21st Century Africana Worship Resources for the Fourth Sunday After Pentecost, Year A

Call to Worship
(Based on Psalm 116:1-2; 12-19)

Leader: When I woke up this morning and saw that God had given me another chance, I made up my mind that I would…
People: Call on the Lord as long as I live.

Leader: When I realized that God's ear was turned toward me when I cried for mercy for my sin, I decided that I would…
People: Call on the Lord as long as I live.

Leader: Though death sought to cancel my dreams,
and the grave tried to bury my blessings;
though trouble turned my triumphs into tears,
and sorrow saddened my hopes for tomorrow,
God, you still watched over me,
your protecting hand keeps on holding me,
and for that I'm clear that I will…
People: Call on you as long as I live.

Leader: How can we repay you, God, for all the goodness you have shown to us?
People: We will call on your name as long as we live.

Leader: We will lift up the cup of salvation, telling the marginalized in the streets and the disenfranchised in the home that your grace and mercy endure forever.
People: We will call on your name as long as we live.

Leader: We will fulfill our vows to you, God, in the presence of your people, loving you through loving our neighbor.
People: We will call on your name as long as we live.

Leader: You've freed us from the chains of Egypt, sustained us across the Atlantic Ocean, and kept us alive from slavery to the present day. We promise to serve you and…
People: We will call on your name as long as we live.

Leader: As we assemble to worship you today, bringing our offerings and fulfilling our vows to you, Lord God,
All: May we forever call on your name; yes, as long as we live.
We've come to worship the Lord! Confessional Prayer
(Based on Genesis 18:1-15)
Our Lord and our God, in the name of Jesus,
we come, today, confessing our sin before you.
It is what it is.
You see it (sin) for what it is.
Forgive us this day we pray.

Like Sarah, God, weve doubted you,
disbelieving that all things are possible with you.
It is what it is, God.
You see it (sin) for what it is.
Forgive us this day we pray.

Like Sarah, God, we've laughed at you,
thinking that your miracles have little chance of lifting our hopes.
It is what it is, God.
You see it (sin) for what it is.
Forgive us this day, we pray.

Like Sarah, God, we've lied to you, O God.
Lied to you, lied to our loved ones, lied to co-workers, church members, and strangers.
Yes, weve denied truth, even while we are standing face to face with your truth.
It is what it is, God.
You see it (sin) for what it is.
Forgive us this day, we pray.

And help us to know day after day that nothing is too hard for you, Lord.
Fixing our broken relationships is not too hard.
Finding a good paying job is not too hard.
Filling an empty heart is not too hard, God.
All things are possible for you.
And, we thank you that at this appointed time, you forgive us.
It is what it is, but it doesn't have to stay that way.
Thank you for making a way out of no way.
In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.

Unison Prayer:
From our cries for deliverance in the wilderness of Egypt,
to our pleas for mercy in the Middle Passage,
from our moans for your grace to appear in the Movement,
to our present pleas for hope in desperate times,
God, nothing has been too hard for you.

Our Lord and our God,
as we assemble in this sanctuary,
grateful for another day of life,
thankful for another chance to worship your Holy Name,
we call on you,
pleading with you to come and sit with us as we assemble in your sanctuary.

Invitation to Give
Lord, as we come now to this time of giving, we invite those gathered here
today to remember just how generous youve been to us:
You are the God who provided a job when we had none,
education when we couldn't pay for one,
family and fellowship when we were lost and done,
peace of mind when we couldn't find any,
hope when the naysayers around us were plenty.

Lord, you've been good to us.
You keep giving us the best that you've got.
Freely, we have received from you.
Empower us now to give freely, to support your work.
In the name of the One whose gift to us is without a price tag,
Jesus the Christ. Amen. Benediction
Romans 5:1-8
Now unto him, who died for the ungodly, while we were powerless;
whose love for us knows no boundaries and has no end;
to Jesus the Christ, be glory, majesty, dominion and power, now and forevermore. Amen.

About the Author: The Rev. Joseph W. Daniels, Jr. is the Senior Pastor of Emory United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C.