2/12/17

Call to Worship:

Church, behold your God. He is great in might and authority belongs to Him.
Let us be silent before Him.
Church, look to your God. He abounds in love and cares for all people.
Let us draw near to Him.
Church, anticipate your God. He is faithful in rescue and does not tire.
Let us trust Him.
Church, marvel at your God. He is everlasting from generation to generation.
Let us praise Him. 

God made the world and everything in it. In Him it is sustained and retains its form. He meets His people in kindness and grace. In Him there is comfort for the needy and hope for the lost. All nations and peoples belong to Him. His praise will be echoed throughout the ages.

This is our God, let us worship Him. 


Prayer of Confession:

God, You are with us, be we accuse You of being far off. You proclaim your presence, but we feel deserted and alone.
Lord, forgive us. Teach us to receive your Son.
You are powerful amid weakness, but we want to be strong. You proclaim justice, but we seek our own vindication.
Lord forgive us. Teach us to receive your Son.
You are gentle and kind, but we quietly question your intentions. You proclaim peace, but we are prone to quarrels and self-deprecation.
Lord forgive us. Teach us to receive your Son.
We confess that we imagine a god we'd rather have. Perhaps we would better feel his presence or better understand his involvement in our violent world. Amid this doubt, You are the God you  have always been. You are the God of Israel's deliverance, the seer of barren mothers, the healer of the blind, and the Savior of the world.
We are forgetful and cynical people, but you are our faithful God. Forgive our near-nearsightedness. Teach us to receive Your Son. 
Grant us songs of Your deliverance to sing to future generations. In abandonment, may we look no further than to Christ, the one who subjected Himself to it, even unto death.
Lord, have mercy on us. Teach us to abide in your Son. Amen.

11/1/2016

Call to Worship:

Brothers and sisters, it is good to gather in the name of the Lord our God. He is our love, he is our peace, he is our salvation.

Hallelujah! We are his.

God is faithful. He meets his people in kindness and patience.

Hallelujah! We are his. 

He brings liberation to those in captivity. He is quick to forgive and to restore
Hallelujah! We are his.
He took sin and death upon Himself, and defeated the grave that we might live
Hallelujah! We are his. 
So let us look to the Lord our God, to our only relevant rescue. He will unite us in his life.
Hallelujah! We are his. Amen.

Prayer of Confession:

Our Father, we have heard the reality of our oneness in your Son, but we tend to focus on our differences.
Lord, forgive us. Teach us to yield to your love.
We confess that we withhold friendship from one another, especially from those we don't relate to.
Lord, humble us. Teach us to yield to your love. 
We confess that we hold grudges against those you have already forgiven.
Lord, have mercy on us. Teach us to yield to your love. 
Father, you have swallowed up all division and divisiveness in the death of your son.
We have been baptized into Christ, clothed with Christ, and made one together in him.
Lord, give us faith in this Savior. 
Just as we were united in his death, surely we are united in his resurrection.
Lord, give us faith in this Savior.
We need our eyes opened to see the work of your Spirit among us. We are a stubborn and near-sighted people.
Lord, save us. Teach us to yield to your love. Amen.