Liturgy
Holy God,
We long for your peace, and trust in your promise;
we hear your call to turn toward you,
to change our lives and welcome you in.
Meet us here and fill
our minds with your wisdom
and our hearts with your peace,
that our worship together
may open us to the challenge
of your dream of wholeness for all.
In the Name of the One who is coming, we pray. Amen!
Community Confession
Christ is our peace.
He came proclaiming peace to those who are far off
and those who are near.
This proclamation has reached our ears,
but we confess it has not settled into our hearts.
Anxiety and fear haunt our frenzied days and our restless nights.
We numb ourselves with mindless activities and shallow pleasures.
Forgive us, and show us your mercy, O Lord.
Christ is our peace.
In his flesh, through his blood,
he has taken those divided by hostility and made them one.
Forgive us for not seeking peace in Christ but in our divisions.
Divisions in our nation and within your own people.
Divisions at work, with our neighbors and at home.
We draw dividing lines between “us” and “them”
and believe our salvation lies here, on this side of those lines.
Forgive us, and show us your mercy, O Lord.
Christ is our peace.
By your Spirit, open our hearts and fill us with this peace,
God in Community,
Holy in One,
Amen.
How are we able to live out peace in the places God has put us?
What would self care look like in this season of Advent?
Benediction
May God, who has begun a good work within you,
continue that work until the day when Christ Jesus returns.
May your love overflow more and more;
may you continue to grow in knowledge and understanding,
so that you can clearly discern what really matters,
and so that you may stand pure and blameless before God
on the day of Christ’s return.
The God who calls you is faithful,
and He will do it.
Go in peace.
Go in peace and live the church.
See you throughout the week.