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Call to Worship (based on Psalm 65)

L: Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion; and to you shall vows be performed.
P: When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us, you forgive our transgressions.
L: By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance, O God of our salvation;
P: you are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.
L: By your strength you established the mountains; you are girded with might.
P: You crown the year with your bounty; the hills gird themselves with joy.
L: Come, let us worship Almighty God.

Invocation

The grace of eternal God, the holy and living One, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be with you all.

And also with you.

Let us pray. Stir up, O Lord, the wills of your faithful people to seek more eagerly the help you offer, that, at the last, they may enjoy the fruit of salvation; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

 

Prayer For Illumination
(can be used with Joel 2:23-32)

Open wide the window of our spirits, O Lord, and fill us full of light; open wide the door of our hearts, that we may receive and entertain thee with all our powers of adoration and love.  Amen.

 

Prayer Reflecting the Lections:

We praise you, LORD for your great mercy in Christ Jesus, our high priest who gave himself for us--once and for all. Through your Son Jesus you call us to love you with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. In our weakness we do not know how to love as we ought. Teach us, God of love, hear our prayer. We praise and thank you for those who strive for peace and justice in our world. Bless their endeavors so that the senseless killing might cease, that the earth may be cleared of hunger, poverty, injustice and war and that we may start to love one another as we love ourselves. Amen.

 

 

Prayer of Confession

Merciful God, help us examine our hearts so that we may be convicted of our sins and shortcomings through the ministry of your Holy Spirit within us.

We come to you in the name of Jesus, your Son and our High Priest. We confess that there are times when we go against your hopes for us as your people.

We confess that there are times when we go against your Word for us.  In silence, O LORD, hear us as we confess those things we have done, and those things we have neglected to do; times when we have failed you and each other. . .

(Time of silence)

Loving God, we ask you once again to receive us into your compassionate, forgiving arms that we might find favor with you for all the days of our lives. Empower us to serve you fully, to share the resources we have with those who have less, to weep with those who weep, and to laugh with those who laugh.  Amen.

Assurance of Pardon:
L: God loves us and forgives us.  God gives us the chance to begin again.
All: Thanks be to God.  Amen!

 

 

Prayer of Humility (Korea 20th Century)
Luke 18:9-14

O God, just as we look into a mirror to see any soiled spots on our face, so let us look to you
in order to understand the things that we have done amiss.
We are like a reed shaken in the wind;
we are inexpressibly weak.
Leave us not to ourselves,
but dwell in our hearts and guide our thoughts and actions.

 

Prayer of Intercession

In communion with all the saints, let us pray to God who is our eternal home.

Guide your church, O God, and give us courage to love you with all our hearts, and to proclaim your gospel in a culture of change and doubt. Lord, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

Watch over this troubled world. Bring peace to areas torn by strife, justice where it is lacking, and food and shelter to those in need of it, and lead us to be your agents in that work. Lord, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

Care for those who are overlooked, have compassion on those who are forgotten, and grant your gift of healing to all who struggle with ill health (especially). Lord, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

Guide those who are making inquiry into the faith, and all who wish to explore the baptized life among us. Give them strength in their exploration, and keep them in the nurture of this community. Lord, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

Sanctify the memory of all your saints, and especially those who have recently died. Keep us in fellowship with them always in your eternal love. Lord, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

Your reign, O God, endures forever, and in Christ we are free to be your saints and servants. Hear our prayers for the sake of him who died and rose again, and lives with you in the company of all your saints in light.

Amen

 

Closing Prayer:

Almighty God, gracious Lord, we thank you for preserving your holy church against the very forces of hell. For the gift of the blessed gospel we praise your name. For the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection from the dead and life eternal in Christ, we thank you, loving Father, we treasure the rich heritage handed down from our fathers in the faith. Continue, O God, to raise up faithful leaders among us, so that we can carry on your saving work to the end of time. All glory to your name! Hear our prayer which we ask in the name of your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, through all eternity.  Amen.

 

A Church Blessing:

Almighty God, gracious Lord, we thank you for preserving your holy church throughout the ages. For the gift of the blessed gospel we praise your name. For the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection from the dead and life eternal in Christ, we thank you, loving Father. We treasure the rich heritage handed down from our fathers in the faith. Continue, O God, to raise up faithful leaders among us, so that we may carry on your saving work to the end of time. All glory to your name! Hear our prayer which we ask in the name of your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, through all eternity.  Amen.

 

Prayer of Humility (Korea 20th Century)
Can be used with Luke 18:9-14

O God, just as we look into a mirror to see any soiled spots on our face, so let us look to you
   in order to understand the things that we have done amiss.
We are like a reed shaken in the wind;
we are inexpressibly weak.
Leave us not to ourselves,
   but dwell in our hearts and guide our thoughts and actions.

A Church Blessing:
Almighty God, gracious Lord, we thank you for preserving your holy church throughout the ages. For the gift of the blessed gospel we praise your name. For the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection from the dead and life eternal in Christ, we thank you, loving Father. We treasure the rich heritage handed down from our fathers in the faith. Continue, O God, to raise up faithful leaders among us, so that we may carry on your saving work to the end of time. All glory to your name! Hear our prayer which we ask in the name of your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, through all eternity.  Amen.