Generous God, you have chosen to reveal yourself to us in ways this world considers foolish…and you call us to join you. As we learn generosity in the midst of a world that teaches self-sufficiency, bless our gifts that they may be a blessing to others. As we learn trust in the midst of a world that teaches individualism, bless our gifts that they may lead us into community. As we learn sacrifice in the midst of a world that teaches greed, bless our gifts that they may remind us of all you have given to us. We dedicate these, our gifts of treasure and talent, to the foolishness of your glory. Amen.
Anytime
CTW: remembering who we are
One: Come from east and west, north and south!
All: From everywhere God has placed us,
with everything God has given us,
as the people God made us—we come.
One: Come, receive again the gift of grace!
All: Not for owning, not for boasting, but for celebrating—we come.
One: Come, discover again the way that leads to life!
All: Remembering who we are, seeking who we are yet to be—we come.
(Suggested opening hymn: We Rejoice To Be God’s Chosen)
Submitted by Rev. Teri Peterson
Dedication: signs of glory
You, Lord, are our God, and we are your people. As you have placed your generosity in our hearts, we pray now for the blessing of pouring it out for others. May the gifts we bring be of use in your kingdom, bringing hope to the despairing, light in the valley of shadows, peace in the midst of chaos. Make these tokens of our gratitude into a sign that shows your glory, until all come to see your gracious love. Amen.
Submitted by Rev. Teri Peterson
Transfiguration Affirmation
Our hope is God, our holy Parent,
who makes all things and from whom all blessings flow.
God’s faithfulness is the anchor of our hope.
Our trust is in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
More than a teacher,
His life, death, and resurrection giving meaning to our existence.
Christ’s faithfulness tethers us to holy mystery.
Our trust is in the Holy Spirit.
Blowing over and through creation, unexpected and untamed,
The Spirit stirs forgiveness, fruitfulness, and creates families.
The Spirit’s faithfulness ties together past, present, and future.
Holy Trinity, One God, we believe you transfigure our faith. Amen.
Submitted by Rev. Julia Seymour, Lutheran Church of Hope, Anchorage, AK
Confession: sin is a hard word
Lord, sin is a hard word. I try so hard.
I do not do the good I want to do.
Is sin unavoidable, so that the world can see your grace?
I do not do the good I mean to do.
The broken frustrations of the world surround me and are within me.
I seek your will, forgetting that it has found me.
I long to feel a flood of forgiveness, to be transfigured, to be different- somehow, someway.
But you made me, you know me, you love me.
Forgive my sins- what I do, what I avoid.
Forgive my sins- what I say that should go unsaid, what I hold back that should be shouted.
Forgive my sins- the successes I credit to myself, forgetting your Spirit.
Forgive my sins- the shortcomings I see in others, forgetting my own.
Forgive us. Renew us. Transfigure us.
Silence for reflection
The God of creation does not begin work only to abandon it. The good thing that God has begun in you will continue until the day of Christ’s return and, then, eternally. Hear and receive in your hearts and minds to forgiveness of all your sins, consolation for all your griefs, affirmation of your gifts, and hope for your tomorrows. All of this is true and possible, through Jesus Christ- our Savior and Lord!
AMEN.
Submitted by Rev. Julia Seymour, Lutheran Church of Hope, Anchorage AK
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