In the beginning, the Spirit of God moved over the face of the waters,
and brought the world into being.
That same Spirit breathes life into us.
The Spirit of God conceived a Messiah, the Son and beloved One who would be the revelation of God’s steadfast love and mercy.
Throughout his life, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit.
When he died on the cross he commended his spirit into God’s keeping,
and God raised him from the dead.
This Spirit is THE VOICE that speaks to us in our present, moving ever onward
as the enlightened body of Christ into our future.
The Spirit teaches us to speak the language of salvation and empowers us to tell the stories of Jesus and his love.
The Spirit compels us to be at our spiciest when things look bleak, to be the light in someone’s darkness, and to dance even when we are weary.
The Spirit urges us to be resilient and steadfast in our witness, while we have life and breath, proclaiming the Good News to and for all!
Thanks be to God! Amen.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Most awesome and loving Creator God, we lift a triumphant prayer of thanks and praise as we ponder all of the blessings you have bestowed upon us. This glorious sanctuary has been home to this worshiping community for 53 years. Many of us have embraced a whole new spiritual life here understanding at last, that your love for each one of us is not only immeasurable, but unbreakable as well. We pray never to forget the enormity of your grace and patience when it comes to dealing with human foibles. Give us hearts full of hope and spirits ready for anything. Let us not dwell in doubt, but lead us into a new day of discovering your will and way for us. All this we pray in the name of the Christ. Amen.
INVITATION TO THE OFFERING
That expression “too close for comfort” is the idiom we use to describe the physical and psychological dis-ease we feel when we have had a “close shave” or a “near miss” or our personal space invaded by something or someone. Remember when you were a kid wondering how all those clowns fit into the clown car at the circus? Remember the teens of the 50’s working out just how many bodies could be crammed into a phone booth? Admittedly we like to see the church filled with worshipers, but if it was the case every Sunday, we would begin talking about the need for breathing room. The church is called to make a place for every soul. It is only your support that sustains us in that calling.
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