Watchword for the Week:
By grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8
Loving God, from the busyness of this day,
Call us into your presence.
From the distractions of our lives,
Call us into your presence.
From the slumber into which our faith can fall,
Call us into your presence.
From the pain present in our lives as well as in the world around us,
Call us into your presence.
Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22
1O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever.
2Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, those he redeemed from trouble
3and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
17Some were sick through their sinful ways,
and because of their iniquities endured affliction;
18they loathed any kind of food,
and they drew near to the gates of death.
19Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress;
20he sent out his word and healed them,
and delivered them from destruction.
21Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wonderful works to humankind.
22And let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices,
and tell of his deeds with songs of joy.
Confession of Sin
Loving God, as we acknowledge that our salvation is a gift from you, we now confess that our response to that gift has often fallen short of what it needs to be. Hear now our prayer of confession.
Your ways are marvelous, O God. Your law is perfect, and your grace is boundless. We humbly ask for your forgiveness for the times when we have ignored your good intentions for us and instead followed a short-sighted and misguided course of action. We ask that you create in us a clean heart, O God. Renew within us a true and right spirit with which we can stand before you without guilt or shame. Do not cast us away as we might deserve, but restore unto us the comforting presence of your Holy Spirit. Give us joyful hearts with which to serve our brothers and sisters and your Church.
Christ came into the world not to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through Him. We are forgiven, and we have the promise of eternal life. Rejoice and give God praise.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.
Take time to read today’s Daily Texts. God speaks to us through the inspiration of scripture, so approach the opportunity to read the texts as a privilege, eagerly anticipating what might be spoken to you today. How might today’s Word make a part of your life new again? If you do not have a copy of the Daily Texts, you will find today’s texts posted in the margin on your page’s right side (at the bottom of the page if you are on a mobile phone). When you have finished praying, continue as follows.
With one voice, we pray together:
Creator of all humanity, we call you Holy and seek to worship you all the days of our lives. We pray that the ways of your heavenly kingdom may be made real in the world that surrounds us. May the bread that we need for today be made available for us and all who are hungry, and may you forgive us, just as we are able to forgive those who have sinned against us. In the time of moral testing, may we listen first for your voice calling to us, instead of the call of the world; take from us the self-centeredness of our society. This world, and all that is in it, always has been and always will be yours, Amen.
Lord awaken us,
To see your presence with us in each moment.
Lord open our hearts,
To see the suffering of others.
Lord open our eyes,
To see how we can serve you this day.
Lord help us,
To see the value that we have in your great kingdom on earth.
Lord open our souls,
To accept the grace that you have already extended to us.
Lord make us aware,
Of how we can share your grace with those around us.
Lord awaken us,
To live our lives in anticipation of your return or our being called home to you.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body, and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
And whatever we do in word or deed, may we do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. AMEN.