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Call to Worship (based on Psalm 19)

L: The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
P: The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the LORD are sure, making wise the simple;
L: the fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
P: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
L: Come, let us worship the LORD!

 

Call to Worship/ Invocation

The rich presence of God, the beginning and end of all that is good, be with you now and always.

And also with you.

Let us pray. O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity. Grant us the fullness of your grace, that, pursuing what you have promised, we may share your heavenly glory; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

 

Prayer of Confession

Dear Lord, we draw close to you acknowledging our shortcomings and confessing our sins to you.  We confess that we do not always follow you; sometimes we even turn our backs to you.  Forgive us, we pray.

We confess that the words from our mouths are not always pleasing to you; we confess that, at times, we use words that express a lack of faith; sometimes we use words that are hurtful to you and others.  Forgive us we pray.

For any individual sin we have committed we ask forgiveness....

allow a minute for individual confession

Lord forgive us and restore us according to your grace and mercy.  Empower us by your Holy Spirit to grow in love and knowledge of you, so we can lay down the sin that so easily entangles us.  Amen.

Word of grace:  Hear the good news, God is a God of mercy, slow to anger and quick to forgive the inequity of his children.  In the name of Christ, you are forgiven.

 

A Prayer for Wisdom
adapted from a prayer by JOHN BAPTIST DE LA SALLE

In the name of our God who is three in one:
The Creator who calls us into existence,
The Christ who calls us to be of service to one another,
The Holy Spirit who calls us to new life,
We pray . . .

Creator God, we are gathering here today, and we do so with the awareness that without your Divine Presence at the center of our lives, and also within ourselves, our work will be empty. Grace us with your Wisdom and Vision; gift us with Humor and Humility so that not only this meeting but all our lives may be a meeting place for your Kingdom. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

 

Intercessory Prayer

As we await the full harvest of the Spirit, let us offer our prayers to God who is abundant in every good gift.

Let us pray that children and adults alike might be drawn to love God's word and holy supper as they are proclaimed by faithful teachers and leaders in our congregation. Hear us, O God;

your mercy is great.

Let us pray for the leaders of the world, that in their dealings with one another they may be gentle of speech and wise of heart. Hear us, O God;

your mercy is great.

Let us pray for those who have been verbally or emotionally abused, that they may be healed from the evil words that have broken their spirits. Hear us, O God;

your mercy is great.

Let us pray for those struggling with ill health (especially), that they would know God's healing strength. Hear us, O God;

your mercy is great.

Let us pray for all who teach in this congregation, that they would be strengthened in God's word, and that their efforts would be used to sustain the weary and instruct the wise. Hear us, O God;

your mercy is great.

Let us pray for those whose hearts are heavy with sorrow (especially), that they may know the consolation of God's love and the hope of heaven. Hear us, O God;

your mercy is great.

Teach us to pray, O God, and grant us wisdom in our asking, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

 

Prayer for the Spirit of Wisdom

"O come, thou Wisdom from on high, and order all things far and nigh; to us the path of knowledge show and cause us in her ways to go." Tune our lives to hear and heed wisdom's calling. Amen

 

Prayer for Purity
a prayer by St. Thomas Aquinas

Dearest Jesus! I know well that every perfect gift, and above all others that of chastity, depends upon the most powerful assistance of Thy Providence, and that without Thee a creature can do nothing. Therefore, I pray Thee to defend, with Thy grace, chastity and purity in my soul as well as in my body. And if I have ever received through my senses any impression that could stain my chastity and purity, do Thou, Who art the Supreme Lord of all my powers, take it from me, that I may with an immaculate heart advance in Thy love and service, offering myself chaste all the the days of my life on the most pure altar of Thy Divinity. Amen.

 

Prayer for a Pure Mind and Speech

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.
Help me guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue.
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages for Thee.
Take my voice and let me sing
Always, only, for my King.  Amen.

 

Christ, the King
(A. Campbell Frazier, England, 20th Century, ALT):

Almighty God, who gave your Son Jesus Christ a realm,
where all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him;
make us loyal followers of our living Lord,
that we may always hear his word
follow his teachings, and live in his Spirit;
And hasten the day when every knee shall bow
and every tongue confess that he is Lord
to your eternal glory. Amen.

 

A Prayer Proclaiming Christ the Son of God

Ever-loving and almighty God,
We open our eyes and we see Jesus,
the light of the world, your light.
May your light shine upon us.

We open our ears and we hear Peter’s confession,
his best intentions, our best intentions,
our missing the point, our missing the way.
Forgive our foolishness and sin.

We open our eyes and we see Jesus,
not casting us off, but leading us.
Your love endures forever.

We open our ears and we hear your voice,
‘This is my beloved Son, listen to him!’
And we give you thanks. Amen.

 

Closing Prayer:

Almighty and everlasting God,
it is your will to restore all things to Christ,
whom you have anointed priest for ever and ruler of creation.
Grant that all the people of the earth,
now divided by the power of sin,
may be united under the glorious and gentle rule of Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns forever.  Amen.