Liturgy

We believe in God
whose essence is love:
seeking, holding, challenging,
creating in us.

We see God in the gentle touch of a friend,
in the hospitality of strangers,
On streets and shopping centers,
tenements and parks;

We believe that God holds our world in love.

We believe in Jesus
whose essence is life:
living, laughing, loving,
winning our hearts.

We see Jesus in all those who 
continue God’s work in the world;
In houses and hospitals,
parliaments and prisons,
through passion of poet and reformer – 
in all places where justice and mercy meet;

We believe that Christ brings new life.

We believe in the Spirit
comforting, disturbing and inspiring us:
In the unexpected, the mysterious,
the snatch of a song and fragment of prayer,

Eyes opened, love sealed and truth spoken;
We believe that the Spirit leads to the future
with all we need for the journey.
We believe, even when believing is hard:
Love;
Life;
and Mystery.
Amen.

Community Confession

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

Lord God, it is hard to think that we are mortal beings.
We dream, make plans, and talk about what we’ll do in the near future.

We don’t always think about what you want.
Instead, we make choices that we think are good for us,
But we are only here because of the grace you give us.

We confess that we forget our need for you daily.

We confess that at times, our choices are far from your desires.

We confess that we do not know what is best for our lives.

Holy God, we are sorry for our sins.

Help us remember we live because of you.
Help us, through your life-giving Spirit, to do what you want of us
as your servants of peace to the world.

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

Reflection

How are we self-obsessed and self-focused in our faith and spiritual practices?
Are we growing in both knowledge and practice in our spiritual formation?
How can we embrace difficult situations and people so God can grow us spiritually?

Benediction

Out of his glorious riches 
may God strengthen you with power 
through his Spirit in your inner being, 
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. 

May you, being rooted and established in love, 
have power, together with all the saints, 
to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 
and to know this love that surpasses knowledge– 
that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, 
according to his power that is at work within us, 
to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, 
for ever and ever! 

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

[Photo by Kevin Russ @ Flickr]