C:And Our Mouth Shall Show Forth Your Praise

Greetings

P:O Lord, open our lips

C:and our mouth shall show forth your praise.

P:O Lord, make speed to save us.

C:O Lord, make haste to help us.

P:O God, show your mercy upon us

C:and grant us your salvation.

P:This is the day which our Lord has made.

C:Let us all rejoice and be glad in it.

L: God sets us free;

C: calls us in love to the fullness of life.

L: Christ respects our humanness;

C: walks with us in all our struggles.

L:The Spirit celebrates our moving forward;

C:dances ahead of us, leading us on.

L:In the beginning

before time, before people, before the world began,

A:God was.

L:Here and now,

among us, beside us,enlisting the people of earth for the purpose of heaven,

A:God is.

L:In the future,

when we have turned to dust, and all we know have found its fulfilment,

A:God will be.

L:Not denying the world, but delighting in it,

not condemning the world, but redeeming it,

through Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit,

A:God was, God is, God will be.

Confession of Sin

01
L:We have not believed you or trusted in your power.
C:Lord, help our unbelief.

Silence or testimony of belief.

L:We have stained our souls by our action and inaction.
C:Cleanse us, Lord.

Silence or testimony of cleansing.

L:We are broken by disease, bruised by the sins of others, weakened and unable to repair ourselves.

C:Heal us, Lord.

Silence or testimony of healing.

L:We ignore your call to center our lives in you, and so are deaf to the hopes and cries of the poor, the sick, the needy, and the earth.

C:Ground us, Lord!

Silence or testimony of centering.

L:When we confess our sinful ways, God abundantly pardons.
In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.

C:In the name of Jesus Christ, we are all forgiven. Glory to God!

Creeds

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

L:We belong to the Creator
in whose image we are all made.

C:In God we are breathing,
in God we are living,
in God we share the life of all creation.

L:We belong to Jesus Christ,
the true icon of God and of humanity.

C:In him God is breathing,
in him God is living,
through him we are reconciled.

L:We belong to the Holy Spirit,
who gives us new life
and strengthens our faith.

C:In the Spirit love is breathing,
in the Spirit truth is living,
the breath of God always moves us.

L:We belong to the Holy Trinity,
who is one in all and Three-in-One.

C:In God we are all made,
in Christ we are all saved,
in the Spirit we are all united. (Per Harling)

L:Where the Spirit of the Lord is,

there is the one true church, apostolic and universal,

whose holy faith let us now declare:

A:We believe in God the Father,

infinite in wisdom, power, and love,

whose mercy is over all his works,

and whose will is ever directed to his children’s good.

We believe in Jesus Christ,

Son of God and Son of man,

the gift of the Father’s unfailing grace,

the ground of our hope,

and the promise of our deliverance from sin and death.

We believe in the Holy Spirit

as the divine presence in our lives,

whereby we are kept in perpetual remembrance

of the truth of Christ,

and find strength and help in time of need.

We believe that this faith should manifest itself

in the service of love

as set forth in the example of our blessed Lord,

to the end that the kingdom of God may come upon the earth.

Amen.

A:We believe in God,

L:who speaks, and what never existed before appears,

who from a small spark makes a whole universe, complex and beautiful,

who yearns for all creation to live in freedom and harmony,

who expects from us justice and for all humanity life abundant.

A:We believe in Jesus Christ,

L:challenging us to serve with gentle but firm compassion,

rejecting our love of comfort, seeing through our excuses,

offering grace and mercy so wide that even our weakness and fear are accepted.

A:We believe in the Holy Spirit,

L:who encourages and holds us,

who loves all peoples with their cultures, their struggles, their hopes,

who makes us a community with those close at hand and those far away,

who heals the infirmities and anguish of our world.

A:We believe that we are called to be God’s people,

L:accompanying the lonely and the uprooted,

forgiving debts,

denouncing the distortion of justice,

loving the poor

and restoring creation, now and forever.

A:Amen.

L:We believe, Lord Jesus, that you are the true Light,

that enlightens all who come into the world.

A:We believe and we confess.

L:We believe, Lord Jesus, that you are the Light of the world,

and that in you we discover the Light of life.

A:We believe and we confess.

L:We believe, Lord Jesus, that as we walk in Light,

We have fellowship with one another, and you cleanse us from all sin.

A:We believe and we confess. Amen.

L:We believe in God, the Father Almighty:

A:Creator of heaven and earth,

Creator of peoples and cultures,

Creator of languages and races.

L:We believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord, Son of the Father:

A:God made flesh in a human being for all human beings,

God made flesh in a moment for all ages,

God made flesh in a culture for all cultures,

God made flesh in love and grace for all creation.

L:We believe in the Holy Spirit through whom Jesus Christ was made incarnate:

A:present in our peoples and in our cultures;

through which God, the Creator of all that exists, empowers us to be new creatures;

who with infinite gifts makes us one people, the body of Jesus Christ.

L:We believe in the Church universal as a sign of the Kingdom to come:

A:more faithful as more colourful it appears,

where all colours paint one landscape,

where all languages sing one praise.

L:We believe in the Kingdom to come, joyful day:

A:where all the colours of creation will be united in a rainbow of harmony,

when all the peoples of the earth will be united in a banquet of joy,

when all languages in the universe will be united in I choir of praise.

L:And because we believe, we commit ourselves:

A:to believe for those who do not believe,

To love for those who do not love,

To dream for those who do not dream,

Until what we expect becomes a reality. Amen!

L:We belong to the Creator, in whose image we are all made.

A:In God we are breathing, in God we are living, in God we share the life of all creation.

L:We belong to Jesus Christ, the true icon of God and of humanity.

A:In him God is breathing, in him God is living, through we are reconciled.

L:We belong to the Holy Spirit, who gives us new life and strengthens our faith.

A:In the Spirit love is breathing, in the Spirit truth is living, the breath of God always moves us.

L:We belong to the Holy Trinity, who is one in all and three in one.

A:In God we are all made, in Christ we are all saved, in the Spirit we are all united.

I believe in a God, one only,

an artist who’s painting life.

With words and with colors all life

is formed by eternal light.

I believe in a God, one only,

a godchild of humankind.

With love and with truth he opens

eternity in my mind.

I believe in a God, one only,

one Spirit, a mystery,

that’s breathing with me for now on

and into eternity. (Tomas Boström)

L:God in the Spirit revealed in Jesus Christ calls us by grace

C:to be renewed in the image of our Creator,

that we may be one

in divine love for the world.

L:Today is the day

C:God cares for the integrity of creation,

wills the healing and wholeness of all life,

weeps at the plunder of earth’s goodness.

And so shall we.

L:Today is the day

C:God embraces all hues of humanity,

delights in diversity and difference,

favors solidarity transforming strangers into friends.

And so shall we.

L:Today is the day

C:God cries with the masses of starving people,

despises growing disparity between rich and poor,

demands justice for workers in the marketplace.

And so shall we.

L:Today is the day

C:God deplores the violence in our homes and streets,

rebukes the world’s warring madness,

humbles the powerful and lifts up the lowly.

And so shall we.

L:Today is the day

C:God calls for nations and peoples to live in peace,

celebrates where justice and mercy embrace,

exults when the wolf grazes with the lamb.

And so shall we.

L:Today is the day

C:God brings good news to the poor,

proclaims release to the captives,

gives sight to the blind, and

sets the oppressed free.

And so shall we.

L: My sisters and brothers, God is! (Clap, clap)
A: God is. (Clap, clap)

God’s presence is with us whether or not we are aware of it,
Whether or not we feel it, whether or not we believe it.
God was here before we arrived,
So we do not have to ask for God to be present.
We simply have to awaken to the one who was, who is, and who will always be.
(Silence)

L: My sisters and brothers, God accepts us and loves us! (clap, clap)
A: God accepts us and loves us. (Clap, clap)

God accepts us and loves us whether or not we are aware of it,
Whether or not we feel it, whether or not we believe it.
God accepted us and loved us before we accepted and loved God,
So we do not have to ask God to accept us and love us.
We simply have to awaken to the love that was, that is, and that will always be.
(Silence)

L: My sisters and brothers, God cares! (clap, clap)
A: God cares. (Clap, clap)

All our problems are known to God, all our pains are felt by God,
All our faults are forgiven by God, and all our concerns are shared with God.
We are not alone.
So now, we awaken ourselves to the presence of God,
So good, so kind, so holy, so just, so powerful, so real, so near, so here.
And now, we awaken ourselves to the acceptance of God.
We accept our acceptance, and we love because God first loves us.
And now, we awaken ourselves to the care of God.
(Silence)

L: Wake up, sleepers! (Clap, clap)
A: Let us awaken! (Clap, clap)
L: Arise from the dead! (clap, clap)
A: Let us arise! (clap clap)

The light of Christ shines upon us! (Brian McLaren)

11The Jesus Creed

We have confidence in Jesus
Who healed the sick, the blind, and the paralyzed.
And even raised the dead.

He cast out evil powers and
Confronted corrupt leaders.
He cleansed the temple.
He favored the poor.
He turned water into wine,
Walked on water, calmed storms.

He died for the sins of the world,
Rose from the dead, and ascended to the Father,
Sent the Holy Spirit.

We have confidence in Jesus
Who taught in word and example,
Sign and wonder.
He preached parables of the kingdom of God
On hillsides, from boats, in the temple, in homes,
At banquets and parties, along the road, on beaches, in towns,
By day and by night.

He taught the way of love for God and neighbor,
For stranger and enemy, for outcast and alien.

We have confidence in Jesus,
Who called disciples, led them,
Gave them new names and new purpose
And sent them out to preach good news.
He washed their feet as a servant.
He walked with them, ate with them,
Called them friends,
Rebuked them, encouraged them,
Promised to leave and then return,
And promised to be with them always.

He taught them to pray.
He rose early to pray, stole away to desolate places,
Fasted and faced agonizing temptations,
Wept in a garden,
And prayed, ‘Not my will but your will be done.’
He rejoiced, he sang, he feasted, he wept.

We have confidence in Jesus,
So we follow him, learn his ways,
Seek to obey his teaching and live by his example.
We walk with him, walk in him, abide in him,
As a branch in a vine.

We have not seen him, but we love him.
His words are to us words of life eternal,
And to know him is to know the true and living God.
We do not see him now, but we have confidence in Jesus. Amen. (Brian McLaren)

12The Justice Creed
We believe that the living God is just
And that the true and living God loves justice.
God delights in just laws and rejoices in just people.
God sides with those who are oppressed by injustice,
And stands against oppressors.
God is grieved by unjust people and the unjust systems they create and sustain.
God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, and
God's kingdom belongs to those willing to be persecuted for the sake of justice.
To God, justice is a weighty thing which can never be ignored.

We believe that Jesus, the Liberating King, came to free humanity from injustice
And to display the justice of God,
In word and deed, in life, death, and resurrection.
The justice which God desires, Jesus taught, must surpass that of the hypocrites,
For the justice of God is a compassionate justice,
Rich in mercy and abounding in love
For the last, the least, the lost, and the outcast.
On his cross, Jesus drew the injustice of humanity into the light,
And there the heartless injustice of human empire met
The reconciling justice of the kingdom of God.
The resurrection of Jesus proclaims that the true justice of God,
Naked, vulnerable, and scarred by abuse, is stronger
Than the violent injustice of humanity, armed with weapons, conceit,
deceit, and lies.

We believe that the Holy Spirit is here, now,
Convicting the world of sin and justice,
Warning that God's judgment will come on all that is unjust.
We believe that the Kingdom of God is justice, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Empowered by the Spirit, then, we seek first God's kingdom and God's justice,
For the world as it is has not yet become the world as God desires it to be.
And so we live, and work, and pray,
Until justice rolls down like water,
And flows strong and free like a never-failing stream.
For we believe that the living God is just
And that the true and living God loves justice. Amen. (Brian McLaren)

We believe that God the Father,
Good Creator and giver of life,
Calls us to love all creation
And care for it as respectful stewards,
To do justice, to love mercy,
And to walk humbly with God.

We believe that Jesus Christ,
Sent from God to save and lead us,
Teaches us to love God with heart, soul, mind, and strength
And to love our neighbors as ourselves,
So we see God in the poor, oppressed, condemned, and forgotten,
And embrace all people with God’s true compassion.

We believe that the Holy Spirit,
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
Unites us in God’s eternal dance of love,
Empowers us diversely to serve and love,
And fills us to overflow with grace, truth, beauty, and life
As God’s agents in this world.(Brian McLaren)

We believe in God the Father
Who created all that is
And gave our ancestors the dignity of freedom,
Which we abused and are abusing still.
God grieves over our evil
And calls us to his better way.
God loves the whole world,
And sent His Son, Jesus, to save, not to condemn.

We believe in Jesus Christ,
Born as God-with-us,
Who taught us in parables, who performed signs and wonders,
Who healed the sick, touched the unclean,
Received failures and welcomed them to his feast.
He trained common people as disciples and sent them into the world with his saving love.

He was betrayed, rejected, mocked, tortured, and crucified.
But he rose from death and is alive and with us always,
And lives in us, the hope of glory,
Indwelling and filling us through the Holy Spirit.

We believe in the Holy Spirit
Who unites us and gives us gifts so we can serve one another in love.
The Spirit transforms us to live in the way of Christ
And empowers us to make Christ known in gracious words and deeds of justice and compassion.

The Spirit bears fruit in us of love, joy, peace, and all sorts of goodness
And is at work in the world, moving like the wind.
The Holy Spirit invites us into the eternal dance of love:
Father, Son, and Spirit, mutually indwelling,
Moving for, with, in, and through creation,
Forever and forever.

Amen. (Brian McLaren)