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4/28/2020 0 Comments Call to Worship, E4A The Good Shepherd calls his sheep by name
and leads them out. We follow because we know his voice. Whoever enters through the Good Shepherd's gate will be saved. We will come in and go out and find pasture. Whoever enters through the Good Shepherd's gate will have life and have it abundantly. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God!
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4/22/2020 0 Comments Prayer of Confession, E2A Call to Confession
The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23 Let us confess our sin before God, and seek God's mercy. Prayer of Confession, E2A We are disheartened, Lord. We are confused and looking for answers, trying to make sense of the indescribable. We are searching for hope, and struggling to see what is right in front of us. Forgive us, we pray. Open our eyes to see you in the healer who companions our loved ones when we cannot be there, in the deliverer of surprises, in the carrier of Good News. Open our ears to hear you in the Word that never changes and yet is always dynamic and relevant, in the kindness of a stranger, in the patience of a teacher. Open our hearts to recognize you in the breaking of bread, in the gathering of friends near and far, in the flash of a moment when everything becomes clear. We want to witness to the miracle of resurrection life, but first, we have to encounter it ourselves. Assurance of God's Grace Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has redeemed his people. Luke 1:68 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 Zoom-counter this day~ 4/21/2020 1 Comment Call to Worship, E2A All who find themselves discussing
recent tragedies, looking for light in the darkness, stop on the journey, and listen. All who are blinded by grief and confusion, trying to make sense out of that which does not, stop on the journey, and pay attention. All who are weary of traveling yet still thoughtful of traveling companions, stop on the journey, and offer hospitality, for the one who walks alongside you ... the hungry, tired, anxious, at-risk stranger, is none other than the risen Christ. 4/17/2020 0 Comments Prayer of Confession, E2A Call to Confession
Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38 Let us confess our sin before God and seek God's mercy. Prayer of Confession, E2A Isolated in our various "upper rooms," Lord, the fear can be consuming. We struggle to hold on to the truths you have taught us, to the beliefs we hold dear, to the hope of a future where light overcomes darkness and death is truly swallowed up in victory. Forgive us, we pray. Stir in us a spirit of renewal. Give us the courage to keep on keeping on, and the patience to wait. Help us to make the most of this time to focus our attention on you, to spend time with you, to just be present and listen for you, so that when the time comes to safely lift shelter-in-place we can walk out stronger for having experienced your presence before us, behind us, beside us, among us, and within us. May it be so. Assurance of God's Grace For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. John 3:17 In the name of the risen 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 Zoom-counter today. ;) 4/16/2020 0 Comments Call to Worship, E2A All who are isolated
and living in fear, peace be with you. All who are angry and feeling betrayed, peace be with you. All who are doubting and refusing to trust, peace be with you. Christ is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!  Risen Savior,
we stand outside the empty tomb alone and wondering. We know how the story ends, and we are overwhelmed with relief and gratitude. We have seen your sacrifice in the healers obedient, even to death. We have seen your compassion in the first responders, who stand ready to care for those in distress. We have seen your faith in the religious leaders who comfort all who grieve loss of life and loss of life as we knew it. We have seen your commitment to justice in those feeding the hungry and those legislating to pay workers furloughed from their jobs. We have seen your strength in those who have overcome and in those who have rallied around them from afar. We have met you in so many unexpected places, Lord, and we recognize you. Your rising among the disciples who sew masks and make porch drops delivering groceries and call to check in on your people reminds us that the celebration of Easter is not limited to cathedrals with grand hymns and large choirs, but is made known to us even as we hide in isolation. Thanks be to God!  Call to Confession
The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Let us confess our sin before God, who sent God's only Son to save us, and seek God's mercy. Prayer of Confession, Easter Sunday, Year A Here we are, God, with an empty tomb in front of us, and still we refuse to follow ... still we refuse to believe. We claim to be your disciples, yet we stand outside, confused and confounded by the vastness of your love, unable to comprehend what it means to love another to the point of obedience on the cross. Why would you choose the isolation of death over communal life even if it means that others will die? Why would you not put yourself ahead of those who stand in judgment? God, Almighty, we do not understand! Forgive us. Open our eyes to this miracle of life! Help us to see that LOVE WINS! Teach us the compassion and grace to love as you have loved us in the sure and certain hope that one day soon, the face coverings will be laid aside, and we will walk out into the world where we will truly see you as we have never seen you before and rejoice. And then, we will know what love is because we will have learned what it means to lay aside one's life for another. May it be so. Assurance of God's Grace God did not send God's Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. In the name of the risen Christ, we are forgiven! Alleluia! Amen. 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. Come from your places of darkness and despair.
Light has overcome darkness! Come from your tombs of hopelessness. Death has been swallowed up in victory! Come out from hiding. LOVE WINS! He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen! 4/4/2020 0 Comments Prayers of the People We are nearing Jerusalem,
and the way feels treacherous. We are aware of growing tensions among our own ranks. We long to celebrate, but before we race to the empty tomb we must first endure the pain of the cross. Be present with us, Lord, as our loud hosannas turn to desperate cries of angst and fear. The world is in turmoil as we wrestle with the unfamiliar, hardly knowing how to answer the questions that are raised in our midst. Be present with us, Lord, as we walk down unknown paths with fear and trembling. Give us faith in times of trial, that whatever the present holds, the future is secure in Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you forever.  Call to Confession
In fear and trembling, we approach the throne of grace and call upon the name of the Lord, seeking mercy and forgiveness. Let us confess our sin before God. Prayer of Confession, Palm Sunday A Have mercy on us, Son of David! Have mercy on us! You told us do justice and love kindness and walk humbly with our God. Yet we choose to look the other way when the vulnerable are ignored and those on the fringes are further marginalized. We choose to look toward our own interests rather than the interests of others. We choose to embrace anger and hatred and prejudice over mercy and hospitality. We choose arrogance and entitlement over humility and servanthood. Still we gather and shout "Hosanna" and lay our hopes before you as you move among us, humble and exhibiting the very antithesis of what we have chosen and reminding us what we say we believe. Have mercy on us, Son of David! Have mercy, indeed! Place your yoke upon us and teach us, for you are gentle and humble in heart, that we might find rest for our souls. Assurance of God's Grace But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen.” (Hosea 1:7) 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. |
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Julie participated in the 25th Seminar for Certified Zentangle(R) Teacher Training in June, 2019, trained by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. In addition to creating art as a personal spiritual practice, Julie also incorporates the Zentangle(R) method in Prayer Art Retreats in a variety of contexts, including church groups, friend gatherings, and at a local art gallery. Check out the Upcoming Events page for a calendar of events, or use the Contact Us page to inquire about scheduling an event with your group!
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