your peace, in Jesus' name. Amen

Responsive Hymn

Closing Hymn: "Blest Be the Tie That Binds," 557, United Methodist Hymnal

Blessing: Going Forth — Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

(Note: Ask members of the congregation, during the first hymn, to bring to the altar the following items: homemade quilts, jams, breads, tools that the men used and still use, hoe, shovel, rake, hats, caps — symbols of their lives and work and play.)

This service was submitted by the Rev. Wendy B. Spector, Mount Tabor, NJ.

Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. Copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Copyright © 2005 Discipleship Ministries, PO Box 340003, Nashville TN 37203-0003. Center on Aging Website: /minister-to-people/older-adult-ministries.

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