Field Notes #30: Planning Toward July 4

I started musing in general, rambling terms about preaching/planning worship on July 4 in this post, and since then I've done more thinking and planning. Here's my basic approach this Sunday: I'm preaching on 2 Kings 5:1-14. My sermon is going to be about that passage. (And no, I have no idea what exactly I'm going to talk about just yet.)

Musical selections include "Down to the River to Pray," "Let the River Flow" (I arranged this one myself--maybe I'll record a rough version later), "Wade in the Water," "Wash, O God, Our Sons and Daughters," and "Shall We Gather at the River." (Ohmygosh it is hard to find decent versions of praise songs/hymns on YouTube. I apologize for some of these. I did my best.) Hopefully we'll also be able to do Needtobreathe's "Washed by the Water" as an offertory anthem. (Hint: we've got a water theme going on.)

I couldn't find a call to worship that I liked, so I wrote one:


L: This is the day that the Lord has made!
P: Let us rejoice and be glad in it!
L: Today we celebrate our freedom to love and worship God.
P: Let our worship be a declaration of dependence.
L: We come with a need for healing,
P: With wounds, with illness, with pride.
L: We come with a need to put God first,
P: Before ourselves, before our family, before all other loyalties.
L: We come to respond to a gracious invitation, “Wash, and be clean!”
P: We come seeking mercy and justice for all God’s people.


And here's an opening prayer from The United Methodist Book of Worship:


Almighty God, you rule all the peoples of the earth. Inspire the minds of all women and men to whom you have committed the responsibility of government and leadership in the nations of the world. Give to them the vision of truth and justice, that by their counsel all nations and peoples may work together. Give to the people of our country zeal for justice and strength of forbearance, that we may use our liberty in accordance with your gracious will. Forgive our shortcomings as a nation; purify our hearts to see and love the truth. We pray all these things through Jesus Christ. Amen.


That pretty much sums up my approach to Sunday, July 4.