Call to Worship
L: The foolish say, "There is no God!
We are alone, on our own."
P: We gather to declare the fullness
of God in our lives.
L: The foolish say, "It is your life;
you are accountable to no one."
P: We gather to be strengthened by the Spirit;
that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith.
L: The foolish say, "Everything I have is mine:
I own nothing to any one."
P: We gather to praise the One who invites
us to share the gifts of God.
We come this day to you, O God: for you are the One who names us and accomplishes in us far more than we dare imagine.
We come this day to you, O Christ: seeking to be grounded in your love and rooted in your grace.
We come this day to you, O Spirit: praying that we might be strengthened with your power.
We come this day to you, God, Christ, and Spirit: that we might be filled with your presence, even as we pray the disciples' prayer, saying, Our Father . . .
L: God looks down from heaven to see if we are wise enough to offer confession, to receive forgiveness, to know the love of Christ. Let us prove our wisdom, and set aside our foolish pride, as we pray together . . .
Eternal Source of knowledge, deep within
us we know how we have not lived as your
people. The hardness of our hearts keeps out
the love of Christ; our lust for more and more
blocks the fullness of your grace from our
lives; our trust in the powers around us resists
the transforming power of your Spirit.
Have mercy on us, God of all generations.
Pour down the rich blessing of forgiveness
upon our parched souls. Feed us with the Bread
of Life, that we might taste your goodness. Work
within us to restore us to faithful living, as we
follow our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in
your service.
L: The breadth, the length, the height, the depth
of God's grace and mercy are ours, as we are
restored to fullness of life in God.
P: Rooted and grounded in love, we are able
to share that love with others, realizing the
limitless boundaries of life in Christ. Thanks
be to God. Amen.
(Comments to Thom at tmshuman@fuse.net.)
Greenhills Community Presbyterian Church, Cincinnati, Ohio