Liturgy

The Spirit of God calls us from many places;
some of us come from busy homes with many people,
some of us live alone.
We are all part of the family.

This week has been different for each of us;
some of us have happy news we want to celebrate,
some of us face grief and need comforting.
We are each members of God’s family.

Yet we all come to this same place;
all of us seeking God’s presence in our lives,
all of us seeking God’s presence with each other,
all of us seeking to work and rest in the presence of our Creator.

Together, we become God’s family
and we worship 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.

We will listen to Christ Jesus, who is Genuine Love.
Love hates what is evil and holds fast to what is good.

We will love our brothers and sisters with selfless love,
striving to live with one another in community to build and serve
together the kingdom of God, here on Earth.

We will not lack in zeal, but will press on in the Spirit, serving our Lord.
We will rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering and persevere in prayer.

We will contribute to the needs of one another.
We will extend hospitality to all we meet.

We will bless those who do harm to us.
We will bless them, and will not curse them.

We will rejoice with those who rejoice,
and weep with those who weep.
We will live in harmony with our neighbors.

We will not be proud or arrogant, and will associate with the lowly.
What we know, we will share, no more, no less.

We will live in peace as one body,
devoted in following the Holy Spirit,
and love as Christ first loved us.

All this we ask and do, in the name of the Father,
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Reflection

What story have you been given and what story are you telling?
How can you make belonging a spiritual practice?

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 Missy Prince @ Flickr]