Going Out and Coming In

Opening Prayer

Almighty and everlasting God, whose way is always to have mercy, and to protect us from danger: Confirm in us the mystery of the true faith, that as we believe in your Son Jesus Christ, we might receive the salvation of our souls and everlasting life; O blessed and holy Trinity, you are one God forever and ever. Amen.

Pastoral Prayer

Eternal God, before we came looking, you called us into covenant to be your people. You called Abram, gave him a new name, and sent him to be the one by whom all the nations would be blessed. Because of your reaching out, we are your children, and we sing praise to you, O Holy One.

Time and again you have called us to live by faith, but we still try to impress you by our good works. We know that to meet the Law we would have to be perfect, but we find ourselves trying to live by it, rather than in your grace. In our sinfulness, we come before you seeking the way to life. Have mercy upon us, not because that what we have done should be counted as righteousness, but because of our faith in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, in whom there is eternal life.

We have been born of water through our baptism. Give us now a rebirth through your Spirit that we may be no longer of the flesh, but of the things above. Give to us, who are called to bless the nations of the earth in your Name, the energy to fulfill the mission that has been laid before us.

There are many this day who are being called out from their familiar places. Some are being thrust into despair because of disease; other are fighting the demons of the mind; and there are numbers beyond our counting who are longing for a new birth into a refuge where they can feel some safety. You, O Lord, are our Keeper. Keep us and these whom we life up, from all evil. Especially, this day, we pray for...

O Lord, who made heaven and earth, be our help. Hear us now, as we pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who taught us to pray by saying...

Scripture Reading

Psalm 121 NRSV

A Song of Ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.