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Call to Worship--based on Psalm 15

L: O LORD, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill?
P: Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart;
L: Those who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbors;
P: Those who honor those who fear the LORD; who stand by their oath even to their hurt;
All: Those who do these things shall never be moved. Come, let us draw near the LORD!

Call to Worship
by Rev. Frank Schaefer

L: As we draw near to God
P: God will draw near to us.
L: Let us approach God with child-like faith.
P: For God loves those who humble themselves.
L: God's arm reaches out to those who are weak.
P: God's help is near to those who are troubled.
L: Let us worship God.

 

Prayer of Confession
By Rev. Thomas Hall

Welcoming God, you bid us into your presence, though none of us--not one human being--has earned any special status to even stand before You. So we come humbly before you on this day, painfully aware of our sins and shortcomings, yet buoyed with hope by your invitation to come before You.

You have called us to a very simple mission--to act justly, love kindness, and to walk humbly before You. Yet too often we have acted anything but justly. We have abused your resources without even a tinge of guilt; we have chosen violence and retaliation as a quick fix to problems and people that perplex us; and we have strutted like mummers before each other as if we were the Source, as if we were the reason for our gains and successes.

Forgive us, Almighty God, for our abuses, our quick fixes, and our arrogance. Bring us back to the path of our mission; let us once again embody the grace of your kingdom that belongs to the meek, to those who mourn, to those who hunger and thirst for justice, and to those who have pure hearts.

 

 

Make us Worthy--Mother Teresa

Make us worthy, Lord,
To serve others throughout the world
Who live and die
In poverty or hunger,
Give them, through our hands,
this day their daily Bread,
and by our understanding love,
give peace and joy.
Amen.

 

A Litany of Peace:

L: Jesus, Prince of Peace, our lives are torn by war, our own private battles and great world conflicts. Our prayer today shows our desire to be peaceful people. Strengthen our efforts to live in harmony, loving one another in peace. We ask this in Jesus’ name.

L: Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.
All: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
L: Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good.
All: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
L: Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.
All: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
L: Hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.
All: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
L: You are the light of the world. Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.
All: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
L: You will weep and mourn while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.
All: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
L: God encourages us in our every pain and affliction, so that we may be able to encourage others who are in any pain.
All: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

 

Lord Make Me an Instrument--Francis of Assisi

"LORD, make me an instrument of Thy peace; Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; and Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek To be consoled as to console; To be understood as to understand; To be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Children's Prayer
Dear God, thank you for your blessings; we especially appreciate the blessings for those who are poor and those who are sad.  But we also thank you for blessing all of us who try to live a good and peaceful life in your kingdom.  Lord, we need to be blessed by you; add a blessing to our day today so that we can show the whole world the love you put into our heart.  Amen.

Closing Prayer
Be near us, O God, as we leave this house of worship.
Walk with us as we journey along life's path.
Hear the prayers of our heart for the sake of the world you
pronounced good at the dawn of creation, and for the world
you loved enough to send us Jesus Christ, who with you and
the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, forever and ever.
Amen.