Liturgy for May 24, 2020

Call to Worship from Psalm 146
Psalm 146
1  Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, my soul.
2  I will praise the LORD all my life;
    I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
3  Do not put your trust in princes,
    in human beings, who cannot save.
4  When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
    on that very day their plans come to nothing.
5  Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the LORD their God.
6  He is the Maker of heaven and earth,
    the sea, and everything in them—
    he remains faithful forever.
7  He upholds the cause of the oppressed
    and gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets prisoners free,
8      the LORD gives sight to the blind,
the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down,
    the LORD loves the righteous.
9  The LORD watches over the foreigner
    and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
    but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
10  The LORD reigns forever,
    your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the LORD.
Lord let our souls rise to meet you as the day rises to meet the sun.
Glory to The Father and to The Son and to The Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Song: To God Be the Glory

A Prayer for the Church
God, Protector of the widow,
the orphan and the stranger –
in a world where many know despair,
you raised your Son Jesus
to give hope for humanity and renewal to the earth.
God we lift up our community, our country and our world today.
We pray for healing and hope as so many lives have been destroyed and altered by Covid-19.
We pray for those who are struggling with unemployment
And we pray for all of those essential workers and those in healthcare who are keeping us safe.
Continue to strengthen and unify your Church
Help us in our efforts of mercy in and relief.
Increase our compassion and kindness.
This we pray in the name of the Risen Lord,
in the power of His Spirit. Amen.

Litany of Confession
God, we believe you have called us to unity,
but often we have isolated ourselves from others,
God, forgive us for the times we have turned our backs
on those who are different.
God, we believe you have called us
to live together as one body,
God, forgive us for the times we have created division
within your worldwide church.
God, we believe you ask us to look, listen,
and learn from others,
God, forgive us for the times we have ridiculed and attacked
those with different viewpoints.
God, we believe you ask us to accept and seek to understand
all who are called by your name,
Forgive us for the times we have offended you
by failing to love others as we do ourselves.
God, we believe you call us to be one
even as you are one,
Forgive us for the disunity we have harbored
and make us one.

Assurance of Pardon
For neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor
any powers. Neither height nor depth nor anything else in all of creation will separate us from
the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Friends, today and every day, you are in the
fullness of the love of God. May his peace be with you. And also with you.

Living the Way of Jesus
-A Prayer by Thomas Merton
O God, we are one with you.
You have made us one with you.
You have taught us that if we are open to one another,
you dwell in us.
Help us to preserve this openness
and to fight for it with all our hearts.
Fill us then with love,
and let us be bound together with love as we go our diverse ways,
united in this one spirit which makes you present in the world,
and makes you witness to the ultimate reality that is love.
Love has overcome.
Love is victorious.

Offering for Pompton Reformed Church

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:18
Sermon Title: May You Grow In Grace

2 Peter 3:18 New International Version (NIV)
18  But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both
now and forever! Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we
forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the
kingdom, the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Closing Song: My Friends May You Grow in Grace

 Commission and Benediction
As people of faith we have gathered for worship.
As people of faith we now return to the world.
Go out to share the story of faith,
the story of life, with the world around you.
We share the faith in word and in deed,
in speech and in action.
As you go out to give a living witness,
as you go out to testify to God’s love active in the world,
go knowing that God goes with you,
sharing the laughter and the hope, the fears and the tears.
Thanks be to God! Amen.

 

Liturgy Resources
Prayer of Confession written by Christine Sine
Commission and Benedection by Rev Gord on his blog, Worship Offerings.