Easter 2-C

Call to Worship
Praise God with clapping hands;
praise God with hands comforting a child.
Praise God with silent hearts;
praise God with hearts broken by the world.
Praise God with electric guitars;
praise God with soft piano chords.
Praise God with be-bop and hip-hop;
praise God with rhythms that don't stop.
Praise God with a Hallelujah chorus;
praise God with a Gregorian chant.
Praise God with dancing steps;
praise God with feet walking for justice.

Prayer of the Day
Holy God,
Lover of your children:
the tomb has been opened,
and we dance into your future.
Your life has dawned upon us,
and we surround you with our praise.
You reach out your hand,
and lead us into your joy.

Jesus Christ,
Faithful Witness:
you pick open
the locked doors
of our hearts
and come in
to be with us forever.
You breathe peace
into our souls,
so we may bring healing
to a troubled world.

Holy Spirit,
Breath of peace:
you show us our hearts,
so we may give love to others;
you show us our hands,
and send us to serve the needy;
you show us your hope,
so we may live in joy.

God in Community, Holy in One,
who is, who was, and who is to come,
hear us as we pray as Jesus teaches us,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
When we keep our faults and failures locked
safely away, we have no need to confess. But
God comes into our hearts when we least expect,
so we can be filled with forgiveness, with hope,
with peace. Please join me as we pray, saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession

God of empty tombs and empty people:
when we hesitate to speak of your hope,
forgive us, and give us voice.
When we find it difficult to love another,
forgive us, and give us new compassion.
When we want to stand with the high and mighty,
forgive us, and put us next to the poor and oppressed.
When we stay locked behind our fears and doubts,
forgive us, and send us out to share your grace.
When we cannot believe your Word of new life,
forgive us, and fill us with your joy.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Christ comes into every shadowed corner of our
lives with the light of Easter. Christ comes into
the locked rooms of our faults, and gifts us with
grace and hope. Christ comes, to fill us with peace,
that we may proclaim the good news of mercy
and forgiveness.
Thanks be to God. Christ has come to us. Amen.

(c) 2007 Thom M. Shuman