God of mercy and compassion,
hear our pleas!
We cry to you from the depths,
and we long to hear you respond.
For those who are swallowed up by addiction,
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers!
For those who are devastated by poverty,
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers!
For those who are being abused,
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers!
For those who are suffering under the rule
of those who act as overlords,
and often do so in your name,
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers!
For those who long for freedom and for peace,
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers!

God of hope,
we wait and watch,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.
We wait for appropriate help with mental health issues,
both financially and societally.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.
We wait for a world where everyone has enough,
where those with more pay their fair share
and those with less still have enough to live.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.
We wait for kindness and compassion to reign 
and for civility among people with different views.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.
We wait for the time when all who call upon your  name
do so with humility and grace rather than taking your name
in vain.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.
We wait for the promised reign of peace
when the wolf shall lie down with the lamb,
the leopard with the kid,
the calf and the lion together,
and a little child shall lead them.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.

Out of the depths you have cried to the Lord,
"Lord, hear my voice!"
The Lord is attentive to the voice
of your supplications.
Bring your hopes and dreams,
your fears and frustrations,
your faith and your questions
and lay them at the feet of God,
who welcomes you with open arms
and longs to embrace you again.
​Let us worship God!

2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27 www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Samuel+1%3A1%2C+17-27&version=NRSVUE

Psalm 130  www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+130&version=NRSVUE

2 Corinthians 8:7-15  www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+8%3A7-15&version=NRSVUE

Mark 5:21-43  www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+5%3A21-43&version=NRSVUE

The focus passage for A Place of Grace this week is Psalm 130. All liturgy will be based on this passage. What in Psalm 130 inspires or encourages you? Share your thoughts here: www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=874949294674325&set=a.549399683895956 . 

O Mighty Fortress,
You are our stronghold in times of trouble;
you are our protector and our strength.
Hear our prayers for those who are held captive
by systemic injustice,
by underground slavery,
by black market selling of humans,
by drug and alcohol abuse,
and by corporate greed.
We lift them to you with deep awareness
of our own complicity
in the oppression of those who suffer
at the hands who abuse power.
Transform our perspectives.
Guide us in the way of justice and compassion.
Teach us how to live in ways that liberate others
to enjoy the freedoms currently reserved
for the privileged.

Gracious Lord,
we lift our praises to you;
we rejoice in your deliverance.
Hear our prayers for our enemies.
Hear our prayers for their well-being,
that joy and hope and peace
might enliven them to new ways of being
in the world ...
ways that celebrate diversity,
inspire gratitude,
and encourage listening to those who think
differently
in order to find solutions
to age-old conflicts 
and reflect the wisdom of your kin-dom.

Good and Loving God,
we are grateful for your presence in times of need
for the ways in which you release us from snares
and for your persistent call to care for the poor.
Be present with your people, O Great Provider,
offering comfort to the grieving,
granting opportunities to those in poverty,
and thwarting the plans of the wicked.
Be present through the church, we pray,
that we might be your hands and feet in the world,
visiting the lonely and imprisoned,
carrying the Good News to those in despair,
sharing our resources with those who have little,
and working toward 
a more just world.

Call to Confession

Trust in him at all times, O people;
    pour out your heart before him;
    God is a refuge for us.  (Psalm 62:8)
Let us pour out our hearts before the Lord and seek refuge in God whose steadfast love and mercy know no end:

Prayer of Confession

Merciful God,
You provide your people with a safe-house,
a sanctuary from chaos and persecution,
yet we do not sing songs of praise
and thanksgiving,
nor do we tell the stories of your unending kindness.
You have pulled us back 
from the brink of death, Lord,
you have tangled the feet of our enemies,
yet we fail to sing songs of your salvation.
Forgive us, O God, we pray.
Remind us who we are 
and whose we are.
Remind us whose love has lifted us 
out of the deepest pits of despair and hopelessness.
Remind us how your strong arm
has provided protection for us.
Place a new song in our hearts, O God,
​and lead us in the way everlasting.

Assurance of God's Grace

The Lord is (our) rock, (our) fortress, and (our) deliverer,
    (our) God, (our) rock in whom (we) take refuge,
    (our) shield, and the horn of (our) salvation, (our) stronghold.  (Psalm 18:2 paraphrased)
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. 

Gather in, you who are oppressed
by a system that is determined
to keep you from succeeding.
Gather in, you who trust in the Lord,
you who lean in God in times of trouble,
you who are afflicted and suffering,
​you whose voices are silenced.
You have not been forgotten.
Come and worship the God
​who lifts you up.

1 Samuel 17:32-49  www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Samuel+17%3A32-49&version=NRSVUE

Psalm 9:9-20  www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+9%3A9-20&version=NRSVUE

2 Corinthians 6:1-13  www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+6%3A1-13&version=NRSVUE

Mark 4:35-41  www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+4%3A35-41&version=NRSVUE

*The focus passage for A Place of Grace this week is Psalm 9:9-20. All liturgy will be based on this passage. What in Psalm 9:9-20 inspires or encourages you this week? Share your thoughts here: www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=870112525158002&set=a.549399683895956 .