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Call to Worship (based on Psalm 22)

L: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
P: O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest.
L: Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.
P: In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.
L: Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.
P: All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.
L: Come, let us worship the LORD!

 

Call to Worship:

L: Show me your paths , Lord, and teach me to follow
P: Guide me by your truth and instruct me
L: You keep me safe and I always trust you;
All: In everything you do, you are kind and faithful to everyone who keeps their agreement with you.
L: Praise the name of the Lord.
P: The Lord's name be praised!

 

Canticle of Covenant Faithfulness (Quarite Dominium)

 

Seek the Lord who now is present,
     call upon the Lord, who is near,
let the wicked forsake their way,
     and the unrighteous their thoughts;
let them return that the Lord may have mercy on them;
     that our God may abundantly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
     neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
     For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
     so are my ways higher than your ways
     and my thoughts than your thoughts.

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
     and return not but water the earth,
     making it bring forth and sprout,
     giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth;
     it shall not return to me empty,
     but it shall accomplish that which I intend,
     and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

 

A Prayer for Lent (reflecting the Genesis passage)

God of Love and Mercy, we turn to you as we continue our journey through Lent.    During these 40 days, we ask you to search our souls, create in us a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within us.  Help us to heed Christ's call for a spiritual rebirth; enable us as you claim our lives and call us into a new land of your promise.

God of Promise and Grace, fulfill your promises to us as we put our trust in you as Abraham and Sarah did.  Lord, we turn to you because you are our light and salvation. Keep us in your arms, bless us, and lead us by your mighty hand.  Amen.

A Prayer of Confession for Lent

O Lord our God, good and merciful, I acknowledge all my sins which I have committed every day of my life, in thought, word and deed; in body and soul alike. I am sincerely sorry that I have offended you, and I truly repent.

I humbly ask you, O Lord: by your great mercy forgive me all my past transgressions and absolve me from them.

I firmly resolve, with the help of your Holy Spirit, to amend my way of life with the goal to sin no more; that I may walk in the way of the righteous and offer praise and glory to the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

 

Prayer of Thanks for Lent

O God our Father, we thank you for the gifts of life and love. We thank you that we live and worship in a country where such freedom is commonplace. Thank you for the opportunity to give up that which we want but don't need. But most of all, Lord, we thank you for the gift of Jesus who taught us how to live, how to die, and how to be raised to new life in the here and now. Amen

Closing prayer

Thou who art over us,
Thou who art one of us,
Thou who art:
     Give me a pure heart, that I may see thee;
     a heart of love, that I may serve thee;
     a heart of faith, that I may abide in thee.
Amen.