March 24, 2016 Maundy Thursday "WHO WILL RECEIVE?"

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER OF AFFIRMATION AND CONFESSION
On this night of nights, O most wondrous creator, we remember and witness the power of your promise to save your people. When Pharaoh wouldn’t budge at the pleading of Moses to set the enslaved Israelites free, you acted in history, and gave your people a new beginning. The blood of the unblemished lamb spread over the lintel and the doorposts of the houses was the sign of your people’s readiness, at any moment, to receive salvation. All too often we are those looking for a sign from you that you are present in our lives. This story reminds us that you will await signs from us that communicate our openness, trust and readiness to receive your mercy, love, grace, and yes, new beginnings. When we find ourselves grumbling, out of sorts, outraged at the effort we must invest in hope, remind us that it is only by participating in the promise that we will receive its blessing. We confess that, even in this holy season, we have not been attentive to our own spirits, putting off participation in the means of grace designed to help us nourish our souls. Our Abba, Father in heaven, holy is your name. May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is done in heaven. Forgive us, we pray, if we have offended you, and give us the courage to forgive those who offend us. We ask only what we need to sustain us on life’s journey, and pray that you will lead us away from temptations that threaten to enslave us. Deliver us from all evil for the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours forever. Amen.
PARDON AND WORDS OF ASSURANCE
We have only to turn to God and ask for pardon, fully assured that before even a word is on our lips pardon is granted. For God is faithful and just. God’s goodness and goodwill surpasses all human understanding, and there is nothing in all creation that can separate us from God’s love made manifest in Jesus Christ. Amen and Amen.
OFFERTORY SENTENCE
This night is different from all other nights as God’s people remember their flight from Egypt. This night continues to commemorate God’s redemptive acts on behalf of humanity. We have come here as 21st century disciples of Jesus to eat the meal that has been prepared for us. On this night 2000 years ago, Jesus became for us the Passover lamb. In the Gospel of John, John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus the lamb of God who will take away the sins of the world. God has covenanted with humanity over and over again. The new covenant established in Jesus does not negate God’s previous covenants, it only broadens the scope of them. As covenant people we carry on in the name of Jesus, uniting with him to bring Good News, to all people. Our training ground for the work is the church which deserves our gifts of support.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Merciful God, this evening we remember how Jesus promised to set at liberty those who are oppressed and to restore sight to the blind. Still longing to find favor in your sight, each one of us knows that we have fallen short of your glory. When we offer our gifts to your service we are seeking to ready our hearts, minds and spirits for the better day. These gifts are a sign to you that we embrace our covenant with you. Bless them, in the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.

HOLY WEEK SERVICES 2016

March 20, 2016 "WHO WILL SHOUT?"

A LENTEN AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
We believe in God the creator of heaven and earth, the giver of light, truth, life and breath. We believe that nothing can separate us from the grace, love and mercy of God who
never hesitates to forgive the repentant heart.
We believe in Jesus Christ, God in human vesture, who desired to walk among us,
reaching out to love us into new life.
We believe that he took upon himself our sin and regret, carrying them to the cross,
where he gave his own life for our sakes. This was his ultimate gift to us.
We believe that the Christ triumphed over death, and will come to us again one day.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, who speaks a passionate truth
to all people in every language.
Embracing the Holy Spirit, our hearts are warmed, and we become living proof of God’s transforming presence.
We believe in the church, the body of Christ to which we belong, and through which we are called to serve, and to make a difference in God’s world.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
God of Grace and Glory, we are confident that Jesus has come to us in your name. Let us see ourselves in the procession of disciples as Jesus rides on in victory. Entering the city of Jerusalem, he is not unaware of what awaits him. Nevertheless, he has come. Your beloved has come to deliver us, to show us the way that leads to life. His passion is what he will endure for us all. We confess, dearest Abba Father, that we are mystified, humbled, and awed by your willingness to wipe the slate of human sinfulness clean, offering yourself as the atoning sacrifice. Make it possible for each of us to observe this Holy Week, stepping out of our daily and weekly routines. Prod us to invest spiritual time and energy so that we may fully grasp the extent to which you were willing to go to renew your covenant of love with every human soul. Write again your testimony upon our hearts, that we may never forget that you are our God and we are your people. All this we pray in the name of the Christ. Amen.
OFFERING INVITATION
O Lord, help us comprehend that the gifts we offer today were first received from you. Nothing of what we have or possess in this world will do us any good or give us any comfort in the life you have promised beyond this one. Neither will the gifts we offer make anyone rich. However, they may offer a modicum of comfort or relief to those who have given up everything or who have nothing left to lose. Help us be ruled by a heart that presumes nothing about the whys and wherefores of misfortune, and judges not. Amen.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Wondrous and Eternal God, pour out your blessing upon the gifts we bring. We offer them with full and grateful hearts, trusting that you will guide us in our use of them. Proclaiming our belief that all things are possible with you, we offer ourselves in service, seeking always, in the name of the Christ, to do your work and will. Amen.

March 13, 2016 "WHO WILL FIND?"

A LENTEN AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
We believe in God the creator of heaven and earth, the giver of light, truth, life and breath. We believe that nothing can separate us from the grace, love and mercy of God who
never hesitates to forgive the repentant heart.
We believe in Jesus Christ, God in human vesture, who desired to walk among us,
reaching out to love us into new life.
We believe that he took upon himself our sin and regret, carrying them to the cross, where he gave his own life for our sakes. This was his ultimate gift to us.
We believe that the Christ triumphed over death, and will come to us again one day.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, who speaks a passionate truth to all people in every language. Embracing the Holy Spirit, our hearts are warmed, and we become living proof of God’s
transforming presence.
We believe in the church, the body of Christ to which we belong, and through which we are called to serve, and to make a difference in God’s world.

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Merciful and Loving God, we pray never to take you for granted. We are awed and inspired by all the ways in which you touch our lives and ask your pardon if we forget to say thank you in the moment. We confess our want to be spiritually nourished in a way that satisfies us personally. We want to be moved by music that triggers our endorphins to dance, giving us sense of joy from the inside out. Our hearts and souls long to be fed on the truths that ignite our faith and give purpose to our lives. Enlighten us, O God, with the “AHA” experiences that will keep us moving onward toward Christian Perfection. Let not sorrow, disillusionment, loss or betrayal deter us, or threaten our connection to you. When we turn to you and repent of our distraction we trust that you are already running to greet us with open arms. Amen.

OFFERING INVITATION
For some folks traveling to distant lands is a thrilling experience, well worth their time, effort and money. Other folks prefer the comfort of home. If inclined to travel at all, they stay within US borders, rather than attempt to figure out how things work in a place where people speak some language other than English, and eat different, sometimes unidentifiable, food. Just thinking about getting lost or robbed in a foreign country sends chills up their spines, so they stay relatively close to home. The truth is any one of us can get turned around, and end up lost even in places we thought we knew well. Finding our way can be tough to do on our own, and if we are too embarrassed, ashamed or afraid to ask for help, we could stay lost for a really long time.

UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Wondrous and Eternal God, pour out your blessing upon the gifts we bring. We offer them with full and grateful hearts, trusting that you will guide us in our use of them. Proclaiming our belief that all things are possible with you, we offer ourselves in service, seeking always, in the name of the Christ, to do your work and will. Amen.

March 6, 2016 "WHO WILL SEARCH?"

A LENTEN AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
We believe in God the creator of heaven and earth, the giver of light, truth, life and breath.
We believe that nothing can separate us from the grace, love and mercy of God who
never hesitates to forgive the repentant heart.
We believe in Jesus Christ, God in human vesture, who desired to walk among us,
reaching out to love us into new life.
We believe that he took upon himself our sin and regret, carrying them to the cross, where he gave his own life for our sakes.
This was his ultimate gift to us.
We believe that the Christ triumphed over death, and will come to us again one day.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, who speaks a passionate truth to all people in every language.
Embracing the Holy Spirit, our hearts are warmed, and we become living proof of God’s
transforming presence.
We believe in the church, the body of Christ to which we belong,
and through which we are called to serve,
and to make a difference in God’s world.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Loving and Gracious God, as we continue on our Lenten journey let us not shy away from you when called upon to pray. Rather we pray that you will help us find that essential spiritual connection, which encourages and causes us to lift up our voice, with confidence. Lip service is not the way of prayer, and so we call upon you to cause us to breathe in that spirit, which will bring our soul’s sincere desire to the fore. Let us not be afraid to speak from the heart, our hope, our need and our grateful praise. The first disciples felt unprepared and overwhelmed by the looming mantle of leadership, but Jesus’ trust and their faith triumphed over their fear. Help us, like them, to triumph over our shyness and fear and go all in serving you in Jesus’ name. Amen.
OFFERING INVITATION
A friend of mine once told me I was the type of consumer that retailers dream about. I believe if there existed a Consumer’s Hall of Fame, my photo would be hanging on the Wall of Dupes in the “Gullible Salon.” I confess to believing that when my wireless company assured me that I had not signed a 2 year contract, only a month to month deal they were telling me the truth. I also believed that the free tablet they gave me as a gift had no financial strings attached to it. Had I tried to read the fine print I would have been forced to stand even longer than the 3 hours I had already been standing in the store with no chairs. My dumb. In God’s covenants there is no fine print. Neither will you encounter any fine print when you covenant with this congregation. Our commitment is clearly stated on the front of our bulletin.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Wondrous and Eternal God, pour out your blessing upon the gifts we bring. We offer them with full and grateful hearts, trusting that you will guide us in our use of them. Proclaiming our belief that all things are possible with you, we offer ourselves in service, seeking always, in the name of the Christ, to do your work and will. Amen.

February 28, 2016 WHO WILL LISTEN?

A LENTEN AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
We believe in God the creator of heaven and earth, the giver of light, truth, life and breath. We believe that nothing can separate us from the grace, love and mercy of God who
never hesitates to forgive the repentant heart.
We believe in Jesus Christ, God in human vesture, who desired to walk among us,
reaching out to love us into new life.
We believe that he took upon himself our sin and regret carrying these to the cross, where he gave his own life for our sakes. This was his ultimate gift to us.
We believe that the Christ triumphed over death, and will come to us again one day.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, who speaks a passionate truth to all people in every language. Embracing the Holy Spirit, our hearts are warmed, and we become living proof of God’s
transforming presence.
We believe in the church, the body of Christ to which we belong, and through which we are called to serve, and to make a difference in God’s world.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
O most gracious God, we gather together to lift our voices in praise. We proclaim the wonders of your creation and are humbled. We confess that we don’t always comprehend the way of discipleship. We get flummoxed pondering how we are to live and act in this world, while, at the same time keeping our hearts and minds focused on your will and way for us. We are accustomed to living our daily lives, accumulating much, and often wanting more. At the same time, we realize we brought nothing into this world, and will take nothing from it. Help us embrace the priceless treasure you have given us in Jesus the Christ, who asks us what profit there is in gaining the whole world, if we forfeit our souls in the process. We pray in his name. Amen.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Wondrous and Eternal God, pour out your blessing upon the gifts we bring. We offer them with full and grateful hearts, trusting that you will guide us in our use of them. Proclaiming our belief that all things are possible with you, we offer ourselves in service, seeking always, in the name of the Christ, to do your work and will. Amen.