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ctw and blessing: are any?

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Call to Worship

We call ourselves together in worship through the words of James 5:13-20.
If your answer to any of these questions is “yes,” you are invited to rise in body and spirit to hear the church respond to your needs.

One: Are any among you suffering?
All: We will pray with you.
One: Are any cheerful?
All: We will sing songs of praise with you.
One: Are any among you sick?
All: We will be the church for you. 
We will pray with you.
We will anoint you with oil.
We will bless you with all the goodness of God.
One: Do you feel wandering and lost?
All: We will be salt for you.
We will bring you God’s peace.

Benediction
One: My brothers and sisters, you are salt.
All: And salt is good.
One: Go into the world and be salt
to those who wander and those who hurt.
Be salt to those cheerful and suffering.
Be salt because salt is good.
All: We will have salt in ourselves.
And make peace with the world.
Submitted by Rev. Elsa Peters, The United Churches of Olympia, Washington

confession: Lord, we stumble

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One:    Lord, we confess that we have put stumbling blocks in front of others.

All:     We confuse people about what it means to be your disciple when we say that we are Christians but then we treat others poorly, use our words as weapons, and deny love to others who are different from us.

… silence …

One:    Lord, we confess that our hands have caused us to stumble.

All:     We have clenched our fists in anger, closed our hands in greed, and shoved our hands into our pockets instead of reaching out to others.

… silence …

One:    Lord, we confess that our feet have caused us to stumble.

All:     We have walked away from those who are in need, stood still when we should have acted, and dug our heels into the ground out of stubbornness and spite.

… silence …

One:    Lord, we confess that our eyes have caused us to stumble.

All:     We have been too focused on ourselves, pretended not to see those around us who are hurting, and overlooked opportunities to serve you.

… silence …

One:    Gracious God, please walk beside us, guide us, catch us when we stumble.  Strengthen us by your Spirit that we may live lives that are true reflections of your love, grace, and mercy.  In Christ’s name we pray.  Amen.

based on Mark 9:38-50
Submitted by Katelyn Gordon, Associate Pastor for Congregational Life, Providence Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, NC

sung great prayer of thanksgiving

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(sung to Hymn to Joy)

The celebrant alone sings those lines in italics; the congregation joins those lines in bold.

God has called us all together: Come to eat and drink as one.
Bread and cup are ours forever, giv’n to us through Christ the Son.
We, your people, stand before you, asking for our daily bread.
Loving God, we do adore you; may our spirits now be fed.

God, in Christ you give salvation, and you set your people free.
So we offer celebration; yours, O God, the victory.
Christ, Redeemer, reigns eternal, triumphed over death and sin.
So our hearts are open to you; Holy Spirit, enter in.

God, we pray for all your people living in the world around:
Those who suffer pain and sorrow, those whose troubles weigh them down,
Those who live in need of healing; help us share your living Word.
May we be your love to others, bringing them the risen Lord.

God, Creator, up in heaven: glory to you, Holy One.
May you reign in power o’er us, may your will on earth be done.
For this day, and each day after, give us what we need to live.
For our sins, O God, forgive us; others’ sins help us forgive.

And the kingdom, and the power, and the glory evermore
Be to you, O God who loves us, and to Christ, whom we adore.
In this bread, we find your body; in the cup, your blood outpoured.
We receive the gifts you offer; give you thanks, O blessed Lord.

Author’s Note:  I find it works better to use the more familiar arrangement of the tune, where the third system’s final note is a half-note, and the first note of the fourth system is a quarter note.

Submitted by Rebecca Harrison, Transitional Pastor, Spanish Springs Presbyterian Church, Sparks, NV.

confession: what we’re talking about on the way

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One:      You call us to follow, not just your footsteps
but your way of life and your way of thinking.

All:      Yet when you ask us what we are talking about amongst ourselves, we fall silent.

One:      The things that occupy our thoughts
are not the things that occupy yours.

All:      We are full of concern about:
Money. Perfect family. Power.
Body type. Privilege. Big Names.
Good grades. Friends. Nice car.
Winning teams. Good job. Big house.
Recognition. Followers. Fame.
Vacation. Honor.

One:      You are full of concern about
grace, love, justice, peace, hope, transformation.
About feeding the hungry, offering rest to the weary,
and ending oppression.
Your life and work seem so opposite
to the way the world works.

All:      Your thoughts and ways are not our thoughts and ways, O God.

One:      And so we remain silent, or worse, we rationalize our way.

All:      Help us, Lord, to turn toward your way,
to fill our minds with your thoughts,
to fill our hearts with your love,
to fill our footsteps with your will.
Guide us as we seek your vision of success,
though it will mean letting go of our own.
We pray in the name of the One who turned success upside down.
Amen.

 

Submitted by Rev. Teri Peterson, Ridgefield Crystal Lake Presbyterian Church, Crystal Lake IL.

confession: love we cannot earn

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Creator God, we come to you today as people who desire to follow you. Forgive us, O Lord, for the times when we think our church attendance, our committee work, or our busy schedules earn us a special place beside you. Remind us, gracious God, that you give us love we cannot earn and salvation we cannot afford. Humble us Lord, so that we may be able to see those who are journeying alongside us. As we reach out to you, let us not forget to also hold up those who have not yet experienced your grace. Amen.