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6/28/2019 0 Comments Prayers of the People, P3C Fierce winds blow through the lives of your people, O God,
and we cry out to you for mercy. Hear our prayers. Companion us with faithful friends who refuse to abandon us in our distress and walk with us all the way to places of healing and hope. Grant us double shares of your spirit, that as we seek to find our way back to life, we are strengthened by the community of others who have walked the path we walk before us and encouraged by those who observe our transition from fear and despair to courage and grace. In the fiery storms of grief and pain, Lord, divide for us the waters that threaten to overtake us, and lead us through on dry ground, steadying our feet, and lifting our eyes toward the future. Inspire in us the daring it requires to pick up the mantle that has been thrown down and the wisdom and faith to use it according to your will. In your mercy, Lord, hear our prayers.
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6/26/2019 0 Comments Prayer of Confession, P3C Call to Confession
The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 Let us confess our sin before God, and seek God's mercy. Prayer of Confession, P3C Here we are, God, walking alongside your prophets, holding on to their coat tails, trying to keep them from going where you call them to go. Some of us are standing at a distance, not daring to go the extra mile, afraid of what is coming, uncertain about what it means. Our words say we want to follow where you lead, but our actions say something different. Do we have the clarity to ask for what we need? Do we have the courage to pick up the mantle? Lord, forgive our hesitancy to lead your people. Forgive our insecurities. Empower us, we pray, by your Holy Spirit, and lead us ever forward into life-giving ministry in your name. Assurance of God's Grace God has promised that when we confess our sin, God, who is faithful and just, 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. 6/25/2019 0 Comments Call to Worship, P3C As the Lord lives,
and as we ourselves live, our God will not leave us. Then let us stand before our God and seek God's Spirit. Let us watch with wonder at the works of our Lord, and let us worship with thanksgiving and with praise! 6/21/2019 0 Comments Prayers of the People, P2C Our souls long for you, O God,
Indeed, our souls thirst for you like Living Water, but even in our search, We cannot find you. We feast on tears as those around us ask, sometimes tauntingly, “Where is your God?” Where are you? We remember moving among the congregation As we approached the throne of grace, As we worshiped in your courts With thanksgiving and praise. Why, then, are we discouraged? Why are we so distraught? Have you forgotten us? We looked for you when the earth shook And did not see you. We listened for you when the wind howled, And did not hear you. We begged for you when the fire raged And still you did not answer. Be present with us, O God, We implore you! We need you now more than ever! Hear our cries for mercy, we pray. Hear our pleas for peace. Nourish us with the Bread of Life And restore us to strength That we might once again be fit For service in your name. 6/19/2019 0 Comments Prayer of Confession, P2C Call to Confession
Our God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. (Psalm 86:15) Let us confess our sin before the Lord our God and seek God’s mercy. Prayer of Confession Forgive us, God, For we are gripped with fear! The risks we are called to take in your name Feel overwhelmingly terrifying, And in these moments … Hours … Days … We feel very much alone against the world. It is easy to question whether or not The journey is worth the effort. We long for you to speak in loud And thundering voice To make clear that you are present with us, so when you do not, we fill the silence with whining instead of opening our hearts to hear your voice. Forgive us, we pray, And grant us grace, Empowering us to continue Kingdom-building work In your holy name. Assurance of God's Grace As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him. For God knows how we are made; God remembers that we are dust. (Psalm 103:13-14) By God’s great mercy, we are saved through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. 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~ 6/18/2019 0 Comments Call to Worship, P2C Draw near, you weary and downhearted,
And rest in the presence of the Healer. Draw near, you persecuted and pursued, And breathe peacefully in the protection Of your Rock and Fortress. Draw near, you discouraged and despairing, And find comfort and nourishment for your spirit. Draw near and listen For the still, small voice of God.  Call to Confession
For 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, Trinity Sunday, C Your glory surrounds us, Triune God, but in our rush, we miss it, failing to stop for the wonder of an ant as it carries food to its colony, or the miracle of a human being coming into the world from the joining of two tiny cells, or the vast expanse of the heavens stretching as far as the eye can see. You have redeemed us from the brokenness of our humanity, but we continue to wade through the mire of sinfulness ... our own, but mostly others' ... instead of celebrating the grace you pour out upon us, freeing us from the constraints of our past. Your Spirit breathes new life within and around us, hovering over us as it did in the beginning, and recreating us into children of God, but we fight it, choosing stagnation and rebellion over transformation in the name of love. Forgive us, we pray, Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, and lead us into new life. Assurance of God's Grace Through Jesus God was pleased to reconcile to God's self all things, whether on earth or in heaven, but making peace through the blood of the cross. (Colossians 1:20) 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~  Creator God calls to us from mountain heights
and ocean depths, in the sound of the bird song and the gentle breeze and the thunder that rolls in the distance. The Word, which was in the beginning, became flesh and came to live among us, and revealed God's self to us, calling us to abundance of life and to joy. The Spirit that hovered over the waters of creation makes its home in the children of God, heirs with Christ, in the moment of baptism, and works within and among us to finish the work that was begun in Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer. Let us worship Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer, one God, now and forever, with praise and thanksgiving!  Be present with your people, Lord,
in places of faithful waiting ... waiting for encouraging news ... waiting for light to eclipse darkness ... waiting for hope to overcome despair. Be present with your people, Lord, in the rush of violent wind, where homes are torn to shreds ... where waters roar and foam. Be present with your people, Lord, as your agents of love proclaim the Good News in every nation, in every language, in every vernacular, so that all may hear and be glad! Be present with your people, Lord, bewildered by your movement as it transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary, the familiar into the unexplainable, so that those who witness it may recognize your power at work. Pour out your Spirit, we pray, upon your people everywhere, that visions may become reality and prophesy declared courageously, and that all who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.  Call to Confession
God is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 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. (Heb. 4:16) Prayer of Confession, Pentecost C We wait for you, O God, but we do not wait prayerfully. We do not wait in community. We do not wait expectantly. Instead, we wait petulantly, believing you have abandoned us, left us to our own devices. Your Spirit comes, and we do not recognize it. In our fear, we call it something it is not. We dismiss it as weird. We do not know what to do. So we hunker down, back in our safe circles, instead of scattering to the four winds with your great passion burning inside us. Forgive us, we pray, and lead us out of our comfort zones into a world that longs to hear the Good News of the gospel in every place, in every language, with courage and with boldness we have never known before. Assurance of God's Grace There is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing God's riches on all who call on God. For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:12-13 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 our Lord Jesus 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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