PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP March 1, 2009
Greeting
During this season of Lent
Let us follow our Lord Jesus Christ …
past the street corners of conflict,
up the mountain of glory,
through the garden of prayer,
beside the hill of agony,
through the darkness of the tomb,
to the life of triumph and joy.
During this season of Lent,
let us follow our Lord Jesus Christ.
Penitential Prayer
Greeting
During this time of the year, in which we consider the sufferings of the Lord on our behalf, we become sensitive to how unworthy we are.
May this year’s observance of Lent make us very much aware of our helplessness and of our complete dependence upon God’s Love for our salvation.
Lord, forgive our stubborn unawareness.
Blessing
Go forth from this place in humility,
knowing it was for you Christ suffered,
knowing it was for you He died in hope,
knowing it was for you He lives.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP March 8, 2009
Come, let us ascend the mountain.
ascend with Peter, James and John;
Let us ascend with the saints throughout the ages to see
the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Penitential Prayer
Father, we confess today that we have fallen short of the glory of God —
-short of the glory of Your image in us;
-short of the glory of Your high
expectations for us;
-short of the glory You displayed on the
Mountain of Transfiguration.
Having fallen short of Your glory, we have only one recourse — to ask You to do for us what we could not do for ourselves; to share Your glory with us, now and for evermore.
Blessing
Since we have seen the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ,
May others see the glory of Jesus
in the faces of you and me.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP March 15, 2009
Greeting
We have gathered
not to hear the words of man,
not to sing the songs of man,
not to glorify the deeds of man.
Rather, we have gathered to praise the Son of Man.
Penitential Prayer
Lord Jesus, we acknowledge our unworthiness.
Together we turn our voices to heaven,
Together in one spirit we shout:
Forgive us, Lord, for we are often selfish;
Forgive us, Lord, for we are often vain;
Forgive us, Lord, for we are often weak;
Forgive us, Lord, for we are often opinionated;
Forgive us, Lord, for we are often haughty;
Forgive us, Lord, for we are often insensitive;
Forgive us, Lord, for we are often cowardly;
Forgive us, Lord for we acknowledge our
unworthiness.
Blessing
Having sung praise,
Go in peace.
Having heard truth,
Spread the word.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP March 22, 2009
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.
Penitential Prayer
Father, we come before You this morning so that we might
praise and worship You, but our souls are
blurred and tarnished.
Father, we pray that You will forgive our sins that
we may better understand Your Word;
we may better work against corruption;
we may better love our neighbors as ourselves;
we may better spread the word of Christ’s miracles;
we may better dedicate our lives to the sacred
laws of the universe.
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.
You came asking for light,
and your light shines throughout the world.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP March 29, 2009
Greeting
Come, you who are discouraged,
to find joy.
Come, you who are heavy with guilt,
to find forgiveness.
Come, you who are tired,
to find power.
Come, you who are dying,
to find life.
Come, you who are doubting,
to find faith.
Penitential Prayer
Forgive us, Lord, if we have
given without loving,
touched without caring,
shared without feeling,
reprimanded without helping
and
instructed without showing.
In short, forgive us if our keeping of the Law has been
a keeping of the letter only, without the loving spirit
of the heart.
Blessing
Go forth, now,
with the law written upon your hearts,
love written in your eyes,
and happiness written upon your faces.
