To go With John 1:35-51 on February 7, 2021

CALL TO WORSHIP
May the Peace of Christ be with you!
And also with you!
Come and see! Come and hear!
See who? Hear what?
The Lamb of God is walking by! Jesus from Nazareth!
Let’s go see him together!

Opening PRAYER
God you see us under the fig tree, or brewing coffee in the kitchen, or relaxing on the couch,
and you recognize us for who we are.
We wonder what you are up to, where you might be found,
and you invite us to come and see.
In this time of worship,
move in our hearts and souls,
give us the curiosity and the courage to come and see,
and then to share what we have seen and heard.
We pray in Jesus’ name Amen

PRAYER FOR AND ASSURANCE OF GRACE
Come and see!
God you invite us to explore what you are doing in the world.
Come and see?
But we are sometimes comfortable where we are and maybe a little dubious that there is much to see anyway.
Come and see?
Where we are reluctant to see and hear, where we are reluctant to share what we have seen and heard, strengthen our curiosity, embolden our words, we pray
Come and see! God is at work in the world. God is sharing the news of God’s grace and mercy. God is being revealed in our midst.
We come to see, to hear, to be reminded of God’s presence in our lives.
We are not alone. Thanks be to God. Amen.

COMMISSIONING
Go and share!
Share the Good News about what God is doing in the world.
Share the exciting news the God is afoot, that the world is being changed
Share the promise that God sees us where we are and welcomes us into the circle.
We have come to see, now we go to share the love of God with the world around us.
And you are not alone. The Three-in-One: Parent, Child and Holy Spirit is with you always.
Thanks be to God!

 

 

 

For January 24, 2021 -- 3rd Sunday After Epiphany

OPENING PRAYER (followed by the singing of Sidney Carter's Lord of the Dance)
God, you invite us to join in the dance.
Joining with fellow dancers all over the globe, kicking up our heels as you call out the moves.
You pick the tune, you hum the first few bars,
and we jump up from what we are doing, unable to keep still.
In this time of worship, re-invite us to join in the dance, to sign up for a new adventure.
Give us the vision that leads us to leave our nets by the water
give us the hope to sing a new song, or an old song with a new twist,
give us the energy to dance and prance even when the road seems long and hard.
We join with fellow Christians around the globe in the dance that unites us as we say together the prayer that unites us...
LORD’S PRAYER

COMMISSIONING:
The leader of the dance meets us where we live and work,
and calls us to leave behind what we know to try something new.
Will we have the courage to jump up and join in the adventure that awaits us?
We will dance where ever we may be,
we will go and fish with Christ,
we will join in the worldwide ministry of living, giving, and loving.
And our lives will never be the same again.
As we go out to join in the dance, to follow the adventurous path;
we do so trusting that God: who chooses the tune;
who calls out the moves;
who is made known as Parent, Child and Holy Spirit;
is with us along the way.
Amen.

For January 10, 2021 -- 2nd After Epiphany, Year B

 CALL TO WORSHIP
Maybe the voice came like a whisper in the night,
filling your dreams with hope and meaning.
Maybe it came in in the early dawn,
waking you from sleep, preparing you for the day.
Maybe it came in the middle of the day,
pushing you onward, energizing your work for love.
Whenever you hear it, God’s voice whispers to us, calling us to worship, calling us to serve.
Let us worship together...

PRAYER FOR AND ASSURANCE OF GRACE
God you whisper into our ears, calling us by name.
Like Samuel we do not immediately know who is there.
You whisper again, and again, and again,
waiting until we recognize what is happening and open our hearts to listen.
You challenge us with hard words to hear, hard truths to share.
So sometimes we choose to put it off for another day, pretending we did not hear you calling in the night.
But still you call, still you urge us back to the road of wisdom, you do no give up.
For the times we have rolled over and gone back to sleep,
for the times we have closed our ears and our hearts to your truth,
for the times we have chosen to keep silent when you call us to speak,
forgive and strengthen us we pray.
...time of silent prayer...
The God who calls us by name, who challenges us to live and serve, who moves us to share God’s truth, does so in love always. Where we miss the mark we are forgiven and called again to complete the task.
Call us again God. We will listen and we will answer. Amen.

COMMISSIONING:
Stop! Listen! Do you hear it?
Like the whisper of the wind, like the roaring of the storm.
God is calling us onward and outward.
As our worship concludes our service continues, as we share God’s truth and God’s love,
may we know that the God who calls us by name is with us always.
Thanks be to God! Amen