Call to Worship

We gather today knowing there are people in our world who are surrounded by violence and conflict on every side.
Our work of peace begins with prayer.

We gather today knowing there are people in our community who feel lost, alone, abandoned, and forgotten.
Our work of love begins with prayer.

We gather today knowing there are people in this place, this neighborhood, this world that we all share who experience overwhelming grief, despair, and sorrow.
Our work of hope begins with prayer.

We gather not to look away from the world but to witness the needs of our neighbors through the lens of God's love.
May we be a people who pray and, out of our praying, do the work of bringing peace, love, and hope to all we encounter. Amen.

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

Prayers of the People

Begin by inviting the congregation to sing “Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying” (The Faith We Sing, 2193). This hymn will serve as the response after every petition. The musicians may choose to either play the piano underneath the petitions or play a short introduction to before each sung response.

Loving God, who watches over us like a parent, delighting in our happiness and weeping over all the ways we harm one another, guide us. Nurture us. Empower us to be your peacemakers and mercy-bringers in this world.

“Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying” (TFWS 2193)

Merciful God, our world is full of war, violence, injustice, and oppression. We are surrounded on all sides by misinformation, half-truths, and lies. Give us courage to tell the truth of your love, to protect the innocent, and to resist evil in every way it presents itself.

“Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying” (TFWS 2193)

Gracious God, our neighborhoods are full of people who are struggling. Struggling to make ends meet, struggling to find stability, struggling to find community. Empower us to notice, to reach out, and to love our neighbors as you have called us to love.

“Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying” (TFWS 2193)

God of Hope, our lives are filled with so many reasons for despair. Loneliness abounds, uncertainty overwhelms, and suffering feels constant. Fill us with the warmth of your love and inspire us to extend a hand, a hug, a smile, a gesture of connection in a disconnected world.

“Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying” (TFWS 2193)

In the name of the Triune God who gives, receives, and extends Love to all…Amen.

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

Prayer of Confession

O God of compassion,
if you kept a record of our sins,
who could stand?
We come before you with our brokenness
and our wounds for all to see.
We bring our anger, our bitterness,
our unwholesome talk,
and our deceitfulness.
We try to do good,
but sometimes fail.
We choose to do evil,
and sometimes succeed.
Keep your promise to forgive us
when we confess to you completely.
Without you, we have no hope.

Words of Assurance

If we confess our sins, God is faithful and will forgive us.
God provides freely, in the bread of heaven,
all the mercy we need for life everlasting.
The good news is forgiveness in the name of Christ Jesus.

Adapted from The Abingdon Worship Annual 2009, © 2008 Abingdon Press. Posted on the Ministry Matters website, http://www.ministrymatters.com/. Re-posted on the re:Worship blog at https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2012/07/confession-proper-14-b.html.

Benediction

Beloved, may God’s grace open your hearts to recognize the needs of your neighbors; may God’s mercy fill your prayers, and may God’s peace empower you to share the goodness and blessing you receive from God with all. Amen.

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