Liturgy

Loving God, we come to this sacred time and
space today carrying hard and heavy burdens.
Burdens of grief and loneliness, of depression and anxiety.
Burdens of exhaustion, stress, and overwork.

But we have good news!

Your ways are not the ways of this world, and
what we assume are weaknesses are actually
the places where we find strength, fortitude, and hope.

Allow us the space this morning to embrace
our vulnerabilities, and to treat ourselves
with love and kindness, as we grow into
the people you created us to be.

We gather now and pray
in the name of God, our Creator,
Jesus, our loving Savior,
and the Holy Spirit, the Breath of Life.
Amen.

(Gina Bastone-Trevino)

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 wholeness 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.

(Sarah Berson)

Sermon and Reflection

Sermon Podcast 3.31.19 – Last Shall Be First

How am I being invited to access salvation?

What does it look like to follow Jesus in a meaningful way now?

Benediction

Vox family, you come here to experience
God’s complete and perfect grace. It’s yours.
It’s truly yours. You are loved and you are liked.

God is turning an upside-down
world right-side up. Because of
this grace, we have a role to play
in that turning. May this grace be
a catalyst that lights a fire in you.

Watch the old burn away.

Take that grace with you.
See something new.
Take it to your jobs, your schools,
your neighborhoods, and
your homes. Let us fill this city
that we love with that grace.

In the name of God, the Creator,
Christ, the Risen One,
and the Holy Spirit, the Breath of Life.
Amen.

(Gina Bastone-Trevino)

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

[Photo by @ Flickr]