Blessed are you, O God,
your steadfast love endures forever!
With gratitude and praise,
we lift our voices, singing,
"your steadfast love endures forever!"
Hear our prayers of thanksgiving, God!
Hear our shouts of joy!

We are ever so grateful for your presence with us
in times of celebration
and in times of chaos and fear.
As we gather to worship,
as we come together to pray,
as we organize to respond to injustice,
as we stand to speak truth to power,
as we unify to live out our call as the Body of Christ,
we trust that you will hear and answer.

Be present, Lord,
with those who feel the mountains shaking,
whose foundations are falling into the heart of the sea.
Be present, Lord,
with those who are crying out for success
from places of economic crisis
and false imprisonment
and natural disaster
and devastating illness
and grief.
Hear our prayers, and move us to compassion.
Give us the courage to love with an openness
and vulnerability
that might just transform our thinking,
and as a result, our way of being,
so that your love may be reflected 
in all we do and say.

Shine your light into the darkness
that is our current state,
and lead us into the promise of kin-dom living
ushered in by you Son, our Redeemer,
who was exemplifies victory
for all people everywhere.

Call to Confession

Save me, O God,
    for the waters have come up to my neck.  (Psalm 69:1)
Let us name the waters that are burying us and seek the saving grace of God:


Prayer of Confession

Forgive us, God, for we have sinned.
Forgive our lack of gratitude for all you have done.
Forgive our failure to offer praise,
to give credit where credit is due.
We claim our own success, 
saying we are "self-made."
But none of us are "self-made."
Everything we have comes from you.
Still we boast in arrogance. 
Forgive us, we pray.

Forgive our lack of love.
We claim to be followers of God
whose steadfast love endures forever,
but we do not love unconditionally 
as you love us.
We put boundaries on who will love
and how we will exhibit it.
Have mercy on us, O God.

Forgive our lack of faith.
Rejecting the Chief Cornerstone,
we have built our belief system on human values,
trusting in human leaders,
hoping in finite human measures.
We have failed to follow Jesus' example
of humility, compassion, and grace.
Redeem us, O Christ.

Forgive our failure to rejoice.
We curse the day,
choosing darkness over light,
making our deals in back alleys,
bypassing communal decision-making,
so that our deeds cannot be seen,
and then we puff our chests 
and bellow lies.
Save us, O God!

Turn our hearts away from greed
and self-centeredness
and toward a communal mentality
where love wins.


Assurance of God's Grace

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself,[a] not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.  (2 Corinthians 5:18-19) Hear the Good News: 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 week. 

O give thanks to the Lord,
for the Lord is good!
God's steadfast love endures forever!
Come, you whom God has justified through faith,
you whom God has made righteous
through Jesus Christ.
Gather along the path of protest
to celebrate the rebel Jesus
who has come to save us from ourselves:
​Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord!

Luke 19:28-40  www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2019%3A28-40&version=NRSVUE

Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29   www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20118%3A1-2%2C%2019-29&version=NRSVUE

The focus passage for A Place of Grace this week is Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29. All liturgy will be based on this passage. What in Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 inspires or encourages you? Share your thoughts here: www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1084595677043018&set=a.549399683895956. 

God of mercy and compassion,
be present with those
who are exiled from their homes, we pray.
Be present with those who have left their lives
and everyone they love
in pursuit of safety,
of freedom to love whom they love
and to be who they are.
Be present with those who have been sent away
without cause
or due process
that they may have a fair chance to plead their case
in a court of law.
Be present, O God, with those in power,
that they might seek to create environments
where freedom and safety and justice
are paramount
for all people.

God of abundant life,
be present with those who have lost their footing,
who are struggling to stay afloat
in chaotic times,
who don't know how to plan
and don't have financial resources
to sustain them.
Be present, we pray,
with those in despair
and who, with heavy hearts,
face overwhelming fears
they do not know how to tame. 
Be present, O God, with those who make decisions
that affect the masses,
and whose words 
and actions
impact the markets
to the degree that daily living
and retirement incomes
become insurmountable challenges.
Grant wisdom and discernment
and a willingness to change course
when those with greater experience and knowledge
raise concerns.

Hear your people as they cry to you, O God,
and watch over them . 
Sustain them with a word, we pray,
and fill those who trust in you with
​armloads of blessings.

Assemble, dreamers,
singers,
joyful,
blessed.
Gather, hopeful harvesters
who sow in faith.
God has done great things for us!
​Let us worship God!