Candle Lighting
We light the flame,
A symbol of the light of Christ
Among us and within us.
A beam we learn to bear
And to bear witness to.
Call to worship
With our lips we praise you, O God, We tell of the astonishing beauty of your creation and the joy of your unending love.
With our minds we praise you, O God, We ponder the depths of your compassion and discern your way of justice and mercy.
With our hearts we praise you, O God, We feel our soul’s desire for you and our response to follow as disciples of Jesus the Christ.
We give you thanks for this opportunity to gather; to learn and grow and share in the life of the Body of Christ. Amen.
Songs of praise and worship
Confession
We confess we have forgotten that we human beings are part of the community you created, and that we are reconciled to one another through the cross, called to be in solidarity with all creation.
We confess we have failed to celebrate the diversity and richness of the world and the peoples you have created.
We confess that we have failed to show hospitality to the stranger, and that we have valued our own traditions and cultures over those that are unfamiliar to us.
Lord, in your mercy forgive us.
Open our eyes to the work of the Spirit in the world and to the truth of our belonging to one another and to you. Amen.
Poetry for the soul – You Wait For Me
Inspired by the writings of Meister Eckhart, Dominican priest from the 13th Century, and composed by Jon M. Sweeney and Mark S. Burrows
I think mine is the work of finding You, but You wait for me in my joy and strife to reveal who You are, which is love, and to radiate what You are, which is light.
Notices and Milestones
Penguin Problems – a story for all of us.
Offering and blessing
Hymn: Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
Scripture Readings: 1 Cor 13; Luke 4v21-30
Reflection
Prayers of the people
Hymn: The Love of God comes close
Sending and Blessing
As you prepare to leave this sacred space and to move into the sacred space of your homes and work, may you go energised, enlivened and renewed.
Go into the world:
dance, laugh, sing and create.
We go with your encouragement, O God.
Go into the world:
risk, explore, discover and love.
We go with your encouragement, O God.
Go into the world:
trust, hope, struggle and remember.
We go with the assurance of your love, O God.
May the Spirit who moves through all creation,
who speaks through the prophets and the poets,
and who acts through those who care,
awaken us in each moment of our lives
to the flow and power of love. Amen.
