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Call to Worship (adapted from Psalm 5):

L:   Early in the morning the Lord hears my voice
P:  Early in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for God, and watch.
L:  Let all who take refuge in the Lord, rejoice!
P:  Let them sing for joy, that they may exult in the Lord forever!
L:  For the Lord blesses the righteous; come let us draw near and worship the Lord of hosts!

 

Call to Worship: (Responsively)  --by Rev. Rick Pittenger aka pulpitt in ND

Arguments over land have been taking place since the beginning of time.
Ahab wanted to be able to “walk to work” and offered a fair price to his neighbor.
The neighbor was not interested in selling off land that had been in the family for years.
We wonder where our yard stops and the neighbor’s begins.
Who is our neighbor and what is required to be a good neighbor?
Anyone who covets a neighbor’s house may destroy his or her own.

 

Invocation:

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

And also with you.

Let us pray. God, our maker and redeemer, you have made us a new company of priests to bear witness to the Gospel. Enable us to be faithful to our calling to make known your promises to all the world; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

 

Prayer of Confession

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.

 

Prayer based on all Lections
by Rev. Frank Schaefer

God of love and God of justice, you explore our hearts and know our every thought and motivation; forgive us, we pray, our sins and shortcomings and create in us a clean heart according to your great mercies.

Help us to accept your generous gift of grace and forgiveness with child-like faith; let us never forget that none of us have come to believe in your Son on our own merit.   May we be eternally grateful to you for our salvation and may we celebrate our justification through faith in Christ without thinking that we must find ways to earn our salvation by doing the works of the law.

God of Love and God of Justice, lead us by your Spirit in the ways of generosity and hospitality toward our fellow human beings.  May we never forget where we came from and that what we have received from you is a gift.  Help us overcome any   judgmental attitudes, biases, and all the "isms" that wreak havoc in our society and even in our churches.  Teach us to walk in the generous and loving way of Jesus, the Christ, so that your name may be magnified above all the earth. Amen.

 

Prayer for Justification:

Most merciful Lord Jesus Christ, through your great love you came down and took flesh to save all. Lord, save us by your grace, for we have fallen short of your commandments of love and compassion.  If faith in you saves the desperate, save us, for you are our God and Creator.

Impute our faith instead of our deeds, O God, for there are no deeds which could justify us; but may our faith suffice. May it answer for and acquit us, and may it make us partakers of your eternal glory.

Forgive our sins of commission and omission; the sins we committed by doing wrong and the ones we committed by not doing right.  Cleanse our hearts and wash our souls.

And may the enemy not overcome us, O Christ, my Savior, but may we find strength and courage through your Holy Spirit to withstand temptation and evil. 

We praise and worship you, our Lord and God, Jesus Christ, all the days of our lives, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

 

Prayer for Hospitality and a Generous Spirit

God of Love and God of Justice, lead us by your Spirit in the ways of generosity and hospitality toward our fellow human beings.  May we never forget where we came from and that what we have received from you is a gift.  Teach us to walk in the generous and loving way of Jesus, the Christ, so that your name may be magnified above all the earth. Amen.

 

Prayer of Dedication: (Unison)

Gathered like Grapes in the vineyard, we come to this place during this hour. Some of us are ready to be picked, while others of us seemingly are dying on the vine. Gather us closer to your love as we share these gifts with others in your name. Use them to provide a wonderful blend of that makes the sweetest wine. We ask in the name of the wine dresser, the Christ, Amen

 

Closing Prayer
England, 20th Century

Teach us, Ruler of the universe,
to see people by the light of the faith we profess,
that we may check in ourselves all ungenerous judgments, and all presumptuous claims.
Help us to recognize the needs and rightful claims of others, so we may remove old hatreds and rivalries and hasten new understandings; that we may bring our tributes of excellence to the treasury of our common humanity; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.