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confession: turn impatience into action

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Faithful God,

Just like our ancestors in the faith, we are impatient. They did not want to wander in the wilderness. We do not want to wait in traffic. Help us to turn our impatience into action. Focus our frustrations on the things that need to be changed. God, we do not want to wait any longer for an end to war. We do not want to wait any longer for an end to homelessness and hunger. We do not want to wait any longer for everyone to have enough. Kindle our righteous anger, O God, and move us toward acts of justice, so all may experience the saving love of your Son, our Savior. Amen.
submitted by Rev. Susannah DeBenedetto, Salisbury, Maryland

prayers of the people: marvelous things

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O Lord, we sing our praises to you,

for you have done marvelous things.

Your holy hand has lifted life from the grave,

and your kingdom of justice and peace

is revealed in every healed and restored relationship.

Remember now your steadfast love and faithfulness

to all your people,

especially those we lift up before you today.

 

We pray for those who are far from us today,

in countries we could all too easily ignore,

but for the sake of your love.

Let your peace prevail in all the earth.

Father in heaven: your kingdom come.

 

We pray for those who mourn and weep,

that they might be so deeply comforted

that they can break forth into joyous songs.

Father in heaven: your kingdom come.

 

We pray for those who are sick in body, mind, or spirit,

especially for all whose illnesses leave them lonely and forgotten,

for there your presence is truly revealed.

Give us eyes to see you in our brothers and sisters.

Father in heaven: your kingdom come.

 

We pray for all whose gifts, skills, and expertise might bring healing,

that your Spirit of love would guide the use of their arts,

and that all your people might be restored to wholeness.

Father in heaven: your kingdom come.

 

We pray for the world you created and blessed,

for the balance of oceans, forests, plains, and mountains,

that the earth itself might be healed

by our loving care.

Father in heaven: your kingdom come.

 

We pray most of all for your presence,

that you would reveal yourself to us now

and equip us for your service,

for we pray in the name of Jesus, the glorious king,

praying with him as we say…

 

Submitted by Rev. Nathan Williams, Echo Hill Presbyterian Church, Cedar Rapids, IA

prayer of dedication: joyful and trusting obedience

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Jesus, our Teacher and Savior, truly you are God’s Son. For the sake of your kingdom, you insist that we surrender our power. For the sake of your abundance, you invite us to give our resources away. For the sake of your glory, you call us to serve the least among us. Receive these offerings as signs of our joyful and trusting obedience, and let them sustain your people in their every need. Amen.

Submitted by Rev. Nathan Williams, Echo Hill Presbyterian Church, Cedar Rapids, IA

confession: everyone except ourselves

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Call to Confession

The kingdom of heaven is a realm of reconciling love. Trusting in the promise of reconciliation, let us acknowledge our sin before God.

 

Prayer of Confession

O God, King of glory and Lord of justice,
we confess that when we proclaim your coming,
we are quick to envision your judgment
for everyone except ourselves.
You know, more than we can admit,
how many times we have failed to serve you.
We have ignored you when you sit begging;
we have turned away when you starve to death;
we have been all too happy to let your suffering go unnoticed.
We have denied your sovereignty and exiled ourselves from the kingdom of heaven.

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

 

Assurance of Grace

Sing with joy to the Lord,
because our righteous Judge
is our loving Redeemer.
I declare to you, in the name of Jesus Christ,
we are forgiven!

Thanks be to God!
By the power of the Holy Spirit
we will live in joy and mercy.

Submitted by Rev. Nathan Williams, Echo Hill Presbyterian Church, Cedar Rapids, IA

confession: quite a mess

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Prayer of Confession

We come to you conflicted, Lord. We want to be people who love well, turn the other cheek and generously share what you have given us. But we find ourselves needing to be right, striving to win the argument and keeping a tight grip on both our stuff and your good news. We are afraid to be vulnerable and frightened by too much honesty in others.  Gathered like this, we must look like quite a mess…  a mess that only your grace can put right.  We come in need of your faithfulness, your cleansing, your healing, your forgiveness.

             (silent personal reflection)

 

Open our eyes to your presence. Loosen our grip so that you might be in control.   Love us most clearly through the ones with whom we have fought, so that the body might regain health and wholeness.  Amen.

 

Assurance of Pardon

Friends, hear this good news: the One who started a good work in you will be faithful to complete it. The saving work of Christ is done, for you and for me. The reconciling work of Christ is happening in you, in me, among us.   In Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.

In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.  Amen. 

Submitted by Laura Viau.