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confession: afraid

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Let us join together in confessing our sins and our faith:

You call us out, Lord. You call us by name. You call us to bring redemption and hope to desolate places and ____ people. We confess that we are afraid. We are afraid of what others will think. We are afraid we might get hurt. We are afraid we might get taken advantage of. Help us in our fears, Lord. Strengthen us with your resolve.

A moment of silent prayer.

Through Jesus God revealed the truth of what is possible.
Through Jesus God showed us the Way.
Through Jesus do not have to be afraid.
Lord, help us to trust you; help us to lean into you and let you show us the way.

ASSURANCE OF GRACE
Through Christ a Way has been revealed that leads us on a journey of learning, maturing, and growing in our understanding and faith. Trust this good news and trust God.
Through Jesus Christ we are healed of our fears, forgiven for our sins, and nourished for this journey. Thanks be to God!

 

Submitted by Rev. Eric Ledermann, University Presbyterian Church, Tempe AZ.

CTW: called

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The Lord has called us by name, called us out!
We are here, is that not enough?
We have been called for a purpose, to offer hope for the world.
Where can this hope be found?
It is within you, that yearning for something bigger than yourself.
What do we do with it?
We speak the truth of God’s grace, mercy and love. We live the truth every moment of our lives as best we can.
It sounds too hard, it seems too big!
And that is what Jesus came to do: to help us, guide us, encourage us. Come, let us worship the Lord, the Almighty!

 

Submitted by Rev. Eric Ledermann, University Presbyterian Church, Tempe AZ

epiphany prayers of the people

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God of wonder and mystery,
God of the stars and the universe,
God of winding ways and straight paths,
we gather today with gratitude for the gift of your constant presence,
your trustworthy guidance,
and your daring risk-taking with us.
You dare to love us despite our inability to respond fully.
You dare to care for us, despite our challenge in caring for others.
You dare to walk with us, despite our fickleness.

On our own journeys toward the stars and guiding points you put before us,
you continue to lead us forward,
guiding us by the teachings of Jesus
to seek justice, love kindness, and walk humbly in your loving shadow.
As we struggle with the political wrangling of this world,
the wars waged for both justice and greed,
the violence committed daily against the innocent,
let alone the pain of broken relationships and loss,
you remain steadfast in your care and devotion
for your entire creation throughout the universe.
It is almost too much to take in sometimes.
And even in our doubts and disbelief,
our struggle to understand and constant misunderstanding,
and our flat-out ignorance about your ways,
you remain constantly present to us.

We pray for peace in this world, Lord,
the kind of peace in which we celebrate diversity,
are joyfully challenged by adversity,
and share in the joy that is to be found everywhere.
We pray for those who are lonely,
that you might lead us to reach out and be friends.
We pray for those who are hungry,
that you might lead us to offer sustenance.
We pray for those who are lost,
that you might lead us to give hope and direction.

We pray for the countries of the world,
that we might find a way to work together to lift one another up.
We pray for our leaders in Washington,
that your Spirit might guide them set an example for our country and the world
to work together rather than against one another.
We pray for our denomination,
that we may seek to build up this body
and seek to repair the theological divisions that are tearing us apart.
We pray for officers, both those returning and those newly installed,
that they may continually seek your Spirit in their lives and their daily decisions
as they lead this congregation.
And we pray for ourselves,
that we might continue on this journey,
learning the lessons you offer,
seeking the fullness of your perfection,
and live as you would have us live.

These prayers and hopes we offer in confidence and gratitude of your love and presence…

Submitted by Rev. Eric Ledermann, University Presbyterian Church, Tempe, AZ