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Call to Worship
L: We all like sheep have gone astray.
P: May the Good Shepherd gather us into his flock once again.
L: Come let us worship and bow down.
P: Let us kneel before the LORD, our God, our Maker.
L: For He is our God and we are the people of His pasture.
P: We are the sheep of His hand. Let us worship God!

 

Call to Worship

L: We all like sheep have gone astray.
P: May the Good Shepherd gather us into his flock once again.
L: Come let us worship and bow down.
P: Let us kneel before the LORD, our God, our Maker.
L: For He is our God and we are the people of His pasture.
P: We are the sheep of His hand.

 

Prayer of Confession

Lord, you are the good Shepherd who cares for the flock with great patience and compassion.
We confess that we often take your love and grace for granted; forgive us, o Lord.
We act like sheep that go astray; forgive us our spiritual shortsightedness.
We confess that we have not responded to your call with faith, but rather sought our own ways and interests.
We confess that we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves, forgive us and free us to joyful service to you and others in Jesus' name in whose name we diligently pray.  Amen.

Responsive Reading (Psalm 23)

L: The Lord is my Shepherd
P: I shall not want
L: He makes me lie down in green pastures
P: and leads me beside the still waters
L: He restores my soul.
P: and guides me in the paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake
L: Even though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death
P: I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.
L: Thy rod and thy staff
P: They comfort me.
L: Thou preparest a table before me
P: In the presence of mine enemies
L: Thou anointest my head with oil.
P: And my cup overflows
L: Surely goodness and mercy will follow me
P: All the days of my life
L: And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
P: for ever.

 

Intercessory Prayer

Standing in the glorious lighe of the resurrection, let us pray for the church, the world, and all who wait for the Spirit's revealing power.

Watchful God, give to your church faithful bishops and pastors who will shepherd their synods and congregations with vision and compassion. We pray to the Lord:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Abundant God, help the people of the world to find ways to share their resources and thus to care for one another in their need. We pray to the Lord:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Knowing God, assure all who are sick (especially) that you will not forsake them, and that you are present with them in their pain and discomfort. We pray to the Lord:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Saving God, bless all mothers who honor you by making your love known to the families in their care. We pray to the Lord:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Abiding God, sustain the dying and those who watch with them, comfort those who grieve (especially), and keep us united with (names, and with) all our brothers and sister who have died in your arms. We pray to the Lord:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Gracious God, hear our prayers and receive them for the sake of the crucified and risen one, our Savior Jesus Christ.

Amen

 

Prayer to Shepherd God (by St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier)

Shepherd God,
Give me your great heart to love with, especially when my own heart is too small and limited to love as another needs to be loved.
Give me all I need to reach out to those who are lost and in trouble.
Give me the love and courage to give myself totally to the mission of Jesus, the Good Shepherd who laid down his life so that we would have life in its fullness. Amen.

A Good Shepherd Prayer of Incarnation
(based on the prayer of St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier)

God of compassion, may every beat of my heart be a prayer to obtain your grace and care for those most lost in our world.
May every breath I take be a prayer for your mercy for those who are most in need.
May all those whom I make eye contact see themselves as you see them.
May all those I touch experience your touch experience themselves as valuable because of your tender and forgiving presence.
And may I always be open to receiving your love, and being an instrument of your love in the world.

 

Poem: Anyway -- Mother Teresa  (from Meditations from a Simple Path)

People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish motives.
Do good anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable.
Be honest and transparent anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People who really want help may attack you if you help them.
Help them anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you may get hurt.
Give the world your best anyway.

For Grace to Labor

Lord of the harvest, send us into your vineyard as faithful workers;
free us from all idleness and envy;
let your grace be sufficient for all who are weak.
The things, good Lord, that we pray for,
give us the grace to labor for;
The things that human labor cannot achieve
we ask you to provide by your grace alone,
until your kingdom is fully established on earth
as it is in heaven..
Amen.

 

Closing Prayer:
(traditional Pakistani Christian)

O Creator and mighty God,
You have promised strength for the weak,
rest for the laborers, light for the way,
grace for the trials, help from above,
unfailing sympathy, undying love.
O Creator and mighty God,
help us to continue in your promise.  Amen.