CALL TO WORSHIP
Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion; happy are those who live close to you.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house.
You crown the year with your bounty; the pastures overflow; the hills are girded with joy.
OPENING PRAYER
Lord God, we enter your courts with thanksgiving, celebrating your gift of joy. We see beauty, abundance and peace at work ard us, and we pray that, though our worship, we may be part of your plan for your creation. By your grace, may our lives be tokens of your love in our community and in our world; in Jesus' Name. Amen.
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O God, in your Son Jesus Christ you richly bless us with all that we need: bread from the earth to strengthen our bodies, and the bread of heaven which gives life to our spirits. As we worship you this morning, we pray that you will grant us one more thing: grateful hearts to sing your praise, in this world and the world to come. This we ask in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
O God, our Creator and Sustainer, we are amazed at all you do for us and for your world. You have spread the earth before us, producing sustenance. All creatures receive goodness from your hand. You give light to those who seek it, and darkness, too, that we might rest in your care: Daylight and dark serve you and your purposes for creation. You are Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end of all that is. You protect us and nurture us, and guide us with your wisdom.
And so we thank you: For your presence when we are alone, your courage when we are afraid, for faith when we are discouraged; for honest work and for sabbath, for healing and consolation. We trust in your Word and hope in your goodness, and ask you to bless our listening and speaking, our singing and praying. This we ask in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, God forevermore. Amen.
—based on German Reformed Liturgy
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O life-giving God! We accept this day as a gift from your hand.
You have made it for us and you have made us for this day.
From you comes the fullness of life:
Everything that rests in the shadows
or breathes in the light thanks you—from where the sun rises in the east to where it sets in the west.
For you, O God, heal what is broken,
and your wisdom brings order out of chaos.
We acknowledge
that this is why you have brought us together this morning,
and so with our thoughts and words,
we join all creation in praising you and thanking you for your sustenance.
Strengthen us for the journey ahead,
and lift our eyes to see your goodness in the world.
But we confess to you that our thoughts and prayers are not always enough. There is so much disorder, so many problems that we push aside, so much that we can do that we fail to do, and so much that we do that we should not. Though we cannot name all the problems we have caused or all the troubles we face, we know that, in your infinite wisdom, you can. Give us the grace to embrace your promise of wholeness, and the courage to speak to those who stand in the way of your reality.
And so, today, on this day that you have made, we dare to honor you even in our weakness. Raise up our hearts so that Jesus Christ, your word made flesh, may come alive in us. Grant us, O God, your Holy Spirit in his Name. Amen.
COMMUNION PRAYER
But we confess to you that our thoughts and prayers are not always enough. There is so much disorder, so many problems that we push aside, so much that we can do that we fail to do, and so much that we do that we should not. Though we cannot name all the problems we have caused or all the troubles we face, we know that, in your infinite wisdom, you can. Give us the grace to embrace your promise of wholeness, and the courage to speak to those who stand in the way of your reality.
And so, today, on this day that you have made, we dare to honor you even in our weakness. Raise up our hearts so that Jesus Christ, your word made flesh, may come alive in us. Grant us, O God, your Holy Spirit in his Name. Amen.
COMMUNION PRAYER
O life-giving God, this is the day that you have made, and we rejoice in it! We thank you for the world that you have made, and for our place in it. You have shown us the way, the truth, and the life, and guided us with your word. In the fullness of time, you came to us in Jesus Christ, the Word-Made-Flesh. He gave all for us, and in his life, death, and resurrection, showed us the example of perfect love. So send now your Holy Spirit to settle on these gifts before us, that in them we might knows his presence. Fill us, too, with your Spirit, and strengthen us to be his body, united in ministry to a world in need. We pray this through Christ and in Christ, and with your church throughout the earth. Amen.
Go forth as God’s people, grateful for the gifts you have received. Go forth with open hands and open hearts to share your blessings with others. In the Name of God + Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
