Liturgy
God in heaven, we come here
today humbled by your mercy.
Open our hearts to hear your
messages of grace.
Jesus, you walked as one of us, and knew of
suffering we hope we will never understand.
You showed us the true nature of God’s wisdom:
in all things, at all times, love one another.
Holy Spirit, guide our thoughts into
intentional and honest consideration
with the messages we receive in our
news sources, from our friends,
and in our community.
Remind us we have ears to hear,
so that we might listen.
We pray in the name
Of the Father,
Of the Son,
And of the Holy Spirit,
Amen.
Community Confession
Lord God, we confess to you our deep foolishness.
We confess how often we start to speak before we’ve
taken the time to truly listen.
God, forgive us for holding more space
for ourselves than for you and for others.
God, you wrote your law into our hearts.
Yet we live in a world that honors fear and
promotes power, and we so often forget your
only command of us: to love one another.
God, restore in us the power to be weak,
the wisdom to count ourselves among
your loved, blessed despised.
Our sanctification is already
complete, and yet we fight for it daily.
Jesus showed us the source of life is
love, and that sacrifice brings freedom.
Jesus, let your sacrifice rule over our
fear of being forgotten, unimportant.
Give us wisdom from God as we seek
to follow your example.
We pray in the name
Of the Father,
Of the Son,
And of the Holy Spirit,
Amen.
Sermon and Reflection
Sermon Podcast 01.29.17 – The Wisdom of Foolishness
How can we hold the tension of the known and unknown in order to practice faith?
What are the attachments in our lives that we need to confront?
Who are the people in our lives we might need to be in solidarity with?
Benediction
You have been called to the highest office:
a follower of Christ,
a lover of the other,
and a seeker of truth.
Remember to sacrifice, to listen, to put yourself
in a place of weakness, because these things
empower freedom, wisdom and strength.
As you go from this place, be comforted
in knowing that all you do or want to do
or try to do has already been redeemed
by Christ’s love.
Let this knowledge free your true self,
holy and beloved of God.
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 Randy P. Martin @ Flickr]