Liturgy
Do not give easy or unthinking
response to this day’s call to worship.
For today we acknowledge God’s Spirit
within us, that we may speak the truth,
and dream dreams, and see visions.
We gather together in the presence of
God to offer our praise and our prayers.
We come before God with confidence,
knowing that even when we can’t find
the words, God’s own Spirit is right
here with us, praying in us and for us,
giving shape to our wordless
hopes and longings, and pleading
for us before the throne of grace.
So come, let us approach today
with joy to offer our worship to
God who knows and loves us all.
We ask in the name
of the Father,
of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Community Confession
O God, who sent gifts of the Holy
Spirit to those first saints, we know
you continue to send gifts to us,
even though we do not claim them.
We confess that we have not
always opened your gifts.
We have often chosen to keep
them packed away or buried.
Move us, by your Spirit, to pick up
our presents, that you so freely give,
to open them and to spend them lavishly
on the stewardship of your world.
We confess to you how often our thoughts
and motives are confused, both individually
and when we are together as your people,
and that this confusion has often blinded
us to your interest in our lives.
Break our confusion, and astonish
us anew, O God. We pray you will
claim us again and silence within
us our desire to always have words
for every occasion, that we might
hear the whispers of the Spirit.
We pray to our God in community,
holy in One, amen.
Sermon and Reflection
Sermon Podcast 4.24.15 – Holy Spirit as Guide
How can our gifts from the Spirit be used to practice hospitality to those around us?
How can we be practical mystics in our attempts to listen to the Holy Spirit for guidance?
Who are those we need to seek forgiveness from and who are those we need to extend forgiveness to?
Benediction
May peace be with you.
Behind doors closed and locked in fear,
may peace dwell with you.
On your paths where the footing is tricky,
may peace walk with you.
Through the mist with its disorienting shadows,
may peace gaze calmly with you.
At the table, whether crowded or quiet,
may peace sit with you.
No matter the turbulence or shifting ground,
may peace stand with you.
In every breath, in each
wound and every exuberance,
may peace be alive with you.
Peace be with you, now and always.
Go in peace and live the church.
See you throughout the week.