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Call to Worship (based on Psalm 119:105-112)

L: Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
P: I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to observe your righteous ordinances.
L: Accept my offerings of praise, O LORD, and teach me your ordinances.
P: Your decrees are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.
L: I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever!

 

Prayer of thanks for the Word (prayer for illumination or to be used with   Gospel and Psalter lesson)

God, source of life, we thank you for your life-giving word.
Let it find space among us and bear good fruit.
In sharing the Bible let us experience that your word is a bond of unity and a source of common action. Encourage those who work in translating and distributing the Bible.
We pray that our words and deeds will make visible your words and deeds.
Enable us to live more and more according to your will. Amen.

Prayer of Thanks for Assurance of Salvation (Epistle lesson)

For the assurance of our salvation we praise you, LORD God.  You have lifted us onto higher ground which is the solid and eternal rock of Christ.  Your Spirit is present and active in our lives every day.

You surround us with your presence, for you are the God of grace and mercy. Your arms are stretched out continually to embrace us; goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives; your banner of love is gloriously stretched over us.

You are the light of the world, you are the source of life, you are the voice which calls us by name, and you are the well of eternal life from whose waters we gladly draw.

May we be strengthened to continue on the path you have shown us, may we be preserved in our walk with you all the days of our lives until the Day of Christ's return.  Amen.

 

Prayer of Confession

Merciful God, help us examine our hearts so that we may be convicted of our sins and shortcomings through the ministry of your Holy Spirit within us.

We come to you in the name of Jesus, your Son and our High Priest. We confess that there are times when we go against your hopes for us as your people.

We confess that there are times when we go against your Word for us.  In silence, O LORD, hear us as we confess those things we have done, and those things we have neglected to do; times when we have failed you and each other. . .

(Time of silence)

Loving God, we ask you once again to receive us into your compassionate, forgiving arms that we might find favor with you for all the days of our lives. Empower us to serve you fully, to share the Good News with others around us, to share resources we have with those who have less, to weep with those who weep, and to laugh with those who laugh.  Amen.

Assurance of Pardon:
L: God loves us and forgives us.  God gives us the chance to begin again.
All: Thanks be to God.  Amen!

A Farmer's / Evangelist's Prayer   (Gospel lesson)
from a prayer by Robin Fogle and other, anonymous authors

Lord, bless the land You've given me,
And may I always know
As I tend each crop and creature
You're the One who helps them grow.

I bow my head and pray, O Lord,
With hands worn rough by toil,
That you will ever guide my plow,
Helping cultivate my soil.

Please send the sunshine and the rain
And bless the seeds I sow,
And give me strength from day to day
That I may help to make them grow.  Amen.

Closing words of Blessing:

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.

Benediction:

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.