Liturgy

Our Heavenly Father, in our days to come,
we pray these words to you.

God of Grace, in whom we put our trust,
Be our rescuer when sins ensnare,
The liberator of our souls,
The still, small voice that says,
‘Be free.’

God of Love, in whom we put our trust,
Be our joy and comfort at all times,
The source of all our thoughts and words,
The still, small voice that says,
‘Rejoice!’

God of Peace, in whom we put our trust,
Be our tranquillity in times of turmoil,
The steadying hand in raging seas,
The still, small voice that says,
‘Be calm.’

God of Power, in whom we put our trust,
Be our confidence when faith is challenged,
The sword and armor that protects,
The still, small voice that says
‘Be strong!’

We seek you,
knowing you do more than we immeasurably ask,
and we pray 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, 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, our worry and our restlessness.

In your grace, Jesus Christ, nourish and renew us.
In your love and goodness, Lord, have mercy on us.

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,
of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Reflection

How do we value rest and Sabbath in our lives?
What are some of the things that distract and prevent us from practicing Sabbath?

Benediction

When you work,
work in strength and humility for the Lord.

When you rest,
rest in the sovereign grace of God, our Father.

And when you celebrate,
celebrate as a people with the greatest reason
for love, joy, and celebration.

Now in the grace and forgiveness of our Savior,
and 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 a y l i n e a y l i n e @ Flickr]