Here’s
a call to worship and opening prayer inspired by the suggested scripture
readings for Lent 5A, including Ezekiel 37:1-14 (Ezekiel and the valley of dry
bones) and John 11:1-45 (Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead). It was written by
Rev. Elizabeth Dilley.
Call to Worship
(inspired
by Ezekiel 37: 1-14, John 11: 1-45)
The prophet asks: Can our
soul-weary bones live again?
O God, you know!
We ask: Can we dance again
after mourning, loss and grief?
O God, you know!
The gift is sure and
unmistakable:
God’s breath poured out as
new life for weary souls!
Let us celebrate the gift
of God’s new life,
And come to worship God in
laughter and dancing!
Opening
Prayer
(inspired
by Ezekiel 37: 1-14, John 11: 1-45)
Compassionate
God,
the
wind of your Spirit is the very sign of life
for
all who long for you.
One
breath from you and we are rescued
from
the arid valley of dry bones,
given
muscles and sinews and joy with which to praise you,
and
filled with the holy hope you grant to all your faithful children.
Let
our whole lives be filled with the life-breath of the Spirit,
that
what has lain dormant may burst into bloom,
and
what looks to us to be death
may
be revealed as but sleep
before
the emergence of new life. Amen.
~ from Come
Out! On the Breath of God, Service Prayers for the fifth Sunday of Lent,
written by the Rev. Elizabeth Dilley.
Posted on the United Church of Christ’s Worship Ways website. http://www.ucc.org/worship/worship-ways/
