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Call to Worship (from Psalm 29)

L: Ascribe to the Lord, O mighty ones,
P: Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
L: Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to his name;
P: The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders.
L: The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever.
P: The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.
All: Let us worship the Lord in the splendor of God's holiness!

 

Call to Worship

L: It is the Lord, our God, who has saved us and lifted us up!
P: Let us remember our baptism; let us remember our Lord.
L: God in His great mercy has appointed a Savior to go through a baptism of great suffering and death in our stead.
P: Let us remember our baptism; let us remember our Lord.
L: Come, let us worship the Lord, our God, and give him praise for our salvation!

 

Stewardship over God's Creation
--a prayer of confession

Let us confess the harm we have done to God's world, by failing to care for it, and by turning away from God?s ways: 

L: We confess that we have failed to give you glory for the wonder and beauty of creation
P: Forgive us Lord, and heal our land. 
L: We confess that we have failed to care properly for animals and birds, and for the land itself. We?re sorry, Lord.
P: Forgive us Lord, and heal our land. 
L: We confess that our greed and comfort have led to pollution and waste, and have caused the poor to suffer.
P: Forgive us Lord, and heal our land. 
L: We confess the lack of understanding between city and countryside, between farmers and consumers.
P: Forgive us Lord, and heal our land.
L: We confess that the land has suffered as we have failed to let you be God in every area of our national life.
P: Forgive us Lord, and heal our land. 

Prayer for the Healing of Creation (in unison)

Lord, come and heal our land.

Let there be light

       in our darkened, soulless cities;

Let there be green

       in our wasted, industrial sites;

Let there be letting go

       of our wrangled, unhealed memories;

Let there be gardens

       in the ghettos of our church?s story;

Let there be loving

       for the soil from which we came;

Let there be a neighbour in me

       for the nations of the world;

Lord come and heal our land. 

Help Us to Live As Those Who Are Baptized

God of Love and Life; at the baptism of your Son you opened the heavens and announced to the world that he belongs to you.  As Jesus lived faithful to your commands, help us also, joined to him in our own baptism, to live in that sense of belonging, as forgiven and faithful servants. Our heavenly Father, help us live as those who are baptized.

You work, O God, by your Holy Spirit, in our lives. Through Christ's baptism of suffering you have ransomed us, you have called us by name; we belong to you. You have promised to be with us, when we go through deep waters and great trouble.    Be with us, we pray as we face a new year with many uncertainties; walk with us every step of the way and turn the uncertainties into possibilities for us and your kingdom.  God of Love and Life, help us to live as those who are baptized and empowered by your Spirit. Amen.

 

Prayer for Renewal of Baptism

O Giver of Light and Life, we come to you aware of the parts within us that are lost, broken, and even dirty--the parts that need your healing and cleansing touch. We ask you to baptize us today with the knowledge of our own humanity, and with a faith in your divine power to cleanse and heal us.

Open us up to a healing acknowledgment of our own weaknesses, so that we may experience the power of your divine perfection flowing into the depths of our souls. Create us anew, Divine Maker. Move into the formless void within us. Open our spirits to the Light that is always accessible within, so that we may learn and grow and build a heavenly life of happiness and service in your creation. Amen.

 

Closing Prayer

Living God,
When the Spirit descended on Jesus at his baptism in Jordan's water you revealed him as your own beloved Son.
You anointed him with with the Holy Spirit.
Grant that all who are baptized into his name
my keep the covenant they have made,
and boldly confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior
now and forever. Amen