For February 14, 2016 -- Lent 1

OPENING PRAYER

God of life, God of abundance,

we who have many gifts gather in your presence.

God who turns the world upside down,

making the last first and the first last,

in this time of worship,

shake us from or complacency, challenge our assumptions.

And then send us out,

to share the abundant gifts we have as we wait and work for the Kingdom.

This we pray in the name of Jesus, the One we call Christ, who taught his friends to pray saying...

PRAYER FOR AND ASSURANCE OF GRACE

God of grace, we too come and ask:

What must we do to inherit eternal life?

And we are reminded of the commandments,

rules that help us live in community with neighbours, friends, strangers, enemies.

God of grace, we say:

We have tried to do these things our whole lives.

Then you look at us and ask us to give up our possessions.

Do we go away sad? Do we take the chance?

God of grace, you remind us:

Where your treasure lies, there is your heart.

God of grace, grant us the courage, the wisdom, the strength,

to explore what our actions say about our treasure.

God of grace,

remind us that you are with us always, guiding us to place our hearts on those things that are most valuable. Amen.

COMMISSIONING:

We have gathered, we have prayed, we have sung, we have listened.

Now we go out to continue our work in and for the Kingdom.

We go as people who have many possessions

pledging to use what we have to spread God's love and hope as we strive to keep God's Commandments

We go to help turn the world upside down,

challenging assumptions of what is in favour of what may be.

God with God, who is turning the world around, who is building an new world in our midst.

Thanks be to God! Amen.