Call to Worship: Loving God

Here’s a call to worship from Rev. Mindi’s Rev-o-lution website.

 

Call to Worship

(inspired by Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30-31,

Luke 10:27, Deuteronomy 6:5)

 

We are called to love the Lord our God

We are called to love with all our heart and soul

We are called to love the Lord our God

We are called to love with all our mind and strength

We are called to love the Lord our God

And we are called to love our neighbor as ourselves.

 

Come, let us love our God

and share God’s love in this time of worship!

 

~ written by Rev. Mindi and posted on Rev-o-lution.  http://rev-o-lution.org/

Prayer: Facing the desert places

Here’s a prayer from Rev Karla.  It was inspired by Psalm 25:4-5, and posted on the RevGalBlogPals website.

Prayer

(inspired by Psalm 25: 4-5)

Make us to know your ways, O Lord; teach us your paths.

Lead us  in your truth, and teach us,

for you are the God of our salvation; for you we wait all day long.

We will wait for you, O God.

Your Spirit compels us

to go into the wilderness, 

and we ask for the courage to examine

the desert places in our hearts,

and to be be willing to 

face the adversaries in our lives—

that which lures us away

from being who you have created us to be. 

We pray for the courage to face our wild beasts and fears.

Relieve the troubles of our hearts,

and the devastation of our distress.

Turn your love towards us

that we may we know your grace in our loneliness and afflictions.

We pray this prayer,

knowing that you watch over us, and deliver us.

We wait for you, O God. 

In the name of our brother Jesus we pray,

Amen.

~ excerpted from a longer prayer by Rev Karla.  Posted on RevGalBlogPals. http://revgalblogpals.org/category/revgalblogpals/

A Prayer for Neighbors

Here’s a prayer for neighbors, strangers and immigrants from  Nathan Nettleton. It was adapted from a longer prayer and posted on Acts of Faith.

A Prayer for Neighbors

We thank you, God,

for coming to us as a neighbor, a stranger, an immigrant,

binding our wounds and carrying us to safety,

so that we might love you with all our heart, soul, and mind,

and welcome the stranger,

loving our neighbor as ourselves.

~ Adapted from Nathan Nettleton’s “Short Preface,” www.laughingbird.net/LectionTexts/CP10.html Posted on Acts of Faith.  http://actsoffaith.org/resources/downloads/Year_A/09%20Immigration_final.pdf

Opening Invocation for an Ordinary Congregation

Here’s an opening invocation from Katie Cook.

Invocation for an Ordinary Congregation

Holy God, we come together to worship,
a people who would like to think that we love you
with all our hearts and souls,
with all our might,                                             

but there are so many other things in our lives   
that clamor for our attention
that we often relegate you to Sundays
and Wednesdays,
and times when we want you to rescue us.

Most of us really do want you to be the one
in whom we live and move and have our being.
We really do want to hear your voice
above all of the other voices in our lives.
But we get bogged down in the daily routine.
We forget who we are.
We forget who you are.
We forget what the church is supposed to be.

So here we are, standing before you today,
with our human foibles
and our short attention spans,
asking that you would make yourself known to us,
that you would help us to recognize
the presence of the Holy,
that you would continue to challenge us,
inspire us,
and make us into the people you want us to be.

Amen. 

~ written by Katie Cook, in Sacred Seasons, Pentecost/Ordinary Time 2000. Posted on Simple Living Works. http://simpleliving.startlogic.com/indexoth.php?place=archives/Articles/WorshipAltItems3.php 

Call to Worship: Loving God and One Another

Here’s a call to worship from Rev. Mindi’s Rev-o-lution website.

Call to Worship

(inspired by Matthew 5:13-20, Mark 12:30-31,

Matthew 22:36-40, Luke 10:27)

We are called to bring a new understanding of God:

that God so loves the world.

We are the salt of the earth.

We are called to bring a new hope in God:

that God gives us new life.

We are the light of the world.

We are called to follow

the commandments and the law.

The Law of God is to love God

and to love one another.

Come, let us be the salt of the earth,

the light of the world.

Come, let us love one another

with the love of God.

Let us join together in our love of God

to worship and follow Jesus.

~ written by Rev Mindi, and posted on Rev-o-lution. http://rev-o-lution.org/

Prayer: Colossians 1: 10-14

Gracious God,

Give us spiritual insight and understanding,

so that we would be able to see things from your point of view.

May our words and actions bring credit to Your name

and joy to Your heart;

may all that we do bear fruit for Your kingdom,

and may we come to know and love You more each day.  

Strengthen us with Your power

so that we would be able to joyfully endure whatever comes our way,

and give thanks to You even in the midst of pain and suffering.

Thank You for rescuing us from the power of darkness,

and bringing us into the glorious light of Your kingdom.

All praise to Jesus Christ, our Lord,

in whom we have found redemption and forgiveness.  Amen.

Prayer: Luke 10: 25-37

Here’s a prayer inspired by Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 25-37).  It comes from The First Thousand Years website.

The Prayer of a Servant

(inspired by Luke 10:25-37)

My Lord God,

I confess that I am the priest and the Levite.

Not only did I walk past, I walked away.

I was too busy, too frightened, my heart was too cold.

In my own abundance,

I was too poor in spirit to bear the cost.

In my own comfort,

I was too complacent to suffer any inconvenience.

It was the Samaritan,

a man despised and without pride of position or parentage,

who was faithful and loving and who gave of himself sacrificially.

Father God, in your mercy,

say that it is not too late for me.

Another may have borne the burden,

but I can go to the inn and sit with the traveler while he heals.

I can bathe his wounds and feed him

and lighten his spirit until the Good One returns.

Grant me the grace to do that little service with a grateful heart;

please stand with me so that I will not walk away

and shun the greater service the next time.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,

have mercy on me, the sinner. Amen.

~ posted on The First Thousand Years. http://newmillenia.wordpress.com/2009/03/17/reflection-on-the-good-samaritan/

Blessing: Colossians 1: 9-12

May God grant You spiritual wisdom and understanding

so that you may be able to see things from a spiritual point of view,

and so that Your lives may be worthy of God,

and pleasing to Him.

And may you bear fruit in all that you do,

and continue to grow in your understanding of who God is.

And may God give you the strength you need

to endure whatever comes with patience and even joy,

always giving thanks to God who, through Jesus Christ,

has given you new life.

Prayer for Knowledge and Insight: Colossians 1

Gracious God,

we pray that You would give us the knowledge and insight

that comes from You alone.

May we know Your will in all things,

and may our lives bring honour to Your name.

Strengthen us with Your infinite power,

according to Your glorious might,

so that we would have everything we need

to endure hardship with patience and joy.

We praise You for rescuing us from the powers of darkness,

and bringing us into Your kingdom of light.

We praise You that we can share in the inheritance

that belongs to Your people.

And we praise You that, through the blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ,

we have been redeemed and set free from our sins.

All praise to You, gracious and merciful God.  Amen.

Call to Worship: Because of Christ

Here’s a responsive call to worship from Bruce Prewer’s Home Page.

Call to Worship

Let us start this service well, by reminding ourselves:

That it is not we who chose Christ,

but Christ who chose us,

That we are not here because of our goodness

but because of Christ’s grace,

That we are not here to enlighten ourselves,

but to allow Christ to enlighten us,

That we have not come to be entertained

but to worship God with heart, soul, mind and strength.

~ written by Bruce Prewer, and posted on Bruce Prewer’s Home page. http://www.bruceprewer.com/

Prayer of Confession: Good Samaritan

Here’s is a prayer of confession based on the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 25-37).  It was written by Thom Shuman, and posted on Lectionary Liturgies.

Unison Prayer of Confession

(inspired by Luke 10: 25-37)

They may not be beaten down or lying by the road,

but there are people we pass by, Watching God.

Some are family and friends

we take so much for granted

we cannot see how we have stripped

them of our love and compassion.

Others are neighbors:

who have been left half-dead by crushing work;

who have fallen into the hands of despair;

who have been abandoned by all those

who walked on by them.

Many are strangers, people we don't know,

but quickly judge:

they are weak,

or poor,

or the enemy

or because they remind us of who

we once were, or could become.

Rescue us from the power of our sins,

Righteous One of all generations.

Pour out your justice on us,

rather than your judgement,

that we would be moved with pity,

and spurred to action;

that we would hear of the hope that is ours,

and share it with our sisters and brothers;

that we would shower mercy on all we meet,

even as we have received forgiveness for our sins

through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

~ written by Thom Shuman, and posted on Lectionary Liturgies. http://lectionaryliturgies.blogspot.ca/

Call to Worship: Psalm 25

Here’s a call to worship based on Psalm 25.  It comes from Amy Loving’s The Worship Closet.

Call to Worship

(based on Psalm 25)

We lift up our souls to you, Holy God.

We trust the Lord with our past, present, and future.

Teach us, Lord, that we may know your ways.

Guide our every move, Holy One,

that we may walk in your paths of love and mercy.

Let us worship the One who leads us in what is right.

Together, let us worship God!

 ~ written by Amy Loving, and posted on The Worship Closet: The Place for Creative Worship Ideas. http://worshipcloset.com/baptism-of-the-lord-sunday-year-b-words-for-worship/

Prayer of Confession: The Word is Near

Here’s a prayer of confession inspired by Deuteronomy 30:14 (Romans 10:8). It was written by Rev. Susan A. Blain and Rev. Scott Ressman.

Prayer of Confession

(inspired by Deuteronomy 30:14, Romans 10:8)

When we do not listen to your voice in the depths of our own hearts,

calling us to love and forgive:

Lord have mercy.

When we do not listen to your voice in our common life,

calling us to welcome the stranger and create community:

Christ have mercy.

When we do not listen to your voice in our world,

calling us to work for justice and to make peace:

Lord have mercy.

Assurance of Pardon

The Word is very near to us, in our hearts and on our lips.

In Christ, we are forgiven; our lives are made new,

and our future of hope is restored.

Thanks be to God! Amen.

~ Written by Rev. Susan A. Blain and Rev. Scott Ressman. Posted on the United Church of Christ website. http://www.ucc.org/50/pdfs/worship-resources.pdf

Prayer of Blessing: Colossians 1: 9-11

Gracious God,

we pray that You would give these, your children,

hearts and minds in tune with Your will.

May they grow in spiritual wisdom,

and in an understanding of how You are at work in their lives.

May their words and actions bring credit to You,

and may their lives reflect Your glory and grace to everyone they meet.

Strengthen them with Your infinite power,

so that they would be strong enough

to endure what seems unendurable,

giving thanks to You in all things.

Amen.

Prayer: Teach Me Your Ways

Here’s a prayer of petition from the Peninsula Covenant Church website.  The original version was written by Ted Loder.

Prayer of Petition: Teach Me Your Ways

Teach me Your ways, Lord,

that I may come down from my heights

and be open to the same Spirit

who moved over the face of the waters in the first day of creation

and moves also over the chaos of this time

to fashion a day like this,

a world like ours,

a life like mine,

a kingdom acting as leaven in the bread of earth.

And make me aware of the miracles of life,

of warm and cold,

of starkness and order,

of screaming wind and impenetrable silences,

and of the unfathomable mystery of amazing grace

in which I am kept.

Teach me Your ways, Lord,

that I may praise You

for all the surprising, ingenious ways You bless me,

and for all the wondrous gifts You give me,

along with all the pain and joy I sustain.

Teach me Your ways, Lord,

that I may accept my own talent openly,

nurture it hopefully,

develop it faithfully,

and give it freely.

Teach me Your ways, Lord,

that I may love Your kindness

and practice it toward the hungry of the world,

the poor and sick, and oppressed,

that I may learn the healing humility that comes from You.

Teach me Your ways, Lord,

so that my heart is flooded with Your mercy—

emptying it of what makes it firmly opposed to Your ways,

so that it beats more in rhythm with You

and pounds greatly for Your kingdom. Amen.

~ modified from “Teach Me Your Ways” by Ted Loder (Guerillas of Grace).  Posted on Peninsula Covenant Church website. http://wearepcc.com/

Hospitality Prayer

Here’s another hospitality prayer.  This one was written by Rebeca Jimenez Yoder.

Hospitality Prayer

Lord, give us the eyes of Jesus

to see our neighbours and the strangers we meet.

Teach us what it means to love the stranger as we love ourselves.

Forgive us for our selfishness,

for our silence,

for not caring enough for the strangers who come to our communities.

Teach us to love and care for the stranger the way you do. Amen

~ written by Rebeca Jiménez Yoder  Posted on the website of the Toronto Catholic District School Board. https://www.tcdsb.org/Pages/default.aspx

Prayer of Confession: Psalm 82

Here’s a prayer of confession inspired by Psalm 82. It was written by Henrietta Stith Andrews, and posted on the Worship Ways website.

Confession

(inspired by Psalm 82)

O God of all good gifts 

How generous are your provisions for us!

Even before we are aware of our needs,

you know what it is that we need.

You invite us into community and

provide for us out of your steadfast love:

nourishment for our bodies,

protection from the elements and safety. 

You ask in return

that we respond to your love

by working for justice: nourishment and protection for all.

You expect that we will seek righteousness as a way of life.

But so often O God, we fail to live

being mindful of others

in a caring, just and righteous way.

           

When your love and justice do not flow through our lives,

our community withers, and so do we.

Forgive us, O God! 

In your loving care,

show us again the way to participate in your realm.

Words of Assurance

My friends, be assured that God hears our petitions!

God continues to expect of us a life in which justice prevails.    

This is God’s desire for us.

We, God’s forgiven people, are free to live into that desire.

God loves us still.  Amen.

~ written by Henrietta Stith Andrews, and posted on the Worship Ways website. http://www.ucc.org/worship/worship-ways/

Prayer: Colossians 1: 1-14

Here’s a prayer of petition inspired by Colossians 1: 1-14.  It comes from the Ministry Matters website.

Prayer of Petition

(inspired by Colossians 1: 1-14)

Our hope is in you, Lord,
our hearts belong to heaven.
Our hope comes from the gospel,
the word of the truth
that you brought to us.
May it bear abundant fruit
in our lives.
Let the whole world
be filled with your hope!
As we grow in faith,
help us truly comprehend your grace, O God;
help us understand this amazing grace,
as we seek to lead lives worthy of you, O Lord.
In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

~ posted on the Worship Elements page of the Ministry Matters website. http://www.ministrymatters.com/

Confession: Loving Our Neighbours

Here’s a prayer of confession from the Baylor University website.

Prayer of Confession

(inspired by Luke 10: 25-37, Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:30-31)

God,

we confess that we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.

You embodied yourself in a human body.

You lived out your life among those who were sick—

physically, mentally, and spiritually.

You reached out to touch them,

spoke words to comfort them,

performed miracles to heal them.

Heal us we pray from the sin-sickness that grips us.

Heal us and help us to work for the healing and wholeness

of our neighbors as well.

Just speak the word of your peace, and we shall be healed.

Amen.

~ posted in What Would the Good Samaritan Do? on the Baylor University website. http://www.baylor.edu/christianethics/HealthStudyGuide6.pdf

Good Samaritan Prayer

Here’s a prayer inspired by Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 25-37).

Prayer

(inspired by Luke 10:25-37)

Heavenly Father,

we know that You have made us for Yourself,

to love You and to love our neighbors.

Yet still we cannot help but live for ourselves,

and every day we justify ourselves by our own standards, not Yours.

But Lord, you have found us in the ditch,

and You have rescued us.

Now soften our hearts to Your will,

and make us to love others as You have loved us;

especially those who are most in need, whom we pass by every day.

In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

~ written by Ross Byrd, and posted on Christ Community Church blog. http://christcommunityvb.nextmeta.com/content.cfm?id=151&blog_id=2