PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP April 2, 2010
GreetinG
The darkness of that fateful Friday
hangs over us,
as we gather to relive
this most solemn day in Salvation History.
Penitential Prayer
For the sins committed against ourselves;
for our neglect of body, mind, spirit —
Lord, show us Your mercy!
For the wrongs done to others —
to those we profess to love,
to those we pretend do not even exist —
Lord, show us Your mercy!
For the failures of our community to meet
the obligations of justice and charity,
Lord, show us Your mercy!
For these, and for all our sins,
Lord, show us Your mercy!
Blessing
Go in peace,
for Jesus humbled Himself for our sake,
and became obedient unto death.
Go in joy,
for the Father has given Him the Name
that is above every name.
Go in hope,
for at His Name every knee shall bow,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP April 4, 2010
Greeting
This is a new day!
A day which the Lord has made.
We join our voices
to the choirs of angels and
to the legions of Christian believers,
past and present,
in the ancient salutation:
“Christ is risen, Alleluia!”
Penitential Prayer
For straying from the course
which You have set for us,
Christ have mercy!
For failing to carry our fair share
of the communal burden,
Christ have mercy!
For ignoring the needs
of our pilgrim brothers and sisters,
Christ have mercy!
Show us Your mercy, Lord,
for, despite our weaknesses,
we love You,
and we earnestly wish
to reunite ourselves to You.
Blessing
Go forth in peace.
Keep unspoiled
the white garment of salvation,
and let your voices
praise the glory of God.
Alleluia!
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP April 11, 2010
Greeting
Though unlike doubting Thomas,
we do not touch our Lord’s wounded palms,
We are, nonetheless, the Company of His Believers.
Though unlike doubting Thomas we do not place
our hands into His side,
We are, nonetheless, in the Place of His Risen Presence.
We are truly blessed,
for though we have not seen,
we have come in faith.
Penitential Prayer
Father, we live in a time of great confusion.
Technology advances with frightening speed.
But for every problem solved, a new one emerges.
We long for lost simplicity.
We ache for spiritual rejuvenation.
We long and we ache,
but few of us take any positive action
to redeem our times.
Therefore, Father,
we confess that we are often apathetic;
we are often indifferent;
we are often negligent;
we are often detached.
Father, we confess these deficiencies and resolve to reenergize ourselves; to give witness in the world to Your healing, reconciling, harmonizing power.
Blessing
Fear not the darkness
for the Lord is with you always.
Abide not in confusion
for the domain of the Spirit is harmonious.
Go in confidence
for the Risen Christ lights up the way.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP April 18, 2010
Greeting
The Lord is calling us:
“Come, shepherd My People Israel!
Come, tend My sheep
feed My lambs
watch over My flock!”
Come, answer the Lord’s Call
and be a Shepherd for Christ!
Penitential Prayer
“Tend My Sheep!”
Lord, we confess that this simplest command is
the most often disregarded.
Our poor become more and more separated from our
society and yet we do less and less to help them.
Our minorities become increasingly isolated as we
become increasingly selfish.
Our handicapped are placed aside as we label them
troublesome burdens.
Our elderly become lost in institutions and indifference
as we leave them by the wayside.
Our children run loose in a world of alcohol, drugs,
sex and vandalism and yet we do not seek them out.
Forgive us, Lord, for not looking after all of Your flock.
Forgive us for being Poor Shepherds!
Blessing
We do love You, Lord.
We promise to go out and
feed Your lambs
and tend Your sheep
on the hillsides
and in the valleys
on this day
and on all days.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP April 25, 2010
Greeting
We enter this House to proclaim
our dependence on the Lord:
To You, O Lord, we turn
On You, we fix our gaze
With You, we stand erect
In You, we are fulfilled.
Penitential Prayer
Lord, You hold us in the holow of Your Hand,
tenderly, lovingly, never letting us go.
But we confess, Lord, we often leave Your
Protective Palm …
When a loved one dies, we are overcome by grief
and fall into bitter recriminations instead of
seeking Your comfort.
When we are separated from a parent, a child or a
spouse we become melancholy and wishful for
our past love instead of accepting the love You
offer now.
When we face a financial setback we panic at the
thought of “losing everything” rather than look
to You for guidance and a sense of perspective.
Lord, we confess every time we need You most
we heed You least.
Forgive our mistrust!
Blessing
May the love of the Lord be with you.
May the peace of the Lord be with you.
May the comfort of the Lord encircle you.
May the strength of His Power sustain you.
