We believe we are created in the image of God, male and female.
Believing that God’s will for us is goodwill, we follow in the footsteps of God’s beloved Son,
Jesus the Christ.
We believe Jesus lived to forgive, and showed us that by serving one another,
we are connected to the heart of God.
We believe we share Jesus’ mission to bind up and heal the broken hearted.
We believe that Jesus took the burden of our regrets and sorrows upon his own shoulders,
and bore them to the cross where they died with him.
Jesus was buried, but on the third day God raised him from the dead, as promised.
After Jesus’ resurrection, we believe God sent the Holy Spirit to empower Jesus’ followers.
The Holy Spirit was their ever-present advocate, counselor of truth, and companion.
We believe that same Spirit resides with us, interceding for us,
and empowering our work in the name of the Christ.
The Spirit reminds us daily to love God and one another as
the Christ loved us. Amen.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Glorious God, in this season of Eastertide, we continue to ponder and marvel at your wondrous deeds and your grace. Even while the disciples were wringing their hands, pacing the floor wondering what would become of them and the gospel, you were at work planning something extraordinary. We are bold to say, we believe that your love, your creativity, and your hope for humankind surpasses anything our minds can fathom. You want only the best for your children. May we always be willing to open our hearts and minds to see the good you have planned for us. In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.
INVITATION TO THE OFFERING
I think the hardest thing anyone has to learn in life is how to make a decision. When we are kids, our decisions are pretty much made for us by the guardian(s) of our days, whether a brand of parent (birth, step, adoptive, foster) or grand. But when suddenly we find ourselves of legal age, grown-up decisions can be cumbersome. My grandfather advocated making a decision chart with two columns, pros on one side, cons on the other. It isn’t the same as a priority list, which often puts the long list of bills to be paid in order of importance. Giving to the church is often found on our grown-up priority lists; on some lists supporting the church is at the top, on others closer to the bottom, and on some it doesn’t appear at all. Where is the church on your priority list? Do you need to start with a decision chart?
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