* Call To Worship (from Psalm 37)
One: Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
All: While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.
One: Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions before the LORD,’ and you forgave the guilt of my life.
All: You are a hiding place for me; you preserve from trouble; you surround me with glad cries of deliverance.
* Gathering Prayer
Holy God, you invite us to consider the possibility that we, too, might be holy. You embrace the mess we’ve made of our lives even when we would rather turn away. Our culture tells us that the key to happiness is culivating a carefully curated public image. Polish, shine, perfection–this is the currency of the world we live in. Teach us never to compare our inside with someone else’s outside. You see past the facade. You know our hearts and love us still. Teach us to nourish the seeds of new life you have planted in the soil of our broken, humble hearts. Amen.
Prayer of Dedication
God, your saints teach us the way of service, sacrifice, and joy. We follow their example trusting that we, too, will find rest in your presence. Amen.
Todd Grant Yonkman 