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affirmation: Lord, you have done so many things

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Lord, you have done so many things;
the earth is full of your creations!
You make them all so wisely.
Look at the deep, wide sea;
the home of countless creatures large and small.
All of God’s creations look to God for sustenance.
Some trust more than others.
God has breathed life into the world –
it is through the Spirit that we live.
Let the Lord’s glory last forever!
Let the Lord rejoice in all He has made!
We will sing to the Lord as long as we live;
we will let our praise be pleasing to God.
We rejoice in the Lord!
Submitter’s note: We are still doing prayers of affirmation rather than confession on Pentecost. This one is LOOSELY based on Psalm 104:24-34 (minus the Leviathan).
Submitted by Rev. Kathryn Johnston, Mechanicsburg Presbyterian Church, Mechanicsburg PA.

benediction: fishing for alleluias

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One:    O Holy One, worship might be over. We might be done with our praise.
All:       But, let’s not go to our own homes greiving and sad. Let us go fishing for alleluias in the seas of your love! 

 

Author’s Note: On Easter 7, I’m breaking from the RCL to preach from the Gospel of Peter as we conclude the Easter Season. Though these prayers are based in that scripture, they certainly carry the story of the entire Easter Season – and its end.

Submitted by Rev. Elsa Peters, First Congregational Church, South Portland, ME

confession and pardon: a gospel difficult to practice

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Call to Reconciliation
Called to proclaim repentance, we are reluctant to look at our own failings. Invited to witness to God’s loving forgiveness of sins, we would rather not speak aloud of our own. Let us trust in the One who offers us hope and healing, as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
You call us to proclaim a gospel we find difficult to practice, God Most High. We watch our clocks to make sure we spend more time with ourselves than with you. We are hesitant to witness to your power from on high, as we are uncertain of your presence in our lives. Forgive us, God of Light. Fill us with the healing presence of your Spirit, that we may proclaim your good news, as we participate in the life and suffering of our world, as did your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
L:    Choosing to set aside judgment, God gives us justice; choosing to let go of punishment, God fills us with peace; choosing to release anger, God’s steadfast love rests upon us.
P:    Forgiven, redeemed, restored – we will tell everyone, through the lives we lead, what God has done for us. Thanks be to God. Amen.

 

Submitted by Rev. Thom Shuman, author of Lectionary Liturgies.

confession: you know why we’ve come

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O Holy One, you know why we’ve come. You know what it is that we are looking for. You know why we are bending our bodies to peer into dark places. You know why we come looking for new words and new wonders. You know why we search the horizons for new signs. You know why each crashing wave calms our souls. We come because we are looking for something. Holy One, come and sit beside us. Give us a new word. Give us a new hope. Give us the power of resurrection as we’ve never experienced in the words that we continue to pray:

(The Lord’s Prayer)

 

Author’s Note: On Easter 7, I’m breaking from the RCL to preach from the Gospel of Peter as we conclude the Easter Season. Though these prayers are based in that scripture, they certainly carry the story of the entire Easter Season – and its end.

Submitted by Rev. Elsa Peters, First Congregational Church, South Portland, ME

ctw: we are not tired of saying it

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One:     We are not tired of saying it.
All:       Christ is risen! Alleluia!
One:     It’s been seven weeks, but we can’t stop ourselves from saying it again and again.
All:       Christ is risen! Alleluia!
One:     So, let’s find a new way to tell this story. Let’s not let the power of resurrection be limited by the Biblical canon.
All:       Let’s worship God with all of the stories that we can possibly think to tell.
One:     Let’s not get tired of saying it.
All:       Christ is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!

 

Author’s Note: On Easter 7, I’m breaking from the RCL to preach from the Gospel of Peter as we conclude the Easter Season. Though these prayers are based in that scripture, they certainly carry the story of the entire Easter Season – and its end.

Submitted by Rev. Elsa Peters, First Congregational Church, South Portland, ME