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Hymns
Hymn GTG #409, “God Is Here!”
Hymn GTG #317, “In Christ There Is No East or West”
Call to Worship (based on Acts 17:25-28)
Leader: God gives life, breath, and all else.
People: In God we live, move, and exist!
Leader: No matter where we may go in life, God is never far from us.
People: God is with us even now!
Leader: We are God’s beloved children, gathered to celebrate our creator.
People: Let us worship the Lord!
Call to Confession (based on Acts 17:30b)
Leader: God directs all people everywhere to change their hearts and minds. In humility and obedience, let us respond to this call by confessing and repenting of our sins.
Prayer of Confession (based on Acts 17:17)
You are invited to speak a word or short phrase that describes a personal or collective sin of which you repent and seek forgiveness.
When the gathered community is finished sharing, we pray together:
People: God of all peoples and nations, we all too often treat our faith as something to impose instead of something to share. We treat your Word as a blunt instrument instead of Good News. We lecture instead of listening and criticize instead of conversing. This only serves to separate us further from you. Forgive us, Holy One. Grant us patience and wisdom in our dealings with others, and above all, help us to ground our every action in love. In your mercy, hear our prayers…
(Silent prayers of personal confession)
Declaration of Forgiveness (based on Acts 17:27)
Leader: Whenever we reach out to the Lord, we find that God is close at hand, pouring out grace upon grace. Hear the good news: In Jesus Christ, we are all forgiven!
People: Thanks be to God!
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