CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Gracious and Loving God, we are reminded today of your eternal desire to change, for the better, the circumstances and lives of those relegated to the outermost margins of society. It was your heart that was pounding in the person of Jesus as he reached out, with immeasurable compassion, to cleanse the leper, to console the widow, to deliver the possessed and heal the sick. His distress over the lot of those who had no way of helping themselves was palpable. We confess, O Lord, our own distress over the woes of the poor and the downtrodden. Help us turn our distress into powerful action following the example of the Christ, who was moved by every emotion to act, to heal and thus to change the lot and lives of those who reached out to him. Make us instruments of your mercy, in the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.
PREPARING FOR THE OFFERING
We Give Thee, but thine own; what e’er the gift may be. All that we have is thine alone; a trust, O Lord, from thee. This single line hymn reminds us that the tithes and offerings we place in the offering plate we are entrusting to God. That is we are entrusting once again what was entrusted to us in the first place. The question we must ask ourselves is: “How much do we trust that God will see to it that, what we trust back to God, will be used wisely?”
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Loving God, bless the gifts we bring before you to carry the message of goodwill and the good news of your kingdom come. May they provide comfort to the distressed and inclusion to the marginalized. May they provide food to the hungry and clothing to the naked. Let these gifts empower the work of our hands in our community and in the world. In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.
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