Loving God, our Creator and Sustainer, we open our hearts to your leading. When we take time to think about it we become acutely aware of missed opportunities to minister to others in your name. We confess a desire to work within our comfort zone, skittish about stepping outside or beyond it. Help us, dear Savior, to understand that the open hearts, open minds and open doors we proclaim, work two ways. They invite new people to come in and participate in the ministries of the church and dare us to go outside and minister to our community beyond these walls. Reveal to us those who are longing to hear the good news for their lives. Empower us to speak as witnesses to your power and grace. And finally, O Lord, let us also be transformed and inspired by sharing our stories with friends and with strangers. In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.
OFFERTORY THOUGHT
Have you ever felt you had more than enough, more than you needed, plenty, a plethora, an abundance, a bounty, ample amounts, a lot, lots, loads, heaps, masses, stacks, of anything? Most people would say this describes their debt not their bank account. Interestingly enough, an abundance of anything, even God’s grace, can be as frightening as a dearth, perhaps because it is human nature to think there are strings attached.
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