Liturgy
You made a way through chaos,
God of newness,
riding the rapids through mountain gorges,
giving water to the deserts
so life might spring forth.
You formed us for yourself,
so we might live with you
in the wonders of creation.
But our tongues tingled at
that first taste of sin and
as death filled our dreams
with promises that would not be kept,
so we made our way
into the middle of nowhere.
You would not cling to
our former ways, but
sent the prophets to tell us
of all the new things you
wanted to do for us,
but we still did not care for such words.
Then you sent Jesus to us
to restore us back to life,
giving fully of yourself that we may
see and taste true freedom and grace.
So, forgetting what lies in the past,
we join our sisters and brothers
in reaching out towards you
with glad songs on our lips, praising
the name of the Father,
the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Congregational Prayer
Holy God,
Architect of our grace:
from your house
we praise you.
Your love is never taken from us;
your goodness is the constant in our lives.
We worship you.
Jesus Christ,
Sorrow of our salvation:
you dared to listen to God
instead of the cheers
of the crowd
and the jeers
of your enemies.
We walk with you.
Holy Spirit,
Glory of God:
you give us light
so we might see
the One who comes;
you open our ears,
so we might hear
the whispers of hope;
you sustain the weary,
so we might journey
through this week.
We welcome you.
God in Community, Holy in One,
hear us as we pray as Jesus taught,
Our Father, who art in heaven
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Reflection
How do you respond when you hear God has chosen you?
What are some areas in your life that you need to be free from?
What’s your reaction to the great cost Christ paid to redeem you?
Are you actively anticipating the restoration Christ will bring or are you passively waiting?
Benediction
No matter how low you are or have been,
There is always something in you that is rising,
Lifting you to a new vision of what is possible.
We will trust that God accepts us as we are
And patiently points us to what we may be.
In this we are not alone, for God has given us all of creation
To inspire us, to sustain us,
and to demonstrate God’s loving presence.
As faithful followers of Christ, we will join with creation;
In all our actions, we, too, will demonstrate the love of God.
Take this with you:
that God is at work not only within us, but between us,
And together we can realize God’s vision
of a just and peaceful world.
In our hearts, in our lives, in our speech, in our deeds:
The kingdom of God is here; the kingdom of God is now.
Now go in the name of the Father,
the Son and the Holy Spirit to live the church.
See you throughout the week.
[Photo by George Goodnight @ Flickr]