Call to Worship

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, Rejoice!
God, we delight in your creation. We thank you for soft breezes, crisp apples, and changing seasons that remind us of your presence and provision.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, Rejoice!
God, we delight in our connectedness. We thank you for friends who check in, for church family who lift one another up, for neighbors who show up in the good and challenging times.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, Rejoice!
God, we delight in your peace that dwells among us. We give thanks for neighbors who offer help in times of trouble, gentleness in the midst of pain, and acts of kindness during seasons of struggle.

Let us come into God’s presence with thanksgiving and rejoicing!
Come! Let us worship God together. Amen.

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

Prayer for the Day

You Have Our Faith with Our Bodies

Father, thank you for your revelation
about death,
and illness,
and sorrow.

Thank you for speaking so plainly to us,
for calling us all friends
and hovering over us;
for extending your arms out to us.

We cannot stand on our own;
we fall into death without you.
We fall from faith, left to our own.
We are really friendless without you.

Your extended arms fill us with joy,
expressing love,
love caring and carrying,
asking and receiving our trust.

You have our trust, Father,
and our faith,
with our bodies
and all that we are and possess.

We fear nothing when with you,
safe to stretch out and help others,
those troubled in faith,
those troubled in body.

Father, help us to do with our bodies what we proclaim,
that our faith be known to you
and to others,
and be effective in all the world.

Amen.

A prayer from Masai, Tanzania, found in An African Prayer Book, ed. Desmond Tutu (New York: Image/Doubleday, 1995), 67-68.

Prayer of Confession

Faithful God,

We confess that we do not give attention
To the things that are of you.
We listen to rumors and gossip instead of
what is true and honorable.
We do not hold fast to justice.
We do not train our hearts on what is
pure and pleasing to you.
In our words and our deeds, we stray from all
that is commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise.
We do not attend to all we have received and learned of your good news,
and so we do not live in peace with you or with our neighbors.
Forgive us, we pray.
Free us to live as your grateful people.

Offer silent prayers of confession.

Receive the good news:
God pays attention to us when we pray.
God receives our confession and saves us by grace.
May the peace of God guard us in mind and heart
now and forever.
Thanks be to God! Amen.

Benediction

May God’s peace follow you wherever you go, guiding and guarding you, that you may live in joy and thanksgiving with God, self, neighbor, and all creation. Amen.