Liturgy

Most Holy Mystery, open our eyes, our ears,
and our hearts this morning to catch a glimpse
of God’s vision for our lives and all of creation;

to witness the presence of Christ in this place
and in one another; to feel the Spirit of God
moving around us, among us, and within us.

We are drawn together as a community to give
thanks, to be renewed, and to share our lives

that we might gain a glimpse of your
joyous life and join the dance of the
Father, Spirit, and Son now and always.

This we pray in the name
of the Father,
of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Community Confession

Loving God, you created all things to work together
in your Kingdom, and you call us to live as one Body.

We confess we often prefer to go our own way, and
we put ourselves at odds with your creation when
we are unwilling to love things we do not understand.

We pursue our own individual success, and we
miss the chance to celebrate your gift of community.

Forgive us, oh God. Open our ears to hear you
speaking, and our hearts to embrace your purpose.

We settle for homogeneity and fear diversity and difference.
We settle for social safety and fear authenticity. We settle for
efficiency and correctness and fear the voice of the other.

Forgive our short sightedness, and help us dream
of a more imaginative and inclusive community
in our liturgy, in our neighborhood, and in our city.

We ask in the name
of the Father,
of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit,
Amen.
(Written by Sam Lee)

Sermon and Reflection

Sermon Podcast 9.04.16 – Growing Up

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 now, and live as one body in Christ.
Be at peace, and care for one another;

Suffer with one another and rejoice with one another.
Give your attention to the voice of God, and proclaim
the good news of freedom to all.

And may God delight your heart and sharpen your vision;
May Christ Jesus keep you, thought and word, in his grace;
And may the Holy Spirit be the fountain that sustains and
binds you together as one.

This we pray, in the name
of the triune God,
Holy in One,
Amen.
(Written by Sam Lee)

Go in peace and live the church.
See you throughout the week.

[Photo by christie maclean @ Flickr]