Index
of 2nd QuarterIndex
of 2nd Quarter
Invocation or Call to Worship (Based on Ps 126)
Trick us, O God, today into a joy that can't be threatened, a peace that can't be broken and a grace that lets us take ourselves less seriously. May costumes and jokes delight us, and You. May lightness take over our step. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
O God, it is so easy to sleep in, so easy to hit the snooze button one more time. We confess that we often loose our commitment to do the right thing. We get tired out in the middle of the week. All the plans in the morning look silly by 3 o'clock in the afternoon. We freely confess that after dinner we don't want to get in the car and go to one more church meeting and make one more decision. It is so hard to do what we need to do. Lord we confess that we have moments when we wish we did not have to take one more step in this race of faith. So we come asking not only for Your forgiveness, but for Your strength. We pray for this as people always one step behind and one minute short. Amen.Prayer of Dedication
Many believe we earned this money but we know we did not. We give You what is Your own. We give You thanks, O God, that we were able to give what is here. For the capacity to give, we thank You. Amen.
Pastoral Prayer
For a good sense of humor, we pray, O God. For the capacity to see the funny things in everyday living, we pray. Let us tell good jokes and good stories; let them not hurt anyone but help everyone instead. For grocery store grace, parking lot peace, toll both time out, we pray. Let us imagine one minute what it would be like to be in a hospital, or paralyzed, or broken apart in a car crash. And from that perspective, let the ordinary delight us.
We praise You, O God, for making life so chaotic and so real. Remind us that when things break apart, they often come together again at a new and higher level of order. Let that new creation come to us and those we love, even your world. Amen.
For the growth everywhere underground, the courage of daffodils, the faith of spring, we give you thanks. If air can be this sweet, then life is also good, even in traffic, even in lines, even in hubbub. Thanking You, O God, not as we ought but as we are able for all that lives. Amen.
