Call to Worship and Offertory Prayer for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year B

One: Jesus interrupts the busyness of our lives, offering sweet words of invitation: "Follow me."

Many: It is so hard for us to walk away from what we have known and trust Jesus to provide for our needs, stepping into an unexpected, unknown future. But we will go anyway, trusting his love for us.

One: Jesus invites us to sit at table and share a meal with him; even in our sinfulness.

Many: Does he know who we are? Does he understand the temptations to which we have yielded, and the sins we have committed? Does Jesus know who we really are? We will receive whatever he offers to us, trusting his love for us.

One: Jesus allows us to touch him without first asking, that we might be healed.

Many: We feel unworthy to touch even the hem of his garment. We are so in need of restoration that we will try this one last thing; we have already tried everything else. We reach out to him, regardless of the consequences, trusting his love for us.

One: Jesus stretches out his hand, lifts us up, and invites us to new life.

Many: We have been dead so long that we are dry, brittle, and dusty. Our faith has been all but blown away by the winds of stress, distress, and worry. We are in need of new life. We beg you, make us well again; we trust in your love.

Offertory Prayer for Difficult Economic Times

Loving God, you continue to provide for our every need, even when it seems that the resources we have taken for granted seem to be shrinking. We trust that your love for us will be sufficient to supply all our needs. So with glad and generous hearts, we present our tithes and offerings to you, not counting the cost, but counting our blessings. Thank you for the opportunity to demonstrate our faith in you by unselfishly sharing your bounty with others. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

The Rev. Dr. LaGretta Bjorn is the pastor of the United Methodist Church of Spring Valley in Spring Valley, New York and is a clergy member of the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.

Copyright 2009, 2012 The Rev. Dr. LaGretta Bjorn. All Rights Reserved. Posted with permission on the Discipleship Ministries website. This resource may be printed, copied, distributed, reprinted in church bulletins or newsletters, or otherwise used for nonprofit local church worship or education with the inclusion of the copyright citation and Discipleship Ministries Worship website as its source.