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7/31/2018 0 Comments Call to Worship, OT18B Give thanks to the Lord, for the Lord is good!
God's steadfast love endures forever! The Lord blesses the poor and restores justice. God's steadfast love endures forever! The Lord redeems the repentant and shows them mercy. God's steadfast love endures forever!
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7/27/2018 0 Comments Prayers of the People, OT17B The soldier goes to battle, Lord,
to serve and to protect, on battlefields and city streets, sacrificing much that all will be safe. Encircle the troops with protection, we pray, and keep them in your care, while teaching the leaders of nations the art of making peace. Those in positions of power stand in lofty places and look down upon the voiceless, summoning them, using them, and abusing them, attempting to manipulate circumstances and shattering their world. Draw them in and comfort them, we pray, emboldening them to share their stories and granting them the courage and strength to speak their truth. The innocent die as war is raged with nations and with nature, and much is lost in the fight. Be present with the grieving, Lord, and be our Rock, sustaining us in times of trial, and redeeming your world and restoring our hope. God of mercy and compassion, hear our prayers. 7/25/2018 1 Comment Prayer of Confession, OT17B Call to Confession
"But one is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it; 15 then, when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death." (James 1:14-15) Let us confess our sin before God, and seek God's mercy. Prayer of Confession Covetousnessness, Lust, Pride, Fear, Deceit, and Manipulation. We are all guilty, every last one, of placing our own desires over our commitments to others, over our covenant with God. We do not deserve forgiveness, but we beg for it. Hear our prayers for mercy, Lord. Transform our hearts and renew a right spirit within us that we may live abundantly in your holy name. Assurance of God's Grace "The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23) 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~ 7/24/2018 0 Comments Call to Worship, OT17B Servants of the Lord Most High,
come at the invitation of the King of Glory. Kneel before the Lord your God, your Maker. Receive the Lord's blessing. The Lord is faithful, even when the world is not, especially when the world is not. We give thanks for God's goodness, even as the battle rages around us, and we return to the front lines prepared to serve in Christ's name. 7/20/2018 0 Comments Prayers of the People, OT15B Good Shepherd,
show compassion for your people, we pray: for those who lead with great sincerity, but fail to rest or to care for their physical, emotional, or spiritual needs. In your mercy, grant respite in the form of competent substitutes, courage to set appropriate boundaries, humility to accept human limitation, and wisdom to step away from the chaos to be fed by your Spirit. Show compassion, we pray, to those who are lost, alone, and afraid. In your mercy, speak words of inspiration and hope to families that are separated by distance or by force, to those without shelter in the heat, in the fire, or in the storm, to those suffering from mental illness and those who love and care for them. Show compassion on the sick, Lord. In your mercy, place your healing hand upon all who are injured or ill, in pain and in despair, restoring balance of body, mind, spirit, and emotion, and restoring them to complete wholeness and health. Reform your Church, O God, that we might go out to serve as the Body of Christ at work in the world. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. 7/18/2018 0 Comments Prayer of Confession, OT15B Call to Confession
Woe to the one who builds a house by unrighteousness, and upper rooms by injustice, whose neighbor is forced to serve without wages. (Jer. 22:13-15) But to the one who confesses their sin, God will be merciful. Let us confess our sin before God. Prayer of Confession OT15B How quickly we forget that you are the God who brought us up out of bondage, who provided for us in the wilderness, who led us to the Promised Land. How arrogant we are, how self-assured: certain that we are the chosen. It is all about us. Forgive us, we pray. Open our ears to your still, small voice reminding us that you are God, that you are sovereign, that you are Love. Transform our hearts, we pray, and instill in us a servant spirit that everything we do is born of the quiet humilty that comes from remembering to whom we belong. Assurance of God's Grace Believe the Good News: We have been delivered from the hand of our enemy that we might serve the Lord without fear, in holiness and righteousness before God all our days. (Luke 1:74-75) Thanks be to God! 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. 7/17/2018 0 Comments Call to Worship, OT15B Come away to a quiet place,
a place of rest and renewal, a place of healing and hope. Come, and sit beside still waters, souls refreshed, cups overflowing. Come to listen and reflect, to remember and recognize: God is among us ... everywhere. Come, and worship. 7/13/2018 0 Comments Prayers of the People, OT14B Faithful and ever-present God,
Hear the cries of those who come, uninvited, to the party, Hoping to be included, Longing to dance in the safety of community, And are separated from those they love As the door is shut in their faces. Be merciful, O God, we pray, and inspire hope in them that they may dance the dance of freedom. Hear the cries of those who wait to be rescued, Willing themselves to stay alive, Praying for strength. Hear the cries of those who wait for them And the rescuers who seek to restore them to wholeness. Be merciful, O God, we pray, and inspire hope in them That they may dance the dance of new life. Hear the sighs of those whose hearts are hardened As they look upon joyful expression From places of fear And jealousy And loneliness. Open their hearts to the delight that comes When they release their rigid hold on self-control, and follow your lead. Playful Creator, send your whirling Spirit To dance within and among us Just as you sent your Son to lead us in the dance Of life that is rooted in love. Amen. 7/13/2018 0 Comments Prayer of Confession, OT14B Call to Confession
Every day, we fail to love the Lord our God with ALL our hearts and with ALL our souls and with ALL our minds and with ALL our strength. Let us meditate on the ways in which we have fallen short of the glory of God. Prayer of Confession Forgive us, God, Our fear overtakes us, Our doubt is stronger than our faith, Our hearts are filled with anger. We have laid down our instruments, Refusing to dance, Refusing to acknowledge your presence In our midst. We neither frolic nor play Nor feast together in true community. Move within us, O God, And enliven our spirits, Opening our hearts to a joyful expression Of your faithfulness To your people. 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! <pour water into baptismal bowl as a reminder of our baptism> 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 today.. |
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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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