Call to worship
People of God, open your ears!
Come and celebrate the story of our God,
a story of compassion and mercy,
of redemption and love;
a story passed down from generation to generation,
so that God’s people never forget
the wonderful things our God has done!
Let’s praise God together!
Prayer
God, we call out to you!
From the depths of our hearts, we cry,
“Lord, hear our prayer!”
We are consumed by grief.
The events of the past few days have overwhelmed us—
it’s hard to sleep,
it’s hard to eat,
it’s even hard to pray.
Where are you, God?
Deep down, we know that you love us—
we’ve experienced your mercy and your faithfulness in the past,
and it has sustained us through many difficult times.
We refuse to believe that you have deserted us,
or that you are unaware of the pain that we’re feeling.
And so we turn to you again,
longing for your presence,
looking for your comfort and peace.
Surround us with your unfailing love.
Remind us that you alone are God,
and that you hold us in the palm of your hand.
Give us courage and strength to face the days ahead,
and strengthen us in the knowledge that we do not face them alone.
In the name of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, we pray.
Amen.
Psalm 77[a]
1 I cried out to God for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.
2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
at night I stretched out untiring hands,
and I would not be comforted.
3 I remembered you, God, and I groaned;
I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.[b]
4 You kept my eyes from closing;
I was too troubled to speak.
5 I thought about the former days,
the years of long ago;
6 I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart meditated and my spirit asked:
7 “Will the Lord reject forever?
Will he never show his favor again?
8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”
10 Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.
11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
12 I will consider all your works
and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”
13 Your ways, God, are holy.
What god is as great as our God?
14 You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
16 The waters saw you, God,
the waters saw you and writhed;
the very depths were convulsed.
17 The clouds poured down water,
the heavens resounded with thunder;
your arrows flashed back and forth.
18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,
your lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and quaked.
19 Your path led through the sea,
your way through the mighty waters,
though your footprints were not seen.
20 You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Prayers
Here we are Lord,
on our knees,
Crying mercy;
Mercy for our souls,
Mercy for one another,
Mercy for our churches,
Mercy for our nation,
mercy for our world.
Here we are again
Standing in your presence
in awe of you your holiness,
your otherness,
your mystery,
and your incarnation
We stand bringing the needs of our friends, family, church,
community, nation and world to lay at your feet.
We cry out in pain for the struggles of the world.
We cry out for those who are in pain, sick, in the hospital, rehab,
homebound, nursing homes and those on their death bead.
We cry out for the divisions and conflict that seems to be in our lives,
our families, our churches, our communities, our nation and our world.
We cry out for those who live in poverty, those who are starving,
those who are in prisons, and those who live under oppression.
Lord, pour out your mercy
like healing, comforting rain.
Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Let us confess our sin before God and one another …
silent confession
God, who made me in Your image, teach me to love myself as You love me.
God, who made me in Your image, allow me to show that image to the world.
God who made me in Your image, help me to see Your image in all those I meet.
God, who made me in Your image, teach me to conserve and protect all Your creation.
God, who made me in Your image, bless, protect, and keep me and all Your children safe.
Assurance of Pardon:
The One who breathed life into our lungs continues to be present with us. God, who has made us reflective of God’s own image, has forgiven us all and made us new creations. Therefore, since our sins are forgiven, to let us go forth with love and peace, honoring and upholding the dignity of all we meet, knowing we see reflections of God’s image all around.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
Rainbow Blessing
In the middle of a Pride parade, a trans woman in a white cowboy hat poses with a rainbow fan.
May the drag stage rise to meet you
May the world rise to accept and embrace you
May the rainbow of love enfold you
May your fluidity never be hindered
May your pronouns always be supported and your deadname forgotten
May those you invite into your life remain loyal
May your chosen family lift you up and catch you when you need it
May you be able to catch others when they need it
May you remember sensitivity is not weakness,
but instead a great strength welling up inside you
And until we meet again,
may you remember that you are loved and
you are divine.
Bellshill Central Church 