Women Who Wander Home Worship Guide
 
Sisters in Christ, this worship resource has been created for you to worship in your home while we are not able to gather together in person. I encourage you to worship at 10:30 AM on Sunday morning so that we may be in prayerful community together even when we are apart physically, but any time that you worship is a good and appropriate hour for worship.
 
Whenever God’s people gather to worship, whether in a sanctuary or around a kitchen table, whether for personal devotion or gathered with a group, God’s presence abides.
 
Remember that we are called to support each other during this uncertain time as we seek to live as Christ’s hands and feet in the world. Reach out in connection to God through prayer and reach out in connection with your neighbors through phone calls and notes, particularly to those who may be alone or isolated.
 
May Christ’s peace be with you today and always.
 
If you have a candle, light it to remind you of the light of Christ that is always with us.
 
Preparation for Worship
As you begin this time of worship, take a deep and centering breath.
As you breathe in, say, “Be still and know”, and as you breathe out, say “That I am God.” Repeat a few times as you center yourself and prepare your heart to worship God.
 
Call to Worship                                                                                                    Psalm 118:24
This is the day the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
 
Opening Prayer
Use this one or your own creation.
 
Lord, help me to relax.
 
Take from me the tension
that makes peace impossible.
Take from me the fears
that do not allow me to embrace change.
Take from me the worries
that blind my sight.
Take from me the distress
that hides your joy.
 
Help me to know
that I am with you,
that I am in your care,
that I am in your love,
that you and I are one.
 
Amen.
 
~ written by David Adam in “The Open Gate” SPCK 1994.
 
 
Hymn/Song
 
http://www.hymnary.org has the lyrics and accompaniment to various hymns. You may also look to online streaming services like Spotify, Pandora or Amazon Prime for hymns/praise songs.  YouTube often has lyrics as well as music to contemporary praise songs as well as hymns.
 
Use one of these suggestions or sing a hymn/song familiar to you.
 
●      “My Shepherd Will Supply My Need”
 
●      “Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound”
 
●      “Be Thou My Vision”
 
●      Praise Song: “Build Your Kingdom Here” Rend Collective
 
●      Praise Song: “Praise You in This Storm” Casting Crowns
 
●      Praise Song: “I Am Not Alone” Kari Jobe
 
 
The Great Law
What does Jesus say is the greatest commandment?
            That we love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.
            And a second is like it: that we love our neighbors as ourselves.
What does Jesus say is the way we should live the commandment?
            That we should love others the way he loves us.
 
Prayer of Confession
If you have children who are not yet readers in your home, teach them the shared refrain before you pray so that they may join their voices with you in prayer.
 
God of grace, we are sorry for the many times we have thought of ourselves only and forgotten about the needs of those around us.
Forgive us, God of grace.
For the times we have hurt the members of our families by thought words or action.
Forgive us, God of grace.
For the times we were unkind and impatient with those who needed our time and concern.
Forgive us, God of grace.
For the times we were too weak to stand up for what was right and allowed others to suffer because of our fear.
Forgive us, God of grace.
For the times we refused to forgive others.
Forgive us, God of grace.
We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
 
Scripture
Sunday, March 28th Revised Common Lectionary Scriptures are:
Ezekiel 37:1-14, Psalm 130, Romans 8:6-11, John 11:1-45
Did you know that each Sunday has four assigned texts? One old testament, one Psalm, one Epistle and one gospel! Not all churches use this…but when you do, it is pretty awesome to know there are a LOT of people around the world studying the same scriptures as you each Sunday.  Choose one or more of these texts to read today.
 
If you don’t have a printed copy of the Bible, www.biblegateway.org has scripture online.  In worship at HPPC, we typically read from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) although multiple translations are available.
                                      
Wondering with the Word
Some of these questions are from Godly Play by Jerome Berryman and are an encouragement to wonder with God’s word. Every person gathered has a voice in this wondering and the goal is not a “right” answer, but rather the opportunity to wonder about the scripture. Use any and all of these questions for your response to God’s word. If you are worshipping alone, take time to journal your responses to these wondering questions or simply to ponder them prayerfully.
 
●      I wonder what your favorite part of this story is….
 
●      I wonder what is the most important part of this story…
 
●      I wonder where you are in this story…
 
●      I wonder what part of this story could be left out and still have all the story we need…
 
●      I wonder what this scripture teaches us about the wilderness…
 
Another idea for considering scripture is to think about the trouble in the text and then putting this alongside the trouble we see in the world. Then find the grace in the text and identify the grace we see in the world. How do these texts speak to what we are facing in our world right now?
 
Offering of our Gifts
With your household, consider what gifts you could offer to God and to God’s people during this uncertain time. Speak them out loud or write them down and after worship, make a plan to share these gifts. Some examples include: making a phone call to the person who usually sits next to you in worship to check in, finding beauty in the world or in your home and posting a photo on our church Facebook page, finding a creative way to encourage your neighbors (a friend from Charlotte hung a chalkboard from a tree in their front yard and writes new messages/art each day for neighbors who pass by).
 
Prayers of the People
Offer prayers for the needs of the world, paying particular attention to those who are vulnerable in our community, nation, and world. You can create or your own prayer or use this one written by Rev. Teri Peterson, Ridgefield Crystal Lake Presbyterian Church, Crystal Lake IL:
 
God, your faithful love surrounds us,
and we give you thanks
for the gift of life, and the gift of new life,
and for the many ways you sustain and nurture us.
We come before you this day,
some of us tired and hungry,
looking for your word to sustain us,
your spirit to comfort us.
some of us come bruised and sore,
looking for healing,
longing for wholeness.
some of us come despairing,
wondering what has happened
and where the joy of life has gone.
some of us come with heavy hearts,
praying for young people harmed by those who should protect,
praying for those who look different and so are suspect,
praying for a world on edge, tense with fear and hate and violence.
We come, looking for good news in the midst of the world’s bad news.
We come, seeking forgiveness for our wrongs,
seeking to know your presence when we feel so alone,
seeking to know your heart and will for a world with so much need.
In the silence, we offer you our prayers, and we listen for yours.
Let your grace rain down on us, O God.
May we be surrounded by your love, your peace, your hope.
Open our eyes and our hearts to see you in unexpected places,
guide our hands to show your love.
You are a God of surprises,
a God of peace, a God of hope,
a God of love.
Fill us with your spirit, that we may widen the circle until all the world knows your grace.
Amen.
One idea for prayers of the people is to use a 5-finger prayer…
Your thumb: pray for those with whom you are closest; your family and friends
Pointer finger: pray for those who point you in the right direction; teachers, pastors, etc.; pray for wisdom.
Tallest finger: pray for leaders; for wisdom and discernment.
Ring finger: pray for those who are sick or in trouble
Pinky finger: pray for ourselves
Lord’s Prayer
(Here is one version, though you are welcome to use the version that feels most comfortable for you.)
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
 
Hymn/Song
Use the suggestions from page 1 or sing a favorite hymn or song.
 
Blessing
May God go with you, wherever you go...
behind you to encourage you
Above you to watch over you,
Beneath you to lift you from your sorrows,
Beside you to befriend you in obedient ministry,
Within you to give you the gifts of faith, hope, and love,
And always before you to show you the way. Amen.
 
Change the Light
To remind you that the light of Christ goes with you wherever you go, extinguish the candle if you lit one at the beginning of worship and allow the smoke to billow as a reminder of Christ’s abiding presence.
 
Sisters in Christ, know that you are a part of God’s beloved family and be at peace.
 

​CHECK IN WITH JAMIE, CASSANDRA, AND CONNIE! Hear why they are so excited to meet Sarah Herron, and how her mission to normalize bodies and adventure without fear has inspired them! ...and please bear with us through some technical difficulties. :) 

​As we started planning WWW, just one year ago, we started to get to know each other in such a unique way. Of course we quickly became fast friends, but pulling off an event of this scale in less than 5 months required us to dive a little deeper. We went all in. We quickly learned a lot about each other and ourselves. 

Despite blending together in a sea of chambray, a shared appreciation for hilarious memes, and a love for the wild things and places of Uvalde County, Texas and beyond, we came together at the start of this journey with very different stories and skills. 

We span an age range of about 12 years and are in different stages of life; our childhoods don’t sound similar and our ancestry is diverse; we’ve experienced different tragedies and struggles, (cumulatively we’ve probably covered them all), and we enjoy different successes. 

We have different strengths and weaknesses, which luckily compliment each other well 99% of the time. (A funny .GIF helps with that other 1%), and our personalities run the gamut of the Enneagram. 

Quite frankly, we wouldn’t be surprised if there were some people that assumed this would be a recipe for disaster. 

The thing is, our differences have served us well and made us stronger. We were able to do more, cover more ground and reach more people. (Which admittedly might have been a little overzealous for that first year, but nevertheless, here we are!) 
And we have learned so much from each other, supported each other, been introduced to amazing new people, different lifestyles and and new skills. 

Our goal was to create an unforgettable outdoor experience in the Hill Country River Region of Uvalde County that would empower 600 visiting women to feel confident in nature and build a community of like-minded, yet diverse women, to benefit Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation and the Game Wardens that champion for our great state and the people of Texas. At this point, we definitely feel like we’ve benefited the most from this amazing and empowering journey and we are so grateful for all of you who have supported and joined this community. 

It’s not been lost on us that we quickly went from 5 women at a table brainstorming, to something much bigger. We know that has very little to do with us, but everyone that came together to support this vision, and could not have been possible without a shared appreciation and respect for everyone’s differences, an understanding that 2 (or 600) heads are better than one, and some really great GIF keyboards. 

All that to say... no matter where you’re from; if you’re an avid outdoor adventurer or rarely escape the city; how old you are (as long as you’re over 21 🍷); if you’re coming with a group of friends or wandering solo; what stage of life you’re in and what challenges you’re facing; we hope you’ll wander with us, because we know first hand how this community can lift us all up. And we have a darn good time. 

We can’t wait to wander with you!