PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP July 5, 2009
Greeting
We have come to worship because of our belief:
— belief that the Father will mend our
broken lives
— belief that the Son will resurrect our
broken dreams
— belief that the Holy Spirit will strengthen
our broken wills.
Come, let us worship the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit.
Penitential Prayer
Father, we confess that often we are wrong in our belief:
— we believe we can justify our own lack of charity
by pointing to the selfishness of others
— we believe we can justify our own unforgiving
ways by pointing to the mercilessness of other
— we believe we can justify our own materialism
by pointing to the greed of others
— we believe we can justify our own failure to
spread the Good News of the Gospel by pointing
to the irreligiousness of others.
Father, forgive us for being believers of the
wrong kind!
Blessing
Blessed are they who believe
in the Father,
in the Son,
in the Holy Spirit,
for they shall know and understand and experience
the Love of God!
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP July 12, 2009
Greeting
As the children of Noah gathered
around their father when he finished his ark;
As the People of Israel gathered
around Moses when he came down from the mountain;
As the crowds gathered
around Christ when He gave the Sermon on the Mount;
We gather here, around the Table of the Lord,
in expectation,
and in joy.
Penitential Prayer
Jesus told the Twelve that upon leaving a place of sin, they were to shake off the dust from under their feet.
Lord, we confess our need to …
— shake off the dust of the sin of self-righteousness
and swollen pride;
— shake off the dust of the sin of indifference
towards those who are different from us;
— shake off the dust of the sin of unwillingness
to forgive others as You forgive us.
Lord, we ask Your forgiveness!
Lord, we want to shake off the dust of sin!
Blessing
We have crossed the hot burning sands of Satan’s desert
to climb a majestic mountain
and hear Your Word.
And now, coming down from the summit,
having there witnessed Your Greatness,
we are ready to proclaim this Truth:
The Lord is our God — and we are His People.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP July 19, 2009
Greeting
Lord, we come here to rest awhile;
— to replenish our lagging faith
— to rejuvenate our sagging spirit
— to revive our lethargic love.
We come here to rest awhile in God’s House
so that we may go out and work in God’s World.
Penitential Prayer
Lord, we confess that we have been running hard
in the race
for respectability
for power over others
for material wealth
for passing pleasure.
Lord, we confess that we have been dragging out
heels in the pursuit
of responsibility
of service to others
of spiritual treasure
of the joy of Your New Life.
Lord, forgive us for running hard in the wrong race.
Lord, forgive us for not hastening to follow You
on the road
to brotherhood,
to peace,
to the Kingdom of Love.
Blessing
Though our burdens are many
and heavy,
we are a light-hearted People.
We have the Lord’s Love!
That is our strength!
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP July 26, 2009
Greeting
We come here an Expectant People;
hoping for a sign from the Father;
waiting for a miracle from His Son;
anticipating the coming of His Spirit.
Lord, we come here an Expectant People,
anxious for Your Presence.
Penitential Prayer
Lord, we wait patiently for Your miracles.
We wait for peace between
North and South
East and West
Black and White.
We wait for acceptance between
liberal and conservative
Catholic and Protestant
parent and child.
Lord, we wait for Your miracles
and that is our sin.
We wait for You to do our work
and that is our failing.
Blessing
We have been miracle-watchers;
witnessing Jesus’ miracles of Love for all of us.
We go now, as miracle-workers;
performing miracles of love for our
fellow beings.
