Taking the Yoke

Call to Worship

One: Come on ya’ll, let’s worship the Lord!
Come to Jesus, all you who have suffered a beat down this week.

Many: Come to Jesus, all you who have experienced family turmoil this week.

One: Come to Jesus, all you who are tired of conflict all around, tired of high gas prices, tired of glass ceilings, quotas, minimum wage jobs, and limited family values.

Many: Come to Jesus, all you who have a job that is getting on your last nerve.

One: Jesus said, “I’ll give you rest. I’ll bring you relief. I’ll provide your deliverance. I’ll make a way.”

Many: And Jesus will give us wonderful rest!

All: Come on ya’ll, let’s worship the Lord!

Adapted from Joseph W. Daniels, The Africana Worship Book, Year A (Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 2006), 69.

Opening Prayer

In times of weakness and hour of need,
yours is the strength by which we carry on,
the shoulder we rest our head upon.
When our load is heavy and too much to bear,
yours are the arms stretched out to help us
the grace that we depend on.
In times of weakness and hour of need,
your voice is heard,
‘Come… find rest.’
This is grace divine,
the path we tread to wholeness
of body and spirit,
the path that leads to you,
and for which we offer our offering of praise. Amen.

Written by John Birch, and posted on Faith and Worship, https://www.faithandworship.com/Lectionary_C/YearC_13th_in_Ordinary#gsc.tab=0.Reposted at https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2014/06/prayer-matthew-11-28-30.html.

Prayer of Confession

Invitation to Confession

When we offer God our confession, we join the beautiful work of reconciliation, which begins with our reconciling with God. Trusting in our Partner in grace, let us make our confession, first in silent prayer.

Silent confession.

Prayer of Confession

Gracious and loving God, open our hearts so that we are able to admit to you the fullness of our lives – that which is beautiful and good, and that which is hurtful and hateful.

We confess that we do not follow Jesus in all that we do.
We love with condition.
We judge and condemn.
We cast the first stone, and keep the logs in our own eyes.
We do not turn to You as the source of our healing.

Forgive us, we pray. Forgive our sin, and empower us to be imitators of Christ in love and service. Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness

Friends in Christ, know this: the mercy of God is from everlasting to everlasting, and I remind you of this surpassing grace – in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.

Alleluia! Amen.

Written by Beth Merrill Neal, Hold Fast to What Is Good (blog), https://holdfasttowhatisgood.com/liturgy/prayer-of-confession. Used with permission.

Benediction

As you go from this place, remember: Christ offers his yoke to you, promising to come alongside and stick with you no matter where your journey takes you. So when your week gets hard, when you feel like you are at your wits’ end, when the overwhelm is too much, Christ holds out his yoke to you. Will you take it? Amen.