Liturgy

Welcome, welcome, welcome.
we welcome everything that comes to us today.
With open palms, we welcome the discomfort
of the heat, the chaos of our schedules, the
burden of our daily tasks.

We are free to welcome these things
because we are free to be fully
alive and messy and chaotic.

We are truly loved by our God in our full
lives, in our messiness, and in our chaos.

Our God is here. Our God is filled with
joy that we are here, just as you are,
to be present with the people in this room,
with our God, and with yourself.

We begin our worship today
in the name of God, our giver of life,
of Jesus, our teacher,
and of the Holy Spirit, our guide to grace,
Amen.

Community Confession

We are incredibly complex beings,
created this way for a purpose.
We have enormous capacity to sense
others’ feelings, needs and desires.

Creator God, guide us back to freedom
when we feel enslaved to our own needs.

We are incredibly creative beings, capable
of creating both chaos and order. In the middle
of times of chaos, it’s hard to see our way clear.

Jesus, you teach us patterns of grace.
Help us extend these patterns to ourselves.

We are incredibly powerful beings, capable
of building up and tearing down. We desire
connection, but are so easily distracted by
things that only provide self-satisfaction.

Holy Spirit, show us how we might build meaningful
connection with you, our neighbor and ourselves.

We welcome our place as members of this
community, in full freedom that we may
give our energy to that which gives life.

We pray in the name
of our God,
the Son,
and the Holy Spirit,
Amen.

Sermon and Reflection

Sermon Podcast 07.02.17 – Freedom

What areas of our lives might need to experience death or for us to let go of?
How might we practice discernment through a lens of grace?
Who or what are we imitating?

Benediction

You, who have been set free, go now.
Go, just as you are, a person who
God has called holy.

Welcome, welcome, welcome your holiness
with open hands, no matter what form it
happens to take in any particular moment.

God is delighting in you, wants to be part of you,
and invites you to feel the full freedom of God’s love.
Go, trusting that the freedom to be just who
you are is truth and beautiful and whole.

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 Greg Davenport @ Flickr]