____________________________________________________

Call to Worship (based on Psalm 131)

L: My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty
P:  But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
L: Like a weaned child is my soul within me.
P: O Israel, put your hope in the LORD
L: Both now and forevermore.

 

Litany for Christian Unity

Let us ask the Lord to strengthen in all Christians faith in Christ, the Savior of the world.
Listen to us, O Lord.
Let us ask the Lord to sustain and guide Christians with his gifts along the way to unity.
Listen to us, O Lord.
Let us pray.  We ask you, O Lord, for the gifts of your Spirit.  Enable us to penetrate the depth of the whole truth,
and grant that we may share with others the goods you have put at our disposal.
Teach us to overcome divisions.  Send us your Spirit to lead to full unity your sons and daughters in full charity, in obedience to your will; through Christ our Lord.   Amen.

 

Prayer of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Everlasting God, you gave us the faith of Christ for a light to our feet amid the darkness of this world. Grant us grace to fulfill and mercy when we fail these words of our brother in Christ, Martin Luther King, which we lift to you in prayer:

"If I can help somebody as I pass along;

If I can cheer somebody with a word or song;

If I can show somebody he’s traveling wrong;

then my living will not be in vain.

If I can do my duty as a Christian ought;

If I can bring salvation to a world once wrought;

If I can spread the message as the Master taught;

then my living will not be in vain.

Yes, Jesus, I want to be on your right or your left side, not for any selfish reason. I want to be on your right or your left side, not in terms of some political kingdom or ambition. But I just want to be there in love and in justice and in truth and in commitment to others, so that we can make of this old world a new world." Amen.

 

Prayer for Love of Neighbor

Teach me to love, Lord, as you love,
unconditional, honest, and kind.
May it be seen in my face and my eyes, Lord.
May it be simple and sincere. Amen.

 

A Prayer of Confession

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 God's Faithfulness Amid Hardship

(adapted from a Letter by St. Francis de Sales on the occasion of the death of his younger sister)

Almighty God and Father,
     In our shared humanity, our hearts fear more than ever before in this world filled with anxiety, strife, and uncertainty.
     For those who doubt and fear that evil is greater than good we pray for the grace to take the side of your divine Providence. May we always believe that it does all well, and disposes all things for the best.
     And for all of us we pray for wisdom and justice, for courage and hope. May we know that, even if everything is taken from us, your divine Providence means that You will never take Yourself from us, so long as we do not will it.
     Enlighten our minds, encourage our hearts, and enliven our souls that we might know your presence, grow in love, and bring new hope to our world.    AMEN.
 

Closing Prayer (traditional Pakistani prayer)

O Creator and mighty God,
You have promised strength for the weak,
rest for the laborers, light for the way,
grace for the trials, help from above,
unfailing sympathy, undying love.
O Creator and mighty God,
help us to continue in your promise.  Amen.

 

Closing Prayer (in unison):

How good it is to join in prayers of thanksgiving and songs of praise!  You have been good to us, gracious God!  For sunshine and rain, for the labors of all who harvest the grain, we pour out our gratitude.  You have dealt wondrously with us so that we have more than we need.  Dwell with us now that we may not only be inspired to share but also prompted to work for a more just world in which all your children have enough to eat and reasons for joy.  Amen.

 

Sending Forth

Source of all creation, all love, all true joy,
accept our prayer of sincere thankfulness.
Bless us as we go forth to minister to a dying world; and keep each of us ever thankful
for all the blessings of joy;
teach us to be content in all situations,
even amidst challenges that come our way;
through him who is the greatest gift and blessing of all, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.