God of all creation, you call us into communion with all that is. We live in sacred connection with the cashier at the grocery store, the ancient redwoods, and the child in the refugee camp.We confess that too often we live as our self-interest is all that matters. Give us the courage to live our sacred calling to communion. Give us the grace to embrace this and every moment of our lives. Amen.
Dedication of the Offering
Giving and receiving we commune with all creation, Holy God. We thank you for this sacred practice that heals the world. Amen.
One: Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”
All: The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.
One: The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage.
All: You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
* Gathering Prayer
Holy God, you are our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth should change, though the mountains shake at the heart of the sea. On this day when communities around the world celebrate LGBTQ pride, we pray that you will make this place a refuge for all of those who suffer discrimination, threats of violence, and shame because of their sexual orientation and gender identity. O God who looks on the heart teach us to see as you see. O God of boundless love, teach us to love as you love: without limits.
The Lord’s Prayer (Debts) (Unison)
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 debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
What is love for you? Jesus said the greatest commandment is love. Christians should love God above all and our neighbors as we love ourselves. But do you love yourself? What would it mean to love oneself in a Christian way? And how is that different from narcissism? How do we love our neighbors? Is being nice enough? And what about God? How are we supposed to love someone we can’t even touch or see? Love is the heart of who we are as Christians. Let’s open our hearts to God in worship.
Prayer of Confession
Holy God, we confess we’re not always sure what love is. Sometimes we delude ourselves into thinking we’re behaving in loving ways when, in fact, we’re just serving our egos. Sometimes we cut ourselves off from love because we’re frightened it might change us. If we truly loved someone, if we truly loved you, would we lose our sense of who we are? If we truly made ourselves vulnerable, would we get taken advantage of? So we hold back. We make half-hearted gestures. We make grand sacrifices to show off our moral superiority. And all the while we miss the love we long for. Forgive us and heal us. Amen.
*Prayer of Dedication
Holy God, the Apostle Paul reminds us that if we give away all our possessions but do not have love, we gain nothing. So we offer our money, but more than that, we offer our hearts. Bless our offerings. Amen.
We get attached to a lot of things. Our possessions, certainly. Also our time, our status. Relationships–whether they’re healthy or not. Dreams of the future, regrets of the past. Afraid of losing what we have, we refuse to open up to what might be. Worship is a time of letting go of everything that is temporary, no matter how deep our attachment, and opening ourselves to the eternal. Let’s worship God.
Prayer of Confession
Holy God, when Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James, and John, they immediately dropped everything and followed him. Too often, we’re more like the rich young ruler, who came to Jesus hoping to inherit the Kingdom of God only to turn away because we can’t let go. Teach us the wisdom of giving. Teach us the freedom of letting go. Give us the courage to entrust our lives and all we possess to you. Amen.
*Prayer of Dedication
All that we have and all that we are we dedicate to you, Holy God. Amen.
Todd Grant Yonkman 