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.
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
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.
Colossians 1:18-20 and
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.
We come to worship
because for us to live is Christ.
We live for Christ,
we live by Christ,
we live with Christ,
we live through Christ,
we live in Christ.
God of grace,
let Christ be praised
in all we say and do,
in all we think and speak,
in this hour of worship
and in every moment of our lives. Amen.
Psalm 85:8-10 and
We meet you here, Lord,
at the intersection of love and faithfulness.
Here prayer and praise join hands,
scripture is embraced,
and our voices unite in hymns to you.
Speak tenderly to our hearts in this hour of worship,
God of all Creation,
and show us the path to peace. Amen.
Holy is your name, God in heaven!
We come to worship today longing for your kingdom come.
What is your will in our lives, in our world?
In this hour of worship,
enlighten us with your Word,
inspire us with stirring songs,
enfold us with your community,
embrace us with a vision so strong
that we will go from here with good news for all people.
Amen
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.
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.
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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