Sunday, January 8, 2017

CALL TO WORSHIP
Psalm 30

MUSIC
Curated by Justina Gendy
Phil Wickham - This Is Amazing Grace
My Jesus I Love Thee
Hillsong Worship - Thank You Jesus
Hillsong United - Oceans

REFLECTIVE PRAYER
By Bobbi Salkeld
Prayers for Forgiveness, The Pattern of Our Days, ed. Kathy Galloway, 124. 

Creator God,
By your design we are whole people
But, we have also been people of division
We divide mind and body
We divide inside from outside
We divide differences and unknowns
We separate the noise from the quiet
The city from the country
The healthy from the sick
The living from the dying
Some of this is natural, but some of this is unnecessary

God, we confess that we can be so quick to build dividing walls, 
Sometimes, those walls are needed and they keep us safe
Walls can protect us and give us the space to figure things out for ourselves
To wrap some bandages around wounds that bleed or keep breaking open
To rehydrate and gain our strength after a difficult time in our lives
Thank you for times when we are invited to just be, to protect ourselves, and to wait for your care and healing

But sometimes, God, you invite us to dismantle the walls we’ve built
Maybe it’s not all at once, but sometimes it is
Sometimes we’re stronger by your Spirit than we realize
And you invite us to a new path of reconciliation
Jesus, you lead the way, inviting us to step out into new spaces and take in new views
of health and wholeness

So we ask you, God … what walls in our lives are no longer necessary?  
What hurt do you invite us to move away from or through?  
How are you already at work healing our hearts, minds, bodies, relationships, places of disconnection?  
If it’s time to move past the hurt we feel, how do we move towards the horizon of your compassion?  

Even if we don’t know the answers, we trust that you do and you will guide us.
May our worship together in singing, teaching, extending kindness towards ourselves and one another offer us wisdom on a path towards wholeness.  

We pray together, in the name of Christ who reconciles all things,
Amen. 

PRAYER
By Kevin Borst

Almighty and gracious Father, 
we give you thanks on this day. 

All blessing we have comes from you. Teach us to be a reflection of the blessing and grace that you show us. 

Thanks be to God,
Amen.

TEACHING & DISCUSSION NOTES
Ashes