a community creating for the relentless return of Sunday
We sing because God does marvelous things!
He opened salvation to all and revealed his righteousness to the world.
Make joyful noise the Lord, all the earth!
We join in joyous song and sing God’s praises!
It’s not only us, but the sea, the rivers, even the mountains rejoice out loud.
The whole cosmos sings because the Lord is coming to establish justice on earth!
We give you thanks, O Lord, with all our heart.
You have provided everything we need
in your steadfast love.
Receive these offerings as our response
to your great faithfulness,
for the praise of Jesus’ name. Amen.
Submitted by Rev. Nathan Williams, Covenant Presbyterian Church, West Des Moines, IA
We rejoice in you, O God,
all the earth rejoices and sings glory to your name;
we sing praise and glory to you, O God.
As Christ’s beauty shines forth,
we praise your great salvation
and celebrate the merciful love that reconciles us to you.
As the new year dawns around us,
we pray for the welfare of the earth:
for the healing of the climate;
for the preservation of the beauty and balance of nature;
for the lives of the creatures whose very being sings your praises.
As Christ calls us into renewed discipleship,
we pray for the needs of your people everywhere:
for the forgiveness and redemption of the sins that bind and wound us;
for the deliverance of those who face chaos, despair, and sorry;
for the comfort and courage of all who mourn or face death.
We pray for the lives of the nations:
keep watch, Sovereign,
and teach us to work for justice and lasting peace.
We bless you, O God,
and we join all peoples in praising you,
in the name of Jesus our Savior, our Lord. Amen.
Submitted by Rev. Nathan Williams, Covenant Presbyterian Church, West Des Moines, IA
We praise you, O Lord, with all our hearts!
As your people gathered in faith, we call upon you.
We celebrate what you have done for us,
and we love to tell the stories of your grace.
For the sake of your unending righteousness,
we call upon your grace and compassion for your people.
We pray for those who are hungry,
and we seek to use our gifts so they might be fed.
We pray for those who suffer oppression
from enemies within or beyond their homelands,
and we look for justice and peace for all people.
We pray for those who seek to draw closer to you,
that you would open the eyes of every heart
and reveal yourself to all who seek you.
We give you thanks, Holy One,
for you are always faithful to your people;
your promises are always sure.
We pray with the wisdom, and in the name,
of Jesus Christ our Lord, who taught us to pray, saying:
The Lord’s Prayer
Submitted by Rev. Nathan Williams, Echo Hill Presbyterian Church, Cedar Rapids, IA
God calls us to gather together to seek the Shalom of our city
We seek God’s Shalom together
Where there is separation, may God forge new connections through us
We seek God’s wholeness together
Where there is violence, may God bring reconciliation through us
We seek God’s peace together
May the wholeness and peace of God be felt in this community
We seek God’s Shalom together. Let us worship God!
Submitted by Rev. Lucus Levy Keppel, Trinity Presbyterian Church in Bixby, OK
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