Call to Prayer

One: If Jesus is coming
Many: let warfare be ended
One: If Jesus is coming
Many: let violence cease
One: If Jesus is coming
Many: let earth begin healing
All: For he is Messiah, the Prince of Peace

Hymn “If Jesus Is Come”

Scripture Reading: Psalm 27:1,4-5, 13-14

1 The Lord is my light
and my salvation
Whom shall I fear?
the Lord is the strength of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

4 One thing have I desired of the Lord,
that will I seek after;
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the Lord,
and to enquire in the temple.

5 For in the time of trouble
And I shall hide in God’s tent
in the secret of the tabernacle shall God hide me;
And set me high upon a rock.

13 I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.

Sung Response
“Imagine the People of God”
Imagine, imagine the people of God, imagine the people of God
Believing, receiving becoming God’s love
Imagine the people of God

Imagine, imagine the people of God, imagine the people of God
Caring, sharing God’s love in the world
Imagine the people of God

(bridge)
Seeking the way of Jesus Christ
Trusting the courage to change
Being God’s love with our neighbors and friends
We are your people O God

Imagine, imagine the people of God, imagine the people of God
Believing, receiving becoming God’s love
We are your people, O God

Reading: Mark 13:32-35
32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert[e]! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

Sung Response “Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning” Spiritual

Extracanonical Reading:
from ‘why we can’t wait’ Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King
“Time itself is neutral; it can be used either destructively or constructively. More and more I feel that the people of ill will have used time much more effectively than have the people of good will. We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of people willing to work to be co-workers with God, and without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right.”
― Martin Luther King Jr., Why We Can’t Wait

Silent Reflection 

Sung Response “Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning” Spiritual

Prayers of the People

Blessing

One: Those who wait for the Lord
Many: shall renew their strength
One: Those who wait for the Lord
Many: shall mount up on wings like eagles
One: Those who wait for the Lord
Many: shall run and not be weary
One: Those who wait for the Lord
Many: shall walk and not faint.
Let us leave this place knowing the Lord is with us, now and always.

Sending Forth
TFWS #2184, “Sent Out in Jesus’ Name”