For February 6, 2011 -- 5th Sunday After Epiphany Year A

OPENING PRAYER
God, in this time of worship,
open our hearts, minds, and souls to your presence.
God, in this time of worship,
give us a sense of what it means to be salt and light, remind us of our call to enhance the world around us.
God, at the end of this time of worship,
send us back out to the world, ready to let Your light shine through us.
We pray in the name of Jesus, who calls us salt and light,and who taught his friends to pray saying...

PRAYER FOR AND ASSURANCE OF GRACE

God, you call us to a life that is rich and flavourful,

so why does it sometimes seem so bland and humdrum?

God, you call us to enrich the lives of those who are around us,

so why do we sometimes withdraw into our own silos, caring for our own interests above all others?

God, you tell us that we are lights, meant to shine brightly,

so why do we sometimes feel like we are always in the dark?

God, you call us to share our light with the world,

so why are we sometimes afraid that there is not enough light, that we might go dim if we shine too brightly?

God, for all those times when we have chosen not to season the world, for the times when we have kept our light hidden,

forgive us we pray.

...time of silent prayer...

God is the salt in our lives, the light in our darkness. When we start to run out, God graciously fills up our shaker and refills our lamp. We are a forgiven and rejuvenated people!

Thanks be to God! Amen.

COMMISSIONING:
Jesus said that we should be Just Like Salt
enhancing the lives of those around us.
Jesus called us Light of the World
shining brightly into dark places
Go now to be Salt and Light

For February 13, 2011 -- 6th Sunday After Epiphany Year A

CALL TO WORSHIP/OPENING PRAYER
When the alarm went off this morning you had a choice.
Roll over and go back to sleep or get up and get ready.
And you chose to come here.
Indeed we did. We chose to gather together to worship.
Who has gathered us here today? Paul, your family, your teachers from years past?
No. God has gathered us here. God has called us to be God's people.
And so, Gracious God, we offer words of thanks.
Thanks for this place and this people, thanks for all those who have prepared the way, thanks for those who feed and water, thanks to you for the growth that ensues.
During this time of singing and praying and listening,
may we be fed and watered. May we continue to grow in Your way. Amen.

PRAYER FOR AND ASSURANCE OF GOD'S GRACE

God, daily you set before us a choice.

On one side is the path that leads to abundant life and love for all, on the other the path that leads to abundance for some with the price paid by others.

AS we deal with the choices of life,

we are tempted by the easy road, tempted to trade the long-term blessing for a quick reward.

And so God forgive us,

forgive us where we have chosen rashly or badly, forgive our quarelling and jealousy and lead us in the path of blessing and growth.

...time of silent prayer...

It is one of the mysteries of faith that whether we feel worthy or not we are forgiven. When we realize that we chose unwisely we are given a chance to choose again. Through Grace God forgives all of God's beloved children. We are a forgiven people!

Thanks be to God! Amen

COMMISSIONING:
We have gathered together for worship,
we have listened for God's voice, we have been fed, we have been refreshed.
And now it is time to go out from this place.
As we leave these doors we enter the mission field of life.
In that mission field may we all be ones who seed and water so that God can provide growth
May we share the good news that God offers us blessing and life and those in abundance.
God in the love and care of God. Amen

For January 30, 2011 -- 4th Sunday After Epiphany Year A

PRAYER FOR AND ASSURANCE OF GRACE
God of grace, source of wisdom,
we admit that we often find your wisdom to be foolishness.
God of foolishness, who calls us to be fools,
we admit that we are swayed by the wisdom of the world around us.
God of strength made evident in weakness,
help us to embrace foolishness and weakness. Help us find the path to wisdom and strength.
God of life, who calls us to be people of abundant life,
forgive us when we choose foolishly, strengthen us when we feel weak.
...time of silent prayer...
God is gracious, foolishly wise, strong in weakness. In God's wisdom forgiveness and grace are given freely and prodigiously. We are a forgiven and strengthened people!
Thanks be to God!

Responses for Ligthing of the Christ Candle

LIGHTING THE CHRIST CANDLE
We light this Candle to remind us of the light in our world, and to remind us of our call to carry the light wherever we go.
Thanks be to God: our Light, our Hope, and our Strength.

For January 9, 2011 -- First Sunday After Epiphany, Baptism of Jesus Sunday

CALL TO WORSHIP/OPENING PRAYER

In the wilderness of life we hear it

A voice crying out, calling us to a new way.

Intrigued, wondering, we come to hear more.

Seeking to hear Good News, seeking to know more about living in God's Way

And so here we are,

here we are, ready and open to the words the Voice has for us today

God, whose Voice gathers us together,

in this time of singing and praying and listening,

open us to hear words that are both easy and hard,

remind us that we are Beloved children,

and send us out to live and serve. We pray in the name and memory of Jesus, who taught his friends to pray saying...

PRAYER FOR AND ASSURANCE OF GRACE

Gracious God, over and over you call us to repentance.

You challenge us to examine our lives openly and honestly. You challenge us to name where we have strayed from the path of wisdom and to acknowledge where we have fallen short of what we could be.

Such a thing is hard to do. Such honesty scares us.

But still you call through the wildernesses of the world, calling us to turn to your Way.

For all the times we stray from the path, for all the times we choose unwisely,

forgive us, we pray.

...time of silence...

God is gracious, God is merciful, God is loving. And God stands with open arms when we turn back to be followers of The Way. We are a forgiven people!

Thanks be to God! Amen.