21st Century Worship Resources for Pentecost 22B

Call to Worship
(Based on Psalm 34)

Leader: Bless the Lord at all times, let God's praises be continually in your mouths. Come and bless the Lord . . .

Right Side:
From fields and from farmhouses
From boats and from lakeshores!

Leader: Come and bless the Lord . . .

Left Side:
From subway stations and city parks
From crowded streets and from bus platforms!

Leader: Bless the Lord at all times . . .

Right side:
From classrooms and college halls
From playgrounds and playing fields!

Leader: Come and bless the Lord . . .

Left Side:
From doctors offices and waiting rooms
From hospital beds and nursing homes!

Leader: At home or at work, at rest or at play, in good times or even bad times, from wherever we may be . . .

All: We will bless the Lord at all times and God's praises will continually be in our mouths!

Morning Prayer
(Based on Mark 10:46-52)

All: Jesus Christ, Son of David, have mercy upon us!

So many days, we are like the blind beggar in Mark's gospel, sitting on the side of the road hoping to hear the sounds of your coming.
We are like the Canaanite woman begging for the crumbs that fall from your table.
We are like the woman who was sick for so many years who reached out to touch the hem of your garment.

All: Jesus Christ, Son of David, have mercy upon us!

Have mercy upon us when we cannot see how we will make it,
Have mercy upon us when we are sick and cannot get well,
Have mercy upon us when life hardens our hearts and makes it difficult for us to love, to heal or to forgive,
Have mercy upon us when persecution comes and when we are misunderstood.

All: Jesus Christ, Son of David, we come this morning
asking for strength to get to the other side,
and grace to represent you well.
We come, confident that your promise to be with us always is true
confident that you are greater than the trials we face
confident that we are secure in the palm of your hands.

We come to you today, like blind Bartimaeus who sat on the side of the road to Jericho, knowing that you love us and have not forgotten our needs.

All: Jesus Christ, Son of David, have mercy upon us,
And grant us your peace. Amen.

Safiyah Fosua is a former Discipleship Ministries staff member. Dr. Fosua is currently serving as Assistant Professor of Congregational Worship at Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana and is a clergy member of the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference.