Proclamation of the Word in Scripture, enlarged by the word of the sermon, comes as God's gift to the gathered body. Blessings, whether offered by the pastor or others in the priesthood of believers, are only specific moments of offered well-being and care in the continuous stream of blessing that God continually gives. Our praise, thanksgiving, and adoration honor God's unsurpassed greatness, compassion, and love. Our prayers of confession acknowledge our sinfulness and idolatry, as we seek forgiveness and reconciliation. Prayers of petition seek God's mercy for our deepest needs.
Intercessions speak our concerns for brothers and sisters, known and unknown.
Offering opens our tight and constricted hands and hearts, an act that makes available to God what is truly God's. Testimony witnesses to the Spirit's movement in our lives, recognizing God's work within us to conform our lives to Christ's. These actions, done with intention and openness to the Holy Spirit's movement, are the means for righting our relationships with God, one another, and with the world. They are our beliefs about peace in action, embodied in the Body. I offer these suggestions to spur your meditations and imaginations.