God, with the action of this offering we tell your story:
how you have dealt generously with us,
how you have met our needs,
how you have heard our prayers,
how your goodness is from everlasting to everlasting.
Bless these offerings which are given in the name of Christ, Amen.
God calls us to be generous
not when all the bills are paid
not when we have everything we need
not when we see our way clear.
God calls us to be generous now,
in this present moment,
trusting in God who is our Provider.
And so we give freely, as we have received freely,
we love fully as we have been fully loved.
Before the offering:
This is the time where we make our love visible
through the giving of our tithes and offerings.
Let’s give with cheerful hearts.
After the offering:
Generous God;
Over and over your grace sustains us,
over and over your love provides for us,
over and over your arm steadies us.
We give you these gifts,
with gratitude and joy,
thankful that you are God over all.
Amen.
God, the action of this offering
is a public sign of our allegiance to you:
we proclaim you ruler of our lives,
of our families,
of our finances.
of our future.
We give you thanks for all you have given us,
and all we have the privilege to give.
Use these gifts for the work of your church,
we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
We have the means to give,
we have the reason to give,
and there are many waiting for us to give.
Yet often, our hands hold back,
and we hoard what we have for ourselves.
God of grace,
help us live and give in your kingdom of love,
where there are no enemies,
only brothers and sisters,
and kindness is the air we breathe.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Every time we come to the moment of offering,
it’s a crossroads.
There is an inner struggle between selfishness and generosity,
a pull between fear of the future and belief in God’s providence.
We give our offering this morning, God,
stepping out in faith down the road of grace.
We do this together, as your people,
called and sent to be a blessing for all the world.
In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.
God, it’s a small gesture;
pulling bills out of our pockets, writing a cheque,
arranging an etransfer.
It makes no sound as it drops into the offering plate,
or wings its way through cyberspace.
But it is the sound of our hearts opening,
giving you the fruit of our labour.
It is our collective offering of love,
a weekly deposit in the account of your faithfulness.
We do this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
God of grace,
we know you want justice rolling down like water.
Accept these gifts from our hands,
which we cast upon the waters of your love,
a generous ever-flowing stream
feeding the hungry and
helping those in need.
Accept these gifts for the work of your church. Amen.
We come to meet you Jesus
in this ritual of giving.
You gave your life for us,
walking the road to Jerusalem.
Freely we have received, freely we give.
We lay these resources at your feet:
our hosannas to the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
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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