Together, we gather to be present to the God who is already present to us.

However you are joining us, we encourage you to participate in the work of God today as He speaks and leads us. Wherever you are, God is already present and at work all around us. Let’s join Him!

God of the in-between,
God of children gone too soon,
And their mourning parents,
And their ravaged communities,
We ask you to weep with us.

God of our questioning,
God of preyed upon bodies,
And their grieving families,
And their weary “why?”,
We ask you to bring justice.

We offer a prayer in silence as we wait on you.

—— (moment of silence) ——

We have no answers, but we have you.
We have no solace in the existence of hell on earth, but we have you. In the valley of the shadow of death, we have you.

Fill this darkness, God.
It overwhelms and entangles.
It kills and steals and destroys.
This brokenness, this hatred,
We renounce in your name
As anti-human and anti-Christ.

Bring peace, God.
In our imperfection we often cannot imagine how you will possibly bring beauty. We want to trust. There is so much we do not know.

But we know you patiently hold our doubt. We know you angrily cry at the graves of those you love. We know this is not the end. We know you love us. Let that love be strong, God. Let that love be stronger than death.

Hold us in your strength as we mourn.
Amen.

We seek to share a common way of life – a shared journey into the life of Jesus. We do so through 3 discipleship pathways: Communion, Community, and Co-Mission. Learn more at restorationlex.com/pathways!

Intercessory prayer is the intentional act of contending for the needs others before God. This past week, we’ve all seen how dark and broken our world can be. In addition, others around us are facing their own darkness, pain, and longings. This week, spend intentional time interceding in prayer for someone in need of God’s restoring love. Perhaps it’s a sickness, a struggle, or circumstance that’s left them in need. Whatever it is, consistently, intentionally pray for them this week!

Talk it over with your Home Church (or a group of friends) this week. 1. This weekend we talked about living in the tension of “the already and the not yet.” How do you feel that tension between grief and hope in your own life? How do you respond? 2. Lee Camp writes: “The primary task of the Christian community is not to be a so-called religious gathering concerned with souls floating off into the afterlife, nor is it to be a sort of spiritualized yoga class helping individuals find existential peace with themselves. The primary task of the church is to embody and bear witness to the end of history, an all-compassing reality that has already broken into the world.” How might we (Restoration, your Home Church) live this together?

Jesus taught us to pray “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” But it’s not just our prayer – it’s our call to action. This week, prayer walk your neighborhood. Ask God to bring his kingdom to bear in the lives of those around you. Have your eyes open for opportunities for serving – or maybe just a conversation. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be weird about it. Walk, pray, listen. That simple. 

The Gospel Of The Kingdom by George Eldon Ladd
One of the central resources for understanding the “already/not yet” kingdom of God. A short, accessible book.

The Gospel Of The Kingdom Video – BibleProject