Our call to worship is from Colossians 1:18-20:
Jesus Christ is the head of the body, the church;
he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
so that he might come to have first place in everything.
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things,
whether on earth or in heaven,
by making peace through the blood of his cross.
Let’s pray:
Jesus, we come to worship today
beginners in the school of beginning.
You are the firstborn of the dead,
herald of hope in despair,
bringer of light after a long season of darkness.
Begin a new thing in us today,
new ways of thinking,
new ways of living,
new ways of being a reconciling community.
We pray this together
as people of peace,
as a people longing for peace, your peace,
peace that passes understanding. Amen.
I am a Mennonite pastor currently teaching theology at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario. I’ve served congregations in Ontario and most recently, Alberta.