And now we come to worship.
And now we are gathered as one.
And now we turn our hearts.
And now we bless the God of all,
who everywhere works great wonders.
Great God, we long for your deliverance
from this world’s sorrows and troubles:
in your mercy give us gladness and peace, Amen.
This morning, God,
we want everything to be for your glory.
We want our thoughts, our words, our songs,
our church, our community,
our resources, our time, our lives–
all to be for you.
Everything ours is yours,
and we come together to declare this to be so,
on this Sunday, your holy day.
Bless our time together with your holy presence, Amen
God, let this be a fruitful day!
In this hour of worship,
open our eyes to beauty,
tune our ears to harmony.
The fragrance of your love
permeating every moment.
The touch of your hand
guiding all we do.
Together, we want to taste with delight
the joy of your presence here today.
We are waiting for your presence, God–
patient, like a lover sitting by the telephone
waiting for the voice of their beloved;
attentive as a farmer watching clouds for rain
waiting for the parched soil’s relief;
intent as a child standing by the road
waiting for the parade to appear;
empty as a satellite dish scanning the heavens
waiting for a message from the stars;
poised as the still arms of a windmill
waiting for the wind’s inspiration;
open as the wide sand beach
waiting for the tide’s embrace.
Come, Holy Spirit, come.
1. In the name of Christ, First Born of all Creation,
2. in the name of Jesus, the Second Adam, born of Mary,
3. in the name of Immanuel, the Nazarene, who lived among us,
1. in the name of Christ, the Baptized One, first in obedience,
2. in the name of Jesus, Wilderness Dweller, tried and tested,
3. in the name of Immanuel, Word of Love for all people,
1. in the name of Christ, Healer of our Every Ill,
2. in the name of Jesus, Welcomer of Children,
3. in the name of Immanuel, Beloved Teacher,
1. in the name of Christ, Transfigured Son of God,
2. in the name of Jesus, Bread of Life for the whole word,
Slowly, we come to worship on this holy Friday.
Reluctantly, we hear the story of Jesus’ suffering.
Bleakly, we follow Jesus to the cross.
Humbly, we acknowledge our part in his passion.
Deeply, we yearn to understand the depth of this sacrifice.
Solemnly, we gather this day to pray and worship together,
giving thanks for our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Do not be afraid, Jesus is coming!
Jesus is coming to parties where people celebrate.
Jesus is coming to hillsides where people listen.
Jesus is coming to sickrooms where people suffer.
Jesus is coming to an occupied territory where people long to be free.
Today we join with crowds
cheering for the heir of David on the road to Jerusalem.
Our hearts cry, “Hosanna,” as we meet Jesus in worship today.
“Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.”
God our Provider,
we walked into church today
needing you in different ways.
Some of us need strength
because we are facing a big challenge.
Some of us need hope,
because we are feel like giving up.
Some of us need love
because we are feeling alone.
We trust that you will provide for us,
whether through words or music,
or in a quiet moment of reflection.
You are here,
you are with us.
Bless our time together. Amen.
God of our hearts…here we are!
We’ve come with thirsty hearts,
praying that your word will satisfy us.
We come with aching hearts,
praying for good news to comfort us.
We come with overflowing hearts,
praying for a chance to share your love.
You, who know our hearts and hear our prayers,
be with us now in this hour of worship. 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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