Liturgy

Christ Jesus, may we follow you on the pilgrim way of Lent.

May we journey with you into the wilderness,
Willing to move beyond the ordinary,
so that we can discover your unexpected sacred places in our world.

Christ Jesus, may we wash our hands and purify our hearts,
Learning to thirst after righteousness and hunger after justice.

May we humble ourselves before you,
Expecting to see you revealed in a new light.

And Christ Jesus, may we walk with you no matter how challenging the path,

learning to be patient with darkness and growth,
Willing to live with not knowing,
Until your ways in us take root and sprout into life.

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

Community Confession

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

Heavenly Father,
like Adam and Eve we often listen to the wrong voice,
turning away from your Word.

We are shamed by our disobedience, our deafness,
our limited ability to do the right thing at the right time,
or even sometimes to know what is the right thing and the right time.

Forgive us for we are weak.
The day of the Lord is coming:
He abounds in steadfast love.

Hear our confession, Lord Jesus Christ,
for nothing is hidden from you.
Holding on to our sin only multiplies sin.
Help us say to you what we can barely admit to ourselves:

Forgive us for we are weak.
The day of the Lord is coming:
He abounds in steadfast love.

Holy Spirit, we do not like to talk about sin, for it is all too personal.
Governments, leaders, persons of all persuasions
seek to justify themselves in all they do and say.

We join with them when we refuse to come before Jesus Christ,
standing in the need of forgiveness.

Forgive us for we are weak.
The day of the Lord is coming:
He abounds in steadfast love.

Lord Jesus, you taught us to pray to our Father,
“Lead us not into temptation.”
As you were tempted in the wilderness
and used the truth of God’s Word to prevail against your tempter,
help us do the same, that the evil one may have no power over us.

Lord, hear our prayer.
The day of the Lord is coming:
He abounds in steadfast love.

Though we remember we are dust and to dust we shall return,
we remember that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

We give thanks, praying to you, our God in community,
Holy in One. Amen.

Reflection

During Lent, what life-giving things can we pursue instead of just giving up certain things?
What would it look like for Vox to have a mutual invitation for healing between one another?

Benediction

Now go, and live before God in openness and integrity.
Set your minds on the ways of him,
not clinging to your own life,
but taking up your cross and following Jesus and his teachings.

And may God give you a share in the eternal covenant;

May Christ Jesus be proud of you when he comes in glory;

And may the Holy Spirit strengthen you in faith
and lead you in the ways of righteousness.

Live this week, praising 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 Randy P. Martin @ Flickr]