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Call to Worship (Psalm 4)

L: Answer me when I call, O God of my right!
P: You gave me room when I was in distress. Be gracious to me, and hear my prayer.
L: But know that the LORD has set apart the faithful for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him.
P: When you are disturbed, do not sin;
L: Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD!

 

Call to Worship

Leader: Christ, God’s gift to the world, shall come:
People: For those who feel despair will know hope.
Leader: For those who are oppressed will know freedom
People: For those who are lonely will know love.
Leader: For those who are suffering will know inner peace.
People: O Christ, Lord of the world, your time is now!
All: Fill our hearts with joy!

 

We Are God's Children -- an Affirmation reflecting 1 John 3:1-7

     See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.
     We are children of the most high God; let us therefore boldly come before our heavenly Father with praise and supplications.
     There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God through Christ Jesus, our Lord.  Together with him we are heirs of the kingdom of God!
     Here and now, we are God's children; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION (based on Luke 24:36b-48)
by Rev. Laidlaw, used by permission;  http://www.liturgiesonline.com.au/

VOICE 1: Risen Lord Jesus, what is it that keeps us from recognizing you? 
VOICE 2: Often we are so full of ourselves that it's easy to block you right
out of our lives. 
VOICE 1: Maybe it's the way we interpret Scripture that obscures the signs pointing to you.
VOICE 2: Perhaps we are guilty of being slow of heart when we don't
recognize you in our neighbor, or in the guise of the poor or the dispossessed.
VOICE 1: Our eyes and ears have become so crammed with the sights and
sounds of  living that we simply fail to see you or to recognize your voice.

Risen Lord Jesus, help us to empty ourselves of all that hinders our
awareness of your presence with us.  Fill us with the joy of knowing
your continuing presence, so that, like those travellers on the road to Emmaus, we too, hasten to share this great good news with others
Amen. 

Help us to empty ourselves of all that hinders our
awareness of your presence with us.  Fill us with the joy of knowing
your continuing presence, so that, like those travelers on the road to Emmaus, we too, hasten to share this great good news with others
Amen. 

ASSURANCE OF PARDON
We know that we were ransomed from futile ways....with the precious blood
of Christ...and have been born anew through the living and enduring word of
God."  In this we recognize God's great love for the world revealed in the
death and resurrection of Jesus...who came into the world not to condemn it
but to save it. Those who believe in him are not condemned. 

Thanks be to God!

 

Prayer of Devotion / Re-Dedication
by St. Augustine

Lord,
let my whole heart
be inflamed with love for you;
let nothing in me belong to me
and let me have no thought for myself;
let me burn
and be wholly consumed in you;
let me love you with my whole being
as one set on fire by you.

 

Closing Prayer: (A Prayer of Saint Patrick)

Christ be with us, Christ before us, Christ behind us,
Christ in us, Christ beneath us, Christ above us,
Christ on our right, Christ on our left,
Christ where we lie, Christ where we sit,
Christ where we arise.
Christ in the heart of every one who thinks of us,
Christ in every eye that sees us,
Christ in every ear that hears us.
Salvation is of the Lord,
Salvation is of the Christ,
May your salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.  Amen.