Look & See: A Benediction

Look and see!
I see Jesus walking
   along the shore.

Hear and listen!
Jesus is calling
   Simon Peter and Andrew. 

And?
Jesus is calling us, too.

Follow and watch!
Jesus is going to the edges
   of our culture.
Jesus is hugging and healing,
   teaching and loving.

Follow and learn!
Jesus is serving the weak,
    the poor, & the oppressed.

And?
Jesus is challenging the strong,
   the comfortable,
       & the oppressor.

Go and do!
  We leave to be
God’s active love & justice
         in the world!

See related Call to Worship.

Posted in 1 Samuel, 1 Samuel 3, 1 Samuel 3:11-4:1, 1 Samuel 3:2-11, Benediction, Matthew, Matthew 4, Matthew 4:18-22, New Testament, Old Testament

Look & See: A Call to Worship

Look and see!
I see Jesus walking
   along the shore.

Hear and listen!
Jesus is calling
   Simon Peter and Andrew. 

And?
Jesus is calling us, too.

Follow and watch!
Jesus is going to the edges
   of our culture.
Jesus is hugging and healing,
   teaching and loving.

Follow and learn!
Jesus is serving the weak,
    the poor, & the oppressed.

And?
Jesus is challenging the strong,
   the comfortable,
       & the oppressor.

Pause and learn!
We gather to worship,
   to learn & grow,
      to find motivation & to focus.

Let us worship!
Let us worship the worthy one!

Let us pray!
Cause us to learn & grow,
   move us to love with your
      extravagance. Amen.       

See related Benediction.

Posted in 1 Samuel, 1 Samuel 3, 1 Samuel 3:11-4:1, 1 Samuel 3:2-11, Call to Worship, Matthew, Matthew 4, Matthew 4:18-22, Old Testament

The Voice

Holy Voice,

You are the voice that set creation into motion.
Yours is the energy behind the sun, stars, and moon.
You are worthy of our undivided attention.
All praise is due for all that you have done for us.

[SILENCE]

***

You are the voice that calls to us in the night, on the breeze, and from within.

We confess that too often we fail to listen, we brush away your gentle touch that calls us to be the people we are capable of being.

Forgive us.

[SILENCE]

***

Transform us.
Transform us into those who respond quickly and deliberately to your loving word.
Transform us into those who love as Jesus loved, who offer grace as you offer grace.
Transform us into those who embrace and give your extravagant love to all.
Transform us into justice makers and doers of your will. Use us as you will that we contribute to the unfolding of your holy realm of love.

[SILENCE]

***

In the name of the One who shows us the way to you, we pray. Amen.

 

Posted in 1 Samuel, 1 Samuel 3, 1 Samuel 3:11-4:1, Matthew, Matthew 4, Matthew 4:18-22, New Testament, Old Testament, Pastoral Prayer

Lead Us Toward Your Will

 

Offering Invitation

Lead us not into temptation,
but toward your will.

Lead us not into temptation,
but to the sharing of our gifts.

Lead us not into temptation,
but to love through actions and through how we spend our money and talents.

We will now take up our morning offering.

Prayer of Dedication

We promise to use these gifts for good.
We promise to use these gifts in furthering God ’s realm.
We commit to using these gifts in love and mercy for others.
Amen.

Posted in Invitation to Offering, Matthew, Matthew 6, Matthew 6:7-21, Offering, Prayer of Dedication

Giving, Abundance

If we give the loaves and fishes we have, from it God will create abundance.

We now give our talents, gifts, & money for furthering the realm of God in this time and in this place.

Posted in Invitation to Offering, Matthew, Matthew 6, Matthew 6:7-21, New Testament, Offering

Here, Gathered

Holy One,

We are here, gathered.
We now turn our hearts & minds
toward you in this place.

We turn toward you who abides with us in every place,
We turn toward you,
the divine one,
who never abandons. 

In the midst of the storms,
we search for you,
sometimes fearing because
we do not see clearly.

Make yourself known to us,
remind us “Don’t be afraid!”
Open our whole beings
that we perceive your presence.
For you are the one who journeys with us always & forever, through every joy & hardship.

Amen.                                        TG

Posted in Invocation, Matthew, Matthew 6, Matthew 6:7-21, New Testament

Carrying the Extravagant Love of the Cross

Gracious God,

Bless these gifts, money, & talent. May they carry the extravagant love of the cross into the world. Amen

Tagged with:
Posted in Matthew, Matthew 16, Matthew 16:24-28, New Testament, Offering, Prayer of Dedication

Gathering & Clinging

Invocation

Creating Spirit,

We gather among friends,
seeking your love, wisdom,
& guidance.
We squeeze into this small space,
    to be with others who seek you.

Though we know you are always
present here, on that hill faraway,
and in the very blood that flows
in our veins,
we call on you now.

In a world of so much
    we don’t understand,
         we cling to the old rugged
             cross,
     a symbol of your love for us.
Amen.                                        

Tagged with:
Posted in Invocation, Matthew, Matthew 16, Matthew 16:24-28

Turn Hearts & Minds Upon Jesus

Turn your hearts and
minds upon Jesus!

We turn now to God and
    to the one who lived among us,
       who taught us to avoid idols,
    to live lives of faithfulness,
       of loving compassion & grace.

Confess and release anything that
prevents you from responding to
the movement of the Holy Spirit!

In the silence of this room,
   we confess we have failed
      to live as God demands. 

[SILENCE]

Having confessed that which keeps us
apart from one another and
from God, let us worship.

With open hearts and minds,
    & assured of by divine grace,
        we are ready for worship.

 

Tagged with:
Posted in Call to Worship, Confession of Sin & Assurance, Matthew, Matthew 16, Matthew 16:24-28, New Testament

Our Flawed Ideas

Words of Humble Confession

We confess we sin
   individually against others, 
      we confess we repeat our  
         mistakes, 
    even though we know better. 

We allow our actions to make it harder 
   for others to reach you. 

Release us from our flawed ideas and  
   the desires that trip us up 
       causing our fall into sin. 

Move us closer to you and away from that which tempts us. 

We confess we are also a part 
    of the world’s systems of sin. 

We are all twisted up in that which we  
   barely understand. 

We claim our success is of our own
  doing and anyone can do as we,
      even as our kindred struggle in 
          poverty or other injustices that
               we never face. 

Release us from our ignorance and
    arrogance so that we can live in
         your beloved community. 

In the name of those with whom we 
    are connected yet don’t know. Amen.                                            TG

Words of Hope & Assurance Matthew 28:6-7a CEB: He isn’t here, because he’s been raised from the dead, just as he said. Come, see the place where they laid him. Now hurry, go and tell his disciples, ‘He’s been raised from the dead.

Posted in Ash Wednesday, Confession of Sin & Assurance, Days of the Church, Esther, Esther 4, Esther 4:1-17, Matthew, Matthew 28, Matthew 28:6-7a, New Testament, Old Testament
Creative Commons License BY-NC-ND 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/

All materials by Tim Graves unless otherwise noted. Creative Commons License BY-NC-ND 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/

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