For March 30, 2008 -- 2nd Sunday of Easter

CALL TO WORSHIP
As the sun with longer journey warms the earth,
So God’s light warms our hearts.
As winter’s icy grasp is broken,
We see the signs of spring and life start to burst forth.
We come together to worship God, in whom is life.
We come together to hear about life that lies waiting in the cold places of our lives.
Let us worship together, let us pray…

OPENING PRAYER
God of life, we come seeking to be life-filled people.
As we gather in Your presence, we trust that you will plant seeds of hope and promise in our lives.
God of growth, we come to be fed and watered.
We gather in Your presence so that we can grow.
God of new possibilities, we come to be reminded that life follows death.

May this time together remind us that there is always life, always promise, always hope. May this time together empower us to go out to plant seeds and encourage growth.
These things we pray in the name of the Risen Christ, who taught us the words we now sing together…

COMMISSIONING AND BENEDICTION
We are gardeners, we work to foster growth.
Even if the ground is seemingly frozen and lifeless, we see the promise of new life waiting to bloom.
We are gardeners, we plant seeds and trust.
Now we go into a world hungry for hope, ready to plant and tend the seeds of God’s new life.
As we go out to the garden of life we go out held in the hands of Life itself. God is our tender and care-giver, God will always help us to grow in faith, in hope, and in joy.
Hallelujah! Amen.