February 14, 2010

Liturgy Reflection & Benediction 02.14.10

Liturgy
We believe in God,
Creator of beauty,
source of every breath,
foundation of every movement.

God leads us beside still waters,
makes us lie down in green splendor
and lets nature heal and restore us.

We believe in Jesus, the risen Christ,
who loved the least, the last and the lost.
Christ loves us, calls us by name
and cleanses us from our sins.

We believe in the Spirit,
who gathers us in community,
gives us a song to sing and prepares a feast for us all.

We live as God’s people,
filled with everlasting hope and showered with blessings
that we may go forth into our world and serve in his name.

Congregational Prayer
Father, we pray to you.

For your love and goodness,
we give you thanks, O God.

You of heaven and earth,
you who made all things and called them good.
Each day you shape the earth in wonder and mystery,
surrounding us with goodness and growth.

For your creativity and goodness,
we give you thanks, O God.

Yet, we admit to you our dry and anxious spirits,
and we confess our anxiety and worry.
In your grace, Jesus Christ, nourish and renew us.

For your mercy and goodness,
we give you thanks, O God.

Give us healthy lives, lives reflecting your vibrance,
lives ready to bear the fruit of goodness and love toward all creation,
so that we may be living proof that you are alive and well, flourishing in our city.

For your grace and goodness,
we give you thanks, O God.

Let us use your gifts to make new lives possible among us and beyond us.

May your Creating Spirit dwell with us, O God,
and we pray in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Reflection
How will your life and faith be remembered?

What does remaining in Christ look like for you?

How does what you know move you towards what God is doing in the world?

How can we participate in creating a DIY culture of learning and faith?

Benediction
Christ has no body now on earth but ours,
no hands but ours,
no feet but ours.
We are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion
cares for the people of the world;

we are the feet with which Christ is to go about doing good;
we are the hands through which Christ now
brings a blessing.
We promise this day to keep awake,
to live each moment to the full,
to look with eyes of compassion,
and to act with kindness.

In the name of the Father, the Son
and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Go in peace and live the church. See you throughout the week.

[Photo by | HD | @ Flickr]

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