a community creating for the relentless return of Sunday
God of compassion,
you come to your people in the depths
and lift us up into new life.
Bless these gifts
and all the days of learning and service ahead of us,
and make us signs of your good news for everyone we meet.
We pray in Jesus’ name,
and pray with him as we say…
Submitted by Rev. Nathan Williams, Covenant Presbyterian Church, West Des Moines, IA
Call to Reconciliation
We come to this moment with our own personal baggage, our histories, our experiences. God invites us to come as we are, and unburden ourselves of our past and know that we are forgiven.
Let us pray.
Prayer of Confession
We want to be people of trust, O God,
But we are fragile people who have known pain and loss, and therefore, fear.
We fear for ourselves and those we love.
We fear for our country and our neighbors.
We fear for our planet and our climate,
We fear for our politics and our divisions.
We fear for our economy,
We fear change — and everything is changing.
In this moment, we unburden our fears to You.
Give us the courage to trust, we pray. Amen.
Silent Confession
Now, let us take a moment in silent prayer, so that we can confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
(wait for 3 breaths)
Assurance of Forgiveness
Hear the Good News: God, our Maker, Jesus our Teacher, the Spirit our Advocate, the Triune God is for us, not against us.
We are forgiven! Thanks be to God!
submitted by Rev. Steven Kurtz, Central Presbyterian Church, Fort Smith, AR
We exalt you, O Lord,
because you have raised us from the grave
and have given us the victory over our enemy Death.
When we called out to you, you raised us up and restored us to life.
We sing praises to you and give you thanks
when we remember the marvelous things you have done.
We pray for your favor, O God,
on those who suffer
and endure the wrath of illness, brokenness, change, or loss.
We pray for those who weep,
that your joy would break forth like the dawn.
We pray for those who are uncertain and insecure,
that you would show your favor, protect your people,
and strengthen those in need.
We pray for those who seek your face,
who have not yet found what they long for,
that you would reveal yourself again.
We pray for those who face death or despair,
that your faithfulness would be known even in the dust.
Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on us.
In Christ’s resurrection
you have turned our wailing into dancing;
you have taken off our mourning clothes and dressed us with joy.
Therefore we trust, and our hearts sing unceasingly,
O Lord our God, in the name of the risen Christ,
who taught us to pray as we say:
The Lord’s Prayer
Submitted by Rev. Nathan Williams, Echo Hill Presbyterian Church, Cedar Rapids, IA
Holy One, as we take to the road with Jesus this summer, send Your Spirit to accompany us. When we tire, give us renewed strength. When we flag, breathe deep into us. When we meander, bring us back to the path. When we question, grant us clarity. When we hunger, feed us with the bread of life. When we worship, enter our hearts. Amen.
Submitted by Rev. Martha Spong.
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