Prayers for the 5th Sunday in Pentecost (year B):
This Call to Worship was written with inspiration from Mustard Seed, a lectionary based ideas resource for worship leaders.
Call to Worship
One: Do any of us dare come into God’s presence during this service?
All: I am new here. I have been here forever. I have come back after a long absence.
May I come in?
One: Yes, you are welcome here!
All: I am not sure I am wearing the right clothes. I look different than you.
I may even think differently than you. May I come in?
One: Yes, you are welcome here!
All: I am not a churchy person. I am not really sure what I believe.
I am not sure I will understand everything that’s going on. May I come in?
One: Yes, you are welcome here!
All: My kids might make noise. I may not say the right things. I may be uncomfortable
because I have different expectations and needs. May I still come in?
One: Yes, you are welcome here!
All: I am a beautiful mess of a person and I come dragging all my baggage behind me in search of a
word of hope and an experience of love. May I come in?
One: Yes, you are welcome here!
All: Let us worship the God who embraces us no matter who we are,
what we are capable of, or why we are here. Yes, we are all welcome here!
A Prayer of Confession and Assurance of Pardon based on Psalm 130
Prayer of Confession
Out of the depths we cry to you, God of never ending mercy.
Hear our voices. Listen to our questions, our whispers, our unspoken grief.
If you were to list out the ways we have not been our best selves,
the ways we have not seen as others as your beloved, who could stand?
But instead you forgive us. Every time.
You dust us off, kiss our brow, and send us back out into the world.
So we wait on you, and we find hope in your belief in us,
More than those who watch for the morning.
You have the power to redeem us.
We have the power to live as your redeemed.
You have the power to heal us.
We will live as ones who have been healed.
Words of Assurance
Every day the morning comes, the sun rises, and the day begins again.
We have watched for the morning. God always gives it to us.
Each new morning, mercy is ours.
We are forgiven, redeemed, healed. Let us live that reality.
