a community creating for the relentless return of Sunday
Friends, be strong and do not fear, for we are in the presence of God.
Waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.
The burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water.
God brings forth abundance where before there was scarcity.
There is nothing that is impossible with God.
We are gathered to share God’s blessings with one another.
Come, let us worship God.
Submitted by Stephen M. Fearing, Beaumont Presbyterian Church, Lexington, KY
Let us pray to God, saying:
Gospel God, help us be hearers and doers of your Word.
We are reminded that the great ends of the Church are: (PCUSA Book of Order F-1.0304)
the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind,
the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God,
the maintenance of divine worship,
the preservation of the truth,
the promotion of social righteousness,
and the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.
We acknowledge that these things don’t happen by themselves
but only by the faithful work that you call us to do.
Help us embrace that work and do it joyfully and faithfully.
Gospel God, help us be hearers and doers of your Word.
God of All Nations,
we lament the times when people have suffered
because of the Church’s silence, complicity, and apathy.
We pray for those who have sought protection but not found it.
We pray for those who have begged for food and water and have left empty handed.
We pray for those who have asked for love and received instead judgment.
Help us remember that how we treat the least of these is how we treat you.
Gospel God, help us be hearers and doers of your Word.
God of All Wisdom,
we pray that we might be a people that live the Christian life
more than one hour a week.
We are reminded that the work of the Gospel is not a part-time job
that we can pick up and put down at our convenience.
Help us heed James’ imperative to be a people of action and truth,
bound by our duty to serve you in all that we are and in all that we do.
Gospel God, help us be hearers and doers of your Word.
Gracious God,
hear us now as we pray silently for those upon our hearts this day…
Gospel God, help us be hearers and doers of your Word.
Heavenly Parent,
hear us now as we pray the prayer you taught us to pray, saying: Our Father…
Submitted by Stephen M. Fearing, Beaumont Presbyterian Church, Lexington, KY
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
With our whole heart and our very being
we praise you for you are a wise and wonderful God.
With nothing more than a word,
you created the whirling planets
and breathed life into all of creation.
You made us in your image,
that we might be stewards of this good earth.
Together, with all of creation, we sing your majesty:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
You blessed us with the promise of abundance and grace
if only we lived within the bounds of your mercy.
But we pushed those boundaries and neglected your earth,
mistreating one another and failing to care for creation.
So you sent your Son, Jesus Christ,
to redeem us for we were unable to redeem ourselves.
In the flesh he came among us and preached the Gospel
not only in word but in deed.
We give you thanks that the Lord Jesus,
on the night before he died, took bread,
and after giving thanks to you, he broke it,
and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take, eat. This is my body, broken for you.
In the same way Jesus took the cup, saying:
This cup is the new covenant sealed in my blood,
shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.
Whenever you drink it, do this in remembrance of me.
We gather this day, God of all majesty and power,
to lift up your holy name and proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
Giver of Every Mercy,
send us the presence of your Spirit
that she might bless us in this holy meal,
sending us forth into the world
to be both hearers and doers of your Word.
Unite us this day with our sisters and brothers around the world
as we preach the Gospel and grow in our understanding of discipleship.
Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ,
all glory and honor are yours, Holy God,
both now and forever more. Amen.
Submitted by Stephen M. Fearing, Beaumont Presbyterian Church, Lexington, KY
Holy Spirit,
bless this our reading of your word
that we might neither add to it or take anything away from it. (Deut. 4:2)
Help us to keep your commandments and plant them within our hearts. Amen.
Submitted by Stephen M. Fearing, Beaumont Presbyterian Church, Lexington, KY
Call to Confession
In all honesty and humility,
let us confess our sins before God
and be freed of the burdens that weigh us down for the journey ahead.
Confession
Merciful God,
you call us to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.
But often we ignore that wisdom.
Instead of listening, we talk past one another.
Instead of exercising patience, we become hotheaded and irritable.
Instead of practicing kindness, we hand out judgment and malice.
Help us rid ourselves of wickedness and embrace steadfast love in its place.
Forgive us of our sins so that, when we look in the mirror,
we see the disciples you are calling us to be. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
Friends, our hearts overflow with a goodly theme: instea
a theme of God’s forgiveness.
In the name of Jesus Christ,
I announce to you that our sins are forgiven.
Alleluia! Amen.
Submitted by Stephen M. Fearing, Beaumont Presbyterian Church, Lexington, KY
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