call to worship – Page 13

Abundance of #Grace : Seeds of #Prayer for #Lent March 17

Laborers in the Vineyard

Abundance of Grace

Matthew 20:1-16 and Psalm 16:5-8

Call to Worship:

Lord it is good when we come to you at the beginning of the day

Whether we come at the beginning, the middle or the end you will be there.

Lord it is good when we find you at the beginning of the week

But what a blessing when we find God, instead at the end, for still God’s hand will hold us fast.

Help us to find you, Lord!

Help us to find you today, so that we might give you praise.

Call to Worship:

Come let us worship the Lord

God shows us the path of life and invites us to join in the work of the day.

Come let us work together

So we can all share in the fruit of our labors together, with all the saints who participate, come let us do some of that work today!

https://www.strofiliawines.gr/en/wine-in-art/red-vineyard-arles

Prayer of Confession: Lord, I confess that you are my Lord, I have no good apart from you. So I turn to you to confess my failings, so that you can fill me with your grace and love, so that you can be with me and teach me. Show me the path of life I pray.

Prayer of Confession: Lord I confess aha some days I worry if there is not enough grace for me and my sins. I so often feel so full of holes, that I do not count myself as holy enough for you. Yet, you are ever with me, with your presence there is a fullness of joy, there is enough. Remind me that there is enough, I pray.

Assurance of Pardon: Lord you are the path of life, fullness of joy and pleasure forevermore, so we can be confident of the truth: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Assurance of Pardon: Lord, it doesn’t matter if we come to you in the beginning, the middle or the end, we are assured of your grace. In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Hymns: Amazing Grace

On Eagles Wings

Jesus, Priceless Treasure

Jesus, Thy Boundless Love to Me

There is a Wideness in God’s Mercy

Lord I wanna be a Christian in My Heart

Full List of Lenten Resources (Of course some prayers may be appropriate for other weeks)

Abundance of Blessings: Seeds of #Prayer for #Lent March 6th #AshWeds

March 6th: Matthew 18:1-9

Psalm 146:7c-10 or 51:1-3

Abundance of Blessings

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/425027283575522346/Call to Worship

Our God is an awesome God!

He made heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in it.

God reigns from heaven above with wisdom, power and love

For our God is the one who executes justice for the oppressed, the one who gives food to the hungry.

Who cannot praise our God, Our God is an awesome God!

Our God is an awesome God, let us praise God together.

Call to Worship

God, you are the God of the hungry, the blind and the oppressed.

We praise you for opening the eyes of the blind, for lifting up those who are bowed down, for upholding the orphan and the widow

Prayer of Confession: Lord we think that blessings are like pie. We confess we want to be the closest to God, because we think those closer to God will get the most blessings. Remind us that blessings are not pie. Remind us that your blessings are enough. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

Prayer of Confession: Lord, we admit that we sometimes cause stumbling blocks. We put things in other’s paths so they cannot succeed. Sometimes we even have to get out of our own way to be able to see you. Forgive us when we build walls, remind us to open any and all paths to Shalom, and help us be creators of those paths we pray.

Prayer of Confession: Lord I now my transgressions, my sin is before me and it is against you alone God, I have sinned. I have done what is evil in your sight. I was born imperfect. Remind me that you desire truth in my

Assurance of Pardon: Jesus promises us, that we are forgiven, loved and enough.

Assurance of Pardon: Our God is the God of healing, wholeness and peace. Our God gives us Shalom! Let us share the good news: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Amen

Assurance of Pardon: God promises to always execute justice, know that God’s justice includes mercy, hear the good news: In Jesus Christ you are forgiven.

Assurance of Pardon: The Lord will have mercy according to God’s steadfast love, blotting out all trangressions. Know we are loved and forgiven by God.

Prayer of Dedication/Prayer of the Day: God, you are the God of Hope precisely because you are the God of justice. When we forget who you are: open our eyes when we are blind, teach us again to feed the hungry, show to us how uphold the orphan so that we can remember who you are, Lord who will reign forever. Amen.

Hymns:

Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us

Create In Me Clean Heart

Jesus Thy Boundless Love to Me

A Short Order of Worship

Call to Worship: Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,

whose hope is in the Lord their God,

who made heaven and earth,

the sea, and all that is in them;

who keeps faith for ever;

who executes justice for the oppressed;

who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free;

the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.

The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;

the Lord loves the righteous. —Psalm 146:5-8

Communion

Oral Story: Matthew 18:1-9 Who is the Greatest?

Burning of Our Sins: The Lord says, if there’s a piece of you that causes you stumble, cut it off. What do you need to cut off or let go of ? Or what do you need to hang onto and grow so that you can be more joyful and curious like a child? (ceremonially burn our sins written on paper)

Imposition of the Ashes

Closing Prayer: Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your steadfast love;

according to your abundant mercy

blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

and cleanse me from my sin.—Psalm 51:1-3

Full List of Lenten Resources (Of course some prayers may be appropriate for other weeks)

RCL bulletin for Dec. 16th

December 16th, 2018 Third Sunday of Advent 10:30 a.m.

Welcome and Announcements
Prelude
Lighting of the Advent Candle: We begin this third week of Advent with a sense of
liberating joy. Let us pause and breathe deeply as we hear these words spoken by Mary:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

Call to Worship (from Isaiah 12)
One: Surely God is my salvation.
Many: With joy we will draw water from the wells of salvation.
And we will say in that day:
Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name.
Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion,
for great in our midst is the Holy One of Israel.
Sing praises to the Lord,
make known God’s deeds in all the earth.

Opening Prayer
O God, Source of all that is true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, and gracious, unite us to you in joy. Fill our minds with good and praiseworthy things so that we will put into practice what we have learned and received, heard and seen in Christ Jesus. In his name, and by the power of the Spirit, we pray. Amen.
*Opening Hymn (blue hymnal) #145 Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart

*Call to Confession: God calls us to fill our minds, hearts and lives with all that creates joy, but we are not always ready to go there. Let us confess our need for God’s forgiveness and grace.

*Confession of Sin (followed by silent confession)
God, in this busy season, we are discovering the ways in which we are not fully ready.
We are not ready to give up our shame.
We are not ready to abandon our fears.
We are not ready to rejoice.
We are not ready to turn to you instead of to worrying.
We are not ready to tell the truth. We are not ready to be just.
We are not ready to be real. We are not ready to be gracious.
We are not ready to show that we belong to you in all that we think, and say, and do.
Forgive us and change us. (Silent Confession)

* Assurance of Pardon (from Zephaniah 3, New International Version)
The Lord has taken away your punishment.
The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.
Thanks be to God for the Good News:
In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.

* Gloria Patri: Hymn 579 (blue hymnal) “Glory Be to the Father”

Passing of the Peace
The peace of Christ be with you. And also with you.

Offering Hymn #13 (blue hymnal) Prepare the Way

* Doxology (Hymn 592, blue hymnal) “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow”

* Prayer of Dedication

Prayer for Illumination
Open our eyes, Lord we want to see Jesus
to reach out and touch him, and say that we love him.
Open our ears, Lord, and help us to listen.
Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus.

First Reading: Zephaniah 3:14-20
Second Reading: Philippians 4:4-9

Message: Getting Ready for Christ to Come
Affirmation of Faith (from the PC-USA Brief Confession of Faith)
In life and in death we belong to God.  Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,  and the communion of the Holy Spirit,  we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel,  whom alone we worship and serve.
We trust in Jesus Christ, fully human, fully God.  Jesus proclaimed the reign of God:  preaching good news to the poor  and release to the captives,  teaching by word and deed  and blessing the children, healing the sick  and binding up the brokenhearted,  eating with outcasts, forgiving sinners,  and calling all to repent and believe the gospel.

We trust in God, whom Jesus called Abba, Father.  In sovereign love God created the world good  and makes everyone equally in God’s image  male and female, of every race and people, to live as one community.
God makes us heirs with Christ of the covenant.  Like a mother who will not forsake her nursing child,  like a father who runs to welcome the prodigal home,  God is faithful still.
We trust in God the Holy Spirit, everywhere the giver and renewer of life.  The Spirit justifies us by grace through faith,  sets us free to accept ourselves and to love God and neighbor,  and binds us together with all believers  in the one body of Christ, the Church.
In a broken and fearful world  the Spirit gives us courage to pray without ceasing,  to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior,  to unmask idolatries in Church and culture,  to hear the voices of peoples long silenced,  and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace.  In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks  and to live holy and joyful lives,  even as we watch for God’s new heaven and new earth,  praying, “Come, Lord Jesus!”
With believers in every time and place,  we rejoice that nothing in life or in death  can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen
Celebration of the Lord’s Supper

*Closing Hymn (blue hymnal) #2 Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

*Charge & Blessing

*Denotes please stand if able.

Seeds: NL ideas 10/28

1 Kings 3:4-9

Matt 6:9-10

Additional Scripture

Psalm 5

Ecclesiastes 7

Meditative Thought: What is the wisdom of the Saints?

Call to Worship

Lord let us approach you with wisdom

Let us approach you with hope

Let us approach you with love

Come let us approach the Lord

Prayer of Confession Holy God, we confess that we do not always approach you with wisdom. Sometimes we are afraid, that we do not know everything, and we feel foolish to approach you. Yet, you are always inviting, all people of differing ages, faiths, intelligences and abilities. You promise that all can be used to glorify you. Though we may be aware of our limitations, open our eyes to the possibilities we pray.

Assurance of Pardon

God wisely sent his only son to teach us, but also to love us. Remember the truth. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.

Additional Prayer

Call to Worship (from Psalm 5)

Give ear to our words, O Lord;
Give heed to our sighing.
Listen to the sound of our cry, O Lord;
We pray to you, our God and our King.

You hear our voice in the morning.
At sunrise we offer our prayer.
O God, we wait for your answer.

*Hymn # 80 I Greet Thee Who My True Redeemer

*Call to Confession

*Prayer of Confession (adapted from prayer by Brenda Kuyper)

One: Our Father in who art in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Many: Forgive us when we act in ways that shame your name; empower us to honor and praise you by all we think, say, and do.

One: Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Many: Forgive us when we are so caught up in our own lives that we fail to share your love and grace with the world around us.

One: Give us this day our daily bread.

Many: Forgive us when we trust too much in the things and people

you have given us, forgetting they come from you.

One: Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Many: Forgive us when we harden our hearts toward those who have hurt us, forgetting that, time and again, you forgive us when we have hurt you.

One: Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

Many: Show us the ways we hurt you and the work of the Kingdom. Embolden us to stand firm against temptation..

One: For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Many: Make us your people, serving your kingdom.

ALL: IN CHRIST’S NAME WE PRAY, AMEN.

*Assurance of Forgiveness

One: Christ Jesus came that we might know forgiveness and be renewed,

becoming more and more like him.

ALL: THANKS BE TO GOD FOR THE GOOD NEWS: IN JESUS CHRIST,

WE ARE FORGIVEN.

Hebrew Scripture Lesson: 2 Chronicles 6:18-21

Special Music: Make My Life A Prayer to You Len & Barb Hedges-Goettl

Gospel Scripture Lesson: Matthew 6:5-13

Epistle Scripture Lesson: Romans 8:26-27

*Hymn #350 Open My Eyes, That I May See

Teach Us to Pray Rev. Dr. Len Hedges-Goettl

*Hymn #435 What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Prayer of Confession adapted from https://www.reformedworship.org/article/june-2013/lord%E2%80%99s-prayer. Cover image from https://www.puttingonthenew.com/2014/04/01/make-my-life-a-prayer-to-you/

Rev. Dr. Len Hedges-Goettl (GATE-L) is an ordained PC(USA) pastor who became a clinical psychologist after discovering he needed more training to continue and deepen his pastoral work with survivors of abuse. Len (and his wife Barb) returned to the East Coast several years ago to be nearer to their grown children, most of whom settled on the East Coast after living in Jenkintown for ten years as kids. Katy, a pastor in Albany, NY, and her librarian husband Anthony have three boys ages 10, 8 and 6. Bob, an Information Tech guy who lives in Philly, will be married to Brenna next year. Social worker Izzy lives with lawyer husband James in NYC. Their youngest daughter Noelle, a theater person, inexplicably lives in Chicago.

Possible Lord’s Prayer hymns

Presbyterian Hymnal:

347: Forgive Our Sins as We Forgive

349: Let All Who Pray the Prayer Christ Taught

358: Help Us Accept Each Other

God’s will

#86 (refrain) When We Are Tempted to Deny Your Son

#178 (verse 1) Lord, to You My Soul Is Lifted

#287 (verse 1) God Folds the Mountains Out of Rock

#316 (verse 2) Breathe on Me, Breath of God

#324 (refrain) Open My Eyes That I May See

#387 (verse 3) Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us

#391 (verse 5) Take My Life

#409 (verse 1) Wild and Lone the Prophet’s Voice

#553 (verse 2) For the Fruit of All Creation

Hymns for the Living Church (1974)

#370 Teach Me Thy Will, O Lord

#516 Father Eternal, Ruler of Creation

Paraphrase(ish)

#203 (verse 2) God of Mercy, God of Grace

Lord’s Prayer as service music:

#571 (John Weaver 1988)

#589 (West Indian Folk Melody transcribed by Olive Pattison)

#590 (Vater Unser/Schumann’s Gestliche Lieder, harmonized by Bach; Vers. Henry J. deJong, 1982)

Narrative Lectionary: Prayers, Liturgy, Collects

Acts 2:1-21

Phil: 4:4-7

Call to Worship
The Lord is near
Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice
And here we are, all gathered in the name of Jesus, to hear the Word of Jesus Christ
Let us speak to God, each in our own way and tongue, so that God might hear our praise.

Prayer of Confession: (unison) Holy Spirit, we confess that new things share us. We confess that although we want to be welcoming, sometimes w have trouble putting it into practice. We confess that sometimes we feel awkward. Forgive us for the times we forget to listen closely to one another. Aide us, when we forget to accept help from each other. For we know that relationship is holy, so we pray that you teach us to truly work through the Holy Spirit to come together as church, today and everyday so we might truly be a Pentecost People. Amen

Assurance of Pardon: (Phil 4:6-7) Know this, when we worry, we can take everything to God in prayer, and supplication, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will be with you. Let us proclaim the truth to one another: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Amen

Hymn Suggestions:

They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love

Thy Word

Sweet, Sweet Spirit

Prayers for Narrative Lectionary

Philippians 1:1-18a and Luke 9:46-48 or Psalm 133

Call to Worship

Grace and Peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
How good and pleasant it is when we live together in unity
Let us thank God, every time we think of one another.
For God’s blessings overflow. Come let us worship God together today.

Prayer of Confession: (unison) God, we confess that sometimes we forget to share God’s love. We keep God to ourselves, or we talk about God our of envy or rivalry, using religion as a tool for judgment. Teach us to share God out of love, we pray, fill us with rejoicing so we might be able to truly proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. (Silent Confession). Amen

Assurance of Pardon: (1Philippians 1:6) We are each, and every one of us are assured that the good work that God began in each of us, will be brought into completion, because of this we know the truth that we can tell one another: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Amen

Prayer of Dedication: Let us go into the world remembering to pray and rejoice in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Communion Prayer:
Heavenly God, you call us together, into communion, into church. You created us to live in unity with one another so that we might anoint one another, sealing your love with our very baptism. You teach us, over and over again, what this meal is. It is the foretaste of the kingdom banquet, the beginning of the meal we shall have where no one will be forgotten, where love will abound, where the kingdom of justice will become incarnate. Send your Holy Spirit onto these elements, we pray, transforming the bread and the liquid into your body and blood. Nourish us with this communion with you and one another, we pray, help us to taste and see the kingdom of God, so that when we leave the table, we might carry your kingdom out into the world we pray. Amen.

Imprisoned: #narrativelectionary

Acts 17:16-31, Luke 6:18-19 , Alternative: Psalm 142

Call to Worship

Lord, you have opened the door for us
Help us to come out, blinking, into the light
Lord the resurrection is the beginning of healing
Let us celebrate and share the resurrection with one another in worship here today.

Prayer of Confession: (unison) Mighty God, we confess that we feel the weight of our chains. Our sorrow and suffering, our prejudices and petty judgements, our hurts and helplessness. Each one of us has something binding us. Give us the hope and inspiration that we need to live life freed from chains we pray. (Silent Confession). Amen

Assurance of Pardon:We know that even when our persecutions seem too great, you God are stronger than any chains that try to bind us. Your resurrection frees us from all prisons. Hear the good news, in Jesus Christ we are freed: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Amen

Prayer of Dedication: Let us go into the world free children of God, energized by hope and empowered to tell the good news, passing the freedom of justice to every person we meet! Amen.

Also anyone else have this running thru their head?

When in Doubt: Easter Sunday Resource

John 20: 1-18 and Psalm 118:21-29

Call to Worship (from Psalm 118)
One: Jesus Christ is risen;
ALL: he is risen indeed!
One: And so I thank you, O God, that you have answered me.
ALL: You have become my salvation.
One: The stone that the builders rejected
ALL: has become the chief cornerstone.
One: This is the Lord’s doing;
ALL: it is marvelous in our eyes.
One: This is the day that the Lord has made;
ALL: let us rejoice and be glad in it.
One: For Jesus Christ is risen;
ALL: he is risen indeed!

Prayers of the people* (Silence may follow each refrain of “we seek the Lord.”)
One: People, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for? Many: They have taken away the Lord, and we do not know where they have laid him.
One: In the darkness of our mornings and our nights Many: we seek the Lord. One: When hopes have been tampered with and things are not going as planned Many: we seek the Lord. One: When our nation is deeply divided and violence abounds Many: we seek the Lord. One: When jobs are lost or never found Many: we seek the Lord. One: When darkness overcomes the health we try to hold onto Many: we seek the Lord. One: In the darkness of divorce and bankruptcy, eviction and addiction Many: we seek the Lord. One: When the usual situations and explanations reduce us to tears Many: we seek the Lord.
ALL: O God, in our grief and anguish, we seek you. Call us by name so that we know you and proclaim your living, risen presence. Amen.
*These images are adapted from Taylor, Catherine E., “ ‘Who are you looking for?’ I Corinthians 15:19; John 20:1-18,” Journal for Preachers, 28:3 (Easter 2005), 31-33.

Call to Confession:
We do not always live as people of the resurrection. While it is still dark, we come to the tomb, expecting only death, and the risen one meets us and calls us by name.
Prayer of Confession:
One: Confessing the darkness of our lives and our world, we come to you
Many: God of grace and mercy, hear our prayer.
One: Confessing our part in dealing death and denying hope, we come to you
Many: God of grace and mercy, hear our prayer.
One: Confessing that it is hard to love others as ourselves, we come to you
Many: God of grace and mercy, hear our prayer.
One: Confessing harsh words expressed and kind words unsaid, we come to you
Many: God of grace and mercy, hear our prayer.
One: Confessing the decisions we make about our time, our energy and our loyalties, we come to you
Many: God of grace and mercy, hear our prayer.
ALL: God of hope and resurrection, free us from the stones that block us from living as resurrection people. [Silent confession.] Amen.

Assurance of Pardon:
God has removed the stone from the tomb. The resurrected Jesus meets us, calling us by name, that we may proclaim him as the risen Lord.
Thanks be to God for the Good News:
ALL: In Jesus Christ, we are resurrection people. Thanks be to God.

More Lent Prayer Resources

Rev. Dr. Barbara Hedges-Goettl has her doctorate in liturgy and has worked on the new Book of Common Worship for the PCUSA, she is particularly interested in Communion, and uses her writing skills for bulletins, sermons and IEPs for children with special needs.

An entire Communion Liturgy is available at https://katyandtheword.wordpress.com/2018/03/12/when-in-doubt-prayer-resource-maundythursday-communion-liturgy-lastsupper/

When in Doubt: #Prayer Resource #Jesus Condemned

John 19:1-16a and Psalm 146

Call to Worship: Lord we come here for sanctuary Knowing the world is not always safe, we turn to you I will not put my trust in the power of mortals or princes I put my trust in the Lord, who executes justice–the one who gives food to the hungry. Breath departs and plans perish. So My hope is in God who’s promise is peace, that God I will praise all my life long.

Prayer of Confession: Lord almighty, I confess that I feel the powers that be. I am strained by the systems, by the abuse and violence that is in the world. I am overwhelmed. So help me to turn to you Lord Jesus, let me see your love, so I am not only encouraged but also empowered to love in the midst of hardship I pray.

Assurance of Pardon: Hear this, our God is the one who sets prisoners free, opens the eyes of the blind. Lifting up those who are bowed down and watching over the stranger. This God is the one who proclaims the truth to us: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Amen

Offering Prayer/Prayer of Dedication: Lord we are here, hoping to give ourselves, not to the powers and principalities of mortals, but instead to you. So that we might love and serve the Lord, so that God’s love can shine through everything we do, we pray in your most holy name. Amen.

Prayers and Liturgy by Pastor Katy Stenta who is the solo pastor at a bigger on the inside church in Albany, NY and enjoys reading fantasy, soaking up sunshine, playing with her three sons and visiting her husband at his work, the library.

Links of Prayer: Narrative Lectionary for Lent

Links of Prayer Resources for Lent.

A broad number of prayers from a variety of pastors/denominations. All variations of theology and kinds of prayers were accepted to show the vast richness of God’s work.

These prayers are meant for personal spiritual practice or for congregations who follow the narrative lectionary.

They include a Call to Worship/Opening Prayer, Prayer of Confession, Assurance of Pardon, Communion Prayer, Prayer of Dedication/Offering and Some are Paired Psalm-Prayer Station Guide by Rev. Shea Zellweger

Feel free to use/edit. Credit to the original author (i.e. based on prayer written by XXX) appreciated.

March 1st Ash Wednesday by Rev. Mary Austin

March 5th The Good Samaritan by Rev. Dr. Robyn Provis

March 12th The Lament Over Jerusalem by Rev. Courtney D. Arntzen

March 19th Lost Coin, Lost Sheep, Lost Son by Rev. Mike Williams

March 26th Rich Man and Lazarus by Rev. Tracy Spencer-Brown

Apr 2nd Zacchaeus by Rev. Katy Stenta

Apr 11th Triumphal Entry/Palm Sunday by Rev. Jeanne Gay

Apr 13th Last Supper by Rev. Amy Fetterman

Apr 14th Crucifixion by Rev Lee Ann Higgins

Good Friday Liturgy of the Nails http://wp.me/p2rhxZ-25W

Apr 16th Resurrection/Easter by Rev. Dr. Barb Hedges-Goettl