Laura de Jong

The following originally appeared as part of "Grounded and Growing—Bearing Fruit Week 8: Self-Control."Prayer for IlluminationO Lord,as we turn to your word,give us understanding, so we might keep your lawand obey it with all our hearts.Give us delight in the path of your commands,and turn our eyes and our ears to your word,that our lives might be kept in your righteousness.Through Christ, our Lord, Amen. —Psalm 119:33–34, adapt.Revised Common LectionaryYear A: Epiphany—Seventh Sunday after the EpiphanyYear A: Season after Pentecost—Proper 18 (23)

The following originally appeared as part of "Grounded and Growing—Bearing Fruit Week 8: Self-Control."Call to ConfessionMany plants require some kind of trellis or frame to keep them stabilized and upright, to help them grow tall, towards the sun, where they can bear fruit in abundance. Followers of God, called to bear good fruit, are no different. We need a trellis to support us—practices that support our faith, that give structure to our lives so we stay oriented towards the Son. Prayer, scripture study, fellowship with fellow believers, silence, worship—all these practices and more provide us with this support.Confession is one such practice—a way in which we re-orient ourselves towards God and ask that God might prune that which is dead or diseased in our lives and fill us instead with the lifegiving power of his mercy and grace. So let us turn towards God now in prayer.Prayer of ConfessionHoly God,You have shown us, in your Word, what is good.You have marked out the way we should go,set boundary lines for us in pleasant places,and commanded us to walk in the way that brings freedom and flourishing.But we think we know better. We think freedom means getting to do whatever feels right to us at the time.We chafe against boundariesand find structures and guidelines to be constricting. We don’t trust that you have given us these things for our good, O God.Forgive us our lack of trust.Forgive us when we are careless with our lives, when our actions and words are thoughtless and hurtful.Forgive us when our carelessness causes others to doubt the good news we preach. Help us to order our lives around your word and your truth, to structure our lives in such a way that the Spirit can bear much good fruit through us. Help us to build our lives on you.Through Christ, our Lord, we pray.Amen. Assurance of Pardon & Response of PraiseIn Jeremiah 33, God says of the people Israel: “I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me,and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me.”—Jeremiah 33:8 NRSVUEBeloved of God, God forgives your rebellion, and cleanses you of all guilt. Return to him in gratitude, trusting in his goodness and mercy. Let us say together:All:Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;    you make my lot secure. Leader:The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;    surely I have a delightful inheritance. All:I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;    even at night my heart instructs me. Leader:I keep my eyes always on the Lord.    With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. All:Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;    my body also will rest secure, Leader:because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,    nor will you let your faithful one see decay. All:You make known to me the path of life;    you will fill me with joy in your presence,    with eternal pleasures at your right hand.—Psalm 16:5–11 NIVRevised Common LectionaryYear A: Easter—Second Sunday of EasterYear B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 28 (33)Year C: Season after Pentecost—Proper 8 (13)

The following originally appeared as part of "Grounded and Growing—Bearing Fruit Week 8: Self-Control."Call to WorshipLeader:The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it,The world, and those who live in it; All:For he has founded it on the seas,And established it on the rivers. Leader:Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?And who shall stand in his holy place? All:Those who have clean hands and pure hearts,Who do not lift up their souls to what is false,And do not swear deceitfully.—Psalm 24:1–4 NRSVUE Leader:Let us worship our holy God with reverence and awe!Revised Common LectionaryYear B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 10 (15)Year B: Season after Pentecost—All Saints Day

The following originally appeared as part of "Grounded and Growing—Bearing Fruit Week 7: Gentleness."Call to ConfessionWhen God extends to us these invitations—to rest, to come to him, to lay our burdens down—do we listen? All too often we run about, busy and frantic, unwilling to let go of control, certain that if we open our clenched fists, everything will fall apart. We are prone to wander indeed.But God’s invitation remains the same, steady, always there amidst our busyness: Come to me. I will give you rest.Let us turn to God and confess our lack of trust, but also our need for the steady presence of God. Prayer of ConfessionShepherding God,we hear your invitations to restand it's hard not to scoff.Slowing down seems so impossible.There are too many demands on our timeand too many problems for us to solve. If we put our feet up, this life we’ve built for ourselves will crumble.But we’re tired, God,and we know we can’t love our best when we’re so busy. We’ve yelled at our spouses and snapped at our kids.We’ve spoken poorly of our colleagues to deflect attentionfrom our own failing job performance. We haven’t been gentle, God, with ourselves and with each other. We confess our prideful need for controland the sharp edges we’ve developed as a result. Soften us, God. Help us trust that you are near, that you hold all things in your hands,that we can rest in you. Amen.Assurance of Pardon & Response of PraiseHear these comforting words:Nothing in all of creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.By his love we are forgiven, and in his love we can rest.People of God, be at peace. God has made you holy and whole.His grace is enough for you.Song of Thanksgiving“Jesus Strong and Kind” Robinson et al.Passing of the PeaceSince God has forgiven us, let us also forgive one anotherand live in peace with our neighbor. In the gentleness of the good shepherd,let us extend Christ’s peace to one another.Revised Common LectionaryYear A: Season after Pentecost—Proper 9 (14)

The following originally appeared as part of "Grounded and Growing—Bearing Fruit Week 7: Gentleness."Call to WorshipAs we gather this morning, perhaps from a busy and harried week, Jesus extends us this invitation: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”—Matthew 11:28–30 NIVOpening Song“Come Away from Rush and Hurry” DawnRevised Common LectionaryYear A: Season after Pentecost—Proper 9 (14)

The following originally appeared as part of "Grounded and Growing—Bearing Fruit Week 6: Faithfulness."Call to Holy LivingHaving been assured of our forgiveness, let us dedicate our lives to holy living:Hear these words of God: “I am the Lord your God.You shall have no other gods before me.You shall not make for yourself an idol,     whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above,     or that is on the earth beneath,     or that is in the water under the earth.You shall not bow down to them or worship them.You shall not make wrongful use     of the name of the Lord your God.Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy.Honor your father and your mother.You shall not murder.You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal.You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.You shall not covet your neighbor’s house;     you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife,     or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”—from Exodus 20:1–17 NRSVIn gratitude for God’s grace,and by the power of the Holy Spirit,we will live according to God’s laws,seeking to be more like Christ in all we do and say.Revised Common LectionaryYear A: Season after Pentecost—Proper 22 (27)Year B: Lent—Third Sunday in Lent

The following originally appeared as part of "Grounded and Growing—Bearing Fruit Week 6: Faithfulness."Call to ConfessionJesus is our cornerstone; the king above all kings, the one on whom we can rely. Like us, he journeyed through the wilderness, tried and tempted. But Jesus, fully divine, did what we could not, and was perfectly faithful to God’s laws. Because of Jesus’ faithfulness, we can live in the certainty of God’s presence to us in the wilderness, and the assurance of God’s forgiveness when we go astray. In hope and trust, let us confess our sins to God. Prayer of ConfessionJesus,when we read the story of your temptation in the wilderness,we read ourselves into the story all too easily.We know what it is to be tempted. But unlike you, we succumb to our temptations time and time again.So we confess that we have tried to take shortcuts to bypass suffering,rather than stay faithful to the road you lead us on.We confess that we want God to serve us, not the other way around.We confess that we want to rule, to have power and wealth,even at the expense of others.  Jesus, you endured suffering even to the point of the cross,not turning away, but staying true to your mission.By your faithfulness, we have been set free.Forgive our faithlessness, and help us to live in obedience and faith.Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, O God,by the power of the Spirit that was with Jesus in the wilderness.Help us to trust in you.Amen. Assurance of Pardon When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. —Colossians 2:13–14 NIVBe at peace, trusting in the forgiveness of your sins.Revised Common LectionaryYear C: Season after Pentecost—Proper 12 (17)

The following originally appeared as part of "Grounded and Growing—Bearing Fruit Week 6: Faithfulness."GreetingWe gather in this place, trusting that Godknows what our hearts carryfrom the week before. And God knows what lies ahead, what worries are on our hearts, what anxieties we might carry as we think aboutthe coming week. To each of us, God’s promise is as sure as it was tohis people centuries ago, when he spoke through the prophet Isaiah:“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;I have summoned you by name; you are mine.When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;and when you pass through the rivers,they will not sweep over you.When you walk through the fire,you will not be burned;The flames will not set you ablaze.for I am the Lord your God,the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.—Isaiah 43:1–3 NIVGrace to you, and peace from God our Fatherand the Lord Jesus Christ, our firm foundation. Amen. Revised Common LectionaryYear C: Epiphany—Baptism of the Lord

The following originally appeared as part of "Grounded and Growing—Bearing Fruit Week 6: Faithfulness."Call to WorshipLeader:Praise the Lord. All:I will extol the Lord with all my heart    in the council of the upright and in the assembly. Leader:Great are the works of the Lord;    they are pondered by all who delight in them. All:Glorious and majestic are his deeds,    and his righteousness endures forever. Leader:He has shown his people the power of his works,    giving them the lands of other nations. All:The works of his hands are faithful and just;    all his precepts are trustworthy. Leader:They are established for ever and ever,    enacted in faithfulness and uprightness. All:He provided redemption for his people;    he ordained his covenant forever—    holy and awesome is his name. Leader:The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;    all who follow his precepts have good understanding. All:   To him belongs eternal praise.—Psalm 111:1–3, 6–10 NIVRevised Common LectionaryYear B: Epiphany—Fourth Sunday after the EpiphanyYear B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 15 (20)Year C: Season after Pentecost—Proper 23 (28)

The following originally appeared as part of "Grounded and Growing—Bearing Fruit Week 5: Generosity & Kindness."OfferingThe psalmist says in Psalm 112:Blessed are those who fear the Lord,who find great delight in his commands.Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,who conduct their affairs with justice.Surely the righteous will never be shaken;they will be remembered forever.They will have no fear of bad news;their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.—Psalm 112:1, 4–7 NIVEvery week we have an opportunity to practice generosity, to put our trust in the Lord and so be free with our gifts of money, time, and energy. In gratitude for everything God has given us, let us give our offering in joy and trust. Revised Common LectionaryYear C: Season after Pentecost—Proper 17 (22)Year A: Epiphany—Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany