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Year B

confession: running down the street

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Call to Reconciliation
We know how easy it is to trick ourselves into believing that every thought is pure, every act is just, every choice is correct. But if we want to be God’s children, to grow in hope, to walk in the Light, we must admit our mistakes, so we may open ourselves to the healing mercy of God’s love.  Join me, please, as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
Emptier of tombs, we find ourselves running down the street after lies, rather than walking with you. We find it easy to love other people, as long as they don’t annoy or bother us. We hunger for love and search for affirmation, yet find it difficult to let others love us for who we are. Forgive us, Compassionate Heart. You listen to the whispers of our hearts, and then sing of the promises of hope. You grace us with peace, so our hearts can rest in you. You continue to transform us into Easter people, brothers and sisters of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
L:    Not everything has been revealed to us, but this we do know: as God’s children, we are blessed, we are loved, we are forgiven.
P:    Our lives have been transformed by the abundant mercy given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord. Thanks be to God! Amen.

 

Submitted by Rev. Thom Shuman, author of Lectionary Liturgies.

Sunday’s Coming: working toward April 22

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We’re getting a bit of a late start this week…whether you’re on a roll already or just waking up from the post-easter-week-vacation/retreat/nap, join in as we create for this Sunday!

Perhaps you’ll be walking on the road to Emmaus this week.

Perhaps you’re pondering our status as children of God.

Maybe all your words this week are different ways to cry out “Answer me, O God!”

Or are you brave enough to tackle Peter’s post-first-healing sermon?

Or perhaps you’re contemplating Earth Day and thinking of ways to explore care of creation in worship. Or are you in an Easter Season Series?

Whatever your direction, drop in to the comments and leave your ideas, whether they be a word or an image or  complete liturgy, hymn ideas or a different text or a phrase you can’t get out of your head. You never know when your small contribution might spark someone else’s creativity, and that is what we’re here for!

call to worship and prayer: now what?

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One: Christ is risen!
Many: Now what?
One: The disciples clung to each other. They huddled in the upper room, waiting.
Many: Would the authorities come to take them, too?
One: Instead, Jesus himself appeared, despite the locked door.
Many: What next?
One: Next came doubts and questions, assurances and instructions, and a last word:
Many: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”
One: Christ is risen! Now what?
Many: Now we come together to wait for him.
One: May the risen Christ bless us as we worship what we have not seen, yet believe.

Invocation
God of new life, move through the locked doors of our hearts. Open us to your love moving in the world. Instruct us as you taught the disciples. Make a new church of us, a blessed place where we live in unity. Help us to learn from those first believers who prayed as we do, using the words Jesus taught, etc.

Submitted by Rev. Martha Spong, First Congregational Church, North Yarmouth Maine.

confession: reluctance

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Call to Reconciliation
How often have we heard the good news of forgiveness and restoration? Yet, we are still reluctant to believe. God offers us new life, yet we are afraid to let go of the old. Let us confess our doubts and fears to the One who waits to make us whole.

Unison Prayer of Confession
We use a lot of words, Gracious God, but do little to turn them into deeds. Instead of being of one heart and soul, we choose sides and form groups of folks just like us. Blessed with great grace, we have trouble sharing it with those who need it the most. Forgive us, God of love. Forgive us, as we step out of our shadows into your light. Restore us, as we reveal our brokenness. Hear us, as we proclaim Jesus Christ as our Lord and our God.

(Silent Prayers may be offered)

Assurance of Pardon
L:  This is the good news we have declare: God leads us out of the shadows to walk in the light of Christ.
P:  This is the word we have heard: our faithful God forgives our sins and raises us to new life. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Submitted by Rev. Thom Shuman, author of Lectionary Liturgies.

prayer of the day: Easter 2B

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Emptier of Tombs:
you raised Jesus
from the grave
so all fears might be banished;
so the locked doors of our hearts
could be flung open;
so our quivering lips
could declare what
we have seen and heard.

Bright Glory of God:
as you stood in the middle
of your friends
on that first Easter night,
come among us now,
in this time and place,
showing us that death and sin
no longer stand in the way
of our life with you.

Breath of Peace:
strengthen us
so we may stand
with all who fear life;
take our hands in yours,
so we may serve all
who are broken with grief;
inspire us to share
the grace which has been breathed
into our very souls.

God in Community, Holy in One,
hear us as we pray as Jesus taught us, saying,
Our Father . . .

Submitted by Rev. Thom Shuman, author of Lectionary Liturgies.