Opening Prayer of Praise

Here’s a prayer of thanksgiving and praise for the start of worship. It was posted on My Redeemer Lives website.

Prayer of Praise

O God from whom every gift derives,
we gather to worship You this day.
You are an awesome God,
greater than our comprehension or our imagination.
You are beyond any word we could ever use to describe You.
And yet, through Jesus, we know the intimacy of Your vast love.

We have come to You in thanksgiving and praise,
to know that You are God
and to place our lives anew into Your perspective.
Enlarge our vision this hour with Your Word.
Instill in us, again,
Your hope in place of our despair,
Your peace where our hatred threatens,
Your joy amidst our depression,
Your love overwhelming our apathy.

May Your Holy Spirit surround
and indwell this congregation now,
and forevermore.
In Jesus we pray. Amen.

~ posted on My Redeemer Lives website. http://www.myredeemerlives.com/prayers.html

Opening Prayer for Grace

Here is an opening prayer for grace. It was written by Michael Saward.

Prayer for Grace

O God our Father,
we thank you that today you have called us
to worship you and learn of you.
You alone know our needs.
Satisfy them with your unchanging love.
In your presence may we find comfort in sorrow,
guidance in perplexity,
strength to meet temptation,
grace to overcome the fascination of disobedience,
and courage to face up to the hostility of this rebellious world.
Above all, may we meet Jesus
and go out from our worship indwelt by his spirit.
This prayer we ask to your glory and in his name.
Amen.

~ written by Michael Saward.  Posted on The Jubilate Group website. http://www.jubilate.co.uk/liturgy/

Unison Benediction: May We Go

Here’s a litany for the close of worship.  It was written by Rosie Venner

Closing Benediction

May grace and peace be ours in abundance,
in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
May we be thankful for simple things,
for friendship, for health, for daily bread, for good news.
May we rise above the corruption of power
and become participants in the divine nature.
May we go from this place
to pursue goodness, wisdom, holiness and love.
God the Creator, call us to the work of the kingdom
God the Redeemer, keep us from stumbling
God the Sustainer, transform and inspire us. 
Amen.

~ Written by Rosie Venner, from I Am Making All Things New. Posted on the WSCF Europe website

Closing Prayer for an Annual Meeting

Here’s a closing prayer for an annual meeting (or the beginning of a New Year). It was written by Rev. Gord.

Closing Prayer for Annual Meeting

God who has called us to be the church,
in this place today we have worshiped.
We have prayed, we have sung,
we have listened for your challenge.
In this place today we have met.
We have talked, we have shared,
we have made decisions.
Now our time together draws to a close
and we go back out into the world.
As we go out, fill our hearts with hope.
As we live as followers of The Way,
embolden us to share our light with the world.
As we are parts of various communities,
challenge us to build community wherever and however we can.
Over the year to come, move within and among this community of faith,
help us to live up to the goals that have been set before us,
strengthen us in ways we hope for and in ways we do not expect,
so that next year we will gather again
to share the good and the bad,
to look back on another year past,
and continue to hope for the years that are to come.
This we pray in the name of the One whose name we bear: Christ.
Amen.

~ posted by Rev Gord on his blog, Worship Offerings. http://worshipofferings.blogspot.ca/

Call to Worship: Whose Story is This?

Here’s a responsive call to worship from the Third Space website.

Call to Worship: Whose Story?

Whose story is this?
This story is God’s alone to tell
It hums in the rivers and the trees
It whispers in the skies and the seas
It calls to the people of all places
It speaks in our hearts, in our lives 

Why then should we speak of this story?
This story calls our name in Creation
This story claims our lives through the Cross
This story shapes our future through the Spirit
We are its telling in this time and this place

~ posted on the Third Space website. http://third-space.org.uk/blog

Opening Prayer: In You Alone

Here’s an opening prayer from John Birch’s Faith and Worship website.

Opening Prayer

In you alone we put our hope,
God the Father, Creator and Sustainer,
who gives all good things
seen and unseen.

In you alone we put our hope,
God the Son, Saviour and Redeemer,
who died for our sins
and rose again.

In you alone we put our hope,
God the Spirit, Teacher and Comforter,
who moves us to sing
“Our God reigns!”
In you alone we put our hope.

~ written by John Birch, and posted on Faith and Worship. http://www.faithandworship.com 

Blessing: God Dawns on You

Here’s a blessing/benediction inspired by Psalm 67.  It was written by Bill & Kristi Gaultiere.

Blessing
(inspired by Psalm 67)

May God be gracious to us
And bless us
And make his face shine upon us

In the darkness that was
And the dawning that is
And the daylight that is to come

May we praise God today
And join the angels of heaven
And all of creation

In the name of the Father
And the Son
And the Spirit
Amen

~ written by Bill & Kristi Gaultiere, inspired by Psalm 67.  Posted on Soul Shepherding. http://www.soulshepherding.org/

Song: Matthew 14:22-33

You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep my faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Saviour

~ Joel Houston, Matt Crocker, Salomon Ligthelm.  Copyright © 2012 Hillsong Music Publishing (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing).  CCLI Song # 6428767 

Prayer: Sharing

Here’s a prayer of reminder based on Matthew 14:15-21, Mark 6:35-44, Luke 9:12-17, John 6:1-15. It was written by Rev. Karla Miller.

Prayer
(inspired by Matthew 14:15-21, Mark 6:35-44, Luke 9:12-17, John 6:1-15)

Five loaves and two fish
are never enough
until you start
giving it away.

Dear God, 
Remind me to
share 
whatever 
is in my basket
today.
You will do the rest. 
Amen.

~ written by Rev. Karla Miller, and posted on A Place for Prayer. http://revgalprayerpals.blogspot.ca/

Pastoral Prayer: Genesis 32

Here’s a pastoral prayer inspired by Genesis 32: 22-31, where Jacob wrestles with the angle.  It comes from the Ministry Matters website.

Pastoral Prayer
(inspired by Genesis 32: 22-31)

Lord,
we have heard the story of Jacob
as he wrestled with the angel,
how he asked for the angel to bless him.
We, too, come to you for blessing.

There are so many times in our lives
in which we have felt alienated, downtrodden, alone.
It is easy for us to wallow in our misery,
to whine about all the perceived injustices
that have been heaped upon us.

But you encourage us to stand strong;
to seek the blessings that you have provided for us;
to recognize the many ways that you are with us,
giving us strength and courage.

Be with us again, precious Lord.
Guide our lives.
As we have brought our prayers before you
for those near and dear to us,
seeking healing and hope for them;
let us also remember that those same mercies
are lavished upon us,
not because we deserve them,
but because of your great and generous love for us.

Help us receive these blessings
and, in turn, be a blessing to someone else.
For we ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior.
Amen.

~ posted on the Ministry Matters http://www.ministrymatters.com/ website.

A Hungry Call to Worship

Here is a call to worship inspired by Isaiah 55:1-2.  It was written by Carol Penner.

Call to Worship

Let the hungry come to me, let the poor be fed
Let the thirsty come and drink, share my wine and bread
Though thou hast no money, come to me and eat!
Drink the cup I offer, feed on finest wheat! 
(hymn by Delores Dufner)

We are hungry, Lord!
We come to church today with different types of hunger for you.
Some of us sit down at the table eagerly, because we are hungry.
Some of us have come because we know we should eat,
even though we don`t feel like it.
Some of us are ravenous.
And some of us have lost our appetite, and we don`t even know why.
And yet you have drawn us to your welcoming table, one and all,
your arms open to embrace us just as we are.
As we settle in this morning, fill us with your presence
so that when we leave today, we can leave saying,
“That is exactly what I needed!”

~ written by Carol Penner, and posted on Leading in Worship. http://carolpenner.typepad.com/

Monologue: Five Loaves and Two Fish

Here’s a monologue inspired by the story of the boy whose five loaves and two fish became food for thousands.  It was written by Mark Diller Harder.

Monologue
(inspired by Matthew 14:15-21, Mark 6:35-44,
Luke 9:12-17, John 6:1-15)

It was just an ordinary day – hot and hazy. I had got up really early, before the sun. To get to the boat. To get fishing. I love fishing. The quiet stillness of the Sea of Galilee. The time to just be on my own, to be myself - no distractions, no expectations, no one to bug you or put you down… and usually, no fish either. Out here on the water, it doesn’t matter if I don’t have enough – if I don’t catch any fish. But today was different, I had a few nibbles to start with, and then just as the sun was rising, I caught one, and then soon after a second. These were going to be great in my lunch.

I didn’t want to leave the sea. To go back home, to the chaos just before Passover as everyone is getting ready. I know, they keep saying how important that history is to remember – ‘for our identity’ they say – the Passover in Egypt when we marked the doorposts, the escape across the Red Sea with the unleavened bread, and the way God provided in the wilderness, sending manna from heaven every morning. There’s so much of the story about bread I usually get hungry listening. I knew that today was the last day for me to get my hands on some regular warm fresh bread before the flatbread of Passover – so I grabbed 5 small loaves to put with my fish. This was going to be a good lunch.

It was then that I saw the crowd, all the people - there must have been thousands! I’d seen lots of people once in the city, but here they were – in the middle of no-where where I like to hide out and pass away the time. I finally noticed the centre of attention – a man surrounded by people edging him toward the mountain. Yet he was totally calm, and talking and praying and touching what looked like sick people. I got closer. The man smirked a bit and asked in a loud voice about how they were going to buy bread for all these people to eat. A guy near him looked a little panicky – there were a lot of people. How was he going to get enough money? You can’t buy bread around here anyways. A couple of other guys took notice of my little lunch and soon they were parading my fresh fish and bread around. I was proud of my fish. The man made everyone sit down in the grass. And he prayed – said grace. It reminded me of all those Passover prayers the adults do. And do you know what, he started passing out my bread and my fish down one row and then another and pretty soon everyone was eating and laughing and sharing and having a grand old time. I kind of lost track of time and ate some food myself and then what do you know, they were gathering up leftovers – 12 baskets full. I’d never seen anything like it. I don’t know what all happened that day, and who that man was, but for once in my life, it was me who had enough.

~ written by Mark Diller Harder, St. Jacobs Mennonite Church, January 2010. Posted in the From Our Churches archive on the Mennonite Church Canada Resource Centre website.  http://resources.mennonitechurch.ca/FileDownload/12317/Boy_with_5_loaves_and_2_fish.pdf