As Was His Custom

Call to Worship

Children of God, we gather to worship, to sing and proclaim with joy the good works God is doing in our midst.

We gather to worship, as is our custom.

We also gather today to pray for our families, our community, and our world. To name the challenges that press in around us, to lament the suffering in our world, to declare our trust in God in the midst of hardship.

We gather to worship, as is our custom.

We, like those in Nazareth, gather to hear and receive the Word of God proclaimed among us. To encounter the life-giving message of God’s love redeems us to be bearers of love and freedom in this world.

We gather to worship, as is our custom.

Children of God, listen. Pay attention. Ready your hearts. God is here. Jesus has come among us. The Spirit brings the Word to life in our midst. Are you ready?

We gather to worship, as is our custom. Thanks be to God! Amen.

Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, August 2024.

Opening Prayer

We thank you, O God, for calling us into your church to be your people. “We have gathered, God of grace and wisdom, because we have heard your call. You have reached out to us in Jesus Christ; you have touched us with your Spirit, and we have turned toward you, seeking to love as we have been loved. We call upon your holy name: empower us to worship and serve you, walking gently on this earth, through the grace of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Written by Ruth C. Duck in Touch Holiness: Resources for Worship, Updated, eds. Ruth C. Duck and Maren C. Tirabassi (Cleveland: The Pilgrim Press, 2012), 38-9.

For use in worship, use the following notice:

Reprinted by permission of the publisher from Touch Holiness, ed. Ruth C. Duck and Maren C. Tirabassi. Copyright © 1990 by The Pilgrim Press.

Prayer of Confession

God, we do not understand Jesus, the prophet.
We do not want to get our hands dirty with the poor,
the oppressed, the prisoners.
Forgive us for being insulated and isolated.
Open our hearts to the poor
and help us to love them as you love them,
working to bring in the good news of the reign of God.
In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.

Posted on Waiting for Water: Liturgy for The Easter Journey 2013 http://storage.cloversites.com/waitingforwater/documents/Liturgical%20resources%202013%2010%2018%2012.pdf. Re-posted on the re:Worship blog at https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2016/01/prayer-of-confession-luke-4-14-30.html.

Benediction

May the Holy Spirit bless you with inspiration to recognize and pay attention to all the ways the Word of God springs to life around you in the familiar rhythms and customs of your day, so that you may find and bring God’s love, peace, and hope wherever you go. Amen.

Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, August 2024.