Prayers

Prayer of Praise

You, loving God, are the ground of our being and the river of life;
you both steady our roots and draw them to seek the living waters.
You are like the sunlight enticing us taller
and like the breeze rustling our leaves.
You are with us through hard seasons of summer heat,
and in the nights when winter’s frost ice the landscape
your love warms and sustains us.
You are everything to us.
O let our gratitude be great,
let our praise be plentiful,
let our worship be wonder-full!
Through Christ Jesus your ever-living Son.

Amen!

~ written by Bruce Prewer, and posted on Bruce Prewer’s Homepage.
http://www.bruceprewer.com/

Prayer of Confession

Merciful God,
creator of all that is, seen and unseen,
our delight is in your word
and we have a deep sense of your presence
when we allow it to fill our lives night and day.

For the times when we listen to the advice
of those who rebel against you,
Lord have mercy.

For those times when we can be found with those who scorn,
Christ have mercy.
We experience your blessings
like a tree that is planted beside a never-failing stream
For those times when we do not bear the fruits of your abundance,
Lord have mercy.

Merciful God, 
renew us by your nurture and blessing,
so that we may prosper in your ways.
Watch over us,
so that the ways of the wicked pass from us. Amen.

~ written by Jeff Shrowder, and posted on The Billabong website.
http://thebillabong.info/
If you use it in worship, please acknowledge as follows: © Jeff Shrowder 2000.

Prayer of Confession

Happy are those who turn away from the counsel of the wicked.
But oh, that counsel can be so seductive –
it draws us in, holds us fast, distracts our priorities,
obstructs our capacity to love.

But we seek no obstructions, we reject wicked counsel.
We embrace God’s embrace.
For whatever ways we don’t, we confess.
In whichever ways we sin, we repent.
Hear our prayers, O God, as, before you, we seek wholeness.

Silence

God of mercy, grace, reconciliation and goodness:
We are sorry for so much—
for words we cannot bear to say
for memories we cannot bear to relive
for thoughts we cannot bear to admit.

But you know our hearts.
Relieve us of our burdens,
Bind our hearts not to the unbearable but rather, to you
so that, in all ways, we may live in the joy of your salvation
and the delight of your loving embrace.

Silence

Assurance of Pardon

Happy are we, holy people, when we walk in the ways of our God.
Happy are we, beloved ones, as we receive God’s forgiveness.

Happy are we, God’s own,
because we are made whole, through Jesus Christ.

Amen.

~ written by Rev. Kaji R. Spellman. Posted on the United Church of Christ’s Worship Ways website.
http://www.ucc.org/worship/worship-ways/