God of all creation, our chief end
is to glorify you,
and enjoy you forever.
Our deep delight is in your presence,
our fondest thoughts are of you,
our strongest longing is for your house.
In this hour of worship,
help us to become who we are meant to be–
a community that breathes thankfulness,
voicing your praise in all we do. Amen.
God of grace, we hear your call to generous giving
in the way you meet our needs each day,
and in the peace you give which passes understanding.
Having received so much, we offer all we have,
our time, talents and money for your kingdom.
Bless these gifts for the work of your church. Amen
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory. [Isaiah 6:3 NRSV]
The Lord of hosts is with us.
Let us lift up our hearts!
We lift them up to the Lord!
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God!
It is a good and joyful thing to give God thanks and praise!
Let us pray:
Holy God,
we come together as your people
searching for sacred space,
longing to be cherished,
craving a real connection.
Gracious God,
we confess before you our complicity in the sins of this world,
sins which Jesus felt in his own body and soul.
Our hands are not clean.
We confess that we have desired power and status,
and have neglected our duty as your servants.
We have allowed ourselves to become preoccupied
with things we own or want to own,
freely putting on the chains of consumerism.
Open our eyes to the way our lifestyles
affect and shape the suffering of those here and far away.
Getting on board the disciple ship
was not what I expected.
I imagined clear sailing,
Jesus at the helm,
the congregation a happy crew
learning the ropes together.
Back then, I didn’t know how close quarters
can sometimes drive us
to gnawing on the ties that bind.
Conflicts rolling over us like sea billows.
Psalm 29:1-4 and
It’s your voice we long for this morning, Lord,
thundering into our lives, mighty and powerful.
The voice of wisdom instructing us,
the voice of justice inspiring us,
the voice of hope encouraging us,
the voice of love calling us home.
Give us ears to hear this morning,
we pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Thank you, God, for the good news you proclaim every day:
the good news of beauty and life, proclaimed by every creature.
We hear this good news in the song of the red winged blackbird balancing on a reed,
we see it in the green life galloping up in every plant and tree,
we smell it in the damp earth, we taste it in the tang of rhubarb.
Your world, new and fresh each day…
thank you for giving us life and breath to enjoy it.
Thank you for the good news we have been hearing this week;
for those among us who have experienced healing,
for conflicts that have been resolved,
for the hungry that have been fed,
for your work through millions of people,
Here we are God!
We believe in your power to change us;
your creating power making relationships new,
your redeeming power saving us from despair,
your sustaining power giving us courage and strength.
In this hour, as we sing and pray and listen together,
we open ourselves to the seismic power of your kingdom,
changing our hearts, our lives and our world. Amen!
Psalm 102:18-22 and
God of grace,
we are a people gathered together in your name.
In your name we pray, we sing,
in your company we find peace.
Bless each person who has come today
with the knowledge that they are heard.
Help us to hear your call to freedom
ringing out over all the earth. 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.
I love to write and to lead worship! If you are finding my writing helpful, I would love to hear from you! Feel free to use or adapt the material here, it is all written by me. If printing material, please credit “Copyright Carol Penner www.leadinginworship.com” (and say whether you modified it). If publishing, please contact me for permission. Contact me at carol@leadinginworship.com
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