This service was done to kick off our beginning of the year youth group. It is a very contemplative service. Our kids are usually pretty resistive to these types of services but it was amazing to see how they did take it pretty seriously….

Silent Worship

Are you afraid of silence? Do you become uneasy when all the talk stops in a group and people only sit and look away or at each other? Yes, silence can be frustrating in this world of noise and mp3 players and cell phones, but it also can be a meaningful time. Silence gives us the chance to digest ideas and analyze feelings. It can be a time of struggle or relaxation.

Our silence today does not approximate deafness, but muteness. Even without anyone speaking, listen to all the other sounds you hear. Have you been aware of all of them? The deaf person cannot even hear these background sounds.

This is why we are having a silent service:

There is more to worship than listening to the words of a sermon.
We should be aware of all sounds.
Maybe we do not realize the value of speech and singing.
Maybe we don’t realize the value of silence as an equal to sound.
It’s a real chance to talk and listen to God.
Communication is possible in silence.

Order of Worship

Meditative Prayer
Take a few minutes to talk to God in this silence. Pray about this school year. Pray about your fears. Pray about your wants and needs. Pray about the youth group. Pray for your friends. Just pray!!

Greeting
Take some time to walk around the sanctuary and shake EVERYONE’s hand or if you’re feeling the love, give them a hug!!

Call to Worship
Jason will open the Bible. Afterwards, come up and light your candle from the large candle on the table. Return to your seats.

Hymns
Read these praise and worship songs. Read Here I am to Worship first. Ask yourself:

What kind of darkness in my life do I need to see?
How has God been wonderful to me?

Read Sanctuary next. Ask these questions to yourself:
Is there anything preventing me from being a “living sanctuary” for God?
Have I asked God to purify me from the sin in my life?

Meditation of Current Events
Watch the screen. You will see images and words of things going on in the world and around the community. Pick one to pray about during this time. The images and words will repeat throughout this time.

The Lords Prayer
Watch the Screen and meditate on the words as they flash on the screen

Scripture Reading
Pick up a Bible in the Pew Rack. Turn to Psalm 116-read the entire chapter, then turn to Ephesians 3:14-21.

Sermon
Read the attached Devotional

Benediction
The Lord Bless you and Keep you. The Lord makes His light shine upon you, and Give you Peace.

Celebration—Breaking the silence
We broke the silence by begining worship. We just used an acoustic guitar and had some praise and worship time.

***Attached Devotional***

High School Musical Image

Back to school?
Do you have a teachable attitude?
Top Ten Signs Of A Kid Having A Bad First Day At School (or at least five of them…thanks to David Letterman):

….Already voted “Least Likely to Succeed.”
….Lunch was whatever he could scrape off the bottom of his desk.
….His school bus driver made him ride on the outside of the bus.
….Got tackled twice in gym class–three times in algebra class.
….You know the kid everyone picks on? He got picked on by that kid.

photo courtesy images.google.com & text cbs.com/latenight

John 3:1-7 (NLT)
1 There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. 2 After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”
3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”

5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’

What does today’s God’s Story scripture teach us about being teachable?

Nicodemus was a Pharisee. Jesus often went after this group of religious leaders because they rejected the truth of His message and led the Jewish people away from His good news of forgiveness. Nic was probably nervous about what his peers would think if they knew he was hanging out with Jesus. So he went searching for Jesus after dark, because he believed that Jesus had the answers to his questions.

Nic (at nite) was very intelligent and well educated, but he went to Jesus to be taught. He was teachable. That’s the great lesson in today’s God’s Story.

Are you teachable? Do you go to Jesus with an open mind and heart so that His Spirit can teach you the Truth about God’s Story?

After Nic learned the Truth, he became a follower of Jesus. No more sneaking around in the dark! Nic became a bold spokesperson for Christ! (See John 7:50-51.)

You might say that Nic had a really good first day at Jesus’ school!

How can we connect today’s God’s Story scripture to our lives?

Be honest. Are you teachable? God already knows the answer to this question. Do you?
Pray right now…..Thank God for His Truth. His Truth is absolute and never changes! Ask Jesus to give you a teachable attitude so that you might learn God’s Truths and grow to become more and more like Christ.
Write down a list of questions you have about God’s Story and abiding in Christ. Keep it handy and keep digging in the Word until you discover Jesus’ answers. Go to your youth leader or pastor or another follower of Jesus for help. (Do this during the day, because they need to sleep at night!)
Be like Nic - speak up for Christ and share His Story and your story. God will use you to help answer to the questions that others have about His Truth.
Read the rest of the story about Nic in John 3:1-21.
How can we connect today’s story and God’s Story scripture and our story to others?

Since today is probably the first day of school for most of you, ask Jesus to give you a teachable attitude toward God and toward others in your school. Remember that others will be more willing to learn about God’s Story if they see that there’s something positive about your story.
Use the start of the new school year as a conversation starter to learn more about the stories of others around you. You can start with simple questions about what they like and don’t like and then you can probe deeper with questions about their feelings, their fears, their need for help in some way….
Use David Letterman’s (five of the Top Ten) as a humorous way to find out some signs that your friends really are having a bad day at school. Be ready to be a friend and help.