For November 8, 2020 -- Proper 27A, 23rd Sunday After Pentecost

CALL TO WORSHIP
May the Peace of Christ be with you!
And also with you!
We have been called together by the Source of Life.
We gather as people who wait for the Reign of Love to break into the world.
In the presence of the God who has created and is creating, of Jesus, the Word-made-Flesh, and the Spirit who works in all of us.
Let us worship together.

OPENING PRAYER
God of Peace, of Hope, of Love, as we listen and pray and reflect this morning,
move in and through us. Renew and transform us.
God of Peace, of Hope, of Love, in this week when we will pause to remember,
strengthen our pledge to work for the Reign of Peace, of Hope, of Love.
God of Peace, of Hope, of Love, as we wait for that day when your Reign comes to full flower,
keep us patient, keep us ready, open us to your transforming power.
We pray in the name of the Prince of Peace, who gives us Hope and calls us to Love as we share words he once taught his closest friends...

 PRAYER FOR AND ASSURANCE OF GRACE
God you challenge us to be ready, to wait for the day when all will be well.
If we are honest, we get tired of waiting. We can only keep ready for so long.
Then other things happen and our attentiveness fades.
God you call us to be ready, to keep the light burning,
And as life goes by our stores of patience and energy burn off.
We might not be ready when the time comes
God of Grace, as we try to live out your call to be light to the world
keep our flask of oil filled, keep our wick trimmed, help us be ready.
God of Grace, when we let the oil run out, when we are not ready, when the flame sputters,
forgive our inattention and impatience. Renew and refresh us. In Jesus name we pray.
The God who calls us to be light to the world refills our flask of oil, relights our blown out flame, forgives our impatience and inattentiveness. God helps us to be ready for the turning and transforming of the world.
Thanks be to God! Amen.

 COMMISSIONING:
As people eagerly awaiting the coming of God’s Kingdom,
we go out to tend our lamps, to keep them burning as signs of hope
As people trusting in God’s abundance,
we carry our full flasks of oil to keep the flame of hope burning.
As people who are light and salt to the world
we go to let our light shine, not letting anyone blow it out or cover it up.
Go with God, who first said “let there be light”, with Jesus, the Light of the World, and with the Holy Spirit, the flame burning in our hearts, souls and bellies.