CALL TO WORSHIP
Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy; acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name, for the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
—Psalm 100
O God of grace, you have given us minds to know you, hearts to love you, and voices to sing your praise. So fill us during this morning’s worship service, that we may celebrate your glory and worship you in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
We gather before you this morning, O Loving God, pilgrims in time and eternity. In the Name of your Son, we ask you to fill us with your Holy Spirit. Bind us together in one heart and in one mind. Give us a heart ready to serve— more ready to minister to others than to be ministered unto, a mind ready to perceive the signs of your kingdom coming in the world.
We pray this morning for ourselves, our families and friends,
and our neighbors near and far.
Be with all who are ill, who are recovering, who must undergo procedures.
Be with those who are troubled, who are in crisis,
who mourn, who deal with loneliness.
Be with all who must deal with the cold,
whose homes are not sound, or who have food insecurity.
Be with the war-torn and the oppressed,
and show us how we can work for peace and justice
in our community and in our world.
Be with those who speak out against injustice:
Give them strength and courage.
And now, into the silence, we offer you our own private prayers…
[A silence is kept.]
Give us eyes sensitive enough to see you in the faces of those around us,
and give us ears to the voice of Christ in those who speak to us.
Above all,
make our whole being sensitive to your presence among us and within us.
This we pray in the Name of Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord,
who with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, God forevermore. Amen.
THANKSGIVING
O God, Creator and Giver of life, we come before you with our gifts. Receive all that we offer this day, and may the Spirit you pour out on your church continue to work in the world through the hearts of all who believe. We ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O God, Creator and Giver of life, we come before you with our gifts. Receive all that we offer this day, and may the Spirit you pour out on your church continue to work in the world through the hearts of all who believe. We ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
