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Call to Worship (based on Psalm 119:9-16)
L: How can young people keep their way pure? By guarding it according to your word.
P: With my whole heart I seek you; do not let me stray from your commandments.
L: I treasure your word in my heart, so that I may not sin against you.
P: Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes.
L: I will meditate on your precepts, and fix my eyes on your ways.
All: I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.

 

Call to Worship (variation on Psalm 119):

We seek the Lord with our whole hearts and pray that we will not stray from God’s commandments. We will meditate on God’s precepts and fix our eyes on His ways. We will delight in God’s statutes and not forget His word. We will treasure God’s word in our hearts forever.

 

Prayer of Covenant Faithfulness

God of righteousness and God of grace, teach us always to live in agreement with your Holy Word which you have written in the laws of nature, in your holy word by your prophets, and on our hearts and minds through the power of your Holy Spirit.  While we journey through this temporal life, give us the strength to do your will and to keep your commandments.

Help us to avoid vanity, pettiness and unfruitful pursuits, but enable us to build our lives upon the rock of Christ, Jesus, your Son, who is your Living Word in this life and in eternity, in whose precious name we pray. Amen.

 

 

Prayer of Confession
by Rev. Frank Schaefer

Lord, help us examine our hearts so that we may pay proper respect to Christ's sacrifice on the cross.  Thank you for offering reconciliation to all of humankind, the forgiveness of sins through Christ, our high priest.

Almighty and ever-present God, we confess our sins to you. We are truly sorry for our wrongdoings and shortcomings, for sins of commission and sins of omission.

Forgive us, we pray, in Christ's name.

Empower us to serve you fully, to share the resources we have with those who have less, to weep with those who weep, and to laugh with those who laugh. Help us to be good stewards over the earth you have placed in our care; help us to unite in love and concern for one another, not just in our local community, but with brothers and sisters in all the world.  Amen.

 

Prayer of Discipleship

God of Love and Grace, you have called us into radical discipleship in the name of your son Jesus.  To you alone belong all of our heart and our devotion. You freed us from the burden of sin and by your Spirit enabled us to serve you and our neighbor. Help us, we pray, to continue in our commitment to you.  Empower us to always seek your Kingdom first.

Teach us to pray for our brothers and sisters aright; that we be so consumed in love for them that we may feel their needs as much as our own. Enable us to give as freely as we have received from you so that the name of our Lord Jesus be glorified.   Amen.

 

Closing Prayer -- attributed to 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.