Liturgy

Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you.
For behold, darkness covers the land;
deep gloom enshrouds the peoples.

But over you the Lord will rise,
and his glory will appear upon you.
Nations will stream to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawning.

Your gates will always be open;
by day or night they will never be shut.
They will call you, the City of the Lord,
the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

Violence will no more be heard in your land,
ruin or destruction within your borders.
You will call your walls, Salvation,
and all your portals, Praise.

The sun will no more be your light by day;
by night you will not need the brightness of the moon.
The Lord will be your ever lasting light,
and your God will be your glory.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever.
Amen.

— Isaiah 60

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

Why do you live in Austin?
What beautiful endeavors are you involved in?

Benediction

As we go from this place, may we take with us
your word and your Spirit that our faith offers us.

Here, we learn of and sing praises for your gift of life.
We declare that we will live as vessels receiving God’s radiant light.

From our eyes, may your light shine brightly
so that in the darkness we may see the needs of others.

Through our ears, may we hear beyond the noise of self-interest
to the calls for help from those in need.

May our hearts beat with compassion,
our arms be strong in reaching out
to lift up those who stumble.

We are sent in faith,
knowing you are peace,
you are justice,
you are grace.

We go in the name of the Father, the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

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

[Photo by Gideon Tsang @ Flickr]