Liturgy

Holy are you, God of infinite imagination,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Son,
our Hope, our Lord and Savior.

He should have been clothed
in royal robes of purple and gold,
but put on the uniform
of a condemned prisoner,
so we could be clothed in your grace.

He should have been given
every honor the world has,
but was cursed
so we might receive your blessings.

He should have had a long and healthy life,
but was put to death at an early age,
so we might live forever with you.

Remembering that it is not our words which save us,
but your imaginative Word of beauty and love;

remembering that it is not our achievements,
but our hope in Jesus Christ which assures us of your love,
we come in community to celebrate that mystery we call faith.

We give thanks in the name of the Father,
of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
amen.

Community Confession

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

Father, you invite us in your divine word to rest
and trust in your sovereign care.

But we cling to control, we trust our worries more than your word
and we fill our minds, homes and relationships with stress.
Father, forgive us, and help our unbelief.

Lord Jesus,
you invite us in the gospel to find rest for our souls in following you,
but we prefer being tied to our burdens, our ideologies,
refusing the easy load you promise.
Christ, forgive us, and help our unbelief.

Spirit of God, you have filled our hearts with divine grace.
You open our eyes to the glory of the gospel,
and offer us the peace of Christ.
Spirit of God, have mercy on us.

Help us in our unbelief and fill us with faith in God’s word
and the peace of Christ.

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

Reflection

Who and what are some losses that we have not allowed ourselves to grieve properly for?
How can we allow God and community to walk through our grief with us?

Benediction

Jesus Christ,
we want always to remember
that you love us, died for us,
and rose from the dead for us.

In the next weeks, help us to remember,
and help us trust in you more and more.

May God the Father,
who does not despise the broken spirit,
give you a contrite heart.

May Christ,
who bore our sins in his body on the tree,
heal you by his wounds.

May the Holy Spirit,
who leads us into all truth,
speak to you words of pardon and peace.

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

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

[Photo by Sam Coldy @ Flickr]