Why have you come?
We wish to see Jesus.
The hour has come.
The Son of Man will be glorified.
Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, 
it remains a single grain.
Bear fruit in us, O God.
Those who love their life will lose it.
We long for eternal life.
Whoever serves Jesus must follow.
Lead on, O King Eternal, we will serve you to the end.

Light beckons God's people,
awakening us to the promise
of eternity.
God longs to gift God's children
with real life:
full, abundant, and eternal.
Let us come into God's presence
with joyful hearts
​and worship.

Table-turning God,
your turning of the tables is not popular here;
your emphasis on love instead of power is considered foolish;
your righteous anger in the face of despicable behavior ...


#prayersofthepeople L3B posted: https://revgalblogpals.org/2021/03/06/sunday-prayer-grant-wisdom-and-courage/

Call to Confession

For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; 3 he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. (Malachi 3:1-3) Let us present our sin offerings before the Lord our God, and be purified anew:

Prayer of Confession

Sovereign God,
Jesus traveled with the faithful to the Passover Feast,
a feast of remembrance to recall your mighty acts 
in rescuing your people from slavery in Egypt.
In doing so, he set an example for those who would follow him
to be faithful in worship,
to remember,
and to celebrate.
We are not faithful, O God,
in worship, in remembering, in celebrating, or in setting an example.
We have failed to keep the remembrance feast,
or to live as a rescued people called to rescue our neighbors
from the same tortures we endured in Egypt.
Instead, we are the money-changers and the sellers, 
looking for ways to take advantage of those who long for liberation
and for healing
by exploiting our siblings in Christ
and distorting your Word as justification.
We flaunt our righteous selves with our indignation and our piety,
trotting it out on display for all the world to see,
instead of turning the tables as you taught us to do in your son, Jesus.
Forgive us, we pray.
Inspire in us a zealousness to love with devotion,
to remember with compassion, 
and to celebrate with thanksgiving
faithfully,
according to the law of love you taught us when you lived in our midst.


Assurance of God's Grace

I will give, in my house and within my walls,
    a monument and a name
    better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
    that shall not be cut off. (Isaiah 56:5)
In the everlasting name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. Thanks be to God for this indescribable gift!

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.

Come and pray,
you whose intentions are pure,
you who long to celebrate the feast,
you who are zealous for God and for God's house.

Come and witness.
Come and believe.
​Come and pray.

Dear Beloved,
we are weary.
Our strength wanes.
Walk with us.
Temptation awaits us
at every turn:
to take risks,
to claim power
and abuse it,
to focus on 
our own desires.
The longer we
journey in this
barren, godforsaken landscape,
the more we
are forced to
confront the evil
lurking within us.
Give us discernment.
The elements frustrate
and confound us.
Wild beasts await.
Give us courage.
Root your word
in our hearts
to encourage us
​at every challenge.
When we flounder,
send your angels,
and open our 
eyes in recognition
and our hearts
in grateful praise.
When our neighbors
flounder, send us
to minister lovingly,
in your name.

Call to Confession

Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters[a] in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested. (Hebrews 2:17-18) Let us confess our sin before God, and seek God's mercy.

Prayer of Confession 

Here we stand, Lord,
feeling like we have been wandering in the wilderness
far longer than we bargained for.
Yet we are still wrestling with demons,
still wrestling with our propensity for power
and the desire to retain it
and to keep structures that abuse it.
In spite of the pain and despair all around us
and motivated by greed and/or selfishness,
we still hoard our resources
while others are struggling to survive.
Arrogant and egotistical,
we expect God to bless us,
to protect us,
to place us above our neighbors, allies, and friends.
In the name of all that is holy, God,
transform us.
Grab hold of our hearts in this barren landscape
and teach us humility
and faith,
that we might be re-oriented
for the kin-dom work that awaits us
outside our doors and outside this wilderness experience.

Assurance of God's Grace

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested[a] as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15) In the name of Jesus, 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.