Liturgy
God, you are before all things; beyond all things;
And in the midst of all things and all peoples
you have made yourself known.
In stories of women and men, of communities
and nations seeking identity and struggling with
their weakness you have made yourself known.
In Jesus of Nazareth, in compassion for the
outcast, forgiveness for the fallen, hope for
the poor and hungry; in his life poured out
for others and broken in rejection and
disdain you have made yourself known.
Therefore we join our praises with
countless men and women before us,
announcing your power in goodness
and your might in compassion.
We pray in the name
of the Father,
of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
Amen.
(Written by Mike Kaiser)
Community Confession
Lord of love and light, shine into our lives
and bring your love into our souls. Remind
us of the amazing ways you have loved us,
even when we turned our backs on you.
Open our hearts to receive your loving Spirit.
Open our minds to receive your wisdom.
Open our hands to show others your love.
We hold in our hearts those
around us who feel unloved.
We bring them to you for you to
shine your love into their lives.
We hold in our minds those overwhelmed by
their needs and difficulties. We hold in our
hands your loving compassion to give them.
There are people and places that need our hands
reaching out to them in true human connection.
May our reaching out to them,
shine forth your light and love.
We pray in the name
of the Father,
of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit,
Amen.
(Written by Mike Kaiser)
Sermon and Reflection
Sermon Podcast 9.25.16 – Values:Empathy
Where in my life have I experienced God’s empathy?
Do I tend to listen more closely to what someone knows, or how someone feels?
With whom do I find it easy to empathize? With whom do I find it difficult?
Benediction
Go today with gentleness in your heart
and mercy and kindness on your lips.
Strive for wholeness through connection,
acknowledging the pain and the beauty that you
see in others as the same that you experience.
Be a community that builds bridges
restores sight, binds wounds, forgives
trespasses, and loves generously in
the same way that God has with you.
May the Spirit of God show you the way
to empathy that will make us whole again
as a people, united by our common need
for God and for each other.
We pray this in the name
of the loving Father,
Jesus, his Son,
and the guiding Spirit,
Amen.
(Written by Mike Kaiser)
Go in peace and live the church.
See you throughout the week.