Call to Worship

We gather, as God's people, bringing our fears and pain,
knowing that when our spirits have grown cold,
God rekindles the gift of faith in us.
We gather, as God's people,
hanging our broken hearts on the branches of the tree of life.
knowing that while friends may turn against us,
God transforms enemies into sisters and brothers.
We gather, as God's people, hungering for healing and hope,
knowing that even when life is no picnic,
God prepares a feast for us.

Written by Thom Shuman and posted on Lectionary Liturgies. https://lectionaryliturgies.blogspot.com/search?q=2+Timothy+1%3A1-14.

Opening Prayer

Spirit of God,
enlighten our hearts to the reality of divine presence in our midst.
Let our worship be pleasing in your sight,
so that our gathering is an experience of deep communion
with you and one another.
In the name of Jesus Christ, this is our prayer. Amen.

Written by Norman D. Yeater. Posted on the Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren website. http://rockhay.tripod.com/worship/orders/2010/10-10-03.htm. Reposted: https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2013/09/call-to-worship-prayer-2-timothy-1-9-10.html.

God’s Hands Are Upon Us All

A Litany for World Communion

(2 Timothy 1:1-14)

One: We are here because the Lord laid his hands on us. Jesus sent someone to preach to us before we were old enough to know the meaning of the messages. God’s message caught up with us at different times in our lives and is still catching up with us. We want desperately to hear God’s plan for us, or to get confirmation that we are on the right track.

Many: We know the Lord has laid his hands on us!

One: The world od our childhood seemed vast. But now the whole world seems like it has moved into our living room: people with names we cannot pronounce, faces that do not look like ours, and behaviors that are foreign to us. How do we get acquainted? How do we show respect? How can we love in spite of our differences and because of them? This giant of a world does not seem to notice us, but God has given us something to give to that world. Can we make a difference? God has given others something to give us. Can we receive their gifts?

Many: We know the Lord has laid his hands on us! We know the Lord has laid his hands on others!

(Optional song, “I Know the Lord Has Laid His Hands on Me,” African American Heritage Hymnal, 360.)

Sherrie Dobbs Johnson, The Africana Worship Book for Year C, Valerie Bridgeman Davis and Safiyah Fosua, eds., (Discipleship Resources, 2008), 254.

Intergenerational Prayer

(inspired by 2 Timothy 1:7)

“…for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice,
but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.”

Dear God,
Sometimes we feel afraid.
Give us your spirit of power.
Sometimes we feel upset.
Give us your spirit of love.
Sometimes we feel confused.
Give us your spirit of self-control.
Thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to live in us.
Amen.

Written by Joanna Harader and posted on Practicing Families. http://practicingfamilies.com/. Reposted: https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2016/09/intergenerational-prayer-2-timothy-17.html.

Assurance of God's Love & Mercy

(inspired by 2 Timothy 1: 8-9)

Hear the Good News: Saint Paul writes to Timothy:

"Do not be ashamed of testifying to God,
who saved us and called us with a holy calling,
not in virtue of our works
but in virtue of God's own purpose
and the grace God gave us in Christ Jesus years ago."

By that grace we are saved.
Let us believe the good news of the gospel!
In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
If you would have the fullness of joy that God has stored up for you,
be you likewise gracious and forgiving. Amen.

Posted on Rev. Richard J. Fairchild’s Kir-shalom website, http://www.spirit-net.ca/index1.html . Reposted: https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2013/09/words-of-assurance-2-timothy-1-8-9.html.

Prayer

O God, we are so grateful for your abiding love. We pray that we may embody a spirit of love and self-discipline, grounded in the power of your grace. We are taught in so many way – some subtle ways, some blatant ways – to fulfill all of our wants by consuming things. Remind us during this moment that we are called to invest in you. We join Christians around the world today who proclaim Jesus Christ as Savior. May we draw strength from this unity and from this act of sacrificial giving. In the name of one God, who offers grace, mercy, and peace, we pray. Amen.

David Bell, Worship and Song: Worship Resources Edition, (Abingdon, 2011), #151, p.57.

Benediction: 2 Timothy 1: 1-14

As you go from here,
may God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord
give you grace, mercy, and peace.
Do not let your faith or your witness grow cold.
Remember: God’s gift of faith is like a flame;
when the embers of that flame have cooled,
you must fan them again to keep them ablaze.

So remember what you have been taught
and what you have experienced.
Live in such a way that all who know you
may see the light of God reflected in you.

And may the grace of God,
the love of Jesus Christ,
and the presence of the Holy Spirit
be with you and among you
in the days ahead. Amen.

https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2013/09/benediction-2-timothy-1-1-14.html