Centering Prayer

Loving God, call us together as your people; transform us with your love. Transform our hearts, that we may love generously. Transform our eyes, that we may see your grace. Transform our hands, that we may serve others. Transform our spirits, that we may be the body of Christ, gathered to worship and sent out to serve. Amen.

Call to Worship

ONE: Gathered in this holy moment, we come, eager to listen and act.

ALL: Here in this safe space, we are slow to speak and slow to anger.

ONE: As God’s own beloved ones, we welcome God’s Word,

ALL: Planted in our lives, pushing to grow in us.

ONE: So let us worship the Giver of Life.

ALL: Offering our best gifts to honor the One who gives us life,

ONE: Let us turn expectant hearts to hear and act on Good News!

Prayer of Confession

ONE: When the busyness of our lives erodes the intentions of our hearts, Merciful God,

ALL: Forgive us.

ONE: When our personal agendas take precedence over reaching out to others, Merciful God,

ALL: Forgive us.

ONE: When we keep putting off being more active “doers of the word”, Merciful God,

ALL: Forgive us.

ONE: When we resist change, knowing that our acting and thinking are limited by our prejudice and ignorance, Merciful God,

ALL: Forgive us.

ONE: When we only half-listen to those who cry out to be fully heard, Merciful God,

ALL: Forgive us.

     (silence)

ALL: Gracious and merciful God,  forgive us for past faults and help us in the present and future to make ourselves more available to the hurting world that surrounds us - the world that begins on our doorsteps.  Equip us to be patient and compassionate listeners,  proclaiming the gospel not in overbearing ways but sensitively and lovingly. Strengthen us with the Holy Spirit to be fruitful and active witnesses to Jesus in all we do and say.

Call and Response

Assurance of Forgiveness

ONE: As we become doers of the word and not merely hearers, we discover that it is “in pardoning that we are pardoned, in giving of ourselves that we receive” - sure evidence of “the implanted word that has the power to save our souls” – Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

ALL: Thanks be to God!

Preparation for the Word Hymn #701

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary,

Pure and holy, tried and true;

With thanksgiving,

I’ll be a living sanctuary for you.

Centering Prayer

Come, Lord, come down, come in, come among us. Enter into our darkness with your light.  

Come fill our emptiness with your presence. Dispel the clouds and reveal your glory.  Come refresh, renew, restore us. Come Lord, come down, come in, come among us. Amen.

Call to Worship

ONE: From the corners of worry and fear, from the shadows where we huddle with our doubts,

ALL: God calls us to this place of sanctuary where we can draw from Love's deep wells.

ONE: In every moment where we look for strength to continue, in every time we wonder if faith is worth it,

ALL: Jesus calls us to this time  where we can welcome the peace given to us.

ONE: In every person who embraces us with acceptance, in every touch that offers healing and hope,

ALL: The Spirit calls us to see those around us as God's beloved, our sisters and brothers of grace.

Prayer for Justice

ONE: Pray for those who are hungry

ALL: Pray harder for those who will not feed them.

ONE: Pray for those who struggle each week to pay their bills.

ALL: Pray harder for the wealthy who do not care.

ONE: Pray for those who are homeless.

ALL: Pray harder for those who deny them shelter.

ONE: Pray for the sick and lonely

ALL: Pray harder for those who will not give them comfort.

ONE: Pray for those who cry out for dignity.

ALL: Pray harder for those who will not listen.

ONE: Pray for those oppressed by unjust wages.

ALL: Pray harder for those who exploit them.

ONE: Pray for those who bear the yoke of prejudice.

ALL: Pray harder for those who discriminate against them.

ONE: Pray for those whose basic needs are denied.

ALL: Pray harder for public officials who cater to the greedy and ignore those bound unjustly. Amen.

Response Hymn #494

Preparation for the Word Hymn #701

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary,

Pure and holy, tried and true;

With thanksgiving,

I’ll be a living sanctuary for you.

Centering Prayer

To you, O God, we lift up our souls. To you we offer our praise and prayer, our worship and thanksgiving, even our very lives. Make your ways known to us. Show us the path on which we should walk. Lead us in your truth and teach us. For you alone are the God who saves, the God in whom we trust; and the One on whom we wait. Amen.

Call to Worship

ONE: They went to Jesus, and he asked them,

ALL: Who do you say I am?

ONE: They answered,

ALL: You are the eschatological manifestation of the ground of our being, the kerygma of which we find meaning in our interpersonal relationships.

ONE: And Jesus said,

ALL: What?

ONE: Faith doesn’t have to be that hard.  Life doesn’t have to be that difficult.

ALL: Sometimes, we just have to live God’s love. Sometimes, we just have to live what we believe. And so we are here, simply, to sing, to celebrate, to worship God!

Morning Prayer

Merciful God, you call us to follow; to turn away from our own selfish interests, and to take up our cross and follow after you , even if the path is difficult to see, or is heading in a direction

we would never have chosen for ourselves. Forgive us for being so quick to question and

so hesitant to follow.  Help us to see with the eyes of faith, rather than from our own human point of view. Teach us to follow without fear, knowing that you are always with us, leading the way.

Amen.

Response Hymn #494

Preparation for the Word Hymn #701

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary,

Pure and holy, tried and true;

With thanksgiving,

I’ll be a living sanctuary for you.

Centering Prayer

O God, you call us to follow Jesus Christ as his disciples. We meet this morning to learn more about how to do this. Help us as we worship to again understand who Jesus was and is. May we learn from the faithful witness of others just what true discipleship looks like. Amen.

Call to Worship

ONE: Jesus calls us to servant ministry.

ALL: We must be willing to help others, not counting the cost or rewards.

ONE: Pretense, disharmony, greed have no place in discipleship.

ALL: Serving God means receiving each person as though they were a beloved child.

ONE: Lord, help us to truly become your disciples.

ALL: Create in us hearts for ministries of compassion and kindness. Amen.

Morning Prayer

God of patience and mercy, we come to you, offering “lip service” to serving you, but when things get difficult; when we are called to do something that is hard for us, we shy away from the call and the opportunity. We turn our back on service out of fear of failure. Forgive us, gracious Lord. Heal our fears and our weaknesses. Strengthen us and give us courage to truly be your disciples, not counting the rewards, but rejoicing in the work. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen

Response Hymn #494

Preparation for the Word Hymn #701

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary,

Pure and holy, tried and true;

With thanksgiving,

I’ll be a living sanctuary for you.

Centering Prayer

Liberating God, we seek your journey. With parted waters, set us free. With cloud and fire, guide us. With gushing waters, quench our thirst. With food from heaven, feed us. Draw us out with joy and singing, that we might know your ways. Amen.

Call to Worship

ONE: In the midst of the desert heat, God heard the cries of the people.

ALL: Help us, Lord, please help us.

ONE: Manna was given and water gushed forth from a rock.

ALL: Lord, have mercy upon us.

ONE: In the midst of the deserts of fear and frustration, God will provide for our needs.

ALL: Lord, come to us and heal us. Amen.

Prayer of Invocation

Lord, whether we have come to you from long ago, or have just come to you now, you reach out with love and blessing for each one of us. Help us remember your mercy and your love and offer greetings and blessings to each other in your name. Amen

Response Hymn #494

Preparation for the Word Hymn #701

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary,

Pure and holy, tried and true;

With thanksgiving,

I’ll be a living sanctuary for you.

Centering Prayer

O Holy maker of all, we ask your blessing on every creature

gathered here today, the large and the small. May they live peacefully in praise of you. Bless us all to love your creation, and revere its sacredness. We ask this blessing in the name of the one who was, is, and always will be, our Creator, to whom every creature belongs. Amen.

Call to Worship

ONE: ‘But ask the animals, and they will teach you;  the birds of the air, and they will tell you; ...and the fish of the sea will declare to you.  In God’s hand is the life of every living thing...’ (From Job)

ALL: Amen.

Prayer of Thanks and Confession

ONE: Lord, for all the animals in the whole wide world,

ALL: We thank you, God!

ONE: Lord, for all the fun and friendship we have with animals,

ALL: We thank you, God!

ONE: Lord, for all the times we have hurt or neglected animals,

ALL: We are sorry.

ONE: Lord, for all the times we have used poisons that have killed animals

ALL: We are sorry.

ONE: Lord, for all the times we have destroyed the homes of animals in the forests, oceans, or fields,

ALL: We are sorry.

Response Hymn #494

Celebration of World Communion

Brief Thoughts on Animals by Reverend Kathryn Pyke

Blessing and Remembrance of Animals Who Have Died

Blessing of All the Animals

Benediction and Charge

ALL: Go out into the world, love one another. Cherish our animal family,  protest against abuse and neglect of our animals;  exercise stewardship of ALL creation, so that ALL can experience God’s Shalom.

ONE: Go out into the world, my horizontal and vertical brothers and sisters in Christ. In the name of the Creator, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.

Centering Prayer

O Lord my God, teach my heart this day where and how to see you, where and how to find you.

You have made me and remade me, and you have bestowed on me all the good things I possess,

and still I do not know you.  I have not yet done that for which I was made. Teach me to seek you, for I cannot seek you unless you teach me, or find you unless you show yourself to me.  Let me seek you in my desire, let me desire you in my seeking.  Let me find you by loving you, let me love you when I find you.  Amen.

~ written by St. Anselm

Call to Worship

ONE: We look in the mirror and what do we see?

ALL: We see people who try to be faithful,  even as questions and struggles challenge our faith.

ONE:  We look in the mirror and how do we see?

ALL: We see with hearts which are open to God's love, with lives which seek to trust when all the evidence tells us not to be so foolish.

ONE: We look in the mirror and who do we see?

ALL: We see Jesus, the One who struggles with the questions we raise, who models faithfulness for all who would follow.

Morning Prayer

Holy One, the world is a discouraging place. The cries of injustice almost drown out your voice.

The cries of pain almost smother the voice of hope found in you.  The cries of oppression and marginalization, starvation and death, are almost too much to bear - so much so, that we have become numb.  Ease the pain, the cries, the noise of the world, so that we can hear your voice

and find hope and encouragement to act justly in this world and to do the work you have called us to.  In the name of Christ, whose voice calls to us above the noise and cries, a voice that calls us to new life, we pray. Amen

Response Hymn #494

Preparation for the Word Hymn #701

Prayer of Commitment

Here is my breath: full and eternal within the moment, then deflating and dying.  It is everything and it is gone.  I might live forever if I didn’t have to exhale so often.  What must I do to inherit eternal life, O God?  Breathe in and breathe out.  Use your breath - do not hold it in fear or with selfishness.  In every moment, life is forever.  See: you have your inheritance. Use it.  Here is my breath: in and out, eternal and dying.  I will give everything until it is gone.  Amen.

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary,

Pure and holy, tried and true;

With thanksgiving,

I’ll be a living sanctuary for you.

Gathering Meditation

Lord, you know how many times I thought I knew how to run my life, how to fix their problems, and how you should answer prayer.  But each time, through trauma or tragedy, hardship or hard times, you remind me how much I don't know about your will. Though I may not like it at the time, please remind me that you are God and I am not.  Ask me questions I can't answer.  Give me answers I can't comprehend.  Remind me that you laid the earth's foundation.  That you speak and the winds obey.  That you squeeze the clouds 'til rain falls. Then, give me the good sense to hold my peace and meditate upon what you've just said.

Call to Worship

ONE: Praise God in the sanctuary!

ALL: Bless the Lord, O my soul.

ONE:  Look at God! Robed in majesty. Clothed with honor. Dressed in glory. Garments of wonderful light.

ALL: Bless the Lord, O my soul.

ONE: Look at God! Flung heaven across the sky. Walks on the clouds. Rides on the wind. Speaks through fire. No one is greater than our God!

ALL: Bless the Lord.

Prayer of Confession

Gracious God, we confess that too often we clamor for attention. Me! Me! Look at how important I am. That's what our actions say. Like James and John, we pray selfish prayers, for power, for position, for prestige -- for what? So that people will say how great we are? Teach us that true greatness comes from humble service. Show us how to roll up our sleeves, dig in, and lend a hand -- even when no one else will. Preoccupy us with humility; then greatness can come when we least expect it. Give us the grace to live as humble servants. Amen.

Call & Response

     (silence)

Words of Assurance

Know that Jesus, who came not to be served but to serve, hears our prayers. Know that this same Jesus hears and forgives us. Walk with lifted heads and bowed hearts. Go now as humble children of God, ready and willing to serve.

Preparation for the Word Hymn #701

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary,

Pure and holy, tried and true;

With thanksgiving,

I’ll be a living sanctuary for you.

Centering Prayer

Holy God, the source of all good things, we pause in your presence and hold our day before you.

Still us, calm us, guide us, as we enter this day.  Amen.

Call to Worship

ONE: Take heart! For we are gathered in God’s presence

ALL: to proclaim the wonders of the Lord.

ONE: Get up! For we are beckoned by the Risen Son

ALL: to respond to grace undeserved.

ONE:  God is calling us! For we are united by the Spirit

ALL: to follow Jesus on the way.

ONE:  Come, let us worship God.

Prayer of Confession

ONE: Lord Jesus Christ, even in the midst of a large, probably noisy crowd, you helped Bartimaeus move from blindness to sight by focusing your power on his cries for mercy and healing. The crowd, and the attempt by some to silence Bartimaeus, did not distract you from responding to the needs of this blind beggar. This interruption to your journey provides an example of the life you call your disciples to live. The question, however, disturbs us—would we have been among those who called out for Bartimaeus to be quiet? When we find interruptions to our plans a source of irritation rather than an opportunity for serving others in your name,

ALL: Forgive us, Lord.

ONE: Bartimaeus’ desperation and cry for mercy is echoed in the lives of many people in our own communities and throughout the world. When we close our ears and our hearts to these cries and remind us that following you means responding to those who cry for mercy,

ALL: Forgive us, Lord.

ONE: Immediately Bartimaeus regained his sight, and he followed Jesus on the way. The way to discipleship is entered when our eyes are graciously opened to see and to follow Christ in faith. When we find excuses to delay responding to your call to discipleship,

ALL: Forgive us, Lord.

ONE: Jesus, Savior and Lord, enlighten our minds with your wisdom, and imprint the image of your love once more on our hearts, so that we can focus anew on your presence and your power, whenever and wherever you call us to serve people in your name.

ALL: Amen

Call & Response

     (silence)

Assurance of Forgiveness

ONE: Hear then the good news,  that in and through Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

ALL: Thanks be to God!

Preparation for the Word Hymn #701

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary,

Pure and holy, tried and true;

With thanksgiving,

I’ll be a living sanctuary for you.

Centering Prayer

O God of all people, of all times, we are here in your house seeking your presence, in our time of remembrance. We honor those who have finished the race and have found their place with you. But at the same time we come here seeking you, O God, who was a constant companion, a source of strength for those we honor. We, too, need your guiding presence as we continue our race. God, we pray that your mighty presence will be felt by all who are gathered here this morning, as we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. Amen.

Call to Worship

ONE: We remember, O God...

ALL: The countless saints of history  who have blazed a trail of courage through time,

ONE: We remember, O God...

ALL: The tender touch of loved ones, the example of heroes,  the healing words of comforters,  the remarkable acts of fearless ones.

ONE:  We remember, O God...

ALL: The gentle strength of grandmothers, the loyalty of friends, the kindness of strangers,  the joy of children, the sacrifice of parents.

ONE:  We remember, O God...

ALL: The supreme love of Jesus, the blessing of his Spirit, the reminder of his words, the sharing of his suffering, the glory of his resurrection: shown forth in the lives of his disciples, young and old, dead and living, articulate and silent, strange and familiar, brilliant and ordinary.

ONE: We remember in every time and place the saints of God  who have shown us the Lord.

ALL: Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses . . . let us worship God with joy!

Prayer of Gratitude

For all the saints who went before us, who have spoken to our hearts and touched us with your fire, we praise you, O God.  For all the saints who live beside us,  whose weaknesses and strengths are woven with our own, we praise you, O God.  For all the saints who live beyond us who challenge us to change the world with them, we praise you, O God.  Amen.

Response Hymn #494

Preparation for the Word Hymn #701

Remembering the Saints

We remember and honor Lavonne, Greg, and Will Bullis

All are invited to come forward and light a candle(s) for saints you wish to honor.

Prayers of Intercession

Sacrament of Holy Communion

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary,

Pure and holy, tried and true;

With thanksgiving,

I’ll be a living sanctuary for you.

Centering Prayer

Gathered in this sacred space, O Creator Spirit, in the multicolored company of your church,

on earth and in heaven, we celebrate your creation and invite you into our midst.  We know, Creator Spirit, that eternity cannot hold you, nor can our words describe the breadth of your faithfulness to us. Yet in the space of our small hearts and in silence, come close and heal us.  Amen.

Call to Worship

ONE: We are part of the Church universal - faithful people of every color, gender, class, sexual orientation, age, and ability, gathered to love and serve God. We are an Open and Affirming church, a congregation of More Light Presbyterians. Together, let us worship God, rejoicing in the good news which we celebrate this day!

ALL: There is a place in God's heart, there is a place at Christ's table, there is a place here and in every welcoming church for all people.

ONE: Christ who gathers us, bids us follow in the ways of love and justice.

ALL: May our hearts be open to Christ's leading in our worship and our living, this day and always.

ONE: We are the body of Christ! The hand clapping, toe tapping, heart pumping, arms embracing, justice seeking, hymn singing, love making, bread breaking, risk taking...

ALL: Body of Christ!

ONE: Baptized in one Spirit, we are members of one body.

ALL: Many and varied in gender, color, sexuality, age, class, and ability, we are members of Christ's beautiful body.

ONE: None of us can say to another, "I have no need of you."

ALL: For only together can we find wholeness.

ONE: None of us can say to another, "I will not care for you."

ALL: For we are connected like muscle and bone. If one suffers, we all suffer. If one rejoices, we all rejoice!

ONE: Thanks be to God who, in Christ, has made us one.

ALL: Let us worship God!

Prayer of Confession

ONE: We are painfully aware of the ways we dismiss or disdain others who think or act or look differently from ourselves. At our best,

ALL: We celebrate the unity we create in the midst of our diversity. We are so quick to look down on the defect or sin of another. At our best, we affirm the inherent beauty, worth, and dignity of every person. We insist that our way and view are the only ones. At our best, we remember: there are many paths to the sacred. The spiritual paths of all persons are among them. We get caught up in categories, presumptions, and stereotypes around and within us. At our best, we know: the choice is whether or not to live an authentic life. We so often want to pull the covers over our heads or keep our “peculiarities” hidden. At our best, we acknowledge: being genuine and authentic is a courageous and spiritual act. At our best, we commit ourselves: we support each person's spiritual journey leading to wholeness. We hold fast to the promising truth that we are one human family. At our best, we remind ourselves: no one is free when others are oppressed.

     (silence)

Assurance of God's Forgiveness

The One who breathed life into our lungs continues to be present with us. God, who has made us reflective of God's own image, has forgiven us all and made us new creations. Therefore, since our sins are forgiven, let us be present with love and peace, honoring and upholding the dignity of all we meet, knowing we see reflections of God's image all around.

Response Hymn #494

Preparation for the Word Hymn #701

Chimes Honoring the 100th Anniversary of Armistice Day

Armistice Day is commemorated every year on the 11th of November to mark the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the western front of World War I. This took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning: the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" of 1918.”  Armistice Day was born and was designated as “a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated."

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary,

Pure and holy, tried and true;

With thanksgiving,

I’ll be a living sanctuary for you.

Centering Prayer

Gift-giver, it is the time of year to gather in the produce of the earth.  And so we give thanks for the gifts of food.  It is the time of year when we admire the bright colors of the season.  And so we pause to give thanks for the beauty of the earth. In our time of worship this morning, move within and among us, awakening us to Your presence, moving our hearts to respond to your grace.

Amen.

Call to Worship

ONE: In the midst of difficulty, the Lord sets a table of rejoicing for us.

ALL: Though the world seems focused on turmoil, yet will we praise God!

ONE: Our lives should be witnesses to God’s goodness and power.

ALL: Our hearts should encompass compassion and service to God’s people.

ONE: Help us to be your workers and witnesses in today’s world, O Lord.

ALL: Enable us to be faithful and strong for you.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

We sing a song of thanksgiving today, dear God, one and many.  We pause in the midst of all that is unholy, unthinkable, and undeniable, to look within, and offer our gratitude for a day that has dawned anew, and for the breath that gives us life.  We rejoice that we have voice and head and heart so that we can love one another, love You, and love all of your people.  We celebrate the abundance in our lives, and that we can share it with the world.  In jubilance and grace, we offer ourselves and all that we are and have to be your justice and peace in the midst of all that is unholy, unthinkable, and undeniable. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen

Response Hymn #494

Preparation for the Word Hymn #701

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary,

Pure and holy, tried and true;

With thanksgiving,

I’ll be a living sanctuary for you.

Centering Prayer

Today is both the end and climax of the Christian year. Today we indulge ourselves in a holy nonsense which is in fact the most beautiful truth: we celebrate the festival of Christ the King.

He had no troops and built no palace, yet his rule is now boundless.  He had no throne and wore no crown, yet as a king he is on his own.  The truth, grace and peace of Christ the King be with you all!  Amen.

Call to Worship

We enter this place with thanksgiving, because we know that the Lord to whom we belong is our Shepherd and our King. We rejoice over the steadfast love and faithfulness of God, enduring forever—to all generations. Come, let us worship God with praise and joy, and with thanksgiving in our hearts.

Prayer of Petition

ALL: Pilate asked him, "So you are a king? " Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

ONE: Loving God of power and justice and peace, in our broken world  we seek a new order,

ALL: Where there is courage to speak truth to power.

ONE: We seek a new order,

ALL: Where there is mutual support in church and community.

ONE: We seek a new order,

ALL: Where there is abundant time for healing.

ONE: We seek a new order,

ALL: Where there is peace and freedom for all.

Response Hymn #494

Preparation for the Word Hymn #701

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary,

Pure and holy, tried and true;

With thanksgiving,

I’ll be a living sanctuary for you.