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3/19/2019 0 Comments Call to Worship, L3C Come, you who long for abundance and joy,
Who thirst for it like water. Come, and delight yourselves by feasting On the Word. Seek the Lord. Call upon God’s name. For the Lord your God will grow in you Seeds of joy and peace and healing. Come, and be restored.
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3/15/2019 0 Comments Prayers of the People, L2C Almighty God,
you have promised peace, even sending your Son to be the Prince of Peace, though we crucified him, and we continue to crucify each other. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers for the peace you have promised. We grow weary in our waiting for your promises to be made real in our midst. As your children die senselessly in schools and in homes and in houses of worship ... places that should be safe are instead places of horrendous tragedy. Be present, O God, with those who grieve and grant comfort in these times of trial, and make of your people everywhere, peacemakers, who will bring hope to the hopeless in places of conflict and strife that violence will cease and love will prevail in your name. Creator God, you have silenced the storm and soothed the waves, and promised to be our refuge and our strength. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers for the strength you have promised. We find ourselves asking, "How long, Lord?" in the face of nature's ire. From the eye of the tornado and the depths of the floods, from the blinding blizzard and the incessant rain, and the bottom of the avalanche, we call to you on behalf of those evacuated and those who get caught in the midst of the mess. Be present, O God, with those who are displaced, with those who have lost much, with those who are struggling to survive, and make of your people everywhere, rescuers, who will reach out and provide, sharing from our own blessings to lift up those who have been struck down, so that they might find the strength to stand again. Merciful God, you have promised newness of life in lands unknown where generations will prosper beyond our imagination. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers for leadership that leads us to this promise faithfully and with great courage. From places of fear and frustration and foolishness and even faith, we call to you, begging you to remember your covenant, and to deliver your people everywhere from this agony of waiting and restore to us the promise of salvation as we journey through the wilderness of Lent, that we might encourage one another with the stories of your faithfulness and in acts of worship forever and ever. 3/13/2019 0 Comments Prayer of Confession, L2C Call to Confession
All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) Let us confess our sin before God and seek God's mercy. Prayer of Confession, Lent 2C Here we are, God, the helpless, hopeless, half-hazard humans you have called to be the church. Here we are, fumbling, failing, frustrated fools, living in fear instead of faith. We question when you call us to take risks. We choose small and safe instead of the large and expansive you offer. We are impatient and demanding. Forgive us, we pray. Help us to trust where we cannot see. Help us to rest in your promises. Grant us courage to follow where you lead, and the strength to trust in your Word. Assurance of God's Grace Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you insect, Israel! I will help you, says the Lord; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 41:14) In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. Thanks be to God! Since we have been forgiven in Christ, let us also forgive one another. The peace of Christ be with you. Please extend the peace of Christ to all whom you encounter this day. 3/12/2019 0 Comments Call to Worship, L2C God calls to us, "Do not fear."
Come, you strong and courageous. Come, you terrified and afraid, for the Lord our God will go with us wherever we go. God reassures us, "Do not worry." Come, trusting in the Lord with all your hearts and trying not to lean on your own understanding. "Look," says God, as God points to the breadth of God's faithfulness. Come, and wait for the Lord. "I'm the same God," says our God. Come and find your refuge and strength in God, who is an ever-present help in times of trouble. Let us worship God. 3/8/2019 0 Comments Prayers of the People, L1C Prayers of the People, L1C
Creator God, by Your hand, we are blessed, the fruits of your creation abundant for our needs. Hear our prayers of thanksgiving as we approach the throne of grace in gratitude and praise. Hear, also, our prayers for all of your created order, that those who seek to destroy it in the name of greed might be transformed and be inspired to protect that which they currently destroy with limited perspective, that ALL may be fed, that habitats may be protected, that sustainable farming methods might be promoted and your creation continue to flourish and to thrive. Head of the Church, by your grace, we are called, the gathered people the Body of Christ at work in the world. Hear our prayers of adoration as we lead your people in worship. Hear, also, our prayers for continued provision that no matter how small our congregations may be, we may continue to answer the call to make disciples, to baptize in your name, and to teach all you have commanded. In action and in truth, may we go out from this place and be the Church you have claimed and commissioned, that the world may glorify your name in every time and place. Spirit of Love, by your leading, many have found refuge and safety in foreign lands. Hear our prayers of praise that those who were in danger have found safety, that those who were hopeless have found hope, that those who were hungry have found abundance, that those who were grieving have found comfort, that those who were oppressed have found freedom. Open our arms to receive your children and offer them hospitality according to your law of love, that the world may truly find community in your embrace, that those who are secure may offer shelter, and those who are blessed may bless others, and those who have suffered may offer compassion, and those who are free may use their voices to effect justice according to your perfect will. 3/6/2019 0 Comments Prayer of Confession, L1C Call to Confession
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 1 Timothy 6:17 Let us confess our failure to put our trust in God, and seek God's mercy. Prayer of Confession, L1C We have forgotten who we are, God. We have forgotten whose we are. We have forgotten from whence we came, and the ways in which you have saved us, even from ourselves. In our arrogance and selective amnesia, we celebrate ourselves instead of giving thanks to you. We claim victory over our circumstances instead of glorifying you for keeping your covenant with us. Forgive us, we pray. Recall in us the promises you have made to a thousand generations of those who love you. Renew a right spirit within us, and lead us in paths of righteousness for your name's sake. Assurance of God's Grace God has promised that when we confess our sin, God will forgive us our sin, removing it as far as the east is from the west, and remembering it no more. In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. Thanks be to God! Since God has forgiven us in Christ, let us also forgive one another. The peace of Christ be with you. Please extend the peace of Christ to all whom you encounter this day. 3/5/2019 0 Comments Call to Worship, Lent 1C Bring your baskets of blessings!
Bring your abundance of gifts! Come to God's house and give thanks! When your gift is received, acknowledge God's hand upon you, remember the story of your people, GOD'S people, remember and celebrate worship in the house of the Lord!  Almighty God,
we are those whose hearts long for you, for time in your presence, for the sound of your voice, for the warmth of your love. We are also the ones who hide our faces, who run in the opposite direction, who fear coming into your light. Shine your light into us and around us and through us, we pray, drawing us near and healing our spirits. We are those who veil ourselves from one another, who propose structures that separate us, who dread returning to the work of reconciliation and of justice and yet long to do your will, even when it wearies us. Empower us by your Spirit, Lord, that we might return to our callings strengthened and refreshed with hearts that are open and courage that does not wane. We are those who love you and love our neighbor quantitatively ... conditionally ... and with reservation. Transform us by your Word, living and active, that we might drop our defenses and see into the hearts of your created beings with love that knows no end. Ignite in us a passion for you that can only be satisfied by creating sacred space with the expectation that we will be transformed and sent, charged with witnessing to your infinite glory in all the places where those who also long to dwell with you reside.  Call to Confession
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16) Prayer of Confession, Transfiguration Sunday, Year C We come into your presence with our minds veiled. We cannot risk seeing you face to face. We cannot risk being changed. Give us the law again, O God. We want to believe the law will make us holy, will define who and what we are to be, will make clear for us the lines we want drawn between us and them. Forgive us, God. Forgive our fear and trembling at things we do not understand. Forgive our dependence on stone tablets. Open our eyes to the transforming work you are doing in and around us in the name of Love, that we might recognize the holy in the faces of all whom we have arrogantly and erroneously condemned in your name, and love as you love. Assurance of God's Grace Therefore, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:19-22) In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven! Thanks be to God! Since God has forgiven us in Christ, let us also forgive one another. The peace of Christ be with you. Please extend the peace of Christ to all whom you encounter this day~  We are called from the routines
of our ordinary lives to experience the holy; invited to come near to God ... to hear God speak, that we might be transfigured ... changed ... by the glory of God's presence. Come if you dare. Come, and seek God's face. |
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