Prayers for Our Youth Sunday Service

Here's some of the liturgy and prayers I was commissioned to write for our Youth Sunday church service this week.

*RESPONSIVE CALL TO WORSHIP
One: Jesus said, “take up your cross and follow me.”
ALL: WITH GOD’S SON AS OUR EXAMPLE, WE WILL WALK HUMBLY WITH OUR GOD, EVEN TO DEATH.
One: “I lay down my life only to take it up again.”
ALL: RAISE US UP WITH CHRIST, OH SPIRIT OF GOD
One: “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you” to live, to love, and to serve.
ALL: FOR THE OLD ORDER OF THINGS HAS PASSED AWAY, “BEHOLD I AM MAKING ALL THINGS NEW.”

*UNISON PRAYER OF INVOCATION
God of glory and service, we come to You today with open hearts and open hands ready to receive from You the blessing of Your Word and Your communion, ready to offer ourselves to You. Come to us with love and draw us together in Your body as we draw together to worship you. We come to Your table in anticipation of the day when none shall go hungry and none shall be denied. In Your sacrifice You have said “yes” to us when all others have said “no.” We dedicate this day as our “yes” to You. We pray this in the name of the servant king; Christ, the Lord. Amen.

UNISON PRAYER OF CONFESSION
God of mercy, You created us in Your image and yet now we are but broken mirrors, meant to reflect Your image into the world but each day failing to do so. We are no strangers to brokenness. We have become masters at faking, pretending that we have it all together. We confess today that we do not. We confess that we can move no further if we do not move in You. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ our savior. Amen.

WORD OF ASSURANCE (Matthew 20:28)
The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.

UNISON PRAYER OF DEDICATION [(after we take offering)]
Lord of all things, we return these gifts which You have given to us back to You, to be used for Your kingdom and for the service of others. We give You these gifts, not in mere obligation, but as an act of worship to You. Amen.

Comments

Brian Vinson said…
Hey Wes, some good prayers, but I wonder why you were commissioned to write prayers for the youth sunday service? Couldn't a youth write prayers?

One thing I discovered in leading youth services was that when I really let the youth plan and lead (instead of me), they always blew away all expecations. There was something about relinquishing control... SP wanted me to "preach" on youth Sunday, but I wouldn't (it wasn't youth pastor Sunday!) and the testimonies from the youth were powerful...
wellis68 said…
Thief,
This is just the way it worked out this time. The youth are doing everything else--preaching, singing, doing a skit, communion, etc. They're not even gonna see me up there. Next time around I totally plan on giving more work to the students.
Thanks for the wise suggestion.
-Wes