Liturgy

Good God, Creator of the world,
draw us into prayer and celebration
as we gather to remember the gifts
of your earth and the stewardship
you have entrusted to us as
tillers and tenders in your image.

We know that in the gathering of your people,
power is present among us; your Holy Spirit
stirs and moves and gives us courage to
remember that all good gifts come first from you.

We praise you for this creation in the words of the Psalmist,
sung by our ancestors in faith for generations:

“God speaks: the heavens are made;
God breathes: the stars shine.
God bottles the waters of the sea
and stores them in the deep.
All earth, be astounded,
stand in awe of God.”

Keep us faithful to this liturgy and send us out to be
fruitful and vibrant inhabitants of our neighborhoods.

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

Through our work, how do we choose to lead well or lead poorly?
How do we help redeem those who are under bad leadership?

Benediction

Go out into the world,
and labor to bring forth new lives
of humility, of peace and of grace.

Dream dreams, pursue visions
and speak of God’s goodness and generosity
in the words of those who would hear.

And may our God who breathed life into creation be your delight.

May Christ Jesus give hope to your dreaming,
and may the Holy Spirit, your advocate and guide,
set your hearts ablaze with a passion for peace.

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 Laura Austin @ Flickr]