Order of Worship for Sunday, May 5th 2024

One: Come, beloved of God,
All: laying aside the hard and harsh ways of the world.

One: Come, beloved of God,
All: to practice the patient and kind ways of love.

One: Come, beloved of God,
All: to trust the love that holds fast in all things. Hearts soft and minds open, we come.

Your love stands firm, no matter how hard we push, O God. We press for advantage, we weigh heavy on your creation, we try to skirt round the edges so we can claim faithfulness while getting what we want, and still your love stands firm.

Forgive our shallow hearts, O God. Remind us that when we do not practice love, all else we do is just that: performance, getting attention but leaving us only hollow nothingness.

Hear Now the Silent Confessions of Our Hearts [Pause for Silent Prayer...]

You have shown us the more excellent way, the way that leads to life deeper than the mask, the way that satisfies every longing. May your forgiveness draw us into practice, building up our capacity to love more and more, as you do. Amen.

Beloved of God, Christ our Lord showed his love to us through his dying so that we might live. His love knows no beginning, knows no end, and will not be severed from you.  Having shed the weight of sin through your confession, may you experience his steadfast love anew because your sins are forgiven.

Praise be to God.

God of joy, we offer our gifts this day, as we respond to the wisdom of your word.  In our offerings and in our living, help us trust in Him through faith, hope, and love. Let that trust be expressed through acts of service, healing, and selfless generosity so that me may share your everlasting gift with others. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.