Sunday 19th February 2006

Call to Worship

Look carefully: God is doing a new thing.
It has taken root and is greening, for those with eyes to see it.
God makes smooth paths through the wilderness, and creates living streams in desert places.
This is the living God.
This is our God who blots out our transgressions and does not hold our sins against us.

A warm welcome to you all
Especially those who are worshipping at Leytonstone United Free Church for the first time or who have returned after an absence.
Your presence both enriches us and this time of celebration together.

Song: Praise my soul, the King of Heaven

Prayers

God our Holy Friend, most generous with your grace, most intimate in care, we come to you along familiar ways, and approach you through accustomed songs, readings and prayers. Please God, stab us awake to what we are doing. Do not allow familiarity to breed spiritual nonchalance. Startle us again with the miracle of it all, and make room in our minds and hearts for renewed wonder and adoration. Through Christ Jesus our redeeming Brother.

Amen!

Prayers of confession and Assurance

Fellow citizens of a kingdom which is in this world but not of this world, let us put before God our common story of success mixed with failure. We seek forgiveness for wrongs done and opportunities missed. Let us pray.

 

If we have seized material blessings greedily, and flaunted our good fortune without sharing it with those not so well placed, Lord have mercy

Lord have mercy.

 

If we have taken the love of family and friends for granted, showing with meagre gratitude, and if we have been unwilling to love those folk who may be prickly, Christ have mercy.

Christ have mercy

 

If we have treated faith as something we deserved, and forgotten that it is Your unearnable gift though Christ who, while we were still sinners, died for us, Lord have mercy.

Lord have mercy

.

Most holy God, kind sharer of all good gifts, enemy of all that hoards and excludes, please continue to save your people from their sins. Rebuff and humble us, forgive and uplift us, enlighten and embolden us, and restore to us the joy which nothing in this selfish world can give. Through Christ Jesus our Saviour.

Amen!

Noti