Call to Worship

Come! Now is the time to worship!
We come to worship God who guides us.

After delivering the Israelites out of bondage, God continued to guide them, giving them commandments to shape and form their life with God and one another.
God guides us as we learn to pattern our lives after the rhythms of God’s grace.

Jesus tells a story of a vineyard owner and his tenants who choose violence instead of giving the owner the fruits of the harvest, challenging us to choose—will we reject the Cornerstone or find in Jesus our sure foundation?
God guides us as we learn to pattern our lives after the rhythms of God’s grace.

Too often we fall back into the pattern of rejecting what is good for us, forgetting that the life of faith is always about following God who provides for us and loves us.
When we follow God’s guidance, we learn to live God’s new pattern of life described in the commandments and demonstrated by Christ.

Come! Now is the time to worship!
We come to worship God who guides us for the long haul.

Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, April 2023.

Prayer for the Day

Liberating God, you give us commandments not as a burden to bear but as an invitation to live the life you have for us. Grant us open hearts ready to accept your invitation, that we might become a people who bear the fruit of the freedom and new life you give us. Amen.

Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, April 2023.

Prayer of Confession

All fall short of the glory of God. As we go about our lives, that glory is diminished but not absent. In making our confession, let us remove the dull sheen of what is wrong and allow the glory to shine through God’s grace. Let us pray, first in silence.

Silent prayer

Loving and gracious God, you are so patient with us.
We run away, and you seek us.
We make foolish choices, and you teach us the better way.
We hurt you and others, and instead of hurting us back, you forgive us.
Help us, we pray; help us reveal your glory and goodness in our living,
That we will bear the imprint of Christ throughout the world. Amen.

Written by Beth Merrill Neel on her blog, ‘Hold Fast to What Is Good.’ Used with permission. https://holdfasttowhatisgood.com/liturgy/prayer-of-confession/.

Benediction

Go forth today as a people who bear the fruit of the kingdom that in living a life patterned after God’s grace, you may share the hope, joy, and love you receive from God with your neighbors wherever you go. Amen.

Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, April 2023.