Tuesday, September 1, 2015

For September 6, 2015 -- The Parable of the Wedding Banquet


CALL TO WORSHIP
Come in, Come in and sit down!
We gather with our brothers and sisters in faith.
Come and gather at the banquet table of God.
Where all are invited, where all can eat, where we break bread together.
As we gather at the table, we greet our fellow guests with words and signs of God's Peace.

OPENING PRAYER
God of the banquet,
we gather together to sing, to pray, to open ourselves to your presence.
In this time together,
open our hearts to the breadth of your open grace, open our spirits to the width of your welcome.
You invite us to the banquet of life.
We respond, we join in the singing and dancing and feasting.
As we are fed in this time together,
prepare us to share the banquet with our neighbours. Amen.


PRAYER FOR AND ASSURANCE OF GRACE
God of the banquet, you invite us to come and celebrate.
But sometimes life is just so full, we are too busy.
God of the banquet, you invite us to come and celebrate.
But there are other things that seem more important. Maybe next time.
God of the banquet, you ask us to bring others to the banquet.
Who shall we invite?
God of the banquet, you open the table to everyone.
Which surprises us, which confuses us, which sometimes angers us.
God of the banquet, help your grace flow through us as we gather at the banquet.
Help us to be open to all our neighbours, to welcome them in, to celebrate together.
God of grace, through your grace, may the celebrations be loud and long lasting.
Amen.

COMMISSIONING:
We have gathered, we have shared in the Banquet of Life
We accepted the invitation.
Now as our worship concludes we go out into the world.
To share the love of God, to share the joy of the banquet. with all we meet.
Go with God, witness to the love of God, carry the hope of faith with you.
We are not alone. Thanks be to God, the host of the banquet of life.
Amen


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