Esther 7:1-6,
9-10; 9:20-22
Psalm 124
James 5:13-20
Mark 9:38-50
In Preparation
for Worship
You who are our help and stay,
who rescues us from the enemy,
who frees us from the fowler’s snare,
who spares us from the whelming flood,
you who sent your Son to save us,
we trust you with our lives.
Call to Worship
Come, all who wish to act with mercy!
All who give but a cup of water
in the name of Christ will be rewarded!
Come, all who are sick! Come, all who are suffering!
Come, all who are in need of prayer!
The prayer of faith will save the sick,
and the Lord
will raise them up!
Come, all who are cheerful and who long to
be righteous!
The prayers of the righteous are powerful and
effective!
Come, all who wish to glorify God!
Anyone who does a deed of power can only praise
the Lord!
Let us all sing songs in praise of God!
Opening Prayer
Watchful God, if
you had not been on our side, we would have been lost long ago. But our help is
in your holy name; in you, the Maker of heaven and earth! We bless you, O God,
our Creator and Keeper, for in Christ you have snatched us from the countless
snares of sin and the raging tide of evil.
Call to
Confession
Whatever causes
us to stumble along the journey of faith is to be thrown into the fire and
burned. That we do stumble is undeniable. What then shall we burn? Let us not
hide from God the sin in our lives. Rather, let us offer it up to be burned in sanctifying
fire of the Holy Spirit, and ask for Christ’s purifying grace.
Prayer of
Confession
Saving God, we confess that we have excluded
others because we have not considered them a part of us. We are quick to find
fault with people of difference and slow to admit the good that you do through
them. Reform and renew our sinful hearts, and help us to love you and all your
people with greater humility.
Declaration of
Forgiveness
Be at peace with
one another. God has preserved and saved you. Live life now on your guard
against sin, making prayer and obedience to Christ’s rule of love your top priorities. Support one another. Keep each other
from stumbling. Be healed of all that has weighed heavily on you. And do not
return to your former ways.
Presentation of
Tithes and Offerings
How better to
remember God’s kindness to us than by sharing our gifts with one another and
with those in need. Let us celebrate God’s goodness. Let us rejoice that the
risen Christ has turned our despair into hope, our depression into joy, our
mourning into the dawning of a new day. Let us offer our gifts in the Spirit of
Christ.
Prayer of
Dedication
For every reprieve you have granted,
for every blessing bestowed,
for every breath you have given,
for every debt now paid, once owed,
for every sign or glint of heaven,
for earthly love and suffering,
for every heart of sin repented,
O Blessed God, for every grace, we thank
you,
and we offer you these signs of our love,
in Jesus’ name.
The Blessing
Find your help
in the name of the Lord, who made of heaven and earth.
Place your trust
in the name of Christ, who died and rose for you.
Discover your
power in the Holy Spirit, who meets you in prayer,
who stirs in you
a desire to pray,
and may your
life in the kingdom of God be renewed.
