Liturgy

We believe in an innovative God,
who does not wait for us to find ourselves
but comes seeking the lost and calling us into a new way.

We believe in Jesus of Nazareth as God’s crucial initiative,
that when he calls us to follow, Christ also gives us the power
to become, both in creed and deed, the children of the living God.

We believe in the Spirit by whom Jesus still comes to us,
calling us to follow him into an obedience which is true liberty
and to a humble service which is the fruit of holy friendship.

We believe in the church as the fellowship of Christ’s people,
called to respect and support one another
through joys and tribulations as we travel the road
towards the building of God’s future.

Because Christ has called us,
in this we truly believe
and 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.

Again we must confess, Creator of the Universe,
our struggles to be faithful disciples.

Entrusted with all your gifts,
we become fearful once again of misusing them,
missing the chance to be a blessing to others.

Invited to dance in the light of your love,
we choose instead to stand motionless,
keeping company with our old ways and habits.

Called to be emptied for those who struggle in life,
we fill ourselves once again, with scorn
for the poor choices they may make.

Have mercy, oh God, have mercy on us.
Open our eyes to your kingdom in our midst,
so we might discover that your day of hope and grace has
already come through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

And in doing so, let us act upon your calling and
to be courageous in our service to our world.

We ask and pray to our God in community, holy in one.
Amen.

Reflection

How might God be calling us to faithful in the mundane and familiar places we live?
What are the unusual places and people that we need to engage with?

Benediction

Go forth into our world in faithfulness.
Join all those who have traveled with the Lord
throughout the generations.

Take the song and rhythm of God’s Word into the world
and invite others to celebrate the joy with you.

May you be courageous in the work you do,
generous in the love you give,
and gracious to all you meet,
that the name of our Lord may be praised throughout this week.

Go 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 RagtimeWillie @ Flickr]