Call to Worship
Thinking
we know all the answers,yet wondering if we haven't missed something:
we enter this sanctuary of Truth.
In the company of sinners,
in cahoots with saints:
we gather as God's people.
Standing by folks of deep, abiding faith;
seated with those who stumble through the Kingdom:
we lift our praise to God.
Prayer of the Day
We hunger for power,
and you feed us
the bread of humility;
we long for freedom,
and you invite us to drink
the cup of self-denial.
Faithful and Just God:
our songs of gratitude
will echo down
the hallways of creation.
You speak
and all the props
are knocked out
from under our pride.
Then, you astound us
by reaching out your hand
to lift us to our feet
so we may follow you.
Holy Gift of God:
our songs of praise
will echo down
the hallway of our hearts.
Without your wisdom,
we would be speechless;
without your peace,
we would be heartless;
without your presence,
we would be graceless.
Bearer of Truth:
our songs of joy
will echo down
the hallways of eternity.
God in Community, Holy in One,
may our songs echo in your heart
as we pray as Jesus has taught us, saying,
(The Lord’s Prayer)
Call to
Reconciliation
It's
very simple: all God asks is that we recognize our sin and acknowledge
it. And why? When we offer our prayers of confession, God takes them from
us and fills our hearts with such an abundance of
mercy, we cannot hold it all. Please join me as we pray together, saying,
Unison Prayer for
Forgiveness
God our God: we fill our souls with the
empty sounds of our culture, and wonder why we are so empty when we need words
of hope, of grace, of comfort. We are careful to follow the prescriptions our doctors give us, yet pay
little heed to your hopes for us. We puff out our chests over what good
people we are, yet do not notice how our
pride trips those who seek to follow Jesus.Forgive us, Holy One, and be gracious to us:
astound us with your words,
so we may learn your ways;
nourish us with your mercy,
so we may be filled with life;
enter our empty souls,
till they overflow with praise for your
Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Silence is kept
Assurance of Pardon
Of all the astounding works of God, this may be the most wonderful: God is gracious and merciful - to us!
What has this to do with us? Everything!
What is this? Good news, of the very best kind!
We are forgiven. We give thanks to our God with all our hearts. Amen.
Prayer of Dedication/Offertory
Now, we know how easily we could treat our abundant resources as idols, Holy God, so we will treat them as they truly are, marvelous gifts meant to be shared so others might know of your marvelous presence in their lives. Bless what we offer to you, and use it in service to others, we pray. Amen.
Great Prayer of
Thanksgiving
May
the God of wondrous deeds be with you!And also with you!
Let us give thanks to our God.
We lift our whole hearts to God, holding nothing back.
Join in praising God, who is merciful and gracious.
In the company of our friends and fellow followers,
we rejoice in the one who is our God.
'What have you to do
with us,' chaos cried out,
and you rebuked it, Holy One,
whispering, 'be silent,' and with a Word
all that is good and true came forth,
oceans teeming with life,
meadow grass rippling in the breeze,
snow-capped peaks touching the sky.
You raised us up in your image,
but we worshiped the idols, sin and death,
becoming so accustomed to them
we would follow them anywhere.
You put words into the prophets' mouths,
so they could speak your words of hope,
but we refused to listen.
So you sent Jesus,
from whom all things are,
so we might live with you.
Thus, with prophets and those who never listen,
with the foolish, as well as the faithful, of every age,
we sing our songs of praise to you:
Holy, holy, holy are
you, God of great wonders.
All creation is
astounded by your works.Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who restores us with love.
Hosanna in the highest!
Holy are you, Awesome Creator,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, Redeemer of all.
He teaches, as one with authority,
those who rebel against you.
He heals, as one with compassion,
those who struggle with pain and illness.
He calls, as one with the words of life,
those who have lost their way.
He dies, as one with complete trust,
for those who have no hope.
He rises, as one known by God,
so we may live for you.
As we remember what Jesus has done for us,
as we celebrate his life, death, and resurrection,
we speak of that mystery we know as faith:
Christ died, as we fell silent in grief;
Christ is raised, silencing the power of sin and death;
Christ fills the silence of our fears with songs of
your wondrous love and life.
You
long to have everything
to
do with us, God of wonders,and so you call us to this table
of peace, hope, reconciliation.
Here, in the bread and the cup
transformed by your Spirit,
we are reminded that
there is no God but you.
For, in the life of the bread,
we feast on that grace
which can heal a broken world.
For in the sweet taste of the cup's hope,
we taste those promises
which we can share with all people:
peace where there is only war,
love where there is only evil,
wonder where there is only despair,
for from you come all things;
to you, we all would turn to follow.
And when all human time and history is done,
when we are gathered with our sisters and brothers
in that time with you we call eternity,
we will praise you forever, singing glory to you,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.