Worship online Sunday 14th November 2021

Holding Fast

Thanks to Deb for this mornings scripture reading.

Opening Prayer

Great and compassionate God,
we come before you in love and with humility.

We worship you

You are God the Creator.

You brought everything that we know,
everything that we see,
everything that we are
into being through your living word.

We worship you

You are the God who is the triune community of love

You are the God who loves us so much
that you sent your Son to release us from our bondage: to save us.

We worship you

You are the God who calls us to follow Christ and live as part of his Body the church.

In the name of Christ,
We worship you.

(People are invited to pause and consider the things they are thankful for and also consider what are the things weighing upon them at this time)

Prayer of confession

We come before you
aware that all of us fall short:
We all make mistakes.
We all struggle to love like Jesus.

To live life fully, you call us to love you, love neighbour and love ourselves.
Lord forgive us for the times when we neglect you.
Forgive us for the times when we put ourselves before your way and the good of others.
Forgive us for the times when we damage ourselves
through our thoughts and actions.

God of deep forgiveness hear our prayers,

In the name of Christ who have his life for us,

Amen.

Based on a prayer by Rev. Prof. John Swinton, 14 November, 25th Sunday After Pentecost | The Church of Scotland

Declaration of forgiveness

It is written (in Psalm 103):

‘As far as the east is from the west,

So far has God removed our sins from us.’

Jesus came preaching peace to those who are near, and peace to those who are far off.

My friends you are free:

to be forgiven people,

to serve as forgiven people,

to celebrate as forgiven people.

Thanks be to God.

Scripture reading:

Hebrews 10: 19-25

19 We have, then, my friends, complete freedom to go into the Most Holy Place by means of the death of Jesus. 20 He opened for us a new way, a living way, through the curtain—that is, through his own body. 21 We have a great priest in charge of the house of God. 22 So let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith, with hearts that have been purified from a guilty conscience and with bodies washed with clean water. 23 Let us hold on firmly to the hope we profess, because we can trust God to keep his promise. 24 Let us be concerned for one another, to help one another to show love and to do good. 25 Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage one another all the more, since you see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer.

Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

Remembering and prayers for intercession

Last Thursday was Remembrance Day and we pick this up now in our prayers for others.

Compassionate and ever-present God, we pray,

For all who have been caught up in and impacted by war …
For all whose bodies and spirits bear the marks of war…
For all who have lost loved ones due to war …
For all who continue to suffer due to war…
For all who minister to veterans, the families of veterans and survivors …

For all who live in despair …

For the peoples of our world that they may embrace your way of peace and reconciliation …

For all of us – called to be messengers of your hope, we pray…

For the Church that we may hold fast to the hope we find in the Gospel …

We also remember others whose needs weigh heavy on our hearts this day.

For them and for us, we pray…

In the name of Christ, Amen.

— adapted from a prayer Renfrew County Catholic District School Board website. http://rccdsb.edu.on.ca/religiouseducation/school-prayer-2/monthlyseasonal-prayer/