Author: Bellshill Central

Call to worship

On this Safeguarding Sunday,
we gather in the presence of God,
who loves each one of us.

We come, those who seem perfect,
those who are at peace.
We come, those who seem tarnished,
those who are discomforted.

We come together
to worship God,
all of us,
all loved,
all called,
all forgiven,
for all our hope is in God.

Adoration and Confession

God of earthquake, wind, and fire,
God of healing touch and uniting love,
God of our ancestors, neighbours, and grandchildren,
God of deafening silence and quiet harmonies –
We are drawn by Your Spirit
calling out to our own souls,
for You are the source of all life,
the home to which we will return.
In You we find strength and comfort,
safety and courage.
May all that is in us, praise You, O God!

We are crafted in Your divine image: we rejoice;
we fall short of Your perfect love: we lament;
we contribute to the pain of others: we confess;
we fear what we do not understand: we repent.

In our return to You, welcoming God,
we seek Your healing, transforming touch,
knowing You will not withhold it,
not now, not ever: praise be to You, O God!
Amen

PSALM 42

¹ As the deer pants for streams of water,
    so my soul pants for you, my God.
² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
    When can I go and meet with God?
³ My tears have been my food
    day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”
⁴ These things I remember
    as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
    under the protection of the Mighty One^[d]
with shouts of joy and praise
    among the festive throng.

⁵ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.

⁶ My soul is downcast within me;
    therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
    the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
⁷ Deep calls to deep
    in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
    have swept over me.

⁸ By day the Lord directs his love,
    at night his song is with me—
    a prayer to the God of my life.

⁹ I say to God my Rock,
    “Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
    oppressed by the enemy?”
¹⁰ My bones suffer mortal agony
    as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”

¹¹ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.

Psalm 43

¹ Vindicate me, my God,
    and plead my cause
    against an unfaithful nation.
Rescue me from those who are
    deceitful and wicked.
² You are God my stronghold.
    Why have you rejected me?
Why must I go about mourning,
    oppressed by the enemy?
³ Send me your light and your faithful care,
    let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
    to the place where you dwell.
⁴ Then I will go to the altar of God,
    to God, my joy and my delight.
I will praise you with the lyre,
    O God, my God.

⁵ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.

Prayer of thanksgiving and intercession

Sometimes these prayers are placed together, and sometimes as two separate prayers. When bringing them together, we can give thanks and then intercede; or we can use what we are thankful for to help us pray for others. You may also want to include references to particular situations in your family, community and wider sphere.

Eternal defender and protector of the weak,
we give thanks for Your universal love,
which sees beyond our human labels and divisions,
rejoicing even more in Your preference for the outcast and oppressed.

We give thanks for everyone in the church
who works tirelessly, and often in confidence, to keep others safe;
we pray for all children and vulnerable adults who engage with our mission:
may they know Your love and protection.

We give thanks for the shelter and protection of our homes;
we pray for all people who are homeless, for whatever reason,
including refugees and victims of trafficking:
may they know Your love and protection.

We give thanks for the range and quality of food around us;
we pray for each person who is hungry,
whether they be across the world or on our doorsteps:
may Your love be shown in practical ways.

We give thanks for easy access to clean water;
we pray for all who are parched with thirst,
especially where the decision is dirty water or none:
may Your love be shown in practical ways.

We give thanks for the relative peace and security we enjoy:
we pray for all places of war and violence,
whether the aggressor be in the home or another nation:
may Your peace be known in our time.

We give thanks for all the bits of our life that bring us joy and contentment;
we pray for the broken-hearted, bereaved, and lonely,
and for all who have lost faith or purpose in life:
may Your peace be known in their hearts.

Healing, liberating, transforming God,
in amongst our shouts and songs of thanksgiving,
may we hear Your still whisper in the midst of pain and suffering,
and may we respond with courageous tenderness
to the needs around us,
as we follow the example of Christ Jesus, our teacher and Lord, AMEN.

blessing

“Return home,
and declare how much God has done for you.”
And the blessing of our ever-loving God,
Creator, Christ and Spirit,
rest upon you and all whom you love,
this day and forevermore, AMEN.