Liturgy

In the beginning God created all things,
and God saw that they were good.

At our beginning, God created us unique
and irreplaceable, loved and wanted by
God, known and treasured by God
even before he created us.

In all our new beginnings, God creates
something new so we will seek God
in the freshness of this morning,

in the laughter of friends,
in the colors of creation,
and in this beautiful place.

Lord God, King of Creation, open our
eyes to see your presence, our souls to
sense your presence, and our hearts to
love your presence, ever here in your
creation, and ever beyond it in eternity.

We pray and worship
in the name of the Father,
of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit,
Amen.

Community Confession

Loving God, we pray we may know you more fully,
and to remember we are already fully loved by you.
Hear our prayer, O God.

We pray for the wisdom to make healthy choices
in the face of endless and confusing options.
Hear our prayer, O God.

We pray for the grace to redefine our relationships
with our family and our friends as our lives change.
Hear our prayer, O God.

We pray for the grace to form new relationships
with new friends as we move forward from this place.
Hear our prayer, O God.

We pray for the resolve to seek a higher plane
above the noises and distractions of society as
we seek to follow where you lead us.
Hear our prayer, O God.

We pray for the courage to take a stand with you
for justice and peace in our world in this time.
Hear our prayer, O God.

Forgive us when we forget your love for us.
Forgive us when we fail to lean on your strength
that is found within the church, which is your
body and our community.

Hear our prayer, O Lord.
We pray to you, our God in community,
holy in One.
Amen.

Benediction

God, in his infinite wisdom, created you.
He knew what he was doing.
He made you, because he loves you.

Build this image of yourself in your mind:
you are truly loved by God.

Go out from this place today with that image.
Carry it in your mind and look at it often.
Let the Spirit of God fill you with peace
that you are enough, and let this knowledge
be the starting point for all that you do.

We pray 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 Josh Urich]