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Call to Worship (based on Psalm 30)

L: I will extol the Lord, for God has lifted me up.
P: Sing praises to the Lord, ye faithful ones, and give thanks to God's holy name.
L: Surely the Lord's anger is but for a moment, but the Lord's favor is for a lifetime.
P: Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
L: Come, let us worship Almighty God!

Call to Worship
L: The earth shakes and the water quivers.
P: The wind whistles and the sun listens.
L: The beauty of creation mingles with the power of creation.
P: Awed in wonder and trembling with fear, we seek a safe place,
L: A place to voice our awe in song
P: And welcome God's love that conquers our fear.

 

Call to Worship for Independence Day
by Rev. Frank Schaefer

L: We gather this morning appreciating our  freedom to worship God.
P: May God continue to bless the Church of Christ in this land.
L: We draw near to the God who rules over all nations
P: May God continue to bless our country and all the countries in the world.
L: We seek to live in harmony and peace together with all peoples on the earth.
P: May God continue to establish peace on earth and help us understand that it begins in our hearts.
L: Come, let us worship the Lord!

 

Independence Day Prayer:

Almighty God, bless our nation and make it true to the ideas of freedom and justice and brotherhood for all who make it great. Guard us from war, from fire and wind, from comprise, fear and confusion.

Be close to our president and our statesmen, give them vision and courage, as they ponder decisions effecting peace and the future of our world. Make me more deeply aware of my heritage realizing not only my rights but also my duties and responsibilities as a citizen.

Make this great land and all its people know clearly your will, that they may fulfill the destiny ordained for us.

 

Prayer of 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 of glory and love, peace comes from you alone. Send us as peacemakers and witnesses to your kingdom, and fill our hearts with joy in your promises of salvation; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

 

 

Prayer of Confession:
by Rev. Frank Schaefer

Leader: The Lord be with you
People: And also with you!

Leader: Let us confess our wrongdoings before God and one another: Merciful God, we confess that we have not worshiped you with all our heart, mind and soul. We often make worship about us, forgetting that it is all about glorifying you.

People: Forgive us, o Lord!

Leader: we confess that we have sought our own advantage rather than serving you and our neighbors; we have failed to love our neighbor as ourselves.

People: Forgive us, o Lord!

Leader: we confess that we have not listened to the voice of your prophets, that we have not heeded your word.

People: Forgive us, o Lord!

Leader: we confess that we have taken your grace for granted; we have traded our spiritual inheritance for the pleasures of this world.

People: Forgive us, o Lord!

Word of assurance:
Leader: Hear the good news; Christ died for us while we were yet sinners, this proves God's love toward us.  In Jesus name, you are forgiven.

People: In Jesus name, you are forgiven.

 

Prayer for Obedience

     Ever grant us, O Lord, that submissive faith that breeds wholehearted obedience.
     Lord, our souls break for longing to be knowers and doers of your Word.
     Holy Spirit, create in us a strong passionate desire to accept and obey God's Word in everything, and to be conformed to it in thought and life. 
     Grant, dear Lord, that this passionate desire will empower us until our days here on earth are completed and the final victory is won.  Amen.

 

Prayer for  the Strength to Serve

God, may your faithfulness be not made vain by us. Help us to accept the message of forgiveness and live each day nourished by your endless love and mercy.

In Christ’s cross you have reconciled yourself with us; may we live as reconciled with each other, so that your church may be an example of true peace.
Give us the strength to help each other, to build new life which you have given us in Jesus Christ.

Let your love be made known through us to those who are needy, abandoned and persecuted. May we be able to share with them compassion, light, and hope.

God of reconciliation, God of peace, hear our prayer through Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

Prayer for the World and it Peoples:
(Church of Scotland 20th century)

O God, you are the hope of all the ends of the earth, the God of the spirits of all flesh.  Hear our humble intercession for all races and families on earth, that you will turn all hearts to yourself.
Remove from our minds hatred, prejudice, and contempt for those who are not of our own race or color, class or creed, that, departing from everything that estranges and divides, we may by you be brought into unity of spirit, in the bond of peace. Amen.
 

 

Prayer of Intercession

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.

Mothering God, watch over your church; bring forth from the church laborers to work in the plentiful harvest, so that your comfort and consolation may be known throughout the world. God of grace,

let our prayer come before you.

Mothering God, watch over our nation; let it be a place where individual freedom is guarded, where justice is upheld, where democracy flourishes, and where religious liberty is protected. God of grace,

let our prayer come before you.

Mothering God, comfort and nurse all your children in need; provide meaningful work and fair wages to the unemployed; grant health and wholeness to the sick (especially); give peace and companionship to the lonely. God of grace,

let our prayer come before you.

Mothering God, watch over our congregation; let us not grow weary in working for the good of all; use us to show forth your new creation. God of grace,

let our prayer come before you.

Mothering God, we give you thanks for the saints and martyrs. Nurture our faith in Christ so that throughout our lives we may rejoice that our names are written in heaven and look forward to sharing the joy of full communion with you and all whom you hold in life. 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

 

Sending Forth:

May God empower us to follow in the footsteps of our Lord, who healed the sick and restored the lost to God's kingdom.  May we go forth filled in the Spirit of compassion and love. May we be messengers of hope and divine promise for those around us who live in darkness and despair.  Amen.