Come, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!
Holiness present in the solid strength
of the earth beneath us.
Holiness present in the silent power
of the sun’s rays beaming through space.
Holiness present in our own breath
that is a gift from God.
Holiness present in the mystery
of the Spirit that joins us as a church.
God of creation,
open us to the beauty in and around us
in this hour of worship.
Psalm 46:1, and
God, you are with us in the smiling days of May
and in the bitter winds of February.
You are with us in sunshine and storm,
on the mountaintop and in the valley.
You are with us when the earth shakes,
when the waters rise,
when the fire consumes.
In this hour of worship
help us hear your still small voice
after the whirlwind. Amen.
Our call to worship is Psalm 119:50
This is my comfort in my distress,
that your promise gives me life.
Let’s pray:
We come to worship you, God,
and we long for comfort.
In your arms, this morning,
can our distress subside?
In the name of Jesus,
you hold us as your children
and you promise us life,
life eternal, life with you.
May these promises
guide our thoughts and our prayers
this morning. Amen
Micah 6:8 and
It is good to be together, God,
on these screens, with these people,
together listening for your voice,
united by your Spirit.
In this time of worship
tell us about your kingdom of kindness
so that we can seek it.
Show us your justice.
We want to walk with you,
humbly, closely, daily.
Jesus died. He was buried.
On the third day he rose.
Thank you, God, for hope
when hope was lost
and for life when death had won.
In these pandemic times
when so many are suffering and dying
resurrect within our world
the faith and hope and love
we need to survive.
By the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.’ [NRSV]
Merciful God:
We come together to worship longing for tenderness
because this world can be hard.
We come longing for light
because our lives are crowded with shadows.
We come desperately needing direction.
Fill us this morning with your peace:
your spirit is our peace and our path.
Micah 6:8 and
It is good to be together, God,
in this place, with these people, at this time,
together listening for your voice.
In this hour of worship
tell us about your kingdom of kindness
so that we can seek it.
Show us your justice.
We want to walk with you,
humbly, closely, daily. Amen.
Our call to worship is from John 8:32
“If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples;
and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:32
God of heaven and earth,
we long to be truly free.
In this hour of worship,
help us to grasp the freedom that comes
from seeing you more clearly,
loving you more dearly,
and following you more nearly.
Day by day, give us strength and courage
to be your people in this time, in this place. Amen.
God of the open road,
God of the twisting path,
God of the narrow and upward way,
your people are gathered for worship!
In this hour, give us provision for the journey,
courage and faith and compassion,
and endurance to face any hardship.
Open our eyes to see you walking beside us,
protecting us, encouraging us, loving us.
We pray this in the name of Jesus,
who moves us, 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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