For February 3, 2013 4th After Epiphany Year C

OPENING PRAYER
God of Jubilee, God of freedom from oppression and healing for the afflicted,
we gather to share your Good News. We gather to be transformed as the world is changed.
In this time of worship,
may we be fed in body and soul.
As we sing and pray, as we break the bread and pour the cup,
may the Spirit of the Lord fall upon us, may we be refreshed, anointed, and empowered.
And when our time of worship is ended,
send us back out into the world to proclaim the Good News.
We pray in the name and memory of Jesus,
our Rock and Redeemer, our Teacher and Guide, in whom we find the path that leads to the Kingdom. Amen.

PRAYER FOR AND ASSURANCE OF GRACE
God, you share with us words of hope, words of Good News.
But sometimes we are unable to hear them because the source is too familiar.
You call us to share the Good News with those around us.
But sometimes we are unable to share, because the people know us too well.
You encourage us to send messengers to other places where they will be heard better.
But we can be jealous, wanting the Good News to be for us, not them.
In the multitude of ways we can and have subverted you message of freedom and healing, in all the ways we have kept the Jubilee year from happening,
we have left the path of true wisdom and call upon your Grace to lead us back on track.
...time of silent prayer...
This is the time of God's favour, God's grace continues to proclaim release to the captives, sight to the blind, Good News to the poor and freedom to the oppressed. We live as loved, forgiven and free people through the grace of God!
HALLELUJAH!!! Amen.

COMMISSIONING:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon us!
We have been called, we have been anointed, we have been given a task.
So go out from this place into the mission field that is the world.
We go carrying Good News to the world, News about freedom from oppression and healing for the afflicted.
The time of the Lord's favour is now!
Hallelujah! Amen.

For 3rd Sunday After Epiphany Year c, Also Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

OPENING PRAYER
Gift-giver, you call us together,
with our different gifts, our different ideas, our different tastes. 
You call us together,
to share what makes us special, to build each other up, to serve each other in love. 
You call us together,
knowing that we need all parts of the body if we are to be whole. 
You call us together,
to sing, to pray, to listen, to speak. To be refreshed so that we can go out and serve. 
You call us together in the name of the One who taught his friends to pray saying...

PRAYER FOR AND ASSURANCE OF GRACE

God you have given each of us many gifts,

but sometimes we can not recognize what gift we have to share, so we hide it under a bushel.

God you remind us that all gifts are needed,

but sometimes we let ourselves be convinced that some gifts are more special than others.

God you call us to work, to live, to love together as parts of one body,

but sometimes we decide that membership in the body is limited by our understandings.

God, for the times we have ignored or mislabelled Your gifts, for those times we have cut another off from the body,

We offer words of repentance, we ask for forgiveness and grace.

...time of silent prayer...

God is the giver of MANY gifts. God is the Creator of the ONE body. God is slow to anger and quick to forgive. God helps us to share and honour the gifts of all, God helps us to heal the wounds and reunite the body. We are forgiven, loved, and accepted.

Thanks be to God! Alleluia! Amen 

COMMISSIONING:
You are the hands and feet of God in Grande Prairie
You are called to soothe suffering, to live with compassion, to build up God's loving peace.
So as you leave this place, how will you live?
We go from this place of worship to share the gifts we have been given.
We go from this time of worship to build up the Body of Christ.
We go from this holy space to carry the Holy to the world around us.
Go in love, go in peace, go with God.
Amen.

Opening Prayer for Baptism of Christ Sunday Year C

God you have given us a name, it is Yours.

You have claimed us as Your people and given us a Way to live.

In this time of worship refresh and prepare us to serve you,

embolden us to face the water and the fire, sure that they will not overwhelm us.

We pray in the name of Jesus, who showed us how to live in You, and who taught his friends to pray saying...