Showing posts with label Proper 11 A. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Proper 11 A. Show all posts

Call to Worship: Finding God

Here’s a call to worship from the Presbyterian Church USA website.

Call to Worship

We worship the God who inhabits our world
and indwells our lives.
We need not look up to find God,
we need only to look around:
   within ourselves,
   beyond ourselves,
   into the eyes of another.
We need not listen for a distant thunder to find God,
we need only listen to the music of life,
   the words of children,
   the questions of the curious,
   the rhythm of a heartbeat.
We worship the God who inhabits our world
and who indwells our lives.

~ posted on the Presbyterian Church USA website. https://www.pcusa.org/site_media/media/uploads/peacemaking/pdf/mlk-resources.pdf   

Prayer of Confession: Matthew 13:24-30

Here is a thoughtful prayer of confession written by Moira Laidlaw, based on Jesus’ puzzling parable about the weeds and the wheat (Matthew 13). 

(based on Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43)

Merciful God,
you plant each of us like seeds in the same field and together we are nourished and nurtured by the sun.  We sway in the wind and are refreshed by the rain. We are blessed by the knowledge that you want us to grow towards what you call us to be.   

When we deprive others of that same opportunity,
forgive us.

When we want to uproot those whom we believe
do not belong in our part of the field,
forgive us.

When we label others as good or bad
rather than accept them for who they are,
forgive us.

When we are reluctant to acknowledge
that we ourselves are a mixture of weeds and wheat,
forgive us.

When we are afraid to look into the fields of our own lives
to see what is growing there,
forgive us.

O God, you know us inside and out, through and through.
You search us out and lay your hand upon us.
You know what we are going to say even before we speak.
So we pray that you will help us to reach out to the uprooted and rejected,
the lonely and the outcast,
and to develop and grow the good in ourselves, in others and in the world. 
This we pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen

—Moira Laidlaw’s Liturgies Online website.  Visit that site for many other good resources.

Call to Worship: Psalm 139

Here’s a call to worship inspired by themes in Psalm 139.

Call to Worship
(inspired by Psalm 139)

We’ve come to worship God,
who loved us before we were yet born,
who knows us even better than we know ourselves,
whose presence never leaves us,
and whose love for us never ceases.
This is our God.
Let’s worship together!

Benediction: Romans 8:18-25

Here are a couple of possible benedictions based on Romans 8:18-25, one of the suggested lectionary passages for July 17, 2011 (Proper 11A). 


Benediction
(based on Romans 8:15-17)

As we go from here, remember this:
As followers of Jesus Christ,
we have not received a spirit of fear,
but one of hope and confidence.
For we are children of God,
members of God’s own family,
and heirs with Jesus Christ himself.
So go out with joy to love and serve the Lord.


Benediction
(based on Romans 8:18-25)

As you go from here into the week ahead,
with whatever joys and challenges it holds,
do not be discouraged or disheartened.
Remember the glory that awaits you as a child of God.
Hold on to that truth;
live in that hope.
And may the peace of God,
the blessing of Jesus Christ,
and the presence of the Holy Spirit
be with you and among you.
Amen.


Romans 8:18-25 is one of the suggested scripture passages for the fifth Sunday after Pentecost (July 17, 2011).  For more worship resources related to this passage, or other scripture passages for the fifth Sunday after Pentecost, click on Proper 11A in the list of “Labels” at the lower right side of the page.


Prayer of Confession: Loving Others

Here is a prayer of confession and words of assurance from Rev. Mindi’s Rev-o-lution website. They were inspired by the scripture readings for Epiphany 7A.

Prayer of Brokenness/Confession

Holy God,
we confess that we do not always love our neighbor.
We confess that we have despised others,
even to the point of hatred.
We confess that we have been hurt by others.
We confess that forgiveness and reconciliation at times
are just impossible for us.
We know that nothing is impossible in You.
We come to You, seeking healing and wholeness for us.
Help us, whenever possible, to live in peace with others,
to seek reconciliation and healing and forgiveness.
For Your Son came and lived among us,
was betrayed and denied,
abused and put to death.
He rose again,
and came with the message of peace to those
who had denied him and abandoned him.
May we walk in his ways. Amen.

Blessing/Assurance of Pardon
(inspired by Matthew 19:26, Psalm 139, Romans 8:31-39)

For nothing is impossible with God.
There is no place you can go,
no end of the earth you can run,
where God cannot find you.
There is nothing on earth or beyond death
that can separate you from the love of God
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
You are forgiven.
You are loved.
You are reconciled to God.
Go and live with the love of God. Amen.

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

Call to Worship: Surely God is in this Place

Here’s a responsive call to worship for Easter 5, Year C.  It comes from the Life in Liturgy website.

Call to Worship

We gather in the name of the living Christ to worship God.
Surely, God is in this place
and calls us to worship in spirit and in truth.
God’s love is for you
and for all people everywhere.
That we may share God’s love and life,
may we be renewed
in the refreshing Spirit of the living Christ.
The living Christ is with us.
Praise the Lord!

~ posted on Life in Liturgy. https://lifeinliturgy.wordpress.com/

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 

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/

Confession to the Divine Gardener

Here’s a prayer of confession which uses a gardening metaphor.  It was written by James E. Janecek.

Prayer of Confession

The Divine Gardener cannot sow seeds of justice and peace
where there is nothing but hearts of dry, hard rocks. 
We confess that our hearts may need tilling
and the digging out of the deeply rooted sins
that crowd out seedlings planted with divine compassion.

God of steadfast love,
you change bitter tears of remorseful hearts
with raindrops  of mercy,
Now let us germinate a new life, growing with integrity!

God of steadfast love,
you change the cold shame of contrite hearts
with sunrays of mercy
Now let us sprout a new life, growing with honesty!

God of steadfast love,
you change the stony edges of repentant hearts
into landscapes of mercy,
Now let us branch out into new life, growing with generosity!

Assurance of Pardon

Divine Gardener,
You tend us in steadfast love,
Unending mercies, and eternal faithfulness;
you cultivate true friendship with you
through boundless forgiveness. 
In Christ, this faithful love is planted in our hearts. 
Gathered as your community of believers, our family of faith,
with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us,
we can now produce forgiveness for each other as we are forgiven.
Thanks be to God!

~ written by James E. Janecek , in Seeds of Faith:  Service Prayers for the Nineteenth  Sunday after Pentecost.  Posted on the United Church of Christ’s Worship Ways archive.

Responsive Litany: Psalm 139

Here’s a responsive litany based on Psalm 139.  It comes from the Seekers Church community.

Responsive Litany
(inspired by Psalm 139)

God, you search me and know me.
Before I sit, you know when I will rise.

God, you search me and know me.
Before I speak, you know what I will say.

God, you search me and know me,
in my joy and despair,
in my breathing in and breathing out.

God, you search me and know me.
Your knowledge is too deep to reach,
too vast to comprehend.

God, you search me and know me.
Search me, O God, and know my heart.

Prayer: Psalm 139

Here’s a prayer of confession and petition inspired by Psalm 139.  It was written by Rev. Susan A. Blain and Rev. Scott Ressman.

Prayer of Confession and Petition
(inspired by Psalm 139)

God, you know us better than we know ourselves.
You know our thoughts,
our weaknesses,
our motivations,
our sins.
And you love us still.
Forgive us when we don’t believe such love is true or possible;
When we wonder how You could love us just as we are,
when we forget our intricate construction,
fearfully,
wonderfully made,
in Your image!
Remove from our minds every thought which keeps us from you.
Break down the walls,
push aside the pride,
and help us to trust anew.
You know our hearts.
And you love us still.
Amen.

 ~ from All Things New, 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

Litany: With and Through the Spirit

Here’s a litany of solidarity from the Christian Aids Bureau of South Africa.

A Litany of Solidarity: With and Through the Spirit
(inspired by Galatians 5: 22-23, Romans 8: 14-15)

Come, Holy Spirit,                                                        
Fill us.
Come, Holy Breath,
Live in us.
Come, Holy Wind,
Move through us.

“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves,
so that you live in fear again.” (Rom 8:14-15a)

Where we are led by other impulses 
we become slaves again
and our way of being is guided by fear.

Where we are guided by prejudice,
Fill us with love.

Where we are guided by pessimism,
Fill us with joy.

Where we are guided by misunderstanding,
Fill us with peace.

Where we are guided by superficial quick-fixes,
Fill us with patience.

Where we are guided by self-interest,
Fill us with kindness.

Where we are guided by apathy,
Fill us with goodness.

Where we are guided by convenience,
Fill us with faithfulness.

Where we are guided by complacency,
Fill us with meekness.

Where we are guided by temptation,
Fill us with self-control.

Come, Holy Spirit,
Fill us.
Come, Holy Breath,
Live in us.
Come, Holy Wind,
Move through us.

Amen.

~ from Aids Candlelight Memorial Service, posted on the Christian Aids Bureau for South Africa website. www.cabsa.org.za/

Reflection: Romans 8: 14-17


Here’s a thoughtful reflection on Romans 8:12-17 from Anne Osdieck.

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit… Romans 8:16

“We do not know how to pray
as we ought.”

"The Spirit
Intercedes for us with
sighs too deep for
words.”

Holy God,
take our poor attempts to pray
and mix them with your immeasurable love.
Remodel them and lift them up
into your eternal
bosom.

written by Anne Osdieck, and posted on The Sunday Website of Saint Louis University. http://liturgy.slu.edu/ 

Litany of Assurance: Your Light Has Come


Here’s a beautiful litany of assurance, inspired by Psalm 139:11-12 and Isaiah 60:1.  It comes from the PCUSA website. It could be used as words of assurance following confession, or even as a call to worship.

Words of Assurance
(inspired by Psalm 139:11-12, Isaiah 60:1)

Hear the good news of the psalmist’s proclamation:    
If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, 
And the light around me will be night,” 
Even the darkness is not dark to God,  
and the night is as bright as the day. 
The God who promised never to leave us or forsake us
HAS come to us in Jesus Christ
who binds up the brokenhearted.
heals all our infirmities,
and relieves our burden of sin.
So arise, shine; for your light has come,
And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.  
Thanks be to God!

~ from Advent Longing for the Light of Healing, posted on the Presbyterian Church USA website. To see the whole service, click here: http://www.pcusa.org/resource/advent-healing/

Prayer: Waiting and Longing


Here’s a prayer from Walter Brueggemann.  It references Romans 8:18-25.

Waiting and Longing

God of the seasons,
God of the years,
God of the eons,
Alpha and Omega,
before us and after us.

You promise and we wait:
we wait with eager longing,
we wait amid doubt and anxiety,
we wait with patience thin
and then doubt,
and then we take life into our own hands.

We wait because you are the one and the only one.
We wait for your peace and your mercy,
for your justice and your good rule.

Give us your spirit that we may wait
obediently and with discernment,
caringly and without passivity,
trustingly and without cynicism
honestly and without utopianism,

Grant that our wait may be appropriate to your coming
soon and very soon,
soon and not late,
late but not too late.

We wait while the world groans in eager longing.

~ written by Walter Brueggemann, in Prayers for a Privileged People.  http://www.amazon.com/Prayers-Privileged-People-Walter-Brueggemann/dp/0687650194 Posted on the Prayers and Creeds website.  http://prayersandcreeds.wordpress.com/

Prayer of Petition and Intercession

Here’s a thoughtful prayer of petition and intercession from John Birch.

Prayers of the People

“For you have delivered my soul from death,
and my feet from falling,
so that I may walk before God in the light of life.” Psalm 56:13

Circle us, Lord
Circle us with the light of your presence within this dark world
Enable us to be overcomers of fear and temptation
Enable us to be victors over sin and despair
Enable us to become that which you would desire
(Silent prayer)
Lord of creation, Lord of Salvation
Circle us with the light of your presence

Circle us, Lord
Circle our family within the shelter of your outstretched arms
Protect them in each moment of their daily lives
Protect them in the decisions that they face
Protect their homes and relationships
(Silent prayer)
Lord of creation, Lord of Salvation
Circle our families with the light of your presence

Circle us, Lord
Circle this world with the joy of your Salvation
Where there is sickness and disease bring healing
Where there is hunger and despair bring hope
Where there is torture and oppression bring release
(Silent prayer)
Lord of creation, Lord of Salvation
Circle this world with the light of your presence

— written by John Birch, and posted on his Faith and Worship website. Visit that site for many other excellent worship resources. 

For more prayers on this blog, see the Scriptural Prayer Index at the upper right side of the page, or the list of “Labels” at the lower right.

Confession: Prayer for the Journeyers

Here’s a lovely prayer of confession and commitment written by William Loader.

A Prayer for the Journeyers

O God,
Our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you.

You are beyond our busy imaginings,
far above our elevated constructions of thought.

Yet you meet us in the dust.
Your footprints cross ours.
Behind us and before us you tread the path,
you lead the way,
you exult,
you bow low,
you lift us up.

You look upon us through the face of the poor;
you bless us in the nurture of friendship;
you challenge us in the cries for justice
and the weeping for hope.

Yoked to Jesus your Son,
joined in oneness with yourself,
we strain against your direction
and we know ourselves irksome;
summoned to follow your way,
we burden ourselves and others;
asked to stand up,
we cower in our own inadequacy
and our own discrediting.

Forgive us the wrongs we have done
to others, to ourselves, to you.

Forgive us our bondage to fixed patterns
when they no longer serve you;
our surrender to newness when newness is folly;
our failure to listen to the old people of this land
and the old and new who are hurting
and hidden beyond our preoccupations.

Lift us from our fear that we may see your vision
know your wisdom
and find our rest in you,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Jesus said: Come to me all you who are weary
and are carrying heavy burdens
and I will give you rest.

— written by William Loader, and posted on Bill Loader’s Home Page. Visit that site for many other thoughtful worship resources.

Hymns & Songs: Proper 11A

If you're looking for song suggestions for July 17, 2011 (the fifth Sunday after Pentecost), here are some traditional and contemporary hymn suggestions, based on the scripture readings for that day (Proper 11A). 

Texts (and often music) for the songs marked with an asterisk (*) can be found on Hope Publishing’s Online Hymnody website.  They are legal to use if you have a CCLI, OneLicense of LicenSing copyright license. 

For other song suggestions for July 17, 2011, see also Praise & Worship Songs: Proper 11A.  

Songs for Genesis 28

*As Jacob Traveled Far, Christopher Idle
Be Still, for the Presence of the Lord, David Evans CCLI 120824
God Himself Is With Us, Gerhardt Tersteegen
How Lovely, Lord, How Lovely, Arlo Duba
*Loving Lord, As Now We Gather, Fred Pratt Green
*The Sun Went Down on Jacob’s Grief, Christopher Idle
We are climbing Jacob’s ladder, traditional 
We Come to Worship (How Sweetly Chime), traditional


Songs for Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24

All Through the Day, Tom Howard
Cleanse Me, J. Edwin Orr
Have Thine Own Way, Lord, Adelaide Pollard 
He is Here, L. Kirk Talley
He Leadeth Me, Joseph Gilmore 
Lo, I Am With You, Iona Community
Lord, Thou Hast Searched Me, The Psalter Hymnal 
My Lord is Near Me All the Time, Barbara Gaultney
O Lord, My God, You Know All My Ways, Paul Wigmore
Precious Lord, Take My Hand, Thomas A. Dorsey
Take My Hand and Lead Me, Father, Gertrude Flory


Songs for Romans 8:12-25

A Child of the King, Eugenia Peck Buell, John Bunnell Sumner, CCLI 68261
Abba, Father, We Approach Thee, Bill Batstone, James Deck CCLI 211207  
*Born By the Holy Spirit’s Breath, Timothy Dudley-Smith
Children of the Heavenly Father, Caroline Sandell Berg
*Creation Sings! Shirley Erena Murray
Father to the Fatherless, Paul Oakley CCLI 4107138
For God So Loved Us, August Rische
How Deep the Father’s Love for Us, Stuart Townend CCLI 1558110
*I Hear Creation Groaning, Rusty Edwards
If You Will Only Let God Guide You, Georg Neumark, tr. Winkworth 
One Day in All Time, Sylvia Dunstan
*Remember Your Creator Now, Christopher Idle
*The Countless Stars of Heaven, Christopher Idle


Songs for Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
The parable of the wheat and weeds


As Grain on Scattered Hillsides, Ruth Duck
*Christ Will Come Again, Brian Wren
Come, Labor On, Jane Borthwick
Come, Ye Thankful People, Come, Henry Alford 
*Faith and Truth and Life Bestowing, Timothy Dudley-Smith
*For the Fruit of All Creation, Fred Pratt Green
God Is Working His Purpose Out, Arthur Ainger
Grace Greater Than Our Sin, Julia Johnston 
I Know Whom I Have Believed, Daniel Whittle 
Happy are They, They that Love God, Charles Coffin 
*Mixed Like Weeds in Wheatfields, Carl P. Daw
The Solid Rock (My Hope is Built), Edward Mote 
O Splendor of God’s Glory Bright, Ambrose of Milan
Sing to the Lord of Harvest, John Monsell
*The Grain is Ripe, Shirley Erena Murray
*The Seed of God's Word, Jane Marshall
This is the Field, Joseph Hinchsliffe,
We’re Gonna Shine Like the Sun, Iona Community (scroll down to page five for text)
Wonderful Grace of Jesus, Haldor Lillenas