Liturgy

Open my lips, O Lord,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from your presence
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Give me the joy of your saving help again
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.

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.

– Psalm 51

Congregational Prayer

In prayer, let us confess to God as a community.

God, our Father,
we lay our sins at the foot of your Son, Christ Jesus,
knowing we have fallen short of your glory.

For our failure to live as brothers and sisters,
and as your children, we confess to you,
living God, have mercy.

For those whom we have not loved as you have loved us,
we confess to you,
God of love, have mercy.

For moments we doubt your word and fail to obey your teaching,
we confess to you,
God of grace, have mercy.

For our desire to own you and contain you
within our doctrines and theologies, we confess to you,
God of patience, have mercy.

For the times we overlook you as the Lord of all
and try to control our own lives, we confess to you,
almighty God, have mercy.

Forgive us and redeem us
for we have not allowed your presence to shine among us.

Hear our repentance and guide us,
God in community, holy in One.
Amen.

Reflection

How is Scripture relational for you?
What does your struggle for righteousness look like?

Benediction

We will honor Christ by believing in God’s vision for creation;
We will be like good soil, in which the seeds of justice may grow.

God speaks to us in the life of Jesus;
Let us hear the word and understand it.

We are witnesses to God’s transforming power;
We go forth as Christ’s partners in the work of justice and love.

All in the name of the Father, of 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]