PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP
APRIL 2, 2023
Greeting
We come seeking to find our lives in
the Lord Jesus.
We come seeking to be the Lord’s
faithful ministers.
We come to take our rightful place on
the side of the Lord.
Penitential Prayer
Love one another … turn the other cheek …
love your enemies … judge not … feed the hungry …
be reconciled with your brothers and sisters …
Forgive! Forgive! Forgive!
Lord, we humbly acknowledge our unwillingness
to these commands is living proof of betrayal and
disloyalty. Forgive us, Lord, for our unwillingness
to be Your faithful ministers.
Blessing
Let us position ourselves now
to take our rightful place
on the side of the Lord
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP
APRIL 7, 2023
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 confesses that
Jesus Christ is Lord.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP
APRIL 9, 2023
Greeting
He came singing love! He lived singing love!
He died singing love! He rose singing love!
If the song is to continue, we must do the singing!
Penitential Prayer
Easter is the joyful celebration of what the
Resurrection Power of God is doing in our lives.
Because of God’s Resurrection Power,
the Christ Spirit is in us now. But are we
open to the experience of it?
Do we honestly and truly rejoice in
the experience of it?
For our failure to REJOICE, REJOICE, REJOICE,
in the Resurrection Power of God, we ask for
forgiveness Lord for not acting as your true
Easter people.
Blessing
Go! And perhaps the high point of your Easter celebration will be that because you cared enough to share, someone out there will have risen from the empty tomb in his or her life.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP
April 16, 2011
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 23, 2023
Greeting
We have entered the house of the Lord,
Let every voice sing out in praise;
Let every heart beat with love and adoration.
We have entered the house of the Lord,
the Kingdom of Grace,
the Place of His Resurrection Presence,
the Gateway to peace and blessed fulfillment.
Penitential Prayer
We admit that there have been times when we have approached the prayer of confession as a mere
perfunctory symbol.
Today, however, we resolve to make an earnest accounting of our shortcomings.
We acknowledge our greed, and pray that we might grow more charitable;
We acknowledge our wrath, and pray that we might grow more merciful;
We acknowledge our biases and pray that we might grow more open-minded;
We acknowledge our insensitivity and pray that we might grow more empathetic;
We acknowledge our lusts, and pray that we might grow more temperate;
We acknowledge our dogged skepticism and pray that we might grow more receptive;
We acknowledge our self-centeredness and pray that we might grow more expansive.
That we are made whole, Father, we pray.
That through Your infinite love we may be cleansed, we pray.
Blessing
As we return, absolved of sin, to our families and to our neighborhoods and work communities, let us practice the Christian art of forgiveness.
Let us share in boundless measure the
Lord’s blessings which we have received.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP
April 30, 2023
Greeting
“Come,” beckons the Good Shepherd to His flock!
“I am the Gateway to new life. Come!”
for refreshment …
for comfort …
for healing …
for peace of soul …
Come, and I will make you whole!
Penitential Prayer
So often, Father, we are appreciative and thankful only for those things we consider extraordinary.
We overlook so much of Your world’s simple beauty.
We overlook the sweetness of the birds and their songs;
We overlook the wonder of the seasons;
We overlook the passion of autumn, the majesty of winter, the freshness of spring, and the fruitfulness of summer;
We overlook the heart-warming joy in a child’s laughter;
We overlook the wonder of the sea, the sand, the wind, the planets, and the stars.
Father, we have overlooked so much for which we must be thankful.
We ask forgiveness for our shortsightedness and pray that we might become more fully sensitized to the wonder and glory of Creation.
Blessing
Follow the Good Shepherd.
Answer His call.
Walk in His tracks.
Obey His commands.
Follow Him, hopefully joyfully.