Develop a Discipleship System
Call to Worship
Family of God, as we gather today, Jesus asks us, “Who do you say that I am?”
You are our Messiah, the Son of the living God!
Family of God, as we gather today, the Holy Spirit asks us, “Who do you say that I am?”
You are our Comforter, Advocate, and Sustainer!
Family of God, as we gather today, God the Father asks us, “Who do you say that I am?”
You are our Creator, Provider, and Healer!
Family of God, as we gather today, the Triune God asks us, “Who do you say that I am?”
You are Love that creates, saves, and enfolds us into the family of God! May we be instruments of Love in all that we are and all that we do. Amen.
Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, March 2023.
Prayers of the People
God, without you on our side, our troubles would swallow us up whole. Guide us, merciful God, as we navigate through the muck and mire in our lives. Help us to trust your guidance.
Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
God, without you on our side, disasters would overwhelm and sweep us away. Protect us, merciful God, and inspire us to give and receive help when we face times of calamity and destruction.
Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
God, without you on our side, the suffering of the world would overtake us, arresting us with the enormity of human need all around us. Help our hearts remain tender, merciful God, that we would meet the suffering in ourselves, our families, and our neighbors with compassion and care.
Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
God, without you on our side, the conflicts and discord that surround us would leave us full of distrust and suspicion. Heal us, merciful God, that we may be agents of restoration, peace, and help everywhere we go.
Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Thanks be to God who guides, protects, heals, and helps us now and forevermore. Amen.
Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, March 2023. Inspired by Psalm 124 NRSVUE.
Prayer of Confession
While we may yearn to be like Jesus,
we know that in our hotheaded choices, our frantic lives, our impetuous words,
we are too often like Peter.
But like him, we can confess Christ as our Lord,
speaking of our need for your saving presence in our lives.
Unison Prayer of Confession
We look for you in all the wrong places, God of the lost,
and wonder why we cannot find you.
We wander the corridors of power,
while you are on the sidewalks, beside the homeless.
We sit at the head tables of the world,
while you are handing out soup to the hungry at the kitchen's backdoor.
We applaud those who win the race,
while you are cheering on those in last place.
In forgiving us, God of new life,
you would transform our cold hearts
into those melted in service to others.
In granting us mercy,
you challenge us to think of all those we have ignored.
In gifting us with grace,
you enable us to proclaim Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior,
as the hope, the joy, the peace the world seeks.
Silence is kept.
Assurance of Pardon
It's not money, but our generosity with it;
it is not power, but our willingness to humble ourselves;
it is not our efforts, but Christ's gift,
which transforms us into God's children.
It is more than just how we think.
In mercy and grace, our hearts, our lives, our spirits
are transfigured and made new.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Written by Thom Shuman on the blog Lectionary Liturgies at https://lectionaryliturgies.blogspot.com. Re-posted at re:Worship, https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2011/08/act-of-confession-proper-16a.html.
Benediction
Family of God, go from this place led by the Triune God who loves you, saves you, and sustains you, that in our following, we may be agents of goodness and blessing wherever we go. Amen.
Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, March 2023.
In This Series...
