leadinginworship

Journey Call to Worship

God of the open road,
God of the twisting path,
God of the narrow and upward way,
your people are gathered for worship!
In this hour, give us provision for the journey,
courage and faith and compassion,
and endurance to face any hardship.
Open our eyes to see you walking beside us,
protecting us, encouraging us, loving us.
We pray this in the name of Jesus,
who moves us, Amen

Journey of Love Prayer

Holy Spirit,
we need your presence here on planet earth.
Jesus walked the streets of Jerusalem,
it is there he was crucified.
Today many still suffer in that same city.
Racism and oppression are rampant;
a giant dividing wall of hostility runs near it.
Jerusalem struggles to find the things that make for peace.
We need your Spirit to shine there in dark places,
and to offer hope for those who are mired in hopelessness.
Raise up peacemakers who reject hatred,
whose integrity can inspire loyalty,
whose wisdom can chart a path for peace.

Here, closer to home, in our village [town/city/region]
we call on your spirit to fill this congregation with love.
Help us to wash the feet of our community,
going the second mile, giving the cup of cold water.
Help our churches to be loving,
reaching out to all we meet.
Holy Spirit, guide us in our finances,
to wisely use the resources you’ve given us,
to plant fruitful seeds for your kingdom.
Where there is division between churches of different kinds,
heal us with your uniting presence.
Help our churches to be communities where we live in peace,
not the peace of differences pushed under the rug,
but the peace of discussion and dialogue and mutual respect.
Shape us into people of prayer,
whose first thought in the morning is praise,
whose watchword is kindness,
and whose last thought at night is peace, the deep peace of God.
We ask this all, in the name of our Saviour Jesus,
who through his lifelong journey of love
showed us God’s kingdom come,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Amen

Upright Call to Worship

Our call to worship is from Psalm 68:8-9:
"Bless our God, O people,
let the sound of God’s praise be heard,
who has kept us among the land of the living,
and has not let our feet slip."

Let's pray:
Here we are Lord,
filled with life and breath,
citizens in the land of the living,
by your grace.
You know our paths,
and the help we will need
to keep our feet firm.
In this time of worship,
equip us to be your upright followers,
in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Emmaus Road Call to Worship

Our call to worship is from Matt 18:20
For where two or three are gathered in my name,
there am I in the midst of them.       

Let’s pray together:          
We need your presence on the long road, Lord.
The road between fear and hope,
the road between the place where all is lost
and the place of resurrection.
Like the disciples walking the road to Emmaus,
we are in need of your company!
Jesus, stand among us, in your risen power,
let this time of worship, be a hallowed hour.

A Prayer for when Sexual Abuse is Discovered

My God, my God,
where were you?
My innocent child,
my beautiful innocent child,
a child of God, your child,
this child has been abused.
First and foremost,
protect my child, Lord.
Keep them from further harm.
Heal the hurt.
Mend the memories.
Restore what is lost.
Show me how to help
and how to get them the help they need.
Let there not be lasting, lingering effects
from this deed done.

God of all the dark places in the world,
you know what I am feeling inside.
Such a feeling of guilt:
how could I have missed this?
how could I not have known?
how could I not be there to protect?
These feelings are enough to engulf me,
but they are matched thought by thought
with rage and outrage and anger.
How dare he?
If there was a trigger to pull,
I would pull it.
With every wailing prophet,
I call down judgement and destruction,
never in my life have I longed this much
for a God of wrath.

And yet the next moment
I am filled so much with sadness
for this broken hurting world;
so many little ones abused,
so many warped people hurting others,
probably after being hurt themselves as children.
God of all of us, how can you bear it?
Jesus, thank you that you too felt the outrage,
you too spoke of millstones around necks
and people being drowned in the bottom of the sea.
Yet your actions were all of love;
even in extreme pain, you spoke the word “Forgive”.

Holy Spirit, I need your presence with us on this journey.
Lead me in good paths, not bitter ones.
Teach me how to trust again.
Be our companion as we work for justice and accountability,
accompany us as we walk step by step towards healing.
And yes, even touch the heart of the one who offended,
convict, convert and illumine their minds,
so that they can understand the wrong they’ve done,
and never do it again.

My first and last thought is for my baby, my own,
a child of God, wounded and hurting.
You who sees the littlest sparrow falling,
reach out and catch this one,
mend them inside and out,
and keep them in your loving care forever.  Amen.

The Quietest of Hopes

Every journey ends,
and this prayer is for our friends
who know their lives are waning.
Friend of the dark garden,
you know the regrets,
the reluctance, the gloomy fears
that shake our very souls.
Anxiety about our bodies’ demise
consumes us,
Thank you that even
as we feel most desolate,
your comfort finds us.
We do not kneel alone.
Your deep love wells in parched hearts,
flooding us with simple beauty
at unexpected moments.
You send us angels,
disguised and undisguised;
courage blossoms in the night.
Thank you for bands of companions
whose prayers sustain us.
We pray for those who hover in the tension
of a life that is both
unbearably sweet
and sheddable.
At the end,
let our fingers be petals,
letting go, bit by bit,
our mortal life.
Our empty hands blooming;
open, ready,
trembling with
the quietest of hopes.
Come Lord Jesus.

Prayer for the Road Ahead

I seek you, God, in the spaces of my life.
The spaces between what I’ve done
and what I’ve left undone.
The spaces between my convictions
and my actions,
the spaces between all that I hoped to do,
and what I’ve actually done.
I come with humility,
knowing that I can’t always see
the way I’ve disappointed you,
nor can I always see
the long-term effects of the good I’ve done.
This is a prayer for the road ahead,
which is an empty space stretching before me.
Fill me with a burning compassion
for my brothers and sisters,
a love that will not let me go.
Give me courage to to give boldly,
love simply,
hope deeply,
risk greatly.
My light is small,
my time is short,
but let it shine for you,
always, ever, all for you.
Amen.

The Travellers

Now the Lord said to Abram
“Go from your country and your kindred
and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.”
A journey; a far journey
to see lands he had never seen,
to meet people he had never known.
Imagine Abram packing his donkey, saying farewell to his family,
leaving behind everything that was dear to him and going forward,
forward into God`s invitation, “to the land that I will show you.”
Abram, the journey-man was the first of a long-line of travellers.
Hagar and Esau unwillingly sent into the wilderness,
Isaac trekking to find a wife.
Jacob running from a pack of lies,
Joseph going to Egypt because of his brothers’ sins.
Moses fleeing from Egypt and then back again at God’s call.
The people of Israel journeying through the wilderness to Canaan,
Ruth and Naomi walking from a far country with tears.
Then there were the prophets, ranging up and down the land.
Samuel sent from home to live in the temple,
Elijah running for his life.
Jonah fleeing from the Lord on a ship, but ending up in Nineveh.
The people of Israel themselves, travelling into exile in Babylon,
singing songs in strange lands, the land that God would show them. 

Mary and Joseph begin the journey even before their son was born,
travelling to Bethlehem and an unknown future.
Exile to Egypt and then back to Nazareth.
Jesus walking to worship in Jerusalem, travelling with his family.
He does the same journey later with his disciples,
travelling up the mountains and down,
from the sea all the way up to a hill outside Jerusalem.
Those same disciples travel to the ends of the earth,
with Paul and many others, spreading the gospel as they go.
Go from your country and your kindred
and your father`s house to the land that I will show you.
This Bible is journey-ridden, because God is calling.
We stand on holy ground as we read,
together with our brothers and sisters,
looking for our place on the map,
wondering where on earth we’ll go.
It’s our call.

Crossroads Congregational Prayer

We come to prayer this morning
at the crossroads of summer and winter.
Summer still shines,
asters blooming with yellow and orange vividness,
warm days calling us to walk outside and enjoy the sun,
fresh fruit and vegetables still fill our tables
and delight our tastebuds.
And yet, the nights grow cold,
we see our breath in the morning,
yellow and red creep into the leaves of the trees,
the days get shorter,
the earth tilts
and there’s no stopping the coming of winter.
Thank you for the blessings and beauty of our world! 

We come together as your people,
we gather here in one place, with one heart for worship,
and yet in each of our lives we stand at different crossroads.
The _________ family has stood at the brink between life and death,
as they mourn the loss of ___________.
We pray for them and all who grieve today,
we need your comfort and your peace.
Other people stand at the crossroads of big decisions,
“Should we go this way or that way?” we wonder.
Guide us as we make important decisions about how we spend our money,
which job to take, where to live.
We pray for __________  and __________
who stood at a crossroads in life at their wedding ceremony.
Bless their marriage, and all those who are newly married,
help them forge bonds of love that last a lifetime.
Other older people are at crossroads in relationships;
should we stay together, or separate,
should we seek reconciliation, or walk away;
God of grace, be the one who guides us in all our decision-making.
You know the decisions that our congregation is making,
show us the way, when we are faced with many ways to go. 

As we read the news, we are constantly reminded
that the world stands at a crossroads
with so many refugees from so many war-torn countries.
Lives are in the balance:
open the heart of the world community, open our hearts,
to be generous for these people, to meet their needs.
We pray all this in the name of Jesus,
who walks with us down every road we take, Amen.

Crossroads Offering Prayer

Every time we come to the moment of offering,
it’s a crossroads.
There is an inner struggle between selfishness and generosity,
a pull between fear of the future and belief in God’s providence.
We give our offering this morning, Lord,
stepping out in faith down the road of grace.
We do this together, as your people,
called and sent to be a blessing for all the world.
In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

On course call to worship

Psalm 119:1-2 (The Message)
You’re blessed when you stay on course,
    walking steadily on the road revealed by God.
You’re blessed when you follow his directions,
    doing your best to find him.
That’s right—you don’t go off on your own;
    you walk straight along the road he set.  

Let’s pray:
We’ve come to worship Lord,
straight to your house, to your people,
to hear your words and learn of your ways.
This morning, give us strength for the journey.
Thank you for all these people seated here,
faithful companions on the road.
Help us as we map our way together,
following the route that Jesus showed us.
In his name we worship, and we pray, Amen.

Journey offering prayer

We offer our gifts to you, Lord,
with grateful, cheerful hearts.
Thank you that you meet our needs on the journey,
providing what we need when we need it.
Trusting you, we can share what we have with others,
and we do this joyfully, together, today,
in Jesus`  name, Amen.

Celebrate: A Poem for Survivors of Mental Illness

On the long journey,
where many steps are required each day,
there comes a time to pause and look back,
to join with a companion and say, “There!
Those steps have been completed, they’re done.
I’ve come this far.”
Or if no companion is there,
to stand alone and whisper, with clear eyes,
“I’ve done this, I’ve made this journey.”

The journey with mental illness
has milestones seldom marked except by those who walk there…
a day where I continued to live,
a week where I managed to take my medication,
a month since the last episode,
a year since I was in the hospital,
a decade since I began living with this disability.

I have made this journey,
I have moved in darkness and lived to see the day.
I have been swept up in the whirlwind and survived.
I have been lost and found my way.
I have wept and my tears have turned to peace.
I have been abandoned and found my own strength.
I have called on God in despair and found faithfulness.

I can celebrate this, this moving towards healing.
And if I walk this road again, God help me,
I will turn and help a fellow traveller,
“You can do this.  I have done this.  We can do this together.”

Rain grace upon us

On our dry journey,

forgiveness is the water on the horizon,

and we’re the pilgrims in the desert

who cannot possibly walk there.

Tied up tight,

revenge is a hot little bundle

we hug to our chest.

We are plagued with hurt;

the betrayal, the murder,

the verbal barbs, the abandonment

the lack of love, whatever.

We have been robbed

and god almighty it hurts.

Our pain is the one sure thing

and someone has to pay.

We drag ourselves on our way

burdened with what will not sustain us.

Anger warms the belly for a while,

righteous justice can fire the mind,

self-pity burns inside.

On this most barren of trails

grace falls like rain,

a deep benediction.

Even here, forgiveness can blossom

inexplicably,

like a delicate desert rose.

Anniversary Prayer

God of love, thank you for marriage

and the way love’s face

changes with time.

 

Thank you for love’s beginning;

the tidal pull that draws together

as sure as sea and shore,

the beauty of that meeting,

its strength and intense fragility,

sweet as an apple blossom

pale in the moonlight.

 

Thank you for love’s deepening;

the confidence that grows

with a thousand leavings and greetings,

the hardiness of belonging,

its ability to survive storm and drought,

resilient as supple branches

swaying in the wind.

 

Thank you for love’s maturing;

the companionship that develops slowly,

forged in the hot and cold of everyday life,

the power of lives intertwining,

its quality of sturdy faithfulness,

delicious as a ripe red apple

after a day’s long hunger.

Parenting Prayer: Holding it Together, or Not

God, you know I hold my family together:

balancing the needs of everyone

the schedules of everyone

the health of everyone

juggling each ball with dexterity

and not dropping one, not one.

I give thanks for strength and stamina.

 

But there’s a haunting sense

that I’ve reached my limits

and that even this camel’s back

will not take one straw more.

The morning I stand on the road

and say, “I can’t do this.”

I am too afraid to even go there.

 

I have not let “can’t” be part of my vocabulary.

There are people who need me,

children who need me

and I would give my life for them.

I give my life for them.

I need more strength, more time, more energy

for the journey stretches before me.

 

Jesus, you walked a road in Jerusalem

carrying a heavy load

that you took up willingly,

knowing it was your burden to bear.

What happened when your body said “Can’t”

and you fell there on that dusty road?

Did you have the feeling of defeat I’m fearing?

Did you look on Simon from Cyrene

with despair or gratefulness?

 

Spirit, give me wisdom on my road

to know that you are with me when I can

and that you will be there with me

on the ground when I can’t.

When others have to carry for me

you will know that my spirit is willing,

but the flesh is only human.

 

God of the winding road,

God of the heavy load,

God of the time to pick things up

God of the time to lay things down,

be my God, now and always.

Good Samaritan Poem: On the Road to Jericho

We invested in goods to sell in the trade city of Jericho

and I walked the long journey with my loaded donkey.

I stopped that last night at an inn

poised on the edge of Jericho's wilderness valley.

The neighbours at my table did not look promising;

holy men who carried scrolls not knives,

shabby companions on this last stretch

where you need someone who will stand firm beside you,

someone good for a fight.

That next morning I left the inn alone,

the dawn just crowning;

leaving the door open in my haste,

the innkeeper slammed it as she hissed after me,

"Born in a barn, were you?"

In half-darkness I led my donkey down the steep road.

 

It was mid-morning when it happened.

I heard them before I saw them,

the six bandits clattering down the rocks.

Enough time for me to assess the situation, "grim",

to muster my courage and grab my knife.

"Give us what you have," they yelled,

which only made me smile,

picturing my sons, and me telling them,

"They asked for your inheritance, so I gave it to them."

And so I fought, but the odds were against me.

They broke my arms, and beat me

and took everything, even my clothes,

and left me on the side of the road,

listening to the sound of our savings being led away.

 

I drifted in and out as the pain overpowered me,

but I knew that help was on its way. 

Those holy men were on the road behind me,

an hour or two at most and I would be saved.

I woke to see that priest’s heels walking away.

My voice also deserted me, too dry to call for help.

The vultures arrived at the same time as the levite,

I was watching them trace lazy circles in the cloudless blue

as he circled wide around me,

the blood and flies too unclean for his hands, no doubt.

I lay baking in the hot son, waiting for death.

 

A man on a donkey appeared on the road from Jericho.

A foreigner, he greeted me with the words, "Friend, I`ll help you."

He put me on his donkey, no mean feat with my broken arms,

and took me to the inn I’d left that morning.

The innkeeper shook her head as she looked from my wounds to my face,

"Ah, the man born in a barn."

They tended to me day and night,

and now weeks later I still sit here mending, on the Samaritan's tab.

 

Last night the holy men, the priest and levite,

were neighbours at my table as they took their homeward journey.

They would not meet my eye, which is not surprising.

I do not know if they noticed that I could not meet theirs.

I have no bitterness at what they did not do,

instead my mind is haunted by what might have been.

Had they set out first, and I came upon one of them, broken and bleeding,

would I have unloaded my donkey, left my fortune by the road

and carried them to safety?

Or would I have minded my own business?

I received mercy, but would I have given it?

Each day, I am forever on that wilderness road.

Waiting for Medical Test Results

On the day fear parks itself in my throat;

when the mountain to be climbed

is the next twenty-four hours

and my ears already echo

with the news I do not want to hear;

as my stomach plummets

and fear pick-axes my heart;

while my mind careens

from possibility to possibility;

as the edges of my known world crumble,

at the very hour despair storms the gates,

Jesus, Saviour, pilot me.

Lead me from the rocks of panic.

Rig me with sails of courage to weather this storm.

Keep me on course as I’m buffeted by an ill wind.

Bless my soul with confidence

in your sustaining care.

This day too is the day of the Lord.

First Love Prayer

In the sweet light blossom of first love,

God of new beginnings, be near us.

Let us discover wonder and beauty

    in the smile of another.

Let us feel ourselves embraced

    in arms and open minds.

Let us be giddy with happiness

    at the world’s freshness.

In the wide swoop of love’s new dance

    you are the ground beneath our feet

    the air we breathe together

    the blessing of this high blue sky.

 

In the sweet dark blossom of first love,

God of new beginnings, be near us.

Let us discover the troubled thoughts and fears

    that sometimes hide behind smiles.

Let us learn the power of embracing

    and the ability to control that power.

Let us be awed by the vast effort

    of actually and truly meeting another.

In the wide scope of love’s new adventure

    you are the path we take

the map we read together

the blessing of two longing to be one.

Journey with Jesus

Thank you God for your good and faithful servants

    our forefathers and foremothers in faith

    who have nurtured us and encouraged us

    to journey in Jesus’ footsteps.

We follow their examples and find

    that your steadfast love sustains us

    in dark valleys of disbelief

    on mountains of joyful clarity

    along each daily dusty road we walk.

You listen patiently to our complaints:

    “Our feet hurt!”

    “We’re tired!”

    “Are we there yet?”

Gently, you turn our attention

    to the faltering who need support

    to the hopeless who cannot move forward

    to the thirsty in need of water

    to the horizon of your love which surrounds us all.

Come Lord Jesus, be our guest,

let this road to us be blest.