Women At The Well Worship 07/15

Welcome

God is Good All the Time ..... All the time God is Good

Call to Worship

Our mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

May our time together here tonight bring us into faithful acts of discipleship.

May our acts of discipleship help transform the world.

Our mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Our vision is to lead the church in love that breaks down walls.

May we have the courage to lead the church in our words and our work.

And may our work break down walls that divide.

Our vision is to lead the church in love that breaks down walls.

Scripture

Lamentations 5:1 NRSV

1 Remember, O Lord, what has befallen us; look, and see our disgrace!

Lamentations 5:11–12 NRSV

11 Women are raped in Zion, virgins in the towns of Judah. 12 Princes are hung up by their hands; no respect is shown to the elders.

Opening Prayer

May your spirit—a spirit of wisdom and insight, a spirit of counsel and courage,

a spirit of knowledge and reverence—

light upon us and interrupt us.

Show us the difference between what is right and what is wrong

because our eyes are often dim and our ears are sometimes untrustworthy.

May justice and faithfulness empower us and guide us to protect all who are vulnerable

—especially our children.

Help us envision a world transformed, where our living does not require killing,

where the wolf might dwell with the lamb, and the lion with the fawn,

where the names predator and prey are heard no more, where our children might live without fear

and make homes in peace among the rest of your creatures.

Help us envision a world transformed,

a world fit for your holy dwelling, a world fit for our children,

where nothing evil will ever come to pass, where knowledge of God would fill the land

as water fills the sea.

For once we have such a vision, we will know what must be done.

Time of Prayer

As we enter into a spirit of prayer today, I know that we are separated quite far geographically from each other, but I want to invite us to try something just a little bit new. As I say “Lord In Your Mercy” I invite you to respond with the words “Hear Our Prayer.” I invite the worship leaders to join me in saying this out loud, but if you are joining us online on Facebook. I know this is a little bit unorthodox but if you are feeling so called feel free to join with us either by just posting the words Hear Our Prayer in the comment section. This is for one simple reason and that is to remind ourselves that we are the body of Christ. That the things that we lament God doesn’t just join us in but the community around us joins us in as well. So when you hear the word’s lord in your mercy feel free to comment with the words hear our prayer.

Let us go to the Lord in Prayer together.

Oh gracious and wonderful God Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. We gather together in the midst of our own powerlessness to stand in awe, in worship, for many of us in lament in front of you.

Lord in your mercy; Hear Our Prayer

For those among us who face discrimination every day

because of their skin colour, gender expression, gender identity, who they choose to love, physical ability, or religion, we lament.

God of hope, show us how to work for justice together,

standing up for what is right,

stepping in when something's wrong,

shouldering each other’s burdens,

holding each other accountable,

righting the wrongs we’ve done,

speaking truth to power.

Lord in your mercy; Hear Our Prayer

With sorrow in our hearts and through our grief we remember those who have gone on before us. We pray for those grieving loss of loved one right now. As we hold their names and stories in our hearts

we remember…

…laughs and smiles,

…dreams and struggles,

…talents and personalities.

And we say....

Lord in your mercy; Hear Our Prayer

Lord God we offer to you our scars and our wounds. Some of scars and wounds are physical and many are emotional spiritual. God we pray for the addicts that still suffers. We pray for those facing set-backs in one form or another in relationships. We pray for families that aren’t able to be together right now. We pray for those facing set-back and barriers in mental health. Lord Christ, you know our suffering deeper than we know it.  You rose from the dead, but you still carried your wounds.  You asked Thomas to come and touch them, so that he might believe.  Can you teach us how to bear our wounds to you?  We do not want our pain to close us off from you or from others any longer.

Lord in your mercy; Hear Our Prayer

Your presence is the only thing that sustains us, and so allow us to be present to you in our pain.   Your strength was shown in weakness, and so we come to you in our weakness.  And so our weeping tarries for this night, but may joy come in the morning.  In this moment of personal and silent prayer we lift up to you the cries of our own individual hearts.

(wait about 10 seconds)

Lord in your mercy; Hear Our Prayer

Together we pray as you taught your disciples to pray:

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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.

Amen.

We Pray for Those Being Sent Out

When we were gathered together in person and we would pray for the people being sent out the whole congregation was invited to extend a hand towards that person. I now it doesn’t translate quite the same in this space, but I am hoping you would join me this evening in extending a hand towards your screen today and holding those folks that are being sent out this week as we pray for them.

Let’s Pray

Oh God we lift up names that we don’t know but you do of folks that are leaving Iowa Correctional Institute for Women this week. God we know that your grace goes before them and prepares the way for them, God we pray that they might come to a fuller understanding of your love for them and the forgiveness that they receive from you. We ask that you guard their hearts from whatever temptations or road blocks might hold them back. We prayer for the communities, churches, and re-entry teams that are preparing to welcome them, and we pray that the would be filled with a spirit of hospitality and love. We pray all of these things in your holy and precious name, Amen.