____________________________________________________

Call to Worship (based on Psalm 46)

L: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
P: Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
L: There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.
P: God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns.
L: The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Come, let us worship the LORD!

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.

 

Covenant Prayer of Unity (Mat 7:21-29)

God of righteousness and God of grace, teach us always to live in agreement with your Holy Covenant which you have written in the sky by way of the rainbow, in your holy word by your prophets, and on our hearts and minds through the power of your Holy Spirit.  While we journey through this temporal life, give us the strength to do your will and to keep your commandments.

May everything good and beautiful in the world remind us of you.  Teach us to look on those who think differently from us, who have different religious beliefs or no belief at all, as brothers and sisters.

Grant us the strength to forgive, to love and to give.
Teach us to hate sin, but not the sinner. Teach us to live in prayer. Give us the strength to be your witnesses.

Do not allow us to become vain, petty and unfruitful, but rather to build our lives upon the rock of Christ, Jesus, your Son, who is the Alpha and Omega in this life and in eternity, in whose precious name we pray. Amen.

 

 

 

Poem: God's Rainbow
(you may want to print it in the bulletin)

The falling rain dissolves into mist and the thunder begins to die; as the sporadic lightning fades, an arch of color pours from the sky.

Rainbows appear after mighty storms when things look their worst. Just when the sky is darkest gray, out of Heaven does a rainbow burst.

God first sent the rainbow to Noah as a sign that His word is true. The rainbow's eternal message still speaks to me and you.

The rainbow is a sign of God's promise that He will guide us through any storm; that He will ease all our troubles, no matter what their form.

When you feel battered by life's storms and you are filled with doubt and dismay, just remember God's rainbow is coming for it's blessing you have only to pray.

~ Author Unknown

 

Prayer of Confession

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have
made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and
make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily
lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wickedness,
may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission
and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever
and ever. 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.

Let us pray for the church, that God will empower all the church's members to be bold witnesses of the Christ who lives in them. God of grace,

let our prayer come before you.

Let us pray for the leaders of the world, that they will heed the prophetic voices in their midst speaking God's truth and justice. God of grace,

let our prayer come before you.

Let us pray for all those burdened with the weight of sin, that God will surround them with the assurance of forgiveness and give them upright hearts. God of grace,

let our prayer come before you.

Let us pray for the sick and dying (especially), that God will strengthen, heal, and comfort them in every need. God of grace,

let our prayer come before you.

Let us pray for this congregation, that God will enliven in us joy in the confidence of forgiveness and strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ. God of grace,

let our prayer come before you.

Let us give thanks for (names and) all the faithful departed who have died and yet who through faith in Jesus Christ live in you. 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: 

WESLEYAN COVENANT PRAYER

I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt,
rank me with whom thou wilt.

Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee or brought low by thee.

Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things
to thy pleasure and disposal.

And now, O glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.

 

Closing Prayer

Thou who art over us,
Thou who art one of us,
Thou who art:
     Give me a pure heart, that I may see thee;
     a heart of love, that I may serve thee;
     a heart of faith, that I may abide in thee.
Amen.