Liturgy

Perfect Light of revelation,
as you shone in the life of Jesus,
whose epiphany we celebrate,
so shine in us and through us,
that we may become beacons of truth and compassion,
enlightening all creation with deeds of justice and mercy.

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

Congregational Prayer

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

Father, we see the good things in the world and in your law,
and we hear your invitation to live life as it is meant to be lived.

Yet, we often ignore you and ignore the good things you would have us do.
Instead, we chase our own desires and satisfy our selfish appetites.
Father, we have sinned. In your mercy, forgive us.

We see Jesus in his life, tirelessly loving others,
pouring out himself for them, and ultimately giving up his life.

Yet, we are selfish with our time and energy,
failing to love our friends and family because
we are too tired, too stressed, too preoccupied.
Jesus, we have sinned. In your mercy, forgive us.

You have given us your Spirit to comfort and guide us.
He speaks to our hearts and leads us to truth.

But we look for guidance everywhere else –
turning to other people and to human intellect instead of seeking your counsel, and ultimately we just do what we selfishly wish for ourselves.

Spirit of God, we have sinned. In your mercy, forgive us.

Help us, Father, to hear your voice.
May we be a people strengthened by your life and your teachings,
that all may see your grace reflected in our lives abundantly.

We pray to our God in community, holy in One. Amen.

Reflection

Have you experienced Christ yourself and how can you invite others to see?
What does following Jesus mean to you and the depth of that commitment?

Benediction

God our Father, as followers of Jesus,
we accept our commission from you to invest our lives in others.

We will live out your kingdom here with humility, wisdom and courage, asking your Son to be our model of grace in the world.

Give us eyes to see the path of service you desire and
ears to hear the cry of the world’s needs.

May you be our Lord, our light, and guardian in the work you call us to do.

We leave here to serve 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 Jocelyn Catterson and Jeremy Daigneault @ Flickr]