Carol Penner, Author at Leading in Worship

“Can these bones live” Easter Congregational Prayer

March 27, 2016

God of grace,
we feel your hand upon us this morning,
saving us, loving us, encouraging us.
Jesus, you lived and walked among us,
you know us through and through.
You are familiar with our tombs,
the places where we have laid loved ones to rest,
and also those places where we are dead inside.
And you know the wars we fight,
personal and on a larger scale.
You have visited the battlefields, filled with corpses.
You ask us, “Can these bones live?”
and we think it’s impossible.
Death seems so final and powerful.
And so does racism, and sexism, and every other ism.

Bread of Life Communion Service

February 28, 2016

I invite you to this table
in the name of the One who said, “I am the bread of life.”
This is the table of our Lord Jesus Christ;
it is here that we remember
how he gave his body and his blood to save us.

On the night he was handed over,
our Lord Jesus Christ took bread
and after giving thanks to God
broke it and gave it to his disciples
He said, “Take, eat;
this is my body which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”

Deepest Hunger Call to Worship

February 28, 2016

John 6:35 and
God of every good gift:
we come to worship today seeking many things.
Some of us are seeking peace,
some are seeking healing,
some are seeking answers,
and others are looking for the right questions.
We trust you, that you will give us
what we need;
food for our deepest hunger. Amen.

Questions of the People Congregational Prayer

February 22, 2016

od, we know spring is still a ways off,
but can we describe to you how the promise of spring feels?
How the springtime twittering of birds fills us with hope?
How the emergence of the ground out of the snow seem like a homecoming?
How the fragrance of spring flowers in the grocery store makes us smile?
How the feeling of the sun on our faces is like a benediction?
How can we thank you for the excitement of the change of seasons from winter to spring?

God hear our prayer

Loving Call to Worship

February 19, 2016

John 13:34-35 and
Loving God,
we come to worship today because we love you,
and we want to love you more.
We come to worship needing love in our lives:
love for family, friends, strangers, enemies.
In this hour of worship,
touch our hearts,
fill our hearts,
open our hearts

Guided Silent Prayer

February 19, 2016

We come to God each week with prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.
This morning I will lead you in a guided silent prayer.
Even though each of us prays in our own hearts,
our prayers are not solitary
when we join together as the people of God,
praying as one in many voices.

God,
creation is so much with us,
sights, sounds, tastes, fragrances;
we pause to give thanks for something
in nature that gave us joy this week. [PAUSE]

You have brought people into our lives,

Our Delight and Our Devotion

February 19, 2016

2 Corinthians 9:7 and
God of grace,
it is our delight and our devotion
to give these gifts to you.
All we are and all we have
are yours alone.
Accept this joyful offering
as a token of our abiding love:
use it to bring peace, justice
and comfort to all the world, Amen.

Singing Praises Call to Worship

February 19, 2016

Psalm 98:4-9 and
Here we are Lord!
We come into your house this morning
praising your faithfulness,
giving thanks for your mercy,
seeking the joy of your presence.
Thank you for creating us
and giving us life and breath today.
Thank you for your son Jesus Christ, our Saviour
and for the Holy Spirit
whose presence here
unites us as your people.
Fill us with your peace today. Amen.

A Prayer for Those Contemplating Suicide

February 19, 2016

For each of your beloved children
who this night are poised to take their own life,
we pray this prayer.
For those plagued by despair,
for those haunted by hopelessness,
for those immersed in mind-numbing pain,
for those confused by bewildering delusions,
for those mired in violent memories,
for those pushed to the edge by grief,
for those bullied because of their sexuality,

About Carol Penner

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

Carol Penner

“Can these bones live” Easter Congregational Prayer

Bread of Life Communion Service

Deepest Hunger Call to Worship

Questions of the People Congregational Prayer

Loving Call to Worship

Guided Silent Prayer

Our Delight and Our Devotion

Singing Praises Call to Worship

A Prayer for Those Contemplating Suicide

About Carol Penner

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