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The next section of the Alternate Liturgy serves as a unique form of invocation – an invitation for us to be aware of the Presence of God, to acknowledge the connection that we often forget is at the centre of our lives.

I believe that this section is all original to our community, but I wouldn’t be shocked if a phrase or two was recalled from elsewhere. An earlier version of this began the liturgy before we added the Thanksgiving Address to the beginning, and we’ve made a few improvements along the way as well.

A key priority in this section is for us to start with a mindful and honest acknowledgement of “how we are coming” to the service, particularly with an awareness of how often the conscious experience of Presence and connection drift away from our attention as we live our lives.

About two thirds of the way through, we turn our attention from our starting place, and “call out for help.” Here is the invocation proper, when we invite God to meet us in our need and help prepare us to face life well. Here is the “Joining” section:

From where we are,
We begin the journey

We sense that we are often disconnected
From our bodies, from ourselves
From each other – those near and those far away
From the dirt beneath our feet, the sky above us
From You, our God – ever present, often hidden
Manifest and silent

Now, we are here
We are here together
Now, we take a step
we reach out, we take a breath

Together, we wait
With our doubt and our faith
We look up, raise our voices, and call out for help

When we hurt and when we grieve
Walk with us
When we are stubborn and rebellious
Soften us
When we are mired in self-pity
Free us
When we hide in shame
Find us
When we are anxious and afraid
Encourage us
When we see only ourselves
Open our eyes