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Call to Worship (based on Psalm 82)

L: LORD, give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.
P: Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
L: Rise up, O God, judge the earth;
P: For all the nations belong to you!
L: Come, let us worship the LORD!

 

Call to Worship
by Rev. Frank Schaefer

L:   Like a father carries his children, like a shepherd leads his flock,
P:  So does the Lord love and care for his people.
L:  As high as the heaven extends from the earth, as deep as the ocean reaches into the earth's womb,
P: So does the Almighty reach out to our very hearts and embraces us as his beloved children.
L: Come, let us welcome God in our midst, let us worship our Father in Heaven!

 

Invocation

Sisters and brothers, called to freedom in Christ: Grace, mercy, and peace be with you all.

And also with you.

Let us pray. Lord God, use our lives to touch the world with your love. Stir us, by your Spirit, to be neighbor to those in need, serving them with willing hearts; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

 

Prayer of Confession

God of Love and God of Mercy, you are slow to anger and quick to forgive us our sins.  To you, our good Shepherd, do we confess our sins and shortcomings.

Forgive us, o Lord, for we have sinned against you and our neighbor: 

We have ignored your commands, we have harbored ill thoughts and intent toward our neighbor.

Forgive us, o Lord

We have not always followed in the footsteps of Jesus; we have neglected to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, and to visit the prisoners.

Forgive us, o Lord.

For all unspoken sins, we committed individually we ask your forgiveness

(Allow time)

Forgive us, o Lord.

Free us to live as peacemakers and ambassadors of your love.  Empower us to be Christ to our families, friends and neighbors.  In Christ's name we pray. Amen.

 

 

For the  Love of Neighbor (from a church wall in Mexico)

Give us, Senior, a little sun, a little happiness, and some work.
Give us a heart to comfort those in pain.
Give us the ability to be good, strong, wise, and free,
   so that we may be as generous with others as we are with ourselves.
Finally, Senior, let us all live as your own one family.  Amen.

 

Make us Worthy--Mother Teresa

Make us worthy, Lord,
To serve others throughout the world
Who live and die
In poverty or hunger,
Give them, through our hands,
this day their daily Bread,
and by our understanding love,
give peace and joy.
Amen.
 

 

Prayer for Justice And Peace in the World

Father, you have given all peoples one common origin. It is your will that they be gathered together as one family in yourself.

Fill the hearts of humankind with the fire of your love and with the desire to ensure justice for all.

We confess that we often put our trust  in the power of man-made things, unmindful of Your mighty power and that Jesus is " King Of Kings." We confess that we have turned our eyes away from You to go our selfish ways. Money, power and pleasure are the gods we serve today. Through greed and fear and hatred, we are seeking to destroy.

Oh, Father up in heaven, stir and wake our sleeping souls.

May there be an end to division, strife and war. May there be a dawning of a truly human society built on love and peace. We ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord.

By sharing the good things you give us, help us to secure an equality for all our brothers and sisters throughout the world. Amen.

Confident in God's steadfast love through Jesus Christ and guided by the Holy Spirit, let us pray for the church, the world, and all people according to their needs.

Let us pray for the whole church, that filled with your Spirit, the church will, in action and word, proclaim boldly the word of truth that is near, we pray: God of grace,

let our prayer come before you.

Let us pray for all creation, that God will move nations and peoples to be good stewards of the gifts of the earth and work toward a sustainable world in which all might share its blessings, we pray: God of grace,

let our prayer come before you.

Let us pray for all those abandoned and forgotten in our world: those who are mentally ill or disabled, children missing and living in neglect, those in nursing homes without caring families. Increase our love for you, God, so that we might show that love more fully to these neighbors in need, we pray: God of grace,

let our prayer come before you.

Let us pray for all the sick and those close to death (especially), that God will prepare them to endure everything with patience and bring them to wholeness, we pray: God of grace,

let our prayer come before you.

Let us pray for this congregation, that through the word proclaimed and sacrament shared here, we might bear fruit and truly comprehend the grace of God, we pray: God of grace,

let our prayer come before you.

Let us thank God for the inheritance given to the saints in light. May we follow their examples of hospitality to strangers and a witness of our faith in Christ, we pray: God of grace,

let our prayer come before you.

Teach us to pray, O God, and grant to all for whom we pray the good gifts that you have promised, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

 

Closing Prayer (adapted from Colossians1:9-12):

May almighty God fill you with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
May you lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God.

May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from God's glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to God in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.  Amen.