For June 29, 2008 -- Proper 8, 7th After Pentecost

OPENING PRAYER
God who numbers the hairs on our head,
we come into your presence to sing and worship.
God of life, and that in abundance,
we come to hear again how you would have us live.
Gracious God, in this time together,
fill us with hope, awaken in us the possibilities of your Way, and send us out renewed in purpose for speaking your Truth and sharing your Love. Amen.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION/ASSURANCE OF PARDON
God, you call us to a daring and radical discipleship,
but often we would rather take a safe and popular road.
You call us to be ready to risk being unpopular, causing dissension among our family and friends,
and we confess that we prefer to tone down your Word for the sake of peacefulness.
You call us to share boldly the promise and possibility of faithful living
But we confess that we are afraid of what the consequences of such boldness might be.
…time of silent prayer…
Over and over again God tells us not to be afraid. Over and over again God reminds us that there is a path to New Life. God calls us back to that path no matter how often we turn aside. We are a forgiven people!
Thanks be to God! Amen.

From June 26, 2005 -- Proper 8, 6th AfterPentecost

This comes from the archives since we aren't dealing with the Genesis story this year. A Confession Prayer based on the sacrifice of Isaac:

PRAYER OF CONFESSION/ASSURANCE OF PARDON
Abraham was willing to sacrifice his Beloved Son Isaac,
And we give thanks that we no longer sacrifice human beings.
But then we think of those who are let fall through the cracks. We remember the ones who are left homeless so that our taxes stop going up. We remember the ones who are underpaid for their labour so we can have cheaper products. And somewhat chastened we say:
Well at least we don’t sacrifice our own children.
Or do we? For then we think of our reluctance to change how the world operates, a reluctance which degrades the natural world our children will inherit. And we think of those parents whose dreams for their children drives them to push so hard for academic, athletic, or artistic success that the desires of the child get lost. And thoroughly chastened we say:
Thank you God, that you do not require such sacrifice.
And in so saying we ignore the sacrifices that are asked, preferring the known to the unknown, the old to the new, the comfortable to the risky. And so we say:
God, help us to know what sacrifices to make, and not to make.

(time of silent prayer)
Here then is Good News. Rather than condemning us for the sacrifices that we do and don’t make God keeps calling us back. We are forgiven and restored. We have another chance to live in God’s Way.
Thanks be to God who is Love. Hallelujah! Amen.

For June 22, 2008 -- Proper 7, 6th After Pentecost

CALL TO WORSHIP
In the busy-ness of the city,
We strain our ears to hear God’s voice
In the wild-ness of the forest,
We pause to sense God’s presence.
In all the wilderness places and times of life,
We find that God is with us, to guide and to comfort.
Here, now, in this place and time,
We come to hear God’s voice, sense God’s presence, and seek God’s comfort.
Let us worship together, let us pray…

OPENING PRAYER
God of the wild places in our world,
We come to this place to share your presence and hope with our friends and neighbours.
God of the wildness in our hearts,
We come to this place seeking peace.
God of Life, in whom we live and move and exist,
As we come together, may You be a part of our circle. As we sing and pray and listen may You remind us that there is always hope. Amen.

COMMISSIONING AND BENEDICTION
We have left the comfort of home to come to the lake,
And have found that God is here.
We go out to live in a world that has many types of wilderness
We go trusting that God is in all of them
And as we go into the wilderness places of life, we go carrying the hope and the promise of God.
With that luggage on our travels we can bring hope where there is despair and light into the darkness.
Go out secure in the knowledge that God is always with you, go out trusting that you are not alone.
Thanks be to God! Amen.

For June 15, 2008 -- Proper 6, 5th After Pentecost

PRAYER OF CONFESSION/ASSURANCE OF PARDON
God, you call us to be people of character,
but the struggles that are said to grow character are often hard to take.
Or sometimes the suffering doesn’t seem worth the reward.
and so we would rather avoid them altogether.
Help us to remember that growth comes with work and a price.
As we struggle with life’s lessons keep us filled with hope.
And when we are tempted to give up and give in,
give us the strength to endure and forgive us when we fall short of the task.
…time of silent prayer…
Listen, for here is Good News. God is constantly working to help us grow in faith. As we grow we meet with success and failure. But still God helps us grow. We are constantly forgiven and given a new start.
Thanks be to God! Amen.