For Mar 2/08 -- Lent 4, Who is the Church? Who isn't?

NOTE: THis year's Lenten liturgies will not be based on the lectionary readings for YEar A. Instead they will be following a series called The 5 W's of Church (the link shows what themes and readings are being used)

CALL TO WORSHIP
The world is a place of uncertainty, a place of questions.
We bring our questions here to the church,
In this place we lay out our wonderings before God and neighbour
In this place we trust that we can find clues that will help us find some answers
Here in this place we proclaim that all are welcome
The newcomers to faith and the cradle church types
All gather together to worship and explore
Let us worship as a community
Let us pray together…

OPENING PRAYER
Welcoming God, once again we have gathered in your presence.
In this place we affirm that everyone is welcomed into the circle. At this time we celebrate your presence within and around us all.
As we worship may you fill our hearts with hope,

As we sing and pray may you empower us to be your servants. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Offering Prayer
Gift-giver, here we return some of our gifts to you. May they become tools of love in the world. Amen.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION/ASSURANCE OF PARDON
God, it is so easy to say the words: “all are welcome in this place”.
But sometimes it is so challenging to make the words a reality.
We confess that at times we inadvertently make people feel less than welcome.
We confess that we sometimes look at our own needs more than those of the visitor or newcomer.
For those times when our welcoming has been less than perfect, forgive us.
For those future times when we will welcome others, help us to always do it well.
…time of silent prayer…
God comes to us in friend and stranger. God teaches us what it means to welcome and be welcomed. God offers us forgiveness and new starts.
Thanks be to God! Amen

COMMISSIONING AND BENEDICTION
We have sung, we have prayed, we have worshipped together.
Now we go out into the world where we do most of our living and serving.
As you go out remember to practise radical hospitality, welcoming all you meet
For in doing so we may well welcome angels.
And know that in all you do and all you are you are Held in the Arms of Love, Strengthened by the Spirit, and Named as God’s Beloved Child. Amen.

For Feb 24/08 -- Lent 3, Why Church?

NOTE: THis year's Lenten liturgies will not be based on the lectionary readings for YEar A. Instead they will be following a series called The 5 W's of Church (the link shows what themes and readings are being used)

CALL TO WORSHIP
The world is a place of uncertainty, a place of questions.
We bring our questions here to the church,
In this place we lay out our wonderings before God and neighbour
In this place we trust that we can find clues that will help us find some answers
One of the questions of life is why we do what we do, how we set our priorities.
We each have our own stories about why we are here.
In this time we pause to honour our stories of seeking and celebrating God’s presence.
In God’s presence we pause to reflect on what makes this gathering important to us
Let us pray and sing and worship together…

OPENING PRAYER
God, each of us comes here for a variety of reasons.
We come for community, we come for nourishment, we come to be connected.
But when we come here we trust that we will encounter your Light, your Love, and your Life
In this time together, may we be reminded of why we come. In this time together may we be united with one another in a common faith.
These things we pray in Jesus’ name, as we say together the words he taught his friends…

Offering Prayer
God, we have so any things to offer…
Here, now, we offer them to you. We share our stories, our selves, our stuff with the prayer that they will be instruments of grace. May our sharing spread your love and hope in the world. Amen.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION/ASSURANCE OF PARDON
The road of life has many intersections, many corners, many choices to be made.
God we know that making the right choice is sometimes very difficult.
At times we choose wisely, at times wisdom fails us.
Here, now, we confess those times our choices have been unwise or made for the wrong reasons
…time of silent prayer…
The path of Lent leads to the cross of death. But beyond the cross of death is light and life and hope. We are forgiven people, loved and embraced by a gracious God.
Thanks and praise to God! Amen.

COMMISSIONING AND BENEDICTION
Here we have heard some stories.
Now we go back out to where those stories merge with the larger stories of the world.
We go to continue to share our stories, to share our hopes, to share the God we meet in life.
We go to share the love of God with all we meet.
And we go out held and supported by the Threefold God: Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. Amen.

For Feb 17/08 -- Lent 2, Where and When is the Church?

NOTE: THis year's Lenten liturgies will not be based on the lectionary readings for YEar A. Instead they will be following a series called The 5 W's of Church (the link shows what themes and readings are being used)

CALL TO WORSHIP
The world is a place of uncertainty, a place of questions.
We bring our questions here to the church,
In this place we lay out our wonderings before God and neighbour
In this place we trust that we can find clues that will help us find some answers
Here we acknowledge that this hour together is only part of being the church
As we worship and work together the church is spread to many places.
Let us worship God who is always with us. Let us pray together…

OPENING PRAYER
God, we gather here, not always large in number but faithful in heart.
We gather here, seeking to be refreshed and re-energized for our life in the world.
We pray that in this time together we would know your presence.

May this time together prepare us to take the church to the world.
These things we pray in Jesus’ name as we sing together the words he taught his friends…

Offering Prayer
God we find the church in many different places
May these gifts spread to all those places, enabling the Light of Love and Life to shine brightly wherever people gather in search of hope. Amen.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION/ASSURANCE OF PARDON
God, at times we acknowledge that often in life we have to choose between the easy and the hard path.
And we confess that we are often tempted to choose the easy way.
We know that the life of faith is part of our whole lives,
And we confess that it would be easier to limit its influence to selected places and times.

For all the times when we have partitioned our lives, keeping faith separate from the rest, forgive us.
…time of silent prayer…
God is gracious, understanding, and forgiving. Even though we may stray from the path of wisdom, God will always draw us back. We are a forgiven people.
Thanks and praise to God! Amen.

COMMISSIONING AND BENEDICTION
Where 2 or 3 are gathered, I am there.
We go out to the many gatherings of our lives, trusting that God is with us.
The church is wherever God’s people are:
As we praise, and serve and share God’s love we are the church in the world.
And so we go out held in the loving arms of our Eternal Parent.
Thanks be to God! Amen.

For Feb 10/08 -- LEnt 1, What is the Church?

NOTE: THis year's Lenten liturgies will not be based on the lectionary readings for YEar A. Instead they will be following a series called The 5 W's of Church (the link shows what themes and readings are being used)

CALL TO WORSHIP
The world is a place of uncertainty, a place of questions.
We bring our questions here to the church,
In this place we lay out our wonderings before God and neighbour
In this place we trust that we can find clues that will help us find some answers
Here we can ask questions of meaning and identity.
We wonder why we are here, what we are about.
As we enter into worship let us invite God into the discussion.
Yes, we invite God to help us sort out why we are here.
As we gather in search of meaning let us pray together…

OPENING PRAYER
God, during Lent we choose to walk the road to the cross with Jesus.
The road to the cross challenges our priorities and pushes us to ask the hard questions.
God as we join in this Lenten journey we ask that you would be our companion on the way.
We seek you as guide and comforter, helping us to find answers to the questions of life.
Travelling the road together, we embrace the exploration.
In our worship and our work, we trust in your Way. Amen.

Offering Prayer
God, we share what we have as a part of being the church. May these gifts work to spread your love and life around this town and around the world. We offer them in Jesus’ name. Amen.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION/ASSURANCE OF PARDON
God, there are so very many voices out there,
Suggesting paths to take, telling how to be a successful church.
We confess that there are times when we fall prey to their seductive logic.
We acknowledge that we sometimes listen to them rather than seeking to hear what you would have us do and be.
…time of silent prayer…
The call of God sounds incessantly. Even when we choose to be selectively deaf the voice keeps calling. Out of forgiveness God keeps giving us another chance.
We are forgiven, we are loved. Thanks be to God! Amen.

COMMISSIONING AND BENEDICTION
There are many things the church is called to be.
But underlying all of them is that we are a community of faith that supports one another.
As our worship ends we go out into the larger community
There we carry on our service of support to friend and neighbour.
And we do that knowing that the Threefold God: Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer is with us in all we are and all we do. Amen.

Opening Prayer For Annual Meeting

God of the seasons turning,
another year has come and gone and once again we gather for the Annual Meeting of this Congregation.
To this place we bring all the celebrations and hardships, the joys and the sorrows of the past 12 months.
Here we pause to remember those whose lives we have celebrated as we said the last farewell of death. (pause)
Here we remember the highlights of the year: Harvest and Ham suppers, An Evening of Singing, worship and picnic out at the lake, friends gathering together to share stories and reflections of faith. (pause)

Here also we gather to look forward to what the coming years have in store.
We know that they will not always be easy, that life will always have a mixture of easy and difficult.
As we meet and discuss the life and work of this part of your family we pray that you would be a part of our discussion.
May your Spirit move in our hearts, opening them to hear what each of us has to offer, bringing light to both possibilities and realities, drawing us always to consider what you would have us be and do in this time and place.
Remind us that we are called to be bearers of Christ’s life, light, and love to all we meet.
Help us to live in such a way that we draw closer to your vision for us and journey faithfully in your Way.

In this time together we celebrate the many gifts we all have to offer.
Help us offer what we can to your service and your glory, mindful of our great giftedness in so many ways throughout our lives.
These things we pray in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, the one we call Christ, in whose name and hope we gather together as a community.
Amen.