L: We come to worship God!
P: We come to celebrate God’s gifts!
L: We recognize that all we have is from God and through God.
P: We give our gifts to serve others, and thus we give back to God what is God’s!
L: We open our mouths and hearts, and give to God praise and honor!
P: God uses all our gifts for great purposes! Amen and amen!


L: God of compassion, you call us to care.
P: We answer your call.
L: God of understanding, you call us to reach out.
P: We answer your call.
L: God of justice, you call us to act.
P: We answer your call.
L: In a world brimming with hatred, selfishness and inequity, you call us to love, compassion and justice.
P: We answer your call.
L: And now in this time and in this place, you call us to pray and praise without ceasing.
P: We answer your call.


L: O God, giver of every perfect gift, we recognize that everything we are and have, we receive from you. And we know that when we open our hearts to the needs of others,
P: We reflect your love and light.
L: When we help the hungry and the homeless,
P: We reflect your love and light.
L: When we welcome the sojourner and treat the stranger with respect,
P: We reflect your love and light.
L: When we speak up in the face of injustice,
P: We reflect your love and light.
L: When we use our gifts to serve one another, especially the least among us,
P: We reflect your love and light.
L: May your love and light be reflected in all we do and are, now and forever,
P: Amen.


L: Gracious God, today we ask you to transform our hearts that we might be better able to do your work.
P: Gracious God, give us compassionate hearts...
L: . . . so that we may love others as we love ourselves.
P: Gracious God, give us unselfish hearts...
L: . . . so that we may learn to share without expectation of our own gain.
P: Gracious God, give us wise hearts...
L: . . . so that we may know the difference between wants and needs.
P: Gracious God, give us grateful hearts...
L: . . . so that we may unwrap every new day as the gift it is.
P: Gracious God, give us generous hearts...
L: . . . so that we may share all that you have given us.
P: Bless now our actions and our intentions, guiding them toward your work and your will, today and always, through Jesus Christ, amen and amen.


Lord of all, we marvel at your greatness. Your gifts know no beginning, they know no end. You give us this beautiful world; you give us our very lives, you give us your only Son that we may have life everlasting. Today we give to you these gifts with complete faith that you will use them for great purposes — your purposes — through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


O God, we offer these gifts in love and hope. We trust that you will transform what we give you today, as you always do, and use it for your great purposes. May this offering bring light to those in darkness, hope to those in despair, wholeness to those who are broken, and peace to all your people. Amen.


L: Our service of worship is over. Our service to God and others begins.
P: Our work has a purpose.
L: We work to feed the hungry, to shelter the homeless, to welcome the stranger, to care for the sick, to bring justice to the oppressed.
P: Our work has God’s purpose.
L: May we live and serve in that purpose and may the blessing of God — Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer — go with us, now and forever. Amen.


God’s gifts to us all are great and unending. Let us commit ourselves to follow God’s example of generosity, caring and compassion. Go forth and serve joyously! And may the love of God, the grace of Jesus Christ and the communion of the Holy Spirit go with you, now and forever. Amen.