Invocation or Call to Worship (Based on Ps 25)

Leader: O LORD, lift my spirit.
People: O my God, build up my trust in You, and let me not be put to shame.
Leader: Make me to know your ways, O LORD, and teach me the right way to go.
People: Show me Your truth, and teach me.
Leader: Be merciful, O LORD, and steadfast in Your love.
People: May integrity and uprightness preserve me, O LORD, as I wait for You each day. Amen.

Prayer of Confession

O God, we confess that our timing is not your timing. When You call for patience O Mighty and Merciful Spirit we become impatient. When You, O God, want action we want inaction. When You want harmony, O Redeemer, we want to be seen as right. And when you want righteousness, O Lord of Justice, then we want to let things slide.

O God, help us get in tune not with our wishes but with your divine spirit. In our lives, help us to establish harmony when we want noise instead, help us to establish justice when all we want is our own way. Help us to establish love when all we want is to be seen as the brightest and best. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication

Use these gifts today to help those in need, while we wait and hope and watch for the coming time when there will be no need and no want. As we give these gifts let them make us more and more aware of the gifts we have around us. Amen.

Pastoral Prayer

O God we ask that You burst upon us with all Your power and grace, we ask that Your power be obvious not in the eyes of the world, but in the lives of Your followers. We ask that You sustain our daily tasks, as we seek to follow your truth and follow your will. Fill us with a need to reach out to those in need and get beyond our suspicion and fear. Fill us with a need to be controlled by Your will and not the fashion of the moment. Touch us with the warm finger of eternity as we wait upon the final world you alone will fashion.

O God point the way, show us the way, exhibit your will, pick up a map and underline the way. We know it is hard to get us to see, O Lord, even though You keep gently telling us. So just in case we aren't paying attention Lord, remind us to listen, to look and to pay attention to the wonderful future ahead. Keep drawing us a picture not only during our moments of worship but in our moments of play and work. Keep us alert and watching as we wait like children about to open their first birthday present. Keep us tingling with anticipation and overcome with hope. Amen.