a community creating for the relentless return of Sunday
We are called this morning to struggle together,
to turn every breath into a prayer to God.
In this place, the Spirit of God tells us to hold on.
We cry out for God’s blessing.
Let us be persistent in our prayers
so that we might be refined into the image of Christ. Amen!
inspired by Genesis 32:22-31 and Luke 18:1-8
submitted by Rev. Lucus Keppel, Corona United & Ancho Community Presbyterian Churches, New Mexico
Holy God:
with the precious jewel
of holy scripture,
you share with us
the treasure of your heart.
Engrave your covenant –
your hopes, your dreams,
your vision, your peace –
upon our hearts,
that they might beat
as one with yours.
Submitted by Rev. Thom Shuman, Lectionary Liturgies.
Call to Reconciliation
Despite our foolish and angry words, God continues to speak of mercy to us.
Despite our best efforts to be faithless in our living, God remains faithful
in keeping the promise to forgive us and restore us to wholeness. Let us
confess our sins to God, so that God’s hope and grace might endure in our
brokenness.
Unison Prayer of Confession
God beyond borders, we know that on our way to worship, we may not have
noticed the exiles in our neighborhoods. We admit how easy it is for us to
wander down the streets of temptation, pausing at the corner of easy
choices. We fall silent in the presence of those who speak words of anger
and hate. We tolerate a culture that suspects all who are different from us.
Have mercy on us, O God, for surely you take the side of justice. Open
our hearts to all the wonders you are performing in our lives. You gift us
with those of other cultures, that our lives might be blessed. You send us
friends out of places we least expect, that our community might be enriched.
You call us to be generous with our blessings, so others might be graces
with the gift of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Silence is kept
Assurance of Pardon
L: God challenges us, God encourages us. God confronts us, and God accepts
us. God works wonders in our midst and gives us the eyes, the hearts, the
souls to see such miracles.
P: God forgives us, God guides us through the wilderness of the world, God
leads us home. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Submitted by Rev. Thom Shuman, Lectionary Liturgies.
L: Whether we live in an apartment or a house;
if we reside in the suburbs or the city:
P: God tells us to pray for the places where we live.
L: Whether we are exiles or prisoners for the gospel;
if we are young, old, insider, outcast:
P: God says, ‘when you search for me, you will find me.’
L: Whether we have been wandering and lost;
or if we have lived in the same place all our lives:
P: God says, ‘I will gather you from all your places and bring you home.’
Submitted by Rev. Thom Shuman, Lectionary Liturgies.
Submitted by Rev. Lucus Keppel, Ancho Community Presbyterian Church & Corona United Presbyterian Church, New Mexico
recent comments