After Pentecost A — June 11

Sunday, June 11, 2023
Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26
“Mercy”

Invocation
Reveal Yourself
Reveal Yourself now
Rise up in this assembly
Show us a manifestation of who You are
I call forth a knitting together by Your Spirit
Of all created beings within the sound of my voice

Reveal Yourself
Reveal Yourself now
Awaken within each one of us
Reach out from within each one of us
So that your intangible essence will be felt and known

Reveal Yourself
Reveal Yourself now
You have promised to make yourself known
I call forth the revelation of Your presence
Of You as Presence within, between, and around us

We step into Your Sacred Circle
We invite You into our Sacred Circle
As we reveal ourselves to You
We also reach out to You and call upon You
Reveal Yourself now

Call to Worship
LEADER: This month we celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride as we work toward greater inclusion in every church, workplace, and family.
ALL: We gather today to be refreshed, renewed, and strengthened in our faith and in our resolve for the work we must do together.
LEADER: Listen, there is a voice calling us.
ALL: It is the voice of our Divine Beloved.
LEADER: The one who loves us invites us to mingle our voices together.
ALL: We call out in worship and praise together.
LEADER: Bring your hopes, expectations, and longings that you have carried with you throughout the week.
ALL: Here they are. We speak them in our spirit and with our words.
LEADER: Come and worship. Come and praise. Come and pray.
ALL: We commit ourselves to this sacred time of celebration.

Prayer For Transformation And New Life
LEADER: We acknowledge our suffering, brought about by queerphobic rhetoric in politics and in many churches.
ALL: So many of us are sick, scared, dying, or trapped.
LEADER: Holy Love, we can’t hold this alone.
ALL: We are discouraged and calling out to you.
LEADER: We acknowledge racism and the increase in violence toward our black and brown siblings.
ALL: This is unacceptable and sinful. We examine ourselves first for any prejudice which contributes to this violence.
LEADER: God of Mercy, change us where we need to be changed.
ALL: God of the Resistance, we stand with you and with our black and brown siblings in rebellion against our racist system.
LEADER: Divine Beloved, we acknowledge that it is hard to see ourselves as you see us.
ALL: Too frequently we put ourselves down or feel shameful about our personhood.
LEADER: We malign your excellence and creativity when we try to fit into boxes not made in our shape.
ALL: Remind us of our goodness when we praise Your goodness.
LEADER: The extent of Your image is a mystery to us. Help us to see this great mystery in ourselves.
ALL: Give us strength to claim our inherent sacrality.
LEADER: We become scared that others will mock us for seeing Your image as our intrinsic nature.
ALL: Find us, O God, in the midst of our fear. Give us strength to proclaim, “We are made in the image of The Divine!”

Words Of Grace
All that The Creator made is good. Rest assured; The Creator made you. You are good. You are holy. You are sacred. Sometimes we have to be careful how we present to others and with whom we share our authentic selves. While not all people can be trusted, we trust God to love us and celebrate us for who we really are. Lift up your head. Be proud. Allow yourself to know who you are. We praise God when we celebrate the diversity of humankind. Let us glorify God by celebrating the beautiful mystery and diversity that we each hold in ourselves. May your mind be at peace, your spirit soar, and your body be elated, as you feel Holy Love surrounding and uplifting you.

Invitation To Generosity
We are called to build a community. One beyond the status quo. Beyond our own expectations. This comes at a cost of time, talent, and treasure. Just as Moses stirred the hearts of his people, we are called to be stirred to give toward this Kin-dom we are creating. They brought blue, purple, and crimson linen. They brought fine metals and gems of all kinds. Our gifts are likewise varied. Likewise valuable in the sight of God and each other. It is our willing hearts that make our gifts precious. In our giving, no matter how much or what kind, we connect our spirits and continue the work of Kin-dom Creation.

Offertory Prayer
We are all one human family. In your love you created us. Through your grace you reach out to us. You are great enough to hold us all in your arms at the same time. Help us to open our hearts to the world that you love. Teach us to weave our lives together. We yield to Spirit, offering what we have to the greater good. In this way, each day, we begin again in love.

Pastoral Prayer
Holy One Of Blessing, eternally we co-create ourselves in your love.
All companionship orientations;
All gender identities and expressions;
All ways of having family.
We celebrate this Pride month for LGBTQ+ peoples everywhere
Knowing that many are still not safe to come out;
To be free;
To live life abundantly.
Heal all who are ill in body, mind, heart or spirit.
Bind up all wounds and provide adequate care.
Extinguish any stigma people are enduring.
This month, we celebrate because everyone should be celebrated.
We are your body on earth.
May our love and hope be sent on the wings of this prayer
To all who need refreshing, affirmation, and love’s embrace.
May it be so.

Mercy: Service Prayers for the Second Sunday after Pentecost was written by Rev. Mak Kneebone, who is passionate about creating wholeness in our broken world by following the path of Jesus as Christ.