June 19, 2016 "AND WHAT OF FAITH"

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH FOR PENTECOST
It was the Spirit of God who moved over the face of the waters,
and brought the universe and this earth into being.
That same Spirit breathes life into human creation.
It was the Spirit of God who conceived a Messiah, the Son and Beloved One.
The very name, “Jesus,” meant salvation. He was our Emmanuel; God with us.
When Jesus gave up his life for ours, at the last he commended his own Spirit into God’s hands, and God, the creator, raised him from the dead.
It was the Spirit of God who poured into the hearts, minds and mouths of the Apostles
the language of salvation empowering them to tell the stories of Jesus to all the world.
And it is the Spirit of God who moves in and through the Church, the Body of Christ,
empowering us to witness to the truth of Christ in loving service to all.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Eternal God, we pray always to be grateful for the earth upon which we dwell, for life, the love of friends and family, and the freedom we have to worship together in this sanctuary. Instinctively we look up when we call upon your name, not because we believe you exist in the clouds above our heads, but because we are in awe; you are bigger than life to us, more majestic that the highest mountain peak, more expansive than the blue seas, and more intricate than the tiniest particles of matter. When we were just babes we looked up into the faces of those grown-ups, who loved us. Whether fathers or mothers, grandfathers or grandmothers, we had to reach up to find the strong hand to guide us. No matter how many years we have lived upon this earth we are still toddlers walking along the path of faith, unsure of our steps, wanting to run, still reaching up for a strong hand to hold us steady. Lead us away from the path of prejudice, scapegoating and blame and show us the way of fairness, equality and peace. In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.
OFFERING INVITATION
In 1970, as a commentary on soldiers who were losing their lives in battle and protestors who were losing their lives on campuses like Kent State, Stephen Stills wrote: Find the cost of freedom, buried in the ground. Mother earth will swallow you, lay your body down. For so many the cost of freedom is life itself. Down through the centuries, living the commandment to love has cost people of faith their lives as well, in places where civil rights are reserved only for the wealthy and powerful. Paul invites us to clothe ourselves with Christ, to be imprisoned no longer by labels, social standing or the rules of gender. I wish Stephen Stills would add a final line to his haunting lyrics: Father, God will raise you up, lift your spirits high.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Wondrous and Eternal God, pour out your blessing upon these gifts and promises. We offer them with full and grateful hearts. We trust that you will always guide us to use them wisely, and always for the greater good. 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.