PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP JulY 2, 2006
Greeting
Jesus has risen,
thanks be to God.
Christ is living,
thanks be to God.
Peace will prevail,
thanks be to God.
Penitential Prayer
Lord, the Biblical stories of the woman with an issue of blood, and of the critically ill daughter of Jairus, remind us of how weak our faith often is.
We have said, ìitís hopelessî much more easily than we have said, ìWith God all things are possible.î
We have allowed human faithlessness to cast doubt on Your Divine faithfulness.
Restore to us, O Lord, a belief in miracles and a willingness to expect marvelous surprises from Your hand.
Blessing
Return home in peace.
The love of the Lord is with you,
Amen.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP JulY 9, 2006
Greeting
This is a day of miracles:
a miracle pleases,
a miracle delights,
a miracle makes us smile or laugh for sheer joy that it came to pass.
This is a day of miracles.
Penitential Prayer
We are sleeping Christians, Lord:
ñwe can hardly stifle our yawns when we are told to praise Your Name.
ñwe can hardly hide our weariness when we are told to love our fellow beings.
ñwe can hardly keep our eyes open when we are told to give generously of our time and money.
ñwe can hardly stay awake when we are told to forgive all others as You forgive us.
Forgive us, Lord, for our sleeping Christianity.
Blessing
Today is a day of miracles,
for Jesus shares His Presence with each of us.
Tomorrow will be a day of miracles,
for we shall share His Presence with others.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP JulY 16, 2006
Greeting
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
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 indifferent to 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 are ready to proclaim this Truth:
The Lord is our God — and we are His people.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP JulY 23, 2006
Greeting
Lord, we come here to rest awhile;
ñto replenish our lagging faith
ñto rejuvenate our sagging spirit
ñto revive our lethargic love.
We come here to rest awhile in Godís House
o that we may go out and work in Godís 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 our 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 Lordís Love!
That is our strength!
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP July 30, 2006
Greeting
Let us rejoice in the miracles of Christ;
Let us rejoice in eternal life;
Let us rejoice in blessed peace;
Let us rejoice in sacred forgiveness;
Let us rejoice in infinite love;
These are miracles of Christ.
Let us rejoice.
Penitential Prayer
Father, we come before You so that we might
praise and worship You, but our souls are blurred and tarnished.
Father, we pray You will forgive our sins that
we may better understand Your word;
we may better love our neighbors as ourselves;
we may better bury our prejudices and biases;
we may better serve the needs of our communities;
we may better spread the chronicles of Christís miracles.
Father, we ask Your forgiveness.
Blessing
You came asking for peace,
you have been given peace.
You came asking for forgiveness,
you have been forgiven.
Go forth now as peacemakers
and reconcilers.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP August 6, 2006
Greeting
Let our voices join
ítil they are one;
Let our minds join
ítil they are one;
Let our hearts join
ítill they are one;
Let our Spirits join
ítil they are one.
Penitential Prayer
Heavenly Father, Jesus has said …
ìLove one another such as My love has been
for you, so must your love be for each other.
This is how all will know you for My disciples:
your love for one anotherî (John 14:34-35).
Heavenly Father,
For pretending that it is possible to love You
and, at the same time have something against
our brother,
we ask forgiveness.
For pretending that it is possible to love You
deeply and, at the same time have only a shallow
love for one another,
we ask forgiveness.
For pretending that it requires only an hour or
so on Sunday to do Your work,
we ask forgiveness.
Heavenly Father,
we confess that we have not been regarding the
job You have given us to do as the work of a
lifetime.
Heavenly Father, we ask forgiveness for not
listening to Your message of joy.
Blessing
May your soul always bathe in the light of
Godís Love.
Go in peace, spreading the Word.
Go in peace sharing the Love.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP August 13, 2006
Greeting
Set aside your defenses,
we are drawing near the Lord.
Set aside your preconceptions,
we are drawing near the Lord.
Set aside your prejudices,
we are drawing near the Lord.
Penitential Prayer
Father, we confess that we have strayed from Your peaceful pastures …
strayed from Your Divine Word;
strayed from Your righteous justice;
strayed from Your soothing love;
strayed from Your abundant gifts.
Father, we confess that we have strayed from Your peaceful pastures and pray that You will lead us Home.
Blessing
Go in humility,
for this is the way of the Lord.
Go in peace,
for this is the gift of your faith.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP August 20, 2006
Greeting
We return to praise the Father of us all.
In praising God,
you will conquer fear.
In praising God,
you will conquer conflict.
In praising God,
you will conquer anxiety.
Praise God!
Penitential Prayer
Heavenly Father, we acknowledge our unworthiness.
Sometimes our faith grows thinner than paper;
Sometimes our prayers grow weaker than thread;
Sometimes our hearts grow harder than rock;
Sometimes our words grow hotter than fire;
Sometimes our hope grows darker than night;
Sometimes our egos grow greater than space;
Sometimes our compassion grows colder than ice.
Heavenly Father, we acknowledge our unworthiness,
and we humbly beg Your forgiveness.
Blessing
Go into the world singing the glory of God.
Go into the world praising the Father of us all.
Go into the world as conquerors of fear, conflict and anxiety.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP August 27, 2006
Greeting
Our Savior is a kindly, gentle, loving Savior.
Let us announce the wonder of our kindly, gentle Loving Savior.
Penitential Prayer
Father,
forgive us for our social neglect;
forgive us for our familial neglect;
forgive us for our community neglect.
Father, we acknowledge that our involvement in the spirit of loving service is often lacking.
Father, for this lack of involvement we ask Your blessed forgiveness.
Blessing
Put aside your fears!
Get involved!
Get involved in your Christian
ministry of loving service.