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Call to Worship (based on Psalm 104)

L: Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, you are very great.
P: You are clothed with honor and majesty, wrapped in light as with a garment. You stretch out the heavens like a tent
L: O LORD, how manifold are your works!
P: In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
L: Praise the LORD!

 

Call to Worship

L: Teach us God to be all that You want us to be
C: Help us to serve you as you deserve
L: Teach us to give and not to worry
C: Help us to live fully in Your ways
L: Teach us to work, rest and play
C: Help us to labor and not to ask for any reward
L: Teach us to do Your will
All: Teach us Lead us help us as we worship you today.

 

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. Almighty and everlasting God, in Christ you have revealed your glory among the nations. Preserve the works of your mercy, that your church throughtout the world may persevere with steadfast faith in the confession of your name; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

 

Christ, the King

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 for Service and Justice (Alan Paton, SA)

O Lord, open my eyes that I may see the needs of others;
open my ears that I may hear their cries;
open my heart so that they need not be without succor;
let me not be afraid to defend the week because of the anger of the strong,
nor afraid to defend the poor because of the anger of the rich.
Show me where love and hope and faith are needed,
and use me to bring them to those places.
And so open my eyes and my ears
that I may this coming day be able to do some work of peace for thee. Amen.

 

Prayer of Ignatius of Loyola:

Teach us, good Lord,
to serve you as you deserve;
to give and not to count the cost;
to fight and not to heed the wounds;
to toil and not to seek for rest;
to labor and not to ask for any reward,
   except that of knowing that we do your will;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer of Saint Francis:

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine master,
grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

 

Prayer of Intercession

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

God of suffering service, grant to your church faithful leaders who have the hearts of servants, and who will gently lead your people into love for you and service to their neighbors. Hear us, O God;

your mercy is great.

God of gentle justice, raise up righteous leaders in every nation who will govern with truth and guide their people with fairness and equity. Hear us, O God;

your mercy is great.

God of tender compassion, hear the cries of all who suffer and who are contending with sickness and disease (especially). Lay upon them your gentle hand of healing. Hear us, O God;

your mercy is great.

God of all goodness, guide the work of the congregation council and committees of this parish, that a unity of purpose would prevail over all their decision making. Hear us, O God;

your mercy is great.

God of comforting hope, tend to those who are grieving, that their mourning may be tempered with joy. Bring us at length, with (names, and) all our blessed dead, to the joy of your heavenly realm. 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

 

Closing Prayer:

O God, awesome in might and power,
you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ
with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven.
You have not left us helpless,
but you have exalted Christ to be high priest in heaven
to intercede for us always and everywhere.
Send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us,
and to equip us for faithful service in Christ's true spirit.
Amen.