Teacher, 
we come before you, 
some of curious ...
some of us anxious ...
some of us fearful ...
wondering how to read the future
by the signs of our times.
We raise our concerns
over authoritarianism
and idol-worship
and fascism 
in our world. 
Our hearts are breaking over
wars
and famines
and plagues,
over the revocation of
and disregard for
the rights of the marginalized,
and the injustice that reigns 
in communities of need. 
Hear our prayers, O God,
for all who are hurting,
who are being betrayed
repeatedly
by those who are responsible
for their protection.
Give us the words to speak your truth, Lord,
in their defense and in yours.
We cannot wait any longer, Lord!
Grant us courage to be the church
according to the example set in Jesus,
and help us to endure
by the power of the Spirit. 

Call to Confession 

Jesus answered them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah!’[a] and they will lead many astray. (Matthew 24:4-5) Let us confess our propensity to idol worship and seek God's mercy:

Prayer of Confession

Forgive us, God.
We focus on the beauty of our temples
instead of the wonder of your sacrifice.
We focus on the charisma of false leaders
instead of the humble servitude of Jesus.
We barter in fear and use it to secure our own desires
instead of trusting in your promises
and proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel.
We have not been willing to sacrifice our very selves
as Jesus did by his example
in order to declare your Word
and protect your people.
Hear our pleas for mercy, God.
Hear our repentant cries.
Save us from ourselves, we pray!
Transform us in prayerful service,
and lead us in through these trying times
into the hope that comes through life in Christ.

Assurance of God's Grace

But the one who endures to the end will be saved. (Matthew 24:13) And indeed, have already been saved by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ who endured to death and then overcame even death by the hand of God who raised him from the dead and seated him at God's right hand. 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.

Calling all who witness to the extravagant love of God
in Christ,
who believe in welcoming the stranger
and feeding the hungry
and lifting up the poor;
who trust in the wisdom of and keep respectful company
with women,
and with the outcast,
and with the generous of spirit; 
who share out of storehouses with those in need,
and protest injustices toward the marginalized,
and gather in the hurting to offer healing
and hope:
seek God's wisdom,
trust God's guidance,
act in God's strength,
demonstrate God's LOVE.

God of the Resurrection,
we raise our voices in praise and thanksgiving!
You are the hope to which we cling.
You are the promise of the future.
Hear our prayers for the world:

For those who are ill and suffering,
we pray for your healing hand,
your strengthening Spirit,
your endless compassion
and grace.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.

For those whose faith seeks understanding,
we pray for your wisdom and discernment,
for your guiding Word
and the law of Love
in leading them to clarity.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.

For those who fear death as an end versus a beginning,
we pray for comfort and peace,
for glimpses of the holy
and moments of precious transformation
as you breathe new life into old bones.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.

For a world that is in conflict
across borders,
throughout communities,
around dining room tables,
we pray for your presence,
for your gentle and loving energy
pervading our conversations
and calming our discourse.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.

For a country that is choosing,
we pray for wisdom.
May we choose to follow
in the path of the One who taught us 
how to live in community
by example.
May we choose to care for our most vulnerable,
to welcome the stranger and learn from them,
to respect all peoples and protect their voices,
to broaden the definition of communal support.
May we choose to provide equal opportunity
for every race and gender identification,
so that all we hold dear may indeed be accessible
for all God's children everywhere.
May we choose freedom
to make decisions
and to exercise choices
that do not infringe on the rights of others.
And may we seek to create a world
that is safe for our children 
and for their children
and for their children after them,
a world that reflects the stewardship to which God called us,
and sustains all people 
in all places
to the end of time.
Lord, in your infinite mercy, 
hear
our
​prayers.

Call to Confession

​For we do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. (Romans 14:7-9) Let us confess our sin, and seek God's mercy:

Prayer of Confession

Rabbi ... Teacher ...
we come before you full of ourselves,
challenging your teachings,
arguing your truths.
Like those who confronted Jesus,
we barely conceal our distrust
in your message
or your directives.
Forgive us, we pray.
Open our minds to a new way of thinking ...
to a new way of living ...
to living as people of faith ...
to living as people of the resurrection!
Transform our experience of life on earth
by the values you instill in us
through the example of your Living Word
and the power of the Holy Spirit.
May both inform and guide our choices
today and every day
as we seek to serve you. 

Assurance of God's Grace

But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the fruit you have leads to sanctification, and the end is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:22-23) People of God, hear the Good News: In 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.

Resurrection people,
sing praises to God!
Look toward eternity
with gratitude 
and hope.
The God of Abraham and Sarah,
of Isaac and Rebekah,
of Jacob and Rachel,
promises new life in Christ
now
and forever.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God!