Liturgy: Prayer of Lamentation in response to Amos 5:4-8,10-15

(Please feel free to use this resource.  Credit:  Rev. Murray Speer.)

Prayer of Lamentation and Unburdening

We want to seek you, O Holy One, God of All.

That is why we are here today.

We want to seek abundant life and your kingdom of peace and joy.

But so often life is difficult, even beyond the telling of it.

Forgive us for the times when we have acted unjustly,

because our pain made us blind to the pain of others.

Turn our bitterness into blessings,

and bring our dusty spirits to life.

We want to see all your people living in justice and harmony.

But so often we seek security in the things that we should be giving away.

Forgive us for the times when he have lived selfishly,

because our fear made us put our faith in the wrong things.

Turn our bitterness into blessings,

and bring our dusty spirits to life.

We want to transform ourselves in your image.

But so often we sit back and wait for you to come to us.

Forgive us for the times when we have done nothing,

because we have been made to feel powerless.

Turn our bitterness into blessings,

and bring our dusty spirits to life.

Amen.

Words of Assurance and Promise

People of God,

The prophet speaks in both anger and hope, but the moment we turn aside from unjust ways the anger of God is nowhere to be found.  God’s love is sufficient to sustain the entire world, and we have nothing to fear.  Thanks be to the Holy One. 

Liturgy: Responsive Reading of Psalm 126 with sung refrain

(Please feel free to use this adaptation.  Credit:  Rev. Murray Speer, NRSV, Voices United Psalter, The Inclusive Bible.)

Psalm 126

Responsive Reading with Refrain – Voices United p. 850 ref. 1

We’ll sing the song of joy, we’ll sing the song of joy!

When God brought us home from captivity,

it was like we were in a dream.

            Our mouths were full of laughter then,

            and our tongues were filled with shouts of joy.

Those who were outside looking in said:

'God has done great things for them.'

            Yes, God had done great things for us,

            we were filled with joy. 

We’ll sing the song of joy, we’ll sing the song of joy!

Set our hearts free again, O God,

like streams in the driest desert.

Then those who now sow in tears

will reap with shouts of joy.

Those who go out weeping

as they carry the seed for sowing,

            shall come home with songs of joy,

            as they carry their harvest home.

We’ll sing the song of joy, we’ll sing the song of joy!

Translation: Matthew 6:25-33

(Please feel free to use this translation.  Credit:  Rev. Murray Speer.)

25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your own life, 

what you will eat or drink, 

or about your body, what you will wear. 

Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 

26 Look at the birds of the air; 

they don’t plant food, harvest it, or store it up, 

and yet your divine protector feeds them. 

Are you not of more consequence than they are? 

27 But can worrying add even a single hour to your lifespan? 

28 And why do you worry about clothing? 

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; 

they don’t work hard and they don’t make cloth, 

29 yet I say to you, 

even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of them. 

30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, 

which is alive today and tomorrow is placed into the oven, 

will he not much more clothe you—who lack confidence? 

31 Therefore do not worry, saying, 

‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 

32 For it is the unfaithful outsiders who strive for all these things; 

and indeed your divine protector knows that you need all these things. 

33 But strive first for God’s kingdom and God’s way of justness, 

and all these things will be added to you.”