Consider:
Call to Worship (based on Psalm 22:25-31)
From you comes my praise in the great congregation
The poor shall eat and be satisfied, those who seek shall praise God!
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord
Future generations will be told about God, and proclaim God’s deliverance to all people, even those not yet born, God has already done it. Praise God!
Call to Worship (based on Matthew 11:28-30)
Jesus says, Come
Come to me all you who are weary, for I will give you rest
Come to me all those carrying heavy burdens, for I will give you rest.
Jesus says, take my yoke, for I am gentle
Come to Jesus, for we can learn from him, and Jesus’s yoke is easy and Jesus’s burden is light.
Come, let us find rest in our souls, together, today.
Call to Confession: Come, let us confess ourselves to the Lord, for Jesus promises to alleviate our burden, we do not have to bear the weight alone.
Prayer of Confession: God I confess that we too often separate one another, judging each other and saying your are not like me. Or, sometimes we ignore our unique gifts and experiences and say: I don’t see color, I don’t see disabilities, I just don’t ask about sexualities or gender. Both invalidate the personhood of my neighbor. Help me, to see and name the commonalities and difference we might have. Help me to listen to other’s experiences without dismissing or ignoring them. Give me the ears to hear and the words to acknowledge the personhood and belovedness of my neighbor, without discrimination or judgment, but with grace, validation and love. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Assurance of Pardon: Hear the good news, we are all the children, and nothing we can say or do can change that. Because of this, Jesus will forgive our sins whenever we need God’s grace. Friends proclaim the good news to one another: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Amen.
Prayer of Dedication: Lord, let us go into the world with our load slightly lightened. Knowing that God’s yoke is light, and is contained in Jesus Christ’s command to love and serve one another. Let us go and love and serve one another through the power of the Holy Spirit we pray. Amen.
katyandtheword 