One: We come this day remembering—
All: remembering horror, grief, fear;
remembering lives lost, communities changed, a nation wounded.
We close our eyes and can still see the images.
We open our eyes and see the aftermath,
still smoldering after 10 years.
One: O God, we still carry pain, we still look for your presence in tragedy.
All: And we confess that we have also used our pain to justify hurting others.
We have lashed out, seeking safety, but have not found it.
So we confess to you, O God,
that our efforts have not brought what we are looking for.
Heal us now, O God.
Renew our vision, our hearts, our center.
Bring us your peace.
Move us from where we are,
from where we’ve been,
to where you would have us go.
We pray in the name of Christ, the prince of peace.
Amen.
Psalm 138: an interactive scripture
An Interactive Psalm of Thanksgiving
Submitted by Rev. Dr. Sarah Erickson, Director of Lifelong Learning at Columbia Theological Seminary
The leader reads or sings (lines in italics) and invites the congregation to echo the speaking/singing/gestures.
I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart; (echo)
My whole heart. (echo)
before the gods I sing your praise; (echo)
Praise, praise, praise the Lord, praise God’s holy name, Alleluia! (echo)
I bow down toward your holy temple (echo – bow)
I give thanks for your steadfast love and your faithfulness (echo)
Great is Thy faithfulness! (echo)
for you have exalted your name (echo)
and your word (echo)
above everything. (echo)
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty! (echo)
On the day I called, you answered me, (echo)
you increased my strength of soul. (echo)
All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O LORD, (echo)
Praise ye, praise ye the Lord! (echo)
They have heard the words of your mouth. (echo)
They shall sing of the ways of the LORD, (echo)
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path (echo)
for great is the glory of the LORD. (echo)
GREAT (echo)
Is the glory of the LORD! (echo)
Gloria – (from Angels we have heard on high) (echo)
For though the LORD is high, (echo)
Lord we lift your name on high! (echo)
the LORD regards the lowly; (echo)
but the haughty (echo)
the haughty (echo)
are perceived from far away. (echo)
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, (echo)
I’ve got to walk this lonesome valley (echo)
you preserve me (echo)
against the wrath of my enemies; (echo)
you stretch out your hand, (echo)
YOUR hand (echo)
and your right hand delivers me. (echo)
Great is thy faithfulness! (echo)
The LORD will fulfill God’s purpose for me; (echo)
your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. (echo)
Forever, and ever! (from Hallelujah Chorus) (echo)
Do not forsake the work of your hands. (echo)
Amen.
confession: struggling against
Submitted by Rev. Shannan Vance-Ocampo, Watchung Avenue Presbyterian Church, North Plainfield, NJ.
Too often we wrestle and we struggle. With ourselves, with our friends and family, where we work, with the world around us. And we confess that we struggle against you, Loving Lord. As we push back against all sorts of things we fall into the trap of thinking that we can be gods. We can fix or control, we can change someone or something else. We beat our heads against the wall, grow more and more frustrated, and finally fall down in exhaustion. It is an endless, vicious cycle—and so often O Lord we fall into it. On this day, remind us of the opportunity you always hold before us to do something new and something different. To let go, to relinquish the controls we so tightly cling onto. To trust You, and to believe once again that you are with us. Help us in this time of worship, O Lord, to stop the struggle and begin to believe again. Amen.
call to confession: the Spirit goes before us
Submitted by Rev. Matthew Thompson, First Presbyterian Church of Lamesa, TX.
Call to Confession adapted from Romans 8:26-27
When we don’t know how or what to pray, the Spirit knows.
When all we can muster are sighs and groans, the Spirit knows those also.
When we feel that we aren’t even worthy to approach God,
the Spirit goes before us and with us and God welcomes us with arms open.
Let us confess our sins together, saying . . .
confession: direction, directionless…
Submitted by Rev. Shannan Vance-Ocampo, Watchung Avenue Presbyterian Church, North Plainfield, NJ.
Many times O God we take steps backwards instead of forward. We retreat from our lives and from our calling. We wander or struggle. We become directionless. In those moments we have lost sight of You, and we have lost sight of ourselves. We no longer have a vision or a dream inside of us. Sometimes this season in life lasts for just a moment, or a short day. Other times it lasts much longer—and we struggle to regain control. This happens to all of us. And so today O God we pray for you to be with us and make us new when this way of life is of our doing, because of our refusal to follow your call. And we pray O God for you to help us when this way of life is not our doing—when depression or hopelessness has a grip on our lives we are unable to release on our own. And we especially pray O God that we might have compassion and patience to love each other through all seasons of the lives that we share—and to always remind others of your Good News, your Eternal Love, and your Hope-filled Promises. We pray these things in Christ’s name. Amen.
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