Category: Worship Resources

January 21, 2024

Lectionary Texts

Jonah 3. 1-5, 10. God sends Jonah to speak to the city of Nineveh (which he has tried to avoid). Surprisingly, he does—and, even more unexpected, they listen to his message and repent!

Psalm 62. 5-12. For God alone my soul waits in silence… Trust in God … power belongs to God.

1 Corinthians 7.29-31 Time is short. Live as if you are not married, mourning. The present world is passing away.

Mark 1.14-20 Jesus calls fishermen beside the lake to follow him as his disciples. Leaving everything, they go with him.

Preaching Thoughts

Today’s readings speak of God’s call, inviting us out of our familiar ways into new ways of service.

Jonah
      This lectionary selection guts the story of Jonah like a fish, leaving a pretty skin but none of the good stuff. It takes the story literally: God calls Jonah, who runs away but then obeys —and, look: success! See? You should obey God and go where God calls you. It will turn out OK.
      Baloney. That’s not what this story is about. Or even how it goes. They leave out all the irony—and this is a story about irony. What they leave out, for starters, is that Jonah is pissed that God relents from punishing Nineveh. In Jonah’s eyes, it’s not success. It’s disappointment, resentment and maybe shame as well. The people of Nineveh are despised bad guys; having them all repent, from the king down to the animals, makes them look good. That’s not what Jonah wants. Repentance or not, he wants them destroyed—maybe partly because they’re the bad guys, and partly because that’s what he said would happen, and he wants to be the key power person here, not them. And not God. Which is what the story is really about. Even seeming to obey God, we can harbor our own agendas.
      The thing is, the story of Jonah is not a serious prophetic vision. It’s a farce. It’s slapstick. (There’s whales and storms and worms, but it could have been pies in the face and slipping on a well-placed banana and a poke in the eye.) But we take it all so damn seriously. Jonah thinks running away will work because, what, God can’t leave the office? God sends a storm to get at Jonah? Really? God’s GPS can’t pinpoint his location any more specifically than “somewhere at sea?” … Right. Then Jonah, Mr. Selfish, says “To save you, throw me overboard.” So, he can’t just jump? Sure. Three days in the belly of a fish? Yeah, why not. He’s barfed up onto shore and sees Nineveh—which is how far from the ocean? And then everybody in Sin City, from the mayor down to the stray dogs, repents and gets all pious! Yea, right. And then the funniest part: Jonah gets a good seat for the fireworks, but they get cancelled (poke in the eye) and Jonah whines about that, and besides it’s too hot (banana peel) so God gives Jonah a bush, Jonah whines, and God sends a worm, which destroys the bush (pie in the face), and Jonah whines about that… and God says “You really don’t care do you? Those are my people. And also much cattle.”
       And also much cattle. What a punchline.
       Jonah is making fun of us. I think this story is about how silly our desire is to be independent of God, and how laughable our inability to have compassion. We are the Three Stooges of love. So how do we preach this little snippet? Tell the whole story, even if you only read this little lectionary verses. Preach about how we leave out the funny parts because they’re the embarrassing parts because they’re the true parts. Even after Jonah obeys God he’s still running away from God, and never does turn around. And yet, by God’s grace, a good guy with a bad attitude helps the bad guys do the good thing.

Psalm
The Psalm proclaims what Jonah can’t get: that only God alone has real power in this world, and so it is in God alone that we put our trust. Human efforts, and all that we cling to, provide nothing.

1 Corinthians
Paul assumes that the Second Coming will be immediate, so he tells people: let go of the things of this world. Let go of your plans and preferences. Don’t even bother getting married or mourning the dead. It’s all going to change any minute now. I don’t think it’s helpful to count on the Rapture any time soon. However, Pauls isn’t really talking about the future, but the present. We’re called to live in a new way, right now. We might have to let go of a lot of things to live this new way. Like disciples leaving everything to go with Jesus, Like an addict leaving behind familiar activities, places, even friends. Like Jonah needed to do but couldn’t: to leave behind his snitty attitude. Even after his great prayer in the belly of the whale, he backslides into his old ways. Paul says, go a new way.

Mark
      To be “fishing for people” doesn’t mean to drag them into church, or convert them to Christianity. (Jesus didn’t convert anybody.) We can be tempted by allusions to “catching” people—capturing them, or controlling them—but the metaphor is not about the act of fishing. It’s about turning our loving attention toward people instead of our own business. It’s not about changing our occupation but our preoccupations.
       Jesus’ call to us is neither as once-and-done as deciding to be Christian nor as farfetched as leaving our job and family to go off on some quest. It’s an invitation to live in a new way for a new purpose, a call that is renewed every day, every moment. Maybe when you’re in an argument with someone, Jesus is calling you to lay aside the nets of being right and come with him on a journey of listening. Maybe when you witness another act of injustice Jesus is calling you to leave the boat of your comfort and speak out. Or maybe in the cut and thrust of your justice advocacy Jesus is calling you to be at peace and practice Sabbath. The “call” isn’t just to be a pastor or evangelist, but a to be a loving person. That takes many forms. We have to keep listening, moment by moment.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: God, in the beginning you called forth light.
All: O Holy Mystery, you call forth life!
Christ, you called to the fishermen and they followed.
O Deepening Love, you call forth love!
Holy Spirit, you call to us from within.
O Life-Giving Voice, you call forth our gifts!
We hear. Our hearts are awakened, and we follow. Alleluia!

2.
Leader: God, you have created us for your purposes, and we give you thanks.
All: Christ, you set us free, and we give you our lives..You call us out from our lives into your life.
You call us to follow you instead of our own ways.
Help us, Christ, to relinquish all things and follow you.
Alleluia! Come, Holy Spirit, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

3. [ Ps. 62]
Leader: For God alone my soul waits in silence.All: My hope is from God.
God alone is my rock, my salvation, my fortress.
Trust in God, and pour out your heart.
Power is God’s alone.
And to you, Holy One, belongs steadfast love.
We worship you in joy and faith.

4.
Leader: Wind of Life, Song of God, Breeze of Freedom, you blow about us.
All: You fill our lungs with blessing, and we sing praise.
Breath of Grace, Call of Christ, Word of Promise, you whisper to our hearts.
You fill our ears with hope, and we rise to our feet.
Spirit of Love, Presence of Heaven, Light of our Hearts, you bear us in your arms.
You fill our sails with your courage, and we follow you.
Alleluia! Arise, Spirit of Life, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

5.
Leader: God, you made all kinds of creatures.
All: We thank you! We are glad to be here.
Jesus, you have caught us in your net of love.
Thank you for bringing us here! We are glad for one another.
Holy Spirit, you baptize us deep in your grace.
Thank you for your love.
God, your love is deeper than the ocean.
We come to plunge deep into it with Jesus.
Alleluia! We thank you! We praise you!
We give ourselves to you! Alleluia!

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
God of life, Jesus called to the fishermen and they heard something in that voice, something compelling—and they followed him. Call to us now. Let us hear your voice; let it touch something deep in us; and move us to respond. We are hungry to hear and to follow. We open our hearts to your word. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, in Christ you called the fishermen beside the sea. Call us now. Let us hear your Word, recognize your voice, and follow. Draw us up like fish from our own deeps, and bring us into your good work, in the name of Christ and the power of your Spirit. Amen.

3.
God of Silence, God of the Call, you speak our names and beckon us to follow you. Christ, you walk into our lives, into the ordinary tasks and duties of our days, and you draw us into another world. Our hearts leap at your Word. Grant us the grace to listen with passion, to follow with faith, and to stay with you, with courage, resolve and trust. Amen.

4.
Creator God, you called your prophets to speak on your behalf. Your Christ called disciples to follow him. You call to us now, deep in our hearts. We listen for your voice. We wait for your will. We want to follow. Call us, and we will follow, in the Spirit of Christ. Amen.

5.
Gracious God, Jesus walked among fishermen and called them to follow him. So now you move among us and call us. You speak our names, and you reach out to us in the midst of our daily work. You touch us as we mend the nets of our lives, and call us to follow you. Help us, as we hear and reflect on your Word, to hear your voice, to trust your call, and to follow in faith. Amen.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

Beside the sea of familiarity,
among the boats of busyness,
we lay down the nets that entangle us,
and listen for your voice, calling us,
calling us deeper, calling us beyond,
calling us to you.
We listen, and we draw near.

Prayer of Confession

1.
Tender God, we have been caught in the nets of our own lives,
living in the small boats of our own ways, our own fears and desires.
We confess that we have become entangled.
In our fear and hurt we have hurt you and others.
We have not brought forth life as you have called us to do.
We confess our self-centeredness, and ask your forgiveness.
Call us out of our lives into yours.
Help us let go of all that holds us back, all that traps and entangles us.
Set us free by your grace, free to follow you and serve you all our days.

2.
God of mercy, you create us in love and for love;
but we make our own lives by our own will.
Now we release our lives to your making.
Call us out of our self-made lives
into the life you offer us.
Transform in us what is not of your Spirit
and lift up what is,
that we may be true to your will in us, by your grace.

Reading

Psalm 62.5-12, A paraphrase … Version 1

Beloved, for you my soul waits in silence.
         My hope is hidden in your silence.
Life of my living, you are my earth.
         You are what cannot be taken.
In the gravity of your grace I rest.
         In your silence is my deep belonging.

I trust in you, Holy One.
         I pour myself into your hands,
         into this light, my resting place.

Rich or poor mean nothing;
         they are an illusion.
I abandon my little “happy” and “sad.”
         They are both lint.
Do I catch myself trying to gain?
         Ah, ignore all that fool’s gold.
         Ignore it. Let it go.

I keep hearing this in the silence;
         the silence says it over and over:
the only power is Love,
         and love, all love, is God.

Beloved, you live, you speak, you resound
         in all we do.


Psalm 62.5-12, A paraphrase … Version 2

God, for you alone my soul in silence waits.
        in you alone my confidence is rooted.
God, you are my steadiness, my solid ground.
       I n you I find my resolute steadfastness.
You are my only security, my truest strength.
        You are where I belong.

People, notice where you put your trust:
        root it in God, not some other fluff.
Let your heart and God flow into each other.
        It’s where we all belong.

The way we judge and compare people
        is a complete delusion.
A noble person, a lowlife—it’s a sham.
        Who made this up? Who believes it?

Don’t think your life will be enriched
        by getting your way, or having stuff.
Learn to see through the shimmer
        to what really matters, what really is.

Pay attention: it keeps coming up:
        God is the only power.
And God, you are the only Love,
        No matter what we do.

3
                 Jonah’s Prayer – Jonah 2.1-9
I was in a bad place so I cried out to you, God.
       I was in the belly of death, but you heard me!
You threw me into something deep and mysterious.
       I was at the bottom of the ocean,
It was dark all around and stormy waves crashed over me.
       And I said, “I can’t see you anywhere!
       Will I ever see you again?”
The water closed up around me. Seaweed wrapped around my head.
       I was at the bottom of the whole world.
I went down to where there was nothing but death.
       But, God, you brought me back up!
       You bought me into life!
As my life was draining away, I thought of you.
       When I was afraid, I prayed to you.
You are the one I can really depend on.
       I will always sing a thankful song to you.
       You are the one who saves us no matter what.

Response / Creed / Affirmation

1.
We believe in God, who called light out of darkness, who calls all things into being.
       Holy One, it is you who call us to life, and you call us your Beloved.
       We hear your call, and we turn to you.
We live in the name and Spirit of Jesus, God’s Christ, who loved and taught,
who called demons out of people, who called out injustice,
and who calls forth the best in us.
       Loving One, you call to your disciples to follow you.
       We join ourselves to your life, your ministry, your death and resurrection.
We breathe the Holy Spirit, the spirit of life, who grants us gifts and calls them forth.
       Living One, we open ourselves to the grace you give us
       to live lives worthy of the calling to which you call us:
       lives of awe and gratitude, humility and love, forgiveness and mercy.
       We give ourselves to you, to follow your leading
       moment by moment, day by day.
       Loving God in Christ, you have called us by name, and we follow. Amen.

2.
      We live in God, Creator of all that is and all that is to come.
      We live in the company of Jesus, the love of God made flesh, who taught and healed, who called disciples to follow, who died and rose, and who speaks in our hearts, who names the truth that gives us life and sings the song that makes us dance, and who bids us go with him in love to all the world.
      We live in the power of the Holy Spirit, the Breath of God, that gives us the faith to follow, walking with God, and the love to be fishers of people: to connect deeply, especially with those who have been rejected. We follow as one Church, with gratitude for the power of forgiveness, the mystery of resurrection and the gift of eternal life, in the name and Spirit of Jesus, for the sake of the world. Amen.

3.
       We belong to God, eternal and infinite, Creator of all things and all that is to come.
       We follow Christ, who comes to us from God, and reveals God to us. He heals people and transforms lives, and calls us to join in his ministry. He was crucified, died and was raised again by God, and reigns over all Creation; and he bids us to die and rise with him in the service of the healing of the world.
       We are moved by the Holy Spirit, together with the communion of saints, as members of the Body of Christ, God’s holy universal church. We are confident in the forgiveness of sin, the power of resurrection and the reality of eternal life. In all things it is our desire to follow Christ, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, for God’s glory. Amen.

4.
Holy God we ask your blessing
as you gather us and send us as members of your church.
Unite us in your love, and hold us together in one another’s hearts.
Give us the gift of trust in you and in each other.
Forgive our sins, grant us your grace and blessing,
and imbue us with your spirit of forgiveness.
Show us your Way, and help us on our journey.
Give us wisdom and grace in al our hardships.
Help us tend the light you have given us
so we shine with your love,
in mercy and justice, throughout the world,
in the name of Christ, Amen.

Prayer of Dedication / Sending

1.
Gracious God, you call us to follow, and so we surrender what is dear to us, and we come. We give you our gifts as symbols of our lives. Grant us your Spirit to faithfully follow Jesus all our lives: to draw near to him, to learn from him, to receive your grace through him, and to join him in ministry to the world. May we cast your net of light over all people, in the name of Christ. Amen.

2.
Generous God, we leave the boats of our own desires to follow you. We surrender the nets of our possessiveness to do your will. We let go of much, so that we may cling to you. Bless us that in our letting go we will know fulfillment. Bless those who are in need, that our gifts may give them life. Bless us that in our giving we may understand how we receive. We pray as followers of Jesus. Amen.

3.
Wondrous God, you have fished us out of our little worlds for your purposes. You have immersed us deep in your grace. Send us into the world, trusting you and your love, to share your love and to do your will for the sake of the healing of the world, in the name and the Spirit of Christ. Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)


Calling Me (Original song)

Dear God, Creator eternally, you call everything to be.
How are you calling me, even now?
Who do you call me to be? Where is your image in me, calling me?

Jesus, lord of the fishermen, calling your children,
you call to me once again, even now.
What will you lead me to do? How can I witness to you, calling me, calling me?

Spirit, power of love in me, how do you set me free,
what gifts are you giving me, even now?
I am a vessel for you. Humbly I listen to you, calling me, calling me.


Drawing Me (Original song)

Holy One, Mystery, how will you keep drawing me
nearer to the heart within the heart?
Nearer still, falling in, closer to the heart within,
draw me God. I fall into your love.
Lover, you are calling, you are drawing,
I am falling into you in love.

Deep in me there’s a voice, there’s a hunger, there’s a choice,
seeking something vital that is you.
By your grace drawing me, may I fall eternally
nearer to my center deep in you.
Lover, you are calling, you are drawing,
I am falling into you in love.


I Am Open      (Original song)

Dear gentle Jesus, I open to you
the deepest chambers of my soul.
My heart is open, wounded and broken.
Heal and forgive and make me whole.
Open, I am open, open to your grace.

Beloved Jesus, my eyes are open;
your healing touch restores my sight.
Like open windows, they shine, and in flows
your glory filling me with light.
Open, I am open, open to your grace.

My wounded Jesus. Your arms are open,
our hurt and dying to embrace.
When I would close them, hold my arms open,
to be so loving by your grace.
Open, I am open, open to your grace.

Now risen Jesus, my life is open,
a flower unfolding in the sun:
by your light growing, and boldly showing
the love of God, as you have done.
Open, I am open, open to your grace.



I Am Listening     (Original song)

Speak, for I am listening.
My heart is open.
Speak, for I am listening,
open to your word.



I Wait for Your Will (Original song)

Congregation:
I wait for your will.
I wait for your will.
I wait for your will, O God,
for your loving will,
your life-giving will.
I wait for your will, O God.

Cantor:
1. All I desire to control
I let go and place into your hands, my God.
2. Heal and protect and provide.
Hear me and stay by my side.
3. You are my wisdom and strength.

I will do your will alone, my God.
4. Help me to listen and wait,
trusting your Spirit to move, my God.

January 28, 2024

Lectionary Texts

Deuteronomy 18. 15-20. God promises to raise up a prophet for the people. You will know to take the prophet seriously if what the prophet says turns out to be true.

Psalm 111. Great are the works of God: God gives us food, provides us with a wisdom (“precepts”) that directs our lives, redeems us and establishes a covenant with us. “Fear of God (reverent humility) is the beginning of wisdom.”

1 Corinthians 8. 1-13. Dealing with food sacrificed to idols. “Knowledge puffs up but love builds up.” Don’t cause others to fall.

Mark 1. 21-28. Jesus drives out an “unclean” spirit, “He teaches with authority!”

Preaching Thoughts

Deuteronomy
        Prophets aren’t people who predict the future; they speak for God about the present moment (as has been said, forth-telling, not foretelling). Their reference to the future is simply pointing out the consequences of people’s actions. They’re saying “Here’s where you’re headed.” You’ll know they’re authentic when it turns out they’re right.

1 Corinthians
       Paul says idols aren’t really gods, so eating food dedicated to them doesn’t really matter—except that it may mislead some people. The important thing is not to be right, but to be loving. Don’t do what makes you look good; do what helps people.
       There’s a distinction to be made between what Paul sees as idols and what we know as various religions. In Paul’s experience no other religion besides Judaism (Christianity didn’t really exist yet) was actually a real religion. They all worshiped idols but not God. Well, we know better. Most religions in the world are not actually idol-centered, but worship God with different language and images and stories than we use—but it’s still God. (There are greater differences among Christian theologies than among some religions!)
       One question is about sharing in people’s observance of other religions. Is it OK to attend Muslim prayers, or a Buddhist meditation? Of course! To participate in another tradition doesn’t require you to renounce your faith. There’s no competition. Every religion is trying to connect us with God and help us lead good lives. We can learn from them all, and earnestly pray with them all.
      But a second question has to do with actual idols. What’s the real equivalent for us of “eating in the temple of an idol?” How about our worship of money, or political power? How we idolize beauty (narrowly defined by corporate powers) or status? Maybe saying the Pledge of Allegiance. (I pledge allegiance to God alone.) How do we act in ways that make our commitment to Christ clear, or on the other hand expose our idolatries?

Mark
       I’ve come to appreciate the notion of possession by spirits as a way to understand mental illness. It honors the mystery that one’s mental health is separate from one’s identity. You are not your illness. A good person can be possessed by a bad spirit. Even under the possession, the person is still a good person. We easily fall into judgmentalism toward people with mental illness as if it’s a moral failing. Understanding them to be “possessed,” beyond their control, helps us avoid that.
       It’s an “unclean” spirit. Technically it’s not evil, just unclean. But it is by the power of evil that the man is possessed. The spirit says,”Have you come to destroy us?” Mark’s implied answer is, Yes. Jesus is not just healing individuals; he’s out to do away with the idea of “uncleanness,” and in fact overpowering the power and structure of evil itself. He has come to destroy all unclean spirits. Our own actions for the sake of justice and healing, even opposition to the greatest human evils, takes place one small act at a time.
       People describe this exorcism as a “new teaching.” Jesus’s teaching is not doctrine; it’s healing. That’s a model for us: that the teaching of the church not be doctrine but action. What makes us the church is not what we believe, but how we love.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: Creating God, you made us in the image of your good love. You know what is in us.
All: We open our hearts to your grace.
Loving Christ, you reach out to us with tender mercy and healing. You set us free.
We open our hearts to your grace.
Life-giving Spirit, you fill us with your mercy and power. You bear us on a journey of grace.
We open our hearts to your grace.
Heal us, and make us a healing people,
in the name of Christ and the power of your Spirit. Amen.

2.
Leader: Praise to the God who loves us.
All: Thanks to the God who heals us.
Praise to Christ, who sets us free.
Thanks to the Spirit who makes us one.
We worship you, Holy One, in gratitude and love.

3.
Leader: Creating God, your grace overwhelms us.
All: Glory! Wonder! We praise you!
Your Word is made flesh. Your Truth is made real among us.
Blessing! Beauty! We thank you!
You dwell within us, giving new life, overcoming all that would diminish life.
Greetings! Welcome! We open ourselves to your Spirit.
By the power of your Word, set us free and restore your image within us.
Alleluia! Come, Spirit of Life, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

4.
Leader: Christ our Savior, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world.
All: You cast out evil spirits, and you heal the brokenhearted.
Cast out our sin, heal us in your tender mercy,
and grant us the power to serve with you, with courage and compassion.Alleluia! Come, Holy Spirit, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
Healing God, we are a broken people. Only your Word of grace can make us whole. Speak your grace to us. Let your healing power enter us, change us, and set us free, free to be who you create us to be, free to love, free to live joyfully.. We pray in the name and Spirit of Christ. Amen.2.God of love, your servant Jesus taught with authority. We give him our obedience, our trust and our listening. Speak to us, that we may hear and be healed, that we may listen and obey. Amen.

2.
God of Truth, you speak your word and bring us to life. You lay your hand upon us and heal us. You walk with us and show us the way of compassion. We open our hearts to you, to hear your Word, to be shaped by your Word, to be made new by your Word. Bless us, for we are listening. Amen.

3.
Gracious God, people gathered around the house to hear Jesus and to be healed. We, too, come to hear your Word proclaimed and to receive your healing deep in our hearts. Speak, for we are listening. Touch us, for we are still. Feed us, for we are hungry. Love us, for we are yours. Transform us, for we are ready to share your grace with all the world. We pray in the name and the spirit of Christ, who is present. Amen

4.
Gracious God, Jesus worshiped in the synagogue and taught with authority. Gather us among his listeners, so that he may heal us, and your Word may have authority in our lives. Grant that we may be guided not by our own demons and desires, but by your Spirit alone, by the grace of Christ. Amen.

5.
God of grace, in Christ you bring healing to broken lives and hearts; you restore our faith and call us into new relationships. Anoint us with the power of your Spirit that we may bring good news to the afflicted, bind up the brokenhearted, and proclaim justice for the oppressed, that we too may faithfully offer healing to the world, in the name of Christ. Amen

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

God of healing,
quiet the demons in us,
still the fears, silence the many voices,
and let us listen for your word,
wait for your touch,
and open ourselves to your life-giving work. Amen.

Prayer of Confession

1.
God of love, many spirits inhabit our hearts.
Help us see the loving ones and the fearful ones.
Heal our fears, forgive our sins,
strengthen our love,
and make us whole in your Spirit.

2.
Loving God, we confess that not all that is within us is of you.
Not all that is within us gives life.
Forgive our sin, heal our wounds,
and cast out whatever in us would diminish life.
By your grace, re-create us in the image of Christ.

3.
Healing God, we lay our lives before you:
all that is, and all that has been,
what is helpful and what is hurtful.
We lay open to the light of your grace
all that has distanced us from you and from others,
what we have done, and what we have left undone,
the wounds that led us to these choices
and the wounds these choices have caused.
Accept us as we are, we humbly ask you, tender God:
receive our sorrow and disappointment,
heal us, and cast out all evil spirits.
Forgive us and set us free,
so that we may live in your grace alone.

Reading

Psalm 111, A paraphrase

God! You! Glory!

I thank you in my deepest guts,
         echoed by the whole tribe of God!

Your magic amazes me,
         confounds anyone who tries to understand.
Your miracles, brilliant and vast,
         come from such tender, loving hands!
The universe shimmers with grace,
         glows with your gentle mercy.

We are in awe: you feed us;
         you are steadfastly thoughtful toward us.
We see your grace in all that you do,
         mighty Creator, tender nursemaid.

Your love and justice sing through the world.
         When we hear it we know how to dance.
The song is eternal.
         To live is to sing it, sing it out loud,
         with eyes closed.

The bound ones you set free;
         the abandoned ones you marry.
This is your holiness,
         what sets you apart.

(Wisdom is rooted in awestruck wonder,
         overwhelmed by God.
Practice wonder,
         and you will know what you need to know.)

Lovely One, the universe is your praise.
         Infinite Beauty!
         Infinite Glory!

Response / Creed / Affirmation

      We trust in God, Creator of all things,
who is pure compassion,
who loves us unconditionally,
who is present with us in good times and bad,
who is our salvation.
      We trust in Christ, the embodiment of God’s love,
the love and healer of our sols,
who saves us, forgiving our failures,
washing away our betrayals,
who teaches us life’s deepest things:
how to pray, how to love,
how to be gentle with each other.
       We trust in the Holy Spirit, God’s power flowing in us,
that comforts the faithful,
empowers us to love as we have been loved,
and joins us together as the Body of Christ.
We believe we are sent in that Spirit
to heal, to forgive, to do justice,
to radiate the love of God, in the name of Christ. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication / Sending

[Adapt as needed.]
Gracious God, we thank you for the mystery that you give yourself to us. You bless us by your grace and your presence, heal us of our demons, and empower us to work with you for the healing of this world. Send us forth, in the name and authority of Christ and the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)

Becoming Whole (Original song)             
Multiple verses are provided. Sample lyrics:

We are a broken people becoming whole again.
We are a wounded people being healed again.
We are a captive people walking free again.
We are a sinful people given grace again.


Christ Our Healer      (Tune: Joyful, Joyful)

Christ, our healer, you have touched us, reaching through the dark divide,
healing broken hearts and bodies, casting death’s old shroud aside:
raised us from our bed of sorrows, put your arm around our pain,
raising us to new tomorrows, bringing us to life again.

Christ, our teacher, in our healing you have given us your gift:
grace to bless, your love revealing, pow’r to heal and hope to lift.
In your Spirit, your forgiveness, your compassion we embrace
ev’ry wounded, shamed or silenced child of God with gentle grace.

Christ, our savior, you are going on to every town and field,
on to every land and people, on until the world is healed.
Use us in the whole world’s mending, use us as your healing hands,
’till as one the world, made whole, takes up its mat with joy and stands.


Jesus, My Healer          (Tune: Fairest Lord Jesus)

Jesus, my healer, come to me and touch me;
lay your hand upon my soul.
All of my woundedness gently embrace and bless
and, though I’m broken, make me whole.

Source of our healing, God, our Re-Creator,
your deep joy is to raise and bless.
Your faithful promises and all our trusting hope
are stronger than our dark distress.

Spirit of healing, move among your people
to bear the blessing that flows from you:
with tender love to bless the world’s brokenness
and share the grace that made us new.

February 4, 2024

Lectionary Texts

Isaiah 40. 21-31 Have you not known? Have you not heard? God is the everlasting God. Those who wait for God shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

Psalm 147. God, heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds. God lifts up the downtrodden, and casts the wicked to the ground. God’s word runs swiftly.

1 Corinthians 9. 16-23. “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” “I have made myself a slave to all…” “I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some…”

Mark 1.29-39. Jesus heals Simon’s mother in law, heals all the sick in town, centers himself in prayer and goes on to other villages, teaching and healing.

Preaching Thoughts

1 Corinthians
       Be careful how you toss around the idea of Paul “making himself a slave.” Slavery in Paul’s setting was not the same as American chattel slavery. Slavery was economic, and people sometimes moved in and out of slavery. But one can’t move in and out of race-based slavery. Paul couldn’t make himself a slave in our modern sense. He could commit to service for others, which we can do as well. It’s a call to let go of our own ways and preferences in order to bring the good news more effectively to others.

Mark
      Note with Peter’s mother in law her trajectory from need to healing to service. There’s the life of faith in a nutshell.
      Jesus goes off by himself to pray. He is unavailable. The gospels are keen to show us Jesus’ accomplishments, but they do let us see that he also engaged in a lot of solitude. This is all part of how God works in us: not in our busyness and over-functioning and high accomplishment, but in God’s presence in us as we are present for others. Solitude is the space we give ourselves to practice being present for God. Solitude is the garden soil of our faith in which our roots sink deep, so we can bear fruit.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: Creator God, we praise you!
All: Risen Christ, we greet you!
Holy Spirit, we are one body by your grace.
You alone are holy, and we worship you.
Glory be to you, O God of all Creation.
Thanks be to you, O Christ, for our salvation.
You heal the brokenhearted and lift up the downtrodden.
You have healed us in many ways; you have cast out evil and set us free.
Alleluia! Grant that we may be your humble servants.Come, Holy Spirit, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

2.
Leader: Creator God, you give us life.
All: We turn to you, to receive the gift of life.
Loving Christ, you give us the gift of healing.
We kneel before you, to be made whole.
Holy Spirit, you give us the gift of compassion.
We open our hearts to you, to be filled with your light.
Come, Spirit of Life, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
Gracious God, people gathered around the house to hear Jesus and to be healed. We, too, come to hear your Word proclaimed and to receive your healing deep in our hearts. Speak, for we are listening. Touch us, for we are still. Feed us, for we are hungry. Love us, for we are yours. Transform us, for we are ready to share your grace with all the world. We pray in the name and the spirit of Christ, who is present. Amen.

2.
God of healing, Jesus healed Peter’s mother in law, and she began to serve them. In the reading of your scripture and the proclaiming of your Word, touch us and speak to us, so that me might be made whole and rise, strengthened to serve you, in the name of Christ, for the sake of the healing of the world. Amen.

3.
Gracious God, Jesus went about proclaiming the message of your salvation and healing people. We come now to hear of our salvation, to be healed, and to join our lives with Christ in serving your Realm. Speak to us, make us whole, and fill us with your Spirit. Amen.

4.
Gracious and tender God, Jesus cured those who were sick and cast out demons, and he proclaimed the good news of your Reign. In him we see your desire to bless, your grace that heals and restores us, and gives us life. We open our hearts to you now, that in hearing and reflecting on your Word, we may be healed and made new; that we may come to trust your gentle grace; and that we may be sent out to bear your healing to a hurting world. We pray in the name and the spirit of Jesus. Amen.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

Jesus, we come with you
to a deserted place to pray.
We do not know how to pray,
but we sit with you in the stillness,
for it is you who are praying.

Response / Creed / Affirmation

       We give our hearts to God, Creator of all things, who forgives our sin and heals our diseases, who is merciful and gracious, abounding in steadfast love.

      We give our hearts to Jesus Christ, God’s Beloved and ours, who came that we may have life, and have it abundantly; who went about doing good and healing; who died, and was raised from death, and will come again. He is the living Word, the healing of our souls, our reconciliation with God, and the mending of all of life.

      We live by the power of the Holy Spirit, whose grace is upon us to bring good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the oppressed and release to the prisoners, to proclaim the time of God’s favor. In the Spirit we embody healing, we bear the good news to strangers, and we join with Jesus in the healing of the world, to the glory of God. Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer

1.
You can use the song “For Grace In Creation” (below) as a Eucharistic prayer,
with the Blessings & Covenant after the second verse.

2.
[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

God of love, we give thanks,
for you create the world as a flowering of your goodness.
You set free the oppressed and heal the broken.
You walk with us in new directions, healed, made new, and full of your light.
Your mercy flows freely, and we open ourselves to its light.
We hunger for your grace, and feast on your generosity.
Therefore with all Creation we sing your praise.

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all who come in your name, and blessed is Jesus, your Christ.
He taught and healed, and made his grace available to all.
He healed people’s bodies and souls, offering wholeness.
He healed relationships and communities.
He healed injustice; and in retaliation the powers of evil crucified him..
But in love you raised him from the dead, healing life itself,
faithful to your covenant that we may have life, and have it abundantly.

[The Blessing and Covenant…]

Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.”
As often as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection until he comes again.
Remembering these, your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving
as a living and holy sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]
Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
healed and restored to life,
and radiant with you grace,
sent out to the towns and villages of our lives
for the sake of others who reach out for mercy and healing.
In our compassion may your glory shine.

     [Spoken or sung]
Amen.

____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]

On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.

Prayer of Dedication / Sending / after Communion

[Adapt as needed.]
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you. have given yourself to us.) You have called us to return always to the still, life-giving center where you have fed and healed us. Send us into the world now, to listen for your guiding and to follow your Word, to take your good news to others near and far, in words and in deeds, and so to be a part of your transformation of the world, in the name of Christ and the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you. have given yourself to us.) You have healed us by your presence with us and within us. Send us in your Spirit as your healers with Jesus into the world that so needs your healing. Amen.

3.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you. have given yourself to us.) You have served us, humbly offering your very life to us. Redeemed by your grace and filled with your Spirit, may we go now and humbly serve others in the name of Christ, and in the powerful companionship of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)

Christ our Healer (Tune: Joyful, Joyful … or … Love Divine, All Loves Excelling)

Christ, our healer, you have touched us, reaching through the dark divide,
healing broken hearts and bodies, casting death’s old shroud aside:
raised us from our bed of sorrows, put your arm around our pain,
raised us up to new tomorrows, bringing us to life again.

Christ, our teacher, in our healing you have given us your gift:
grace to bless, your love revealing, pow’r to heal and hope to lift.
In your Spirit, your forgiveness and compassion we embrace
ev’ry wounded, shamed or silenced child of God with gentle grace.

Christ, our savior, you are going on to every town and field,
on to every land and people, on until the world is healed.
Use us in the whole world’s mending, use us as your healing hands,
’till as one the world, made whole, takes up its mat with joy and stands.

For Grace in Creation    Tune: “The Ash Grove “ – Let All Things Now Living
[This song may be used as a Eucharistic Prayer,
with the Blessing and Covenant (“Words of Institution”)
between the second and third verse.]

For grace in Creation, and for our salvation,
O God, in thanksgiving we joyfully sing.
For giving us Jesus, who heals us and frees us,
who walks with us daily, our glad praise we bring.
       God, holy and mighty, your glory shines brightly!
       Hosanna on high! Love, your praise we proclaim!
Your welcome is spacious; your table is gracious.
God, bles-sed is each one who comes in your name.

God, in your great favor you sent us a savior,
Christ Jesus, our brother, our teacher, our friend.
He taught and he healed and your grace he revealed,
and he gave of himself in your love without end.
       Behold! Christ has died! Behold! Christ is risen!
       Behold, your Beloved Christ will come again!
Your grace throughout history we see in this mystery,
and feast on your presence, our savior, our friend.
…

Now humbly expressing our thanks for your blessing
we feast in the presence of your loving son.
Love, pour out your Spirit, that we may inherit
your love and compassion, and make us all one.
       With this bread and cup, fill our hearts, lift us up
       and re-make us, the Body of Christ once again!
With gracious self-giving in all of our living
we offer ourselves and we praise you! Amen.

February 11, 2024

Lectionary Texts

2 Kings 2. 1-12. Elijah is taken up into heaven as Elisha witnesses.

Psalm 50.1-6. God shines forth out of Zion and all Creation reflects God’s glory. God alone is our judge.

2 Corinthians 4. 3-6. The gospel is “veiled” to some, but it shines. God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts.

Mark 9. 2-9. The transfiguration

Preaching Thoughts

2 Kings
       Like the story of the transfiguration, the vision of Elijah taken up into heaven suggests the mystery of a person whose significance for us goes beyond rational doctrine, ideas or explanations. Never mind whether Elijah “properly died” or not; he was subject to human limitation like everybody, and is surely dead. But he represents something of God that is eternal, that doesn’t die, but is transformed from one moment, one generation, to the next. And with the passing on of his mantle, this becomes a story not just about Elijah but about what is passed from him to his disciple—a gift, a responsibility, a power— a calling.

2 Corinthians
      The light of God that shines in Creation shines in Jesus—and also in us. Like Elijah’s mantle, the light of Christ is passed on to us to carry. It is a responsibility, but not a burden— Jesus says, perhaps as an intentional double entendre, “my burden is light.” It’s not our light, not ours to generate: we bear the light that God gives us. “God has shone in our hearts.” All we have to do is open the windows and let the light shine out.
       Oddly, sadly, the lectionary omits the final sentence of the paragraph, verse 7: “But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.” Sure, the sentence appears a couple months from now, but isn’t it worth hearing twice? I always include it. It’s the indispensable flip side of the message of light: that the light is God’s not ours.

Mark
       The Sunday of the Transfiguration brings to a climactic close the season of Epiphany, with its theme of Jesus as light of the world. Resist the temptation to explain the Transfiguration. It’s a symbolic story. Building a doctrine around this story is like Peter wanting to erect three structures around Jesus, Elijah and Moses. It’s silly. The light of splendid visions gets our attention, but it’s in the cloud—in our unknowing— that we hear the voice of God.
      The story is a kaleidoscope of scriptural images. It weaves together the light of Creation (alluded to in 2 Corinthians); Moses on the mountain; Elijah taken up in a chariot of fire; and hence with Moses and Elijah the “law and the prophets” (indicating both Israel’s history and scripture); Jesus’ baptism, death and resurrection; and in particular the cross.
       The cross is not immediately evident in today’s reading other than in the tiny little introduction: “Six days later…” Six days after what? After Jesus told his disciples to take up the cross, and predicted his own execution. In contradiction to Peter’s objection, the Transfiguration is God’s affirmation of Jesus’ words: “Listen to him.”
       This story is essentially a Resurrection appearance. Having shown us the cross, the Gospel story shows us what’s next. Jesus has already died—before it happens he has already surrendered his life to God, and accepted the cross— and now on the mountain he is risen, shining with the light of resurrection, appearing with Moses and Elijah who also have already died. We are given courage to accept the cross, to accept the suffering involved in loving and doing justice, because there is glory in it. The disciples are told not to tell anyone of this until after Jesus has risen, because it’s not all about glory, it’s about death and resurrection. And until you’ve got the whole story, both the dying and the rising, you don’t have the right story. .
       On the mountain God says the same thing God says at Jesus’ baptism, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” The two stories are connected: resurrection is the end result of baptism. Baptism is a call to risk and sacrifice, even to suffer, even to die, for the sake of love and justice, knowing it is the doorway to resurrection. We are baptized into a reality suffused with the light of glory, a reality greater than just our earthly days.
       And God says “Listen to him.” Faith isn’t about believing st uff about Jesus, no matter how glorious. It’s about listening to him, day by day, moment by moment.
       By pointing us toward the cross (and resurrection) the Transfiguration story prepares us to enter the season of Lent with hope and not foreboding. This is the way to life that is infinite.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: Creator God, you bring light out of darkness.
All: Glory! Wonder! Praise!
Loving Christ, you are the light of the world, light of our lives.
Glory! Wonder! Praise!
Holy Spirit, you are light for our journey, radiating from within us.
Glory! Wonder! Praise!
We thank you, and we worship you. Alleluia!

2.              [Psalm 50.1-6]
Leader: The Life-giving One, God the Holy One, speaks.
All: God calls the earth into being from the rising of the sun to its setting.
From the beauty at the heart of all things God shines forth.
Our God comes and does not keep silence,
radiating glory that consumes everything,
a storm of beauty that leaves nothing untouched.
God calls all Creation to awareness,
for God sees what we do not.
“Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by giving their hearts!”
The heavens beam with God’s presence,
for God sees everything as it truly is.

3.
Leader: God of Grace, you say “Let there be light,”
All: and we come into being.
Christ, light of the world, you shine in us,
and we glow with the radiance of your presence.
Holy Spirit, fire of God, you burn in us,
and we bear the beams of your love into this world.
Christ, may we shine with the light of your grace.
Alleluia! Come, Spirit of Life,
and transform us from within. Alleluia!

4.
Leader: Christ, you shone on the mountain top, radiant with the glory of God.
All: We have seen your glory in our lives, and we worship in awe!
God, in the beginning you created light, and in Jesus you shone with grace.
Alleluia! Shine in us, so that we may be light for the world.
Come, Holy Spirit, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

5.
Leader: Creator God, we praise you!
All: Risen Christ, we greet you!
Holy Spirit, we are one body by your grace.
You are our life, and we worship you.
Christ, light of God, you shone upon the mountain.
Alleluia! Light of Christ, shine in our hearts.
Illumine our path and lead us in the way of love.
Come, Holy Spirit, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

6.
Leader: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was the light of life.
All: O God, let your light shine in us.
Jesus said, “You are the light of the world;
let your light so shine that others may see and glorify God.”
O God, let your light shine in us.
Sleeper, awake, and rise from the dead, and God will shine upon you.
O God, let your light shine in us.

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
God of light, you appeared in glory in Christ on the mountain. We open the eyes of our hearts now so that we may see Christ truly, and see you in your resurrection power. Open our eyes, that we may always see with faith your light within us, your glory among us, and the dawn of your hope that rises upon us. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, you come in glory beyond our comprehension, as Elisha saw when you took Elijah, as the disciples saw when Jesus shone with your grace. Shine in our hearts as we hear your Word, so that we may behold your glory and shine with your light in all that we do, in the name of Christ. Amen.

3.
Holy and gracious God, you have shown us your glory in the transfiguration of your beloved Son. Grant to us the vision of faith, so that we may see Jesus, truly love him, and follow him all the days of our lives. Amen.

4.
Leader: Light of glory,
All: awaken us.
Light of illumination,
show us the way.
Light of beauty,
captivate us.
Light of love,
burn warmly in us.
Light of Resurrection,
encourage us.
Light of the new dawn,
lead us forward.
Light of Christ,
shine in us,
that we may be radiant with your grace. Amen.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

God of love,
the light of your glory awakens us;
but it is in the cloud,
in the mystery,
that we hear your voice.
You give us your Chosen one, your Beloved,
and command us, “Listen to him.”
So in stillness we listen.

Prayer of Confession

Gentle God, your light shines in all Creation,
but we have not looked for it.
Your light shines in us,
but we have not shone fully with your grace.
Forgive our dullness,
cleanse all that obscures your light,
and shine in us more perfectly,
that we may be light for the world
by the grace of Christ,
with the radiance of your Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Poetry

Transfiguration

Forget the three dwellings, the theology, the beliefs.
Just let it knock your socks off,
lay you low with wonder and beauty and,
yeah, even a little terror.
It’s all glorious mystery,
more than we can understand,
almost more than we can bear.
Just be silent and wonder. Let your mouth hang open.
Let this be your credo:
“Whoa.”
And let this be your faith: just listen.
God is not interested in fancy beliefs.
God wants your attention.
Stay open to the wonder and the mystery. Keep watching.
not all at once, perhaps, like this, but over time
a burning bush, flaming chariots, your brilliant Healer,
a simple patch of sunlight, a human being—
anything may light up your eyes,
transfigure you into pure light and wonder and mystery.
Only then, when the miracle’s left you speechless,
and you’ve come back from the dead,
can you tell.


Transfiguration

You are God’s Beloved.
         Let it be so.
         That’s how you become pure light.

What was brilliant in Jesus
         was simply God’s pleasure
         radiating in him.

Open your heart to God’s desire for you
         like light pouring into a room,
         like silence receiving a bird song.

God’s love for you
         burns like a bonfire in you.
         How do you put that under a bushel?

It’s the gleam in God’s eye that glows in you,
         blood rushing to the Beloved’s face,
         flush with passion.

It’s not arrogant to bask
         in God’s delight in you.
How stuck up it would be
         to spurn the Beloved’s ardent passion!

Lie down and let God make love to you.
         See? Even as you blush reading this
         you begin to glow.

Become the Beloved,
         and like a youth in love
         you will be transfigured
         with the light of God.

Response / Creed / Affirmation

1.
       We give our hearts to you, O God, Creator of all things; light of life and sun of our being. We cannot understand you; we can only love you, with wonder and praise!
       We love and trust you, Jesus, light of God, radiant with God’s love. In your teaching and healing, your prophetic witness and your work of justice, you shined for us the lamp of the Law and Prophets. You chose the Way of the Cross, and God raised you to new life like the morning sun. We stand in awe and wonder, ready to follow you, to enter into your community, to share your wonder, to practice your love.
       We breathe of you deeply, Holy Spirit: God’s love radiant in us, whose gifts in us enable us to shine with your light, trusting the power of your grace, to forgive, to bless, to seek justice, to serve you in the way of grace.
       O Beautiful Mystery, O Radiant Love, we worship you; we bless you, in awe and gratitude; we serve you, in wonder, love and praise. Alleluia!

2.
       We give our hearts to you, eternal and all-loving God, maker of heaven and earth. You are pure love, and your love is the light of the world
       We follow you, Jesus, Christ of God, Light of the World, fulfillment of the Law and Prophets. You fully embody God’s love and presence, and radiate God’s glory among us. In your healing and teaching, in your dying and rising shone the love of God. You live among us and your love is our guide, O Christ, our Lord and our light.
       We live by the power of your Holy Spirit, your love in us, shining with beauty. Obeying your command to listen to Christ, we devote ourselves to deep prayer, and to love and service for the sake of the healing of the world. In your spirit we are one Body, and we offer ourselves in love to the world, trusting the mystery of your grace and the power of resurrection, to your eternal glory, which shines in all things. Amen.

3.
      In the beginning God said, “Let light shine out of darkness.” We give thanks for that light, and we seek the light of God in all Creation.
      The light of the glory of God shone in the face of Jesus Christ, the image of God, the light of the world, our Chief; and we turn to him, so that we might receive that light.
      God has shone in our hearts, and we devote our lives to God, that we may shine with God’s grace, proclaim the good news of Christ the Beloved, and serve all Creation in the light of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer

[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

Blessed are you, O God, Creator of all things,
ruler of this world and all that is to come.
In the beginning was your Word, which was the light of life,
through whom all things are given being.
You overthrow the darkness of injustice,
and call your servants to carry the light of peace.
Though we may turn from your light,
still you shine upon us and within us.
Your holy presence illuminates our souls
and we shine with the glory of your image.
Therefore with all Creation we praise you:

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all whom you send in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ,
your beloved Son and faithful servant,
transfigured upon the mountain,
radiant with your grace in loving ministry.
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
full of grace and truth; and we have beheld his glory.
He took the way of the cross, of self-giving and love,
and gave his life, and your light shone in his grace.
But you raised him from the dead,
and the light of your glory shines in his resurrection.
Light of your Wisdom, Light of the World and Prince of Peace,
he has shared our suffering and brought light to our darkness.
By his light we have learned the way of peace
and in his light we trust your promises.

[… The Blessing and Covenant…]

The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it:
for you have raised your Christ from death.
Therefore in the light of your grace
we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

Pour out your Holy Spirit on us, O God,
and on these gifts of bread and wine,
that they may be for us the Body and Blood of Christ.
Pour out your Spirit on us, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ.
By your tender mercy, may your dawn break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet in the way of peace.
Unite us with all who share in this meal,
and send us as light for the world, radiant with your love,
to give light to the way of all who journey in life,
and lead them into your presence.

     [Spoken or sung]
Amen.

____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]

On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.

Prayer of Dedication / Sending / after Communion

[Adapt as needed.]
1.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) In gratitude we give you our lives, symbolized in our gifts. Receive them with love, bless them with grace and use them according to your will. You have shone your light upon us in Christ. Now lead us by the light of Christ to love and to bless, following Jesus in the way of the cross, for the sake of the healing of the world, in the name and the Spirit of Christ. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, we give you these gifts as symbols of our lives. Receive them with love, bless them with grace, and use them according to your will. May we be beacons of your mercy, and lamps of love in the dark places in this world. May our light so shine that others may see, and glorify you. We pray in the name and the spirit of Christ, our Light. Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)

Baptized in Light       (Tune: Morning Has Broken)

Baptized in water, we are your creatures,
each son and daughter washed and reborn,
fully forgiven, blessed and made new now,
buried and risen into the morn.

Baptized in light, God, we are your vessels,
love shining bright in all that we do,
as new creations, we are your glory,
bright with elation, radiant with you.

Baptized in Spirit, we are your servants.
This we inherit: to be your light,
Christ rising in us, healing and blessing,
poor given justice, blind given sight.


Christ on the Mountain (Tune: Be Thou My Vision)

Christ on the mountain, our law and our light, we
come to your table with all you invite.
Hearts all aglow with your Spirit’s bright rays,
gladly we offer our gifts and our praise.

Dawning of heaven, our heart’s rising sun,
feasting upon you, we all become one,
bright with the love that your Spirit imparts,
radiant with mercy in each of our hearts.

Christ, as your Body, we pray by your grace, that
we give your deep love a voice and a face,
by love transfigured, with light in our hands,
bringing your gospel to earth’s farthest lands.


Christ on the Mountain Height (Tune: ST. ELIZABETH – Fairest Lord Jesus)

Christ on the mountain height, radiant with God’s delight,
shining with love and mercy bright,
from fear and death released, we come in thanks to feast
upon your resurrection’s light.

Jesus, Beloved One, bright as Easter’s rising sun,
called to listen and follow you,
fearless of pain or loss, help us to bear your cross
with love’s pure light in all we do.

Savior and dearest friend, Law and Prophet’s fullest end,
strengthened by love, by the Spirit drawn,
led by your radiant face, help us to live your grace
and trust in Easter’s promised dawn.



Christ Transfigured (Tune: Ode to Joy)

Christ, transfigured on the mountain, Law and Prophet, Living Word,
by your glory we are humbled, by your presence we are stirred.
Christ, you are God’s faithful servant, God’s Beloved One so dear.
Guide us by this radiant vision: help us listen; help us hear.

Christ, you choose to suffer and to die, rejected, on the cross,
sharing in our sin and death, our struggles, and our pain and loss.
In your faithful, loving presence, even in our darkest nights,
we behold you, God’s Beloved, shining with love’s healing light.

Help us serve you, each transfigured by light shining from above.
Fill us with your Holy Spirit, radiant with the light of love.
In self-giving, help us share our neighbor’s suffering through the night,
and be lamps for those who struggle, with compassion’s gentle light.


Jesus, Transfigured (Tune: Fairest Lord Jesus)

Jesus, transfigured, bright with heaven’s mystery,
highest of prophets and all the law,
our power to comprehend comes to its humble end
in reverent wonder, love and awe.

Sun of the morning, radiant with holy light,
wake us from sleep, that we may see:
see holy glory in each day’s story,
in every day, eternity.

Light of the world, O Christ, shine in us with all your love.
Crucified and risen One,
fill us with holy fire, our hearts with grace inspire,
to share the warmth of heaven’s Sun.



Light for the World (Original song)
A dialog between cantor and congregation. Multiple verses are supplied, so that it may be used, one or two verses at a time, throughout Epiphany. The congregations’ refrain remains the same throughout. Here are the lyrics for Transfiguration Sunday:

Congregation, Refrain:
Love, may we live by your light.
Let us be light for the world.

Cantor:
18. Christ, you appeared on the mountain top, shining with radiant glory,
God’s own Beloved, the light of the world, and we will tell your story.

19. Give your attention to God’s good news,
like a candle that shines in a dark place;
Let that light fill you and guide you, my friends, and shine with love.


Listen      (Tune: Water Is Wide / Gift of Love)

“This is my dear Beloved Son,
the Light of Life, my Chosen One.
And so I ask by grace, by choice,
you listen for his gentle voice.

“For when you listen and attend
in silence deep, you meet your Friend,
whose voice no words can catch or hold,
and yet whose love is clearly told.

“And listen well with love’s deep art,
to what is in your neighbor’s heart,
for there I dwell, and there I speak;
and there I hide, for you to seek.

“My glory shines in every face
of my beloved human race.
So listen well with wond’ring care:
behold my glory shining there.”


Resurrection Light (Transfiguration) (Tune: Joyful, Joyful)

Wake us, Jesus from our dreams, to see you in a holy light:
Law and prophet, loving promise God has sent to guide us right.
As Elijah, call us Godward, speak the living truth to us.
As our Moses, lead us in our liberating exodus.

Wake us, Jesus, from our fear of pain and death, and from our sin.
Grant that we may live illumined by the world you usher in.
All things shine with light reflected from the dawn that fills our sight.
All of life is thus transfigured by your resurrection’s light.

Wake us, Jesus from complacent dreaming on the mountain’s height.
Teach us humble service: your departure is our guiding light.
Preach the gospel, feed the hungry, heal the broken, give them sight.
Give your life, then find it, shining bright with Resurrection light.

Transfiguration (A communion song) (Tune: Be Thou My Vision)
       [This can be found in Table Songs,
       a collection of communion songs to familiar tunes.]

Christ on the mountain, our law and our light… we
come to your table with all you invite.
Hearts all aglow with your Spirit’s bright rays,
gladly we offer our gifts and our praise.

Dawning of heaven, our heart’s rising sun,
feasting upon you, we all become one,
bright with the love that your Spirit imparts,
radiant with mercy in each of our hearts.

Christ, as your Body, we pray by your grace… that
we give your deep love a voice and a face,
by love transfigured, with light in our hands,
bringing your gospel to earth’s farthest lands.

Wake Us From Our Sleep (Original song)

God of mercy, wake us with your light.
Rouse our sleeping hearts and give us sight.
Raise us up from death; fill us with your breath.
Wake us from our sleep to live new lives in you.

Life comes only from the Word you give.
You alone have power to make us live.
Seeking what is True, Love, we turn to you:
springs of living water flow, and so we live.

Christ, you touch our hearts and heal our fear.
Even in our pain your grace is near.
Spirit, you who save, raise us from our grave.
Born again, dry bones who rise, we live in you.

Christ, light of the world, your radiance bright
wakens us to day out of our night:
shining in, it heals; shining out, reveals.
Help us all to live as children of the light.

December 3, 2023

Lectionary Texts

Isaiah 64. 1-9 —“Oh, that you would tear open the heavens and come down!” God will reshape us, as a potter reworks the clay.

Psalm 80 — “Give ear, O shepherd of Israel!” We are a vine out of Egypt that has gone to ruin. Restore us.

1 Corinthians 1.3-9 — We have every spiritual gift we need as we await Christ’s coming, for which God strengthens us so we’ll be ready.

Mark 13.24-37 — Jesus imagines the coming of God’s “Human One” with “signs in the heavens.” The New Human is near. Stay alert. Like servants ready for the homeowner’s return, Keep awake!

Preaching Thoughts

Advent
       Oh, how badly our people want to skip Advent and get right to Christmas! Part of the discipline of Advent is holding back, waiting, trusting, being patient—even being powerless. We experience our need for God to do for us what we can’t do for ourselves. But it’s not a desperate waiting. Hope isn’t wishful thinking, it’s trust in what is already present but unseen. Let your people experience the discipline of waiting in trust: surrendering, being still, listening, Confession isn’t just enumerating bad stuff we’ve done. It’s also simply naming our need, our incompleteness without God.
      People want Christmas already—and they want Christmas carols. One way I’ve found to satisfy people’s hunger for Christmas carols in December and still stay in Advent is to set liturgical words to the melodies of familiar carols. I use them with table songs (preparation for communion), Eucharistic responses, whole Eucharistic prayers, and songs of blessing.
       We anticipate the birth of Christ on three levels: looking to the past, with Joseph and Mary we prepare for the birth of Jesus; looking to the present, we prepare for Christ to be born in our own hearts; and looking to the future we prepare for the coming of Christ to transform human history. Following along with Joseph and Mary and Elizabeth can help us practice a spirit of preparation and “hurry up and wait.” Listening to John the Baptist helps us prepare more than presents, food and decorations: we open ourselves to the transformation of our hearts. A quick perusal of the headlines as well as honesty about our own hearts makes it clear how badly we need God, how we need to be saved from the demonic power of our fears, desires and distrust. Even as we sometimes worry about the future and “where the world is headed” God’s promise is for blessing. We practice preparing for grace even when things look scary. Advent is a time when we re-tool how we think about the world, and our role in its healing.
       Often terrible things happen in December that seem to “spoil Christmas.” But in fact those terrible things are exactly why Jesus is coming, and where Jesus is needed. It’s those awful experiences that are really the “reason for the season.” If it weren’t for them we wouldn’t need Jesus. Advent is a time to get honest about suffering and injustice, about our hurts and wounds, our worry and despair, and the power of evil, selfishness and fear in our world. It’s in honesty about our brokenness that we prepare ourselves for the coming of the Healer of the World.

Isaiah
     Advent begins, even before the luminous promise of God’s coming, with the reality of our need, our deep hunger for God, for grace, for the restoration of life. Isaiah’s image of God far off, needing to burst the bounds of heaven to come to us, is not literally true. God is not distant. God is here, in everything. But the longing is real. We don’t sense God’s presence—or trust God’s presence when we don’t sense it. Our lack of trust is a veil that makes God seem distant. What needs to be “torn open” is our awareness. We long for God to burst through the veil of our inability to see, our inability to trust.
        Our awareness, of course, depends on our perspective. So often we want to sense God’s presence for our own comfort and reassurance. Because that’s self-centered, that’s not where we’re likely to behold God. But if we re-orient ourselves in love, then we see God! So what’s needed is not for God to move toward us but for us to turn around and face toward God. This requires more than a new thought: it’s a re-modeling of who we are. We need to be re-worked like a potter works the clay into a new vessel. In Advent we express our longing and anticipation in repentance.

Gospel
       Apocalypse. Jesus seems to have had a vision, consistent with apocalyptic thought, of God entering into human history in a concrete way on a certain day in the future. Such thought is common among persecuted minorities who believe human culture is unable to “evolve” to where God intends us to be, and nothing short of divine intervention will save us. “Apocalypse” doesn’t mean the end of the world. It means “revealing.” God reveals God’s true intent for human history, by dismantling the systems we have in place—taking apart the Legos of human society—and re-creating it the right way. It’s “the end of the world as we know it” only if we hang onto human power structures. If we let go and repent, it’s not an end at all but a new birth. The point of apocalypse is not the burning cauldrons and Hollywood special effects of death and destruction, it’s the new heaven and new earth. (By the way people who try to “bring on the apocalypse,” for instance by encouraging huge disasters like war or ecological collapse, are tragically deluded: the apocalypse is something God does in God’s own time, and we have absolutely no influence on God’s timing.) Advent is a time when we turn our eyes and our imagination toward the reality that God is revealing to us in Jesus, the life of love and justice. It’s a world that is not yet fully here. We await its coming.
       Apocalypse now. Of course Jesus isn’t concerned with some imagined future event that may or may not involve us. (After all, if it’s been over 2000 years, who’s to say it won’t be another 2000 before it happens?) He is, as always, directing our attention toward the present moment. If at some point God intends to bring human culture into harmony with God’s grace, what might that look like? Imagine that—and live that way now! Jesus’ parables aren’t about checking the timetables of God’s future appearance, they’re about living in harmony with God’s grace right now, this moment. One way to do that is to be aware of God’s grace at work in this world, here, now. Even in this broken, twisted world full of evil and injustice and suffering and grief, God’s grace is present and at work. Look for it. God’s love is powerful. Notice it. Keep your eyes open. Focus on the overwhelming power of goodness and kindness amid greed and violence. Focus on the courage and beauty that love gives to people in the face of fear and oppression. Stay mindful of injustice and how it works, and keep your eyes open for justice and how it rises, how it changes things. Advent is a time of increased focus in our awareness.
       The New Human. Jesus says the Son of man is near. “Son of Man” has a double meaning. It means both “one of us,” or “really human human being,” and it also refers to the character in Daniel’s vision that in Jesus’ time was given Messianic overtones: someone sent by God to usher in a new age. For Christians Jesus exemplifies both of those: he is an ordinary human, “one of us,” but also shows us the glorious and even divine nature of who it is we really are. He dies this not by claiming anything but by showing us: by enacting a new vision of what it means to be human, and thus ushering a new age of human experience. He’s the New Human. In Advent we observe the emergence of a new way of being; as thew prophet cries to “prepare a way” we acknowledge that Jesus is the way. So Advent isn’t just a time to look to the heavens for God to come intervene. It’s also a time to look at a new way of living, and new way of being human
       Stay woke. Conservatives have reacted against the idea of being “woke,” but being woke is exactly what Jesus is talking about: being awake, aware of what’s going on—“when you see these things taking place”—and in particular aware of justice and injustice, and alert to signs of God’s activity in righting wrongs and confronting injustice. Or in Isaiah’s words (that Jesus seems to love), the work to “bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners, and to proclaim the time of God’s favor” (Isa. 61.1-2). Such wakefulness requires painful self-examination for the ways we are complicit in injustice. People who demonize being “woke” are simply giving voice to our resistance. So Jesus coaches us: “Keep awake!” Stay woke. Advent is a season of waking up in the dark, and beginning to see the light.

       See Advent Resources including Advent Candle lighting prayers (two        series), Advent Wreath prayers and music including Eucharistic prayers and        responses and weekly litanies.

Call to Worship

1. See Advent Candle lighting prayers here.

2. See Advent wreath prayers here.

3.
O deepening darkness, make room for us!
       O gathering darkness, receive our prayers.
O luminous darkness, bring Mystery near.
       O welcoming darkness, let us find God.
We gather to worship, O God, seeking your light.
       We come by your invitation, led by your love.
Bless us in our worship, that we may see your light.
       Bless us that we may be your light,
       the light of Christ dawning in this world’s night. Amen.

4.
We are gathered here, led by the Spirit that has called us.
         We are led by our longing, longing for God,
         for God’s peace in our hearts and justice in the world.
Rejoice, and be glad, for God is near.
         God is coming, always coming into the world,
         and into our hearts.
God, you open our eyes to see signs of your coming.
         Even our longing is the voice of God.
God, we worship you in hope and in faith.
         Come, dear Jesus, come, and renew our hearts.

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
God of Eternity, God of this moment, we trust that you are coming. Come to us in scripture and in silence. Open our hearts to your grace, that we may prepare a room for the birth of Christ in us and among us. Awaken us, God, and keep us awake. Amen.

2.
God of Hope, we turn to you. In the darkness be our light. In the longing be our hope. In the silence be our Word. May your Promise be our light. Amen.

3.
Eternal One, we cry to you. A the darkness of night enfolds us, wondering and waiting. We long for light. We long for you. We long for the coming of Christ, your humble one, among us. Open the eyes of our hearts to look for your coming. Open the arms of our souls to welcome you. Lift up our heads to watch for your dawning. Amen.

4.
Gracious God, Creator of all things,
we give thanks that you are still creating.
Receive our deepest longings with tenderness, and nourish them,
that we may plead for your coming in hope.
Gentle Christ, you who came among us in love, you are still coming.
Open our hearts, that we may prepare for you with lives of love.
Spirit of Life, you shone in the darkness, and still you shine.
Shine in us, that we may proclaim your coming
in lives of joy and justice,
Incarnate God, you entered into Mary, and she bore you into the world.
Bless us, that we may participate in your coming
with deep and life-giving peace. Amen.

5.
God of hope and mystery, we cry out to you out of the darkness of winter and the darkness in our hearts. How we long for you to reveal yourself to us, to come and be with us! Open our hearts as we worship and as we live our lives, that we may hear again your promise, see signs of your coming and ready our hearts for your advent among us. We pray in the name of Christ, who is coming. Amen.

6.
God, sometimes it feels you are far away. Open the eyes of our hearts to see you are near. Open the ears of our spirits to hear your footsteps in this world. Strengthen the hands of our faith tp open the door to you, for you are coming, always coming, into this world and into our lives, in the person and the presence and the spirit of Jesus. Amen.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

1.
In the night
the dawn is barely perceptible
but we know it is coming.
So we know your grace is present
through we cannot see it.
Awaken our hearts, keep our spirits alert,
open to signs of your grace. Amen.

2.
In the night, just before dawn,
your gentle light rises in the east
of our hearts.
In stillness, watching, we wait.

Eucharistic Prayer

See Advent table songs (preparation for communion), Eucharistic responses, whole Eucharistic prayers, and songs of blessing. All set to traditional Christmas tunes.

[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Faithful One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

God of grace, we thank you,
for out of the chaos and darkness you brought light;
out of the shadows of slavery you brought us to freedom
out of the dark tomb you raised Jesus up to life.
And now in the darkness we look for your grace
we see your power at work, and we know you are near.
Entering into the brokenness of our world,
you transform and bring forth life.
By many signs you awaken us to your coming.
Therefore we join with all those who long for new life,
whose eyes are eagerly on the door of your grace:
together with them we rejoice at the promise of your coming,
and we sing your praise.
            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all who come in your name, and blessed is Jesus, your Christ,
the flesh of your presence and the light of your coming,
Jesus loved the neglected and healed the broken,
gathered the outcast and gave hope to the despairing.
Jesus entered into the suffering of the world to redeem it,
and to redeem all who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

[The Blessing and Covenant…]

Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.”
As often as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection until he comes again.
Remembering these, your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving
as a living and holy sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

Awaken your Holy Spirit in these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Awaken your Holy Spirit in us,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
transformed by your grace and confident in your coming,
to your eternal glory and praise.

     [Spoken or sung]
Amen.

____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]

On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.

Prayer of Dedication / Sending / after Communion

[Adapt as needed.]
1.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) You promise to enter into our suffering and the suffering of the world. By this meal awaken us to your coming and come to new life in us, that we may live as signs of your coming, for the sake of the healing of the world, in the power of your Holy Spirit and the name of Christ, who is coming. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) In the depths of our hunger, you feed us with your promise. In the darkness of the night you enlighten us with your coming. May your longing in us be light for this world, for the sake of the healing of all Creation, in the name of Christ. Amen.

3.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) Help us to prepare for your coming again in hope and trust. Send us into the world, transformed by your grace into the Body of Christ, to be signs of your coming, by your presence in us, in the name and the Spirit of Christ. Amen.

4.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) You have filled us with the bread of hope, the bread of longing. Bless us that we may never lose our hunger for you. Send us into the world to plead for your coming with patience and faith, living prayerfully, and serving lovingly, in the name and the Spirit of Christ, who is coming. Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)

See Advent table songs (preparation for communion), Eucharistic responses, whole Eucharistic prayers, and songs of blessing. All set to traditional Christmas tunes.

Come, Bring your Light and Shepherd of Israel are weekly litanies, one verse per week; suitable for a call to worship, introduction or response to scripture, response to sermon, affirmation, or other places in worship. The Cantor’s lyrics reflect the day’s lectionary texts; the congregational response is the same throughout Advent.

Come, Bring Your Light       (Original song)
A weekly litany. A dialogue between solo cantor and congregation.

Week 1:
O God, that you would tear open the heavens and come down!
You are our maker, you the potter and we your clay.

We lack no spiritual gift as we wait for you, O Christ.
For you will strengthen us to the end.

       Congregation:
       O Come to us, O come, Emmanuel,
       and bring your light into our darkened world.

Keep alert, for you do not know when the Beloved will appear.
As with the fig tree, watch for signs of new life.

Heaven and earth will pass away but your words will not pass away.
Help us follow your call to keep awake.

       Congregation:
       O Come to us, O come, Emmanuel,
       and bring your light into our darkened world.


Shepherd of Israel      (Original song)
A weekly litany. A dialogue between solo cantor and congregation.

Congregation:
Kyrie Eleison. Christe Eleison. Kyrie Eleison.
Come to us, and grant your peace.

Cantor:
Week 1. Shepherd of Israel, come, restore your people.
Shine your face on us and save us, God. Kyrie…

Week 2. Comfort, speak tenderly. Gently lead your people.
God, forgive our sins and make us new. Kyrie…

Week 3. Pour out your Spirit, God, Heal the brokenhearted.
Love, prepare our hearts to see your light. Kyrie…

Week 4. Grant us your mercy, God. Fill the poor with good things.
Guide our feet into your way of peace. Kyrie…


Child of Promise (Original song)

Child of promise, oh, child of hope, prophets spoke of you:
visions treasured but unfulfilled. Shall our dreams come true?
Help us wait for you.

Child of woman, oh, child of God, birthing us anew,
make a room, oh, make a womb, in our hearts for you.
Help us wait for you.

Child of patience, oh, child of pain, suffering ills we do,
heal, forgive and help us be gentle child, like you.
Help us wait for you.

Child of wonder, oh, child of joy, you make all things new.
Re-create us, come again like the morning dew.
Help us wait for you.

December 10, 2023

Lectionary Texts

Isaiah 40. 1-11. Comfort, comfort my people. Prepare a way in the wilderness for God’s people to come home. God is coming with power to save and lovingly shepherd the people.

Psalm 85. Thanks for God’s grace and forgiveness, and a plea for God’s continued grace. “Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss.”

2 Peter 3. 8-15. God is not slow to keep their promise. The Day will come like a thief. How shall we prepare? By leading lives of holiness and godliness. We wait for new heavens and a new earth.

Mark 1. 1-8. Like Isaiah’s cry, “Prepare a way,” John the Baptist preaches repentance in preparation for “one more powerful” who is yet to come, who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.

Preaching Thoughts

Isaiah
      The pre-exilic prophets warned Israel they were about to suffer the consequences of their unfaithfulness. During the exile, the prophets had a different message: not warning but assurance— that God was still with them, and would bring them home again. The Gospel preaches both messages to us these days: warning that we’re reaping the harvest of our greed, violence, and oppression; and also comfort that God is with us to redeem, not to punish.
       Exile is a powerful image: people feel alienated, isolated and imprisoned, or at least not free. People on both sides of the political spectrum may feel exiled from their safe homeland, whether they see that as White America or a just society. Of course God’s longing is for the latter, not the former. Our anticipation of the coming of Christ is rooted in that longing for a safe home. But it’s not nostalgia. Think of the exiles who anticipated “returning” to Israel. Most of them had probably never actually been there. It was their parents more than a generation ago who had been sent into exile. So the “return” was a return to something new. So it is with God’s promise for us. To return from exile will be to enter a land where we’ve never actually lived—we’ve only seen far-off glimpses. (That’s what the church is supposed to be.) That’s why it matters that we prepare a way.

2 Peter
       This letter was written a couple generations after Jesus’ death, to people who thought Jesus would have returned by then, and he hadn’t. It assured them God was giving them more time to be ready. As dated as that concern sounds, we also might feel some despair that God hasn’t intervened in the evil of the world. We wonder: will God ever straighten things out? I think we can dismiss the idea that Jesus is going to “come on the clouds,” that at some historical moment God will bring about The Apocalypse. It’s been 2000 years. There’s no reason to think it won’t be another 2000. But the point of 2 Peter isn’t about the timetable: it’s the way we live. It’s the thought that by living lives of love and justice we bring about the world we hope for. I punctuate verses 11-12 differently than our translations: “Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be? Lead lives of holiness and godliness; waiting like this, we hasten the coming of the day of God.”

Mark
       John the Baptist echoes the call to prepare a way by leading lives of holiness and godliness. We “Way” means different things to different speakers. For Isaiah it’s a way for God to come into the world and enact God’s decisive will in freeing the exiles. And it suggests a way for the exiles to return home, a straight, smooth highway instead of the bumpy road they’ve been on. It also implies making a way for God’s will in our world, doing justice so God’s will is enacted. For Mark, John is preparing a way for Jesus. And for John the way is a reformed life of righteousness. All of that—the coming of God, the return of exiles, the doing of justice, the coming of Christ, and our preparations in our own hearts—is part of the Advent message. God, Cyrus, John, Jesus and we are all making a ways for grace to move in our lives and our world. Advent is a time to make space in our lives in which something new can enter, not unlike clearing a space in a room for a new piece of furniture. (And likely some old stuff has to go!) Mary & Joseph ended up in a stable “because there was no room for them in the inn.” Imagine what needed to be moved out of the stable to make room for them even there; what had to be cleared out of the manger to allow for the baby Jesus. What do you need to clear out to make room for grace in your life? What are barriers to grace that need to be leveled to allow it in? Prepare a way.

Call to Worship

1.
See advent candle lighting prayers here.

3.
See Advent wreath prayers here.

3.
In the darkness there is a light.
       In the wilderness there is a voice.
Your love, O God, leads us to you.
       Your wisdom leads us to life.
Gracious God, be our guiding star.
      Be our rising dawn.
      Prepare your way in us,
      that we may worship and serve in love. Amen.

4.
Light of God, rising in the wilderness, awaken us to your glory.
By your revealing light, may we see ourselves clearly, and repent.
Light of Christ, making level the uneven ground, awaken us to your way.
By your guiding light, may we free ourselves of all fear and hatred.
Spirit’s light, rising in our hearts, awaken us to the gift of love.
By your transforming light, baptize us with your Holy Spirit,
that we may prepare for your coming
with hearts full of love and lives of compassion.
Come, dear Jesus, come! Amen.

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
God of grace and mercy, you prepare a way to come into this world, many ways that we do not see. Prepare a way to enter our hearts now. In word and silence, in song and prayer and meal, make your way into our hearts and make within us and among us a new heaven and earth, in the Spirit and the Body of Christ. Amen.

2.
God of love, as we wait in the darkness, speak to us. Comfort us, make gentle what is rough in our lives, grant us your promise, and direct us in living out your good news. We pray in the spirit and company of Christ, who is here, and who is coming. Amen.

3.
God of the new dawn,
we gather, mindful of those who live in darkness.
Our hearts ache for your comfort.
Our sorrows cry for your healing.
Christ, O Patient One, you who are coming,
prepare your way in us.
Make our hearts patient, still and receptive;
that we may repent and love one another,
that we may go before you all our days.
O Holy Spirit, strengthen our hearts, that we may live in hope.
By your tender mercy, O God, may your dawn from on high break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace. Amen.

4.
In our darkness we look for your light, for a star in the night, for a candle in a window, for the rising of your dawn. In our weariness we long for your comfort, for an easy chair, for tender, loving arms. In our busyness we search for your grace, for a place to rest, for a promise of hope. In the presence of Christ and of one another, we have gathered to listen for your Word and to receive your grace. In the name of the One who is coming, speak to us; reach out to us, come to us. Amen.

5.
Eternal God, your prophet cries out to make a way for you in the desert. In the barren land of our wayward ways, lead us to life. Across the wasteland of our injustice, selfishness and fear, guide us in the way of peace and the path of justice. Through the dark valleys of our broken hearts, show us the way to your heart. Prepare your way in us, O God. Amen.

6.
Gracious God, you sent your prophets to prepare a way for your peace and justice. You sent Jesus to transform us into your faithful people. Send your Word now to us, prepare a way in our hearts for your presence, baptize us in your Holy Spirit, and guide our feet into the way of peace. Amen.

7.
Gracious God, Creator of all things, you are still creating.
Receive our deepest longings with tenderness, and nourish them,
that we may plead for your coming in hope.
Gentle Christ, you who have come among us in love, you are still coming.
Open our hearts, that we may prepare for you with lives of love.
Spirit of Life, you shone in the darkness, and still you shine.
Shine in us, that we may proclaim your coming in lives of joy and justice,
Incarnate God, you entered into Mary, and she bore you into the world.
Bless us, that we may participate in your coming with deep and life-giving peace. Amen.

8.
God, you who speak promises to us, you who are coming, we gather with you in silence and awe. Speak to us your Word, instill your promises in our hearts, and transform us by your Spirit. By Christ’s birth in our hearts, and the baptism of you Spirit, make us signs of your coming, by which the world me see, and rejoice. Amen.

9.
Gracious God, through all our doubt and despair prepare a way for hope.
Through our selfishness and fear, prepare a way for love.
Through our resistance and control, prepare a way for grace.
Through our anger and enmity, prepare a way for peace.
O You Who Are Coming, prepare your way in us.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

In the wilderness of the world,
in the wilderness of our hearts,
in the wilderness of this silence,
prepare a way, O God,
and move into our hearts.

Poetry

        Prepare Your Way

Holy One,
prepare your way in me.

Give me faith, like the stable,
to know your presence within me.

Give me courage, like Mary,
to let your life overwhelm mine.

Give me strength, like Joseph,
to protect what is holy, tender and growing.

Give me patience, like the shepherds,
to be still and listen.

Give me humility, like the magi,
to kneel before your presence.

Give me trust, like the child,
to let myself be borne into a new world.

Give me joy, like the angels,
to bring good news to the poor.

Give me love, like the manger
to hold Christ within.

Holy One,
prepare your way in me.

Eucharistic Prayer

See musical Eucharistic prayers set to Christmas tunes.
See Eucharistic prayer responses (Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen) set to Christmas tunes.
                   •

[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

We thank you, God, for in the beginning
you made a way for light in the darkness.
You made a way for the Hebrews through the sea,
and a way for exiles to return.
You make a way for justice in this world,
condemning oppression and demanding freedom for the oppressed.
You have showed us a way through your prophets,
the way of faithfulness and mercy.
You have opened a way for us in Jesus,
the way of love and life that cannot die.
And still in Christ you make your way into the world,
always a new coming, in a new way.
Here at this table you make a way for us to love each other,
a way for you to enter our hearts.
Therefore we sing your praise with all the faithful:

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ,
who prepared the way for your empire of grace.
Jesus is the way for those who are hoping,
and comfort for those who are weary.
His love makes smooth what is rough in our lives,
and straightens what is crooked.
In his death and resurrection is the Way of life eternal,
a grace that transforms our lives from death to life.

     (The Blessing and Covenant)

As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]


Prepare the way of your Holy Spirit in these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Prepare the way of your Holy Spirit in us,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ.
In this meal you have prepared a way to enter us;
and through us, to enter into the world.
Baptize us in your Holy Spirit,
that we may be made new.
May we make smooth the rough places.
May we bring comfort
to those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
that by your grace, through our faith, your glory will be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together.

     [Spoken or sung]
Amen.

____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]

On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.

Prayer of Dedication / Sending / after Communion

[Adapt as needed.]
1.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) In this meal you have made us new, and fashioned us as living promises of the world to come. Send us into the world to prepare a way for you in love and justice. May we be the way you enter the world, in the power of your Spirit and the loving presence of the Beloved, Jesus Christ. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) You who are coming, baptize us in your Holy Spirit. Lead us in a new way of living, by the light of your Spirit in and among us, for the sake of the renewal of the world, in the name of Christ. Amen.

3.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) Send us now to go before you to prepare a way, to give the people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sin. By your tender mercy, may your dawn from on high break upon us, to guide our feet in the way of peace. Amen.

4.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) In this holy meal the light of your new dawn begins to rise in our hearts. Send us into the world to prepare your way and to give knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of people’s sins. By your tender mercy, may your dawn from on high break upon us, that we may bring light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. By your grace, guide our feet in the way of peace. Amen.

5.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) Send us into the world to bless without reserve, to love without fear, to serve without holding anything back. Our beloved chief, Jesus, you have come to us in the sharing of this meal. In our lives of love, come again, O Jesus, come! Amen.

6.
God of promise, we offer these gifts as symbols of our lives, given in gratitude for your grace and in preparation for your coming. Bless the gifts that through them your will may be done; and bless us that through our giving we may become living signs of your coming. We pray in the spirit of Christ. Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)

See Advent table songs (preparation for communion), Eucharistic responses, whole Eucharistic prayers, and songs of blessing. All set to traditional Christmas tunes.

Come, Bring Your Light and Shepherd of Israel are two weekly litanies, one verse per week; suitable for a call to worship, introduction or response to scripture, response to sermon, affirmation, or other places in worship. The Cantor’s lyrics reflect the day’s lectionary texts; the congregational response is the same throughout Advent.

Come, Bring Your Light (Original song)
A weekly litany. A dialogue between solo cantor and congregation.

Week 2:
Comfort, comfort my people, says our God.
Speak tenderly to them that their suffering is at an end.

In the wilderness prepare a way for God.
Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

        Congregation:
       O Come to us, O come, Emmanuel,
        and bring your light into our darkened world.

The uneven ground shall become a level path,
and the rough places will be made smooth.

Then the glory of God shall be revealed.
For one is coming who will baptize you with fire.

        Congregation:
       O Come to us, O come, Emmanuel,
        and bring your light into our darkened world.

Shepherd of Israel         (Original song)
A weekly litany. A dialogue between solo cantor and congregation.

Week 2:
Congregation:
Kyrie Eleison. Christe Eleison. Kyrie Eleison.
Come to us, and grant your peace.

Cantor:
Comfort, speak tenderly. Gently lead your people.
God, forgive our sins and make us new.
             Kyrie…


Child of Promise        (Original song)
Child of promise, oh, child of hope, prophets spoke of you:
visions treasured but unfulfilled. Shall our dreams come true?
Help us wait for you.

Child of woman, oh, child of God, birthing us anew,
make a room, oh, make a womb, in our hearts for you.
Help us wait for you.

Child of patience, oh, child of pain, suffering ills we do,
heal, forgive and help us be gentle child, like you.
Help us wait for you.

Child of wonder, oh, child of joy, you make all things new.
Re-create us, come again like the morning dew.
Help us wait for you.

Comfort, Comfort              (Original song)
Isaiah 40.1-11. A dialogue between cantor and congregation.

Cantor:
Comfort, comfort my people,
speak tenderly to my beloved:
from your imprisonment, from your despair
you shall be released.
Congregation:
Prepare the way in the wilderness.
Prepare the way.
Prepare the way in the wilderness.
prepare the way.

Build up, build up a new way,
the rough and the crooked make even.
Build up a way where God’s justice may come.
Open up a way.
Prepare the way in the wilderness….

Cry, cry out the mystery,
for we are like flowers and grasses,
growing then fading when winter winds blow.
But God’s love endures.
Prepare the way in the wilderness….

Raise up, raise up your voices,
rejoice for your savior is coming.
God like a shepherd will gather us in,
guide us on in love.
Prepare the way in the wilderness….



Prepare Your Way In Me (Original song)

Prepare your way in me, God, prepare your way in me.

1. Make my rough places smooth, the crooked make straight, my God.
2. Lay your hand at my root, that I may bear fruit, my God.
3. Come and empty my heart of all things but you, my God.
4. Guide my feet in your Way. Fill me with your peace, my God.

December 17, 2023

Lectionary Texts

Isaiah 61.1-11. The Spirit has anointed me to do God’s justice: to care for the poor and powerless and set people free. God says “I love justice.” God will cause righteousness to spring up like growing shoots.

Psalm 126 Thanks for recovery from disappointment. “May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. Those who go out weeping shall come home with shouts of joy.”

1 Thessalonians 5. 16-24 “Rejoice always.” In all circumstances rejoice and pray, be thankful, and hold fast to what is good as we await the coming of Christ.

John 1. 6-8, 19-28 John the baptizer is not the light, but bears witness to the light: “among you stands one who is coming.”

       See Advent Resources including Advent Candle Lighting Prayers,
       Advent Wreath prayers, and music including Eucharistic prayers
       and responses and weekly litanies, and more.

Preaching Thoughts

Isaiah
       “Good news for the poor” seems to be Jesus’ mission statement, as he announces in Luke 4. There are certainly echoes here of last weeks’ Isaiah reading: “Comfort, comfort my people….” But there are also the seeds of discomfort. Good news to the oppressed, liberty to captives and release to prisoners will not be good news for the prisons, oppressors and systems that support them. Both sides of justice are evident. So Advent comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable. Our preaching needs to do the same. As much as we expect people to want warm, comforting Christmas sermons in Advent, what scripture gives us is more transformative—hence, unsettling. Advent invites us to gently shepherd our listeners to be prepared to be unsettled, which is how you enter the new “way” God is preparing. The justice Isaiah anticipates here is a new world whose advent requires that we let go of the old one.

1 Thessalonians
       To “rejoice always” can sound sappy, and if misunderstood can encourage us to minimize our grief, ignore the real suffering others endure, and overlook the anguish caused by the injustice in which we are complicit. Happiness that is numb to the evil we suffer and the evil we cause is simply denial. But when we’re aware of the suffering hope and joy can be revolutionary and even subversive. Part of the power of oppressive systems is their capacity to instill resentment, despair and hopelessness in the oppressed. To rejoice in the face of suffering and to be at peace in the face of threats robs the oppressor of power. We are neither numb to evil or suffering, nor willing to let them define our response. Hope in the face of oppression is an act of resistance.
       It’s hard to “rejoice always” when we’re suffering. It’s also hard to remain sensitive to the suffering of others. So many of the shootings in America are committed by men who can’t bear the feeling of being wronged, threatened, or even merely inconvenienced, while other people’s suffering means nothing. This is an extreme example, but part of the nature of not knowing how to rejoice always and give thanks in all circumstances. Advent invites us into the paradox of holding fast to what is good even as we face what is evil, rejoicing even as we work against injustice ,and giving thanks even as we suffer. Our hope is not wishful thinking, but trust that the Coming One is already here at work.

John
       Religious authorities react against John’s message because it subverts religious power structures, but they’re also uncomfortable with John himself because he doesn’t fit their established categories. They don’t know what to make of him. We all have ways to judge and categorize people. The more entrenched our categories are, the more discomforted we are by people who don’t fit them. They threaten ours sense that we know what’s what. Witness people’s emotional reactions to trans people, drag queens and strong women. John represents a crumbling of our established stereotypes. Advent reminds us that God’s justice will require the dismantling of a lot of our judgments, stereotypes and power structures. Jesus won’t fit any of our expectations—not the warrior Messiah his contemporaries expected; not the nice, meek shampoo model we see posted in our Sunday Schools; not the defiant, muscled, gun-toting manly man white Christian nationalists wish for… Nope, he’s Something Else. Advent invites us to allow Jesus to be a new person, to come in a new way, and to initiate a new world. We long for confirmation of our beliefs. But God promises transformation of ourselves, our faith, our minds, and our world. Advent is a time of preparation through repentance.

Call to Worship

1.
See Advent Candle Lighting Prayers here.

2.
See Advent Wreath Prayers here.

3.
In the beginning was the Word.
The Word was the light of all people.
Prophets bore witness to the light.
We ourselves are given the light.
As we worship, God, kindle your light in us.
May we shine in this world as signs of your coming. Amen.

4.
Gentle Christ, you who have come among us in love, you are still coming.
Open our hearts, that we may prepare for you with lives of love.
Spirit of Life, you shone in the darkness, and still you shine.
Shine in us, that we may proclaim your coming in lives of joy and justice.
Incarnate God, in love and mercy you are continually coming into the world.
Bless us, that we may participate in your coming with deep and life-giving peace. Amen.

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
Loving God, you who are coming, you who are here: we await the coming of Christ, the ruler of the world and of our hearts. Prepare a way: give us courage to be a voice in the wilderness crying out for your desire. Lead us in the ways of justice. Open our hearts to the coming of Christ and his Reign of mercy and justice. Amen.

2.
God of life, as your prophet cries in the wilderness, we prepare a way in our hearts for your coming. We open ourselves to your presence, to your transforming Word, to your power in this world. Be our light in the darkness, our song in the silence, our star in the night, so that we might be your people in this world. Amen.

3.
Gracious God, you sent John the Baptizer to call people to repentance and to prepare the way for Christ. By your spirit, speak your Word to our hearts, and help us to repent of all our ways that injure life, so that we might bear your justice into this world, and bear your healing to those who are hurting, in the name of Christ. Amen.

4.
Gracious God, Creator of all things, you are still creating.
Receive our deepest longings with tenderness, and nourish them,
that we may plead for your coming in hope. Amen.

5.
Gracious and ever-present God, your prophets promised the coming of your reign of mercy and justice, and the healing of the world. We still our hearts and minds before you now, to listen for your Word, that this mighty transformation may begin in our own hearing. Bless us, that as your Scriptures are read and your good news proclaimed, we may hear, and our hearts may be healed, our lives changed. Amen.

6.
Gracious God, we bless you, for you hear our prayers and come to us, bringing light into the darkness of our hearts. Grant us, your people, the wisdom to see your purposes today and the opening to hear your will, that in our lives we may bear witness to Christ¹s coming and so prepare his way. This we pray, in the name and the spirit of Christ. Amen.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

Loving God, you bid us to pray without ceasing.
May our listening be prayer,
our breathing be praise.
God of peace, sanctify us entirely.
We are yours.

Prayer of Confession

Gentle God: to rejoice always, to pray without ceasing, to give thanks in all things, to abstain from every form of evil, these have been hard for us. Forgive us, heal our hearts, and renew your Spirit in us, that we may faithfully hold fast to what is good. May Christ be born in us, that we may become new people. Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer

See Advent Eucharistic Responses (Sanctus, Acclamation, and Amen set to familiar Christmas tunes.)
And see Advent Eucharistic Prayers, entire prayer set to familiar Christmas tunes.

[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

It is always our delight to sing your praise, O God,
for when all was darkness and chaos, you brought forth light.
You made us in your image, with your light already within us.When we were lost and enslaved you came to us;
you condemned and overthrew the powers of oppression and set us free.You have spoken to us through the prophets and walked with us in love.Even in the darkest times you hid your light within us and your hope among us,your promise already given, the dawn already on its way.
Therefore we rejoice, and sing your praise with all creation:

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all who come in your name, and blessed is Jesus, your Christ.
Born in a rough stable, hunted by death squads, refugee to Egypt,
he walked with us in our darkest passages.
He brought good news to the poor, release to the captives and sight to the blind.Healing and teaching, gathering a community and crying out for justice,
he embodied your love.Crucified and buried, Christ bore the burden of human suffering.Raised from the dead, Christ embodied your overpowering grace.Christ lived as your promise among us, your hope given flesh,
the new world beginning even now.
This is our hope, our joy and our trust.

[…The Blessing and Covenant…]As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Spirit on us, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ.
May we live your promise with faith, giving thanks in all things.
May we be your light in this darkness.
May our lives be good news to the poor and proclaim release to the captives.
By your grace may Christ be born in us,
that we may be living signs of your coming.

     [Spoken or sung]
Amen.

____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]

On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.

Prayer of Dedication / Sending / after Communion

[Adapt as needed.]
1.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) Christ has prepared a way for you, in this meal and in this community. Changed by this grace, may we go out and do the work of justice, to prepare the way for your Empire of Love, in the name and spirit of Christ. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) Loving God, born in our hearts and enfleshed in our community, be our hope our courage and our joy. Send us out as your light, in the name of Christ and the power of your Spirit, for the sake of the healing of the world. Amen.

3.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) You have fed the hungry; now send us into the world to share your justice, to bring your good news to the poor, and to shine your light in this world to make a way for your coming, in the name and the Spirit of Christ. Amen.

4.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) Blessed, transformed, and sustained by these gifts, we go into the world in your name to bring good news to the poor, to set the captives free, and to proclaim your grace. Send us in the power of your Spirit, with the blessing and the company of your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ, who even now is coming. Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)

Advent Table Songs, invitation to communion set to familiar Christmas tunes.

Two Weekly litanies, one verse per week; suitable for a call to worship, introduction or response to scripture, response to sermon, or other places in worship: Come, Bring your Light, and Shepherd of Israel

Come, Bring Your Light (Original song)
A dialogue between solo cantor and congregation.
The Cantor’s lyrics reflect the day’s lectionary texts; the congregational response is the same throughout Advent.)
Week 3:
Cantor:
The spirit of God is upon me,
for the Holy One has anointed me.

God has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
and to bind up the broken-hearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives,
to declare the time of God’s favor and comfort those who mourn.

         Congregation:
        O Come to us, O come, Emmanuel,
         and bring your light into our darkened world.

The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world,
the Only Begotten, who is close to God’s heart, has made God known.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all things.
The God of peace will sanctify you and keep you
until the coming of the beloved, Jesus Christ.

         Congregation:
        O Come to us, O come, Emmanuel,
         and bring your light into our darkened world.


Shepherd of Israel (Original Song)
A dialogue between solo cantor and congregation.
The Cantor’s lyrics reflect the day’s lectionary texts; the congregational response is the same throughout Advent.)

Congregation:
Kyrie Eleison. Christe Eleison. Kyrie Eleison.
Come to us, and grant your peace.

Cantor:
1. Shepherd of Israel, come, restore your people.
Shine your face on us and save us, God.    … Kyrie…

2. Comfort, speak tenderly. Gently lead your people.
God, forgive our sins and make us new.    … Kyrie…

3. Pour out your Spirit, God, Heal the brokenhearted.
Love, prepare our hearts to see your light.    … Kyrie…

4. Grant us your mercy, God. Fill the poor with good things.
Guide our feet into your way of peace.     … Kyrie…


Child of Promise (Original song)

Child of promise, oh, child of hope, prophets spoke of you:
visions treasured but unfulfilled. Shall our dreams come true?
Help us wait for you.

Child of woman, oh, child of God, birthing us anew,
make a room, oh, make a womb, in our hearts for you.
Help us wait for you.

Child of patience, oh, child of pain, suffering ills we do,
heal, forgive and help us be gentle child, like you.
Help us wait for you.

Child of wonder, oh, child of joy, you make all things new.
Re-create us, come again like the morning dew.
Help us wait for you.


Prepare Your Way In Me (Original song)

Prepare your way in me, God, prepare your way in me.

1. Make my rough places smooth, the crooked make straight, my God.
2. Lay your hand at my root, that I may bear fruit, my God.
3. Come and empty my heart of all things but you, my God.
4. Guide my feet in your Way. Fill me with your peace, my God.


Isaiah 61 (Tune: O Little Town of Bethlehem)

The Spirit of the Lord our God is strong in us and sure,
sent in God’s grace to be God’s face with good news for the poor,
to heal the brokenhearted, and set the captives free,
and to proclaim in God’s own name their deep new liberty.

We shall provide for those who mourn and broken lives repair,
for God demands that in our hands God’s justice we shall bear.
As earth brings forth new green things, our God will cause to rise
the righteousness that all shall bless, the dawn that greets our eyes.

Lectionary Texts

In 2 Samuel 7. 1-11, 16 David wants to build a temple but God says, “I will make you a house.”

Luke 1.47-55 The Magnificat. “My soul magnifies (praises) God, who has regarded me in my low status.” God has brought the mighty down and lifted up the lowly.

Romans 16. 25-27 God is able to strengthen you through the gospel to bring about faith.

Luke 1.26-38 The annunciation. Gabriel tells Mary she will have a special child., and she consents.

Preaching Thoughts

Still Advent? Seriously??
       Well, yes. This Sunday is the 4^th Sunday of Advent. Liturgically it isn’t Christmas Eve till tonight. In the secular 21^st Century, it is sadly true that for most folks Christmas is not a religious holiday. So they wouldn’t think of going to church twice on this day, in the morning for Advent 4 and in the evening for a Christmas Eve service. You’ll have to make a judgment call about how you handle that in your setting, and to what degree you allow this Sunday morning to slide out of Advent and into Christmas. Seek a way for liturgical integrity to dialogue with people’s desires and expectations.

2 Samuel
        When God says, “I will make you a house,” it can mean both “I will make a house for you” and also “I will make you yourself into a house (for me).” God provides for us, partly by providing in us. Our Advent preparations are mindful of this double blessing: that we await the coming of Christ for us, and prepare for Christ’s birth in us. For you God will make a house for Jesus to be born in, and God will make you a house for Jesus to be born in.

Luke 1.47-55— The Magnificat
       In the chronology of Luke’s gospel, this passage comes after the following one, of the Annunciation. (It’s the song Mary bursts forth with when she visits Elizabeth.) But in todays’ liturgy it comes earlier, serving as a Psalm— because it is one. It’s a song of praise for God’s grace specifically addressing our need: Mary’s “low estate,” paralleled by the state of the poor and hungry. Historically it has been an act of blatant denial for the church to ignore the obviously revolutionary sense of Mary’s song. Not only does God “lift up the lowly” (how sweet!) but also also “brings down the powerful” (how disturbing!) This isn’t a wish for the poor to be on top instead of the rich. (How many “revolution”s have we seen in which the formerly powerless become the ruthless despots?) This is not a zero-sum vision, that there’s only so much wealth or power to go around. It is a critique of all hierarchies, power structures, and systems of privilege and exclusion. It’s not that the levels of the political or economic ladder are reversed: they’re abolished. There’s no ladder. God brings everyone to the same level. Jesus preaches the same radical concept: not a ladder of status or a pyramid of power, but a circle in which the last is first and the first last. In a circle the last doesn’t become a new first: they, and everyone else, remain always both last and first.
      But. It sure feels like zero-sum to the folks who have to be brought down. To the privileged, justice feels unfair. This is the hard edge of the gospel: we want to hang onto our privilege, whatever it is. Time after time, with pharisee and tax collector in prayer, with prostitutes entering heaven before the rabbis, with laborers all paid a full day’s wage, Jesus keeps hammering it home: there’s no privilege with God. No superiority, no “better than.” No such thing as good enough, or not good enough, or deserving at all. Only God’s grace. This is the “mercy according to the promise God made to our ancestors” that Mary sings about.

Luke 1.26-38 – The Annunciation
       The “Virgin Birth.” Luke, for good reason, has misunderstood Isaiah 7:14 that says “A young maiden is with child and shall bear a son.” The word “virgin” means sexually chaste, but the Hebrew word simply means a young woman. In Isaiah there’s no reason to assume she’s a virgin, or not married, or even that this is her first child. There’s no prophecy of a virgin birth! If you want to be strictly literal, Gabriel does not say “This moment you shall conceive…” but “Now then, you shall.” It’s a prophecy about the future. Like, when she gets married. Mary’s response isn’t necessarily about her virginity. She’s just saying, “What are you talking about, having a royal baby? I’m just an ordinary girl! I’m not even married yet!” Gabriel’s response isn’t about the absence of sex in this child’s conception, but the Spirit’s presence. There’s no need to “create” a virgin birth. But of course Luke intends just that. Legends of virgin births were popular in Jesus’ day among important people: Caesar claimed one. So both Matthew and Luke follow the tradition. We can’t pretend that Luke doesn’t describe a virgin birth. So that’s the story, even if we don’t have to take it as literal truth.
       So what? What if the story of a virgin birth is not true? Nothing, that’s what. It doesn’t change a thing. Jesus is who he is, does what he does, sets us free from the power of our fear and selfishness, inaugurates a new Realm of Grace, and calls us to follow, independent of Mary’s sex life. And—look how God can do amazing things, even through ordinary people! And what if the story is true? Then look how God can do amazing things, even through ordinary people! (And look at the power of a woman who doesn’t need a man to fulfill her calling!) Remember, this is a story, the point of which is not how it happened, but what it’s about. And this is a story about God acting decisively in human history… about a way to think of Jesus as being “of God,” and God acting intentionally in Jesus, who is “sent” by God, and represents God… about God using ordinary people… about God’s promises and fulfillment…… about saying “yes” to God… about a lot of things other than sex. (By the way we know Mary did eventually have sex, since Jesus had at least four brothers and three sisters [Mt. 13.55]—unless they were all born of virgin births!) All of this, this story is about, regardless of Mary’s experience.
      Gabriel’s message, God’s prayer. Fussing about whether Mary had sex or not is a tragic diversion from the real impact of this story. Imagine it as God’s message to you —God’s prayer: that God favors you, that you have the power to conceive love in this world, not by your own accomplishment—“how can this be!?”—but by God’s grace—“for the Holy Spirit will come upon you.” The love you conceive will be great, and will last forever. And if you don’t believe this, look around at others who no one thought could bear love into the world and see: nothing is impossible with God.
       Maybe the best part of the story, the real part people should be obsessed with, is Mary’s response. “Here I am, willing to serve God. May it be for me according to your word.” Do we dare say that to God? Do we say that to God’s promise that we will bring great love into the world? Maybe we need Mary’s prayer as much as we need the Lord’s prayer.

Call to Worship

1. See Advent candle lighting prayers, Advent Wreath Prayers and music resources here.

2. [Also suitable as a prayer or response later in the service.]
Greetings, favored ones! God is with you.
Our soul magnifies the Holy One,
and our spirit rejoices in God, our savior.
You have found favor with God.
You shall conceive in your hearts
and bear God’s love into the world.
God has looked with favor on us in our lowliness,
for God has done mighty things for us.
The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
so your love will be of God.
God has brought down the powerful and lifted up the lowly,
filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty.
Look about you and see the fruitfulness of God’s love.
Fro nothing is impossible with God.
Here we are, in service to God.
May it be for us according to your word. Amen.

3.
God of love, we yearn for your presence.
Our hearts ache for your light.
Christ, bearer of miracles, we look to your coming,
for the dawning of your new day.
We look for the light that leads us to life.
Spirit of light, arise in us and guide us,
Our hearts are open mangers,
ready for the birth of the holy child
in our love and hope and gentleness.
Come, O light, and dawn upon is.
Come, O Light, and unfold your beauty within us.

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
God of love, your angel spoke to Mary, telling her of great things you were doing in her. Speak to us now. Let us hear the good news of your desire for us, and for all Creation, unfolding in us. Here are we, the servants of your love. May it be for us according to your Word. Amen.

2.
Great God, Loving Mystery, as your angel Gabriel came to Mary, come to us now and speak to us. May your Holy Spirit come upon us, and the power of your love overwhelm us, so that what is in our hearts may be holy. Conceive in us your love, your grace, your breathing presence. We are in your service. May it be for us according to your Word. Amen.

3.
Gracious God, Creator of all things, you are still creating.
Receive our deepest longings with tenderness, and nourish them,
that we may plead for your coming in hope.
Gentle Christ, you who have come among us in love, you are still coming.
Open our hearts, that we may prepare for you with lives of love.
Spirit of Life, you shone in the darkness, and still you shine.
Shine in us, that we may proclaim your coming in lives of joy and justice,
Incarnate God, you entered into Mary, and she bore you into the world.
Bless us, that we may participate in your coming with deep and life-giving peace.
Amen.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

1.
Beloved, we have found favor with you.
May your Holy Spirit come upon us,
your love overwhelm us,
that what is conceived in our hearts be holy.
Here we are, in service to you.
May it be for us according to your word.


2.
God,
Let it sink into me.
Let me conceive this:
that you choose to come into this world
through me.
May it be for me
according to your word.

Poetry

Annunciation
Greetings, favored one. The Holy One is with you.
Do not be afraid: you have found favor with God.
And now, you will contain within yourself the body
of God, the flesh of love, the glory of heaven.
There stirs in you the mystery and power
of God’s great plan, God’s hope for humanity:
the salvation of the world in your hands, in your words.
The cosmic and the personal are one
in your womb, in your love, in your labor.
In you lies the seed of the whole garden.
Of the dominion of your love there will be no end.
The little things you do will burn with the energy
of heaven, the grace that turns galaxies and parts the sea;
that brings down the powerful and raises up the lowly,
feeds the hungry and sends the rich to find a new way.
And now, your kinswoman Mary in her courage
has also conceived this love, and has consented.
She in her compassion and wisdom has shown you
that nothing is impossible with God.


Annunciation
      

An ordinary life you have,
like baked bread, the aroma of love,
like old wood, edges worn from kindness.

In a moment’s pause, a small step aside
from the rush, the proof—
the abyss opens. Heaven inhales.

Deep, wordless, you sense
wings, breathing, Presence.
Silence speaks.

Sunlight on a plain rock,
music of a flower not usual
for this season: You are Beloved.

The Infinite names you, adores,
finds in you, in your flesh, your voice,
your hands, a place to live.

What is within you is holy.
What is of you is of God, Mystery
spiraling out from you like a nebula, a child.

You will not cease being ordinary,
nor feel different. You will bear
the Divine made infant into the world

if only moment
by moment you say
Yes.

Response / Creed / Affirmation

[See Call to worship #3 above.]

Eucharistic Prayer

For prayers set to familiar Christmas tunes see:
Advent Table Songs (preparation for communion),
Eucharistic responses,
whole Eucharistic prayers, and
Songs of blessing.

[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

Our spirits rejoice in you O God,
for you have done great things.
You have looked with favor on your humblest people
and blessed us with mercy through all generations.
You have condemned the powers of oppression,
brought down the powerful, and set free your people.
You have fed the poor with good things.
Therefore with all Creation we sing your praise:

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]Blessed is the one who comes in your name,
Jesus, your Christ, in whom you dwelt among us.
In love he fed the hungry, lifted up the lowly,
and confronted the illusions of the powerful.
With the despised he was crucified, but you raised him up with power.
For with you nothing is impossible.

[The Blessing and Covenant…]

As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
May your Holy Spirit come upon us,
the power of the Most High overshadow us,
so that what is conceived in us will be holy.
May your love rule in our hearts,
and of its reign may there be no end.
Here we are, Lord, your humble servants.
May it be for us according to your Word.

     [Spoken or sung]
Amen.

_____________________

* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]

On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.

Prayer of Dedication / Sending / after Communion

[Adapt as needed.]
1.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) As the bread works within us to become flesh, so may your love become flesh in us, for the sake of the world, in the power of your Spirit and the name of Christ, who is coming. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) You come to us in bread and cup, in human life, in love made real. By the grace of this meal may Christ be born in us. May we, by your Spirit in us, bear your divine, loving presence into the world for the sake of its redemption, to your glory. Amen.

3.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) You have extended your favor to us,,and you have conceived your love in our hearts. Your Holy Spirit has come over us, and your Christ has been given flesh in our body and our soul. May your grace grow within us; may we embody your love. God of our salvation, may it be for us according to your Word. Amen.

4.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.)
By the power of your Spirit, with the grace of these gifts,
in the company of Jesus, send us into the world as the Body of Christ,
to love as Jesus loved, to be light in the darkness
and signs of hope for the healing of the world,
to your eternal glory. Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)

For prayers set to familiar Christmas tunes see:
Advent Table Songs (preparation for communion)
Eucharistic responses
whole Eucharistic prayers
Songs of blessing

Come, Bring Your Light and Shepherd of Israel are weekly litanies, one verse per week; suitable for a call to worship, introduction or response to scripture, response to sermon, or other places in worship:

Come, Bring Your Light (Original song)
A dialogue between solo cantor and congregation.
The Cantor’s lyrics reflect the day’s lectionary texts; the congregational response is the same throughout Advent.)
Week 4:
Cantor:
My soul magnifies the Holy One, and rejoices in God my savior.
For God has looked kindly on me in my lowliness.

God has brought down the powerful and lifted up the lowly,
filled the hungry and sent the rich away empty handed.

        Congregation:
        O Come to us, O come, Emmanuel,
        and bring your light into our darkened world.

Blessed are you, for you have found favor with our God.
The Holy Spirit shall conceive a child, God’s Only Begotten One.

Noting is impossible with our God.
Here we are, your servants, God. Let it be for us according to your word.

        Congregation:
        O Come to us, O come, Emmanuel,
        and bring your light into our darkened world.


Shepherd of Israel (Original song)
A dialogue between solo cantor and congregation.
The Cantor’s lyrics reflect the day’s lectionary texts; the congregational response is the same throughout Advent.)

Congregation:
Kyrie Eleison. Christe Eleison. Kyrie Eleison.
Come to us, and grant your peace.

Cantor:
Week 1. Shepherd of Israel, come, restore your people.
Shine your face on us and save us, God.    … Kyrie…

Week 2. Comfort, speak tenderly. Gently lead your people.
God, forgive our sins and make us new.    … Kyrie…

Week 3. Pour out your Spirit, God, Heal the brokenhearted.
Love, prepare our hearts to see your light.    … Kyrie…

Week 4. Grant us your mercy, God. Fill the poor with good things.
Guide our feet into your way of peace.    … Kyrie…

Blessed Child (Original song)

Blessed child of Bethlehem, waiting to be born,
some will bring you incense, and some a crown of thorns.
yet you bear so gently all our joys and harms.
How I long to greet you, and hold you in my arms.

Blessed child of heaven, waiting to e born,
joy of all Creation, delight of those who mourn:
teach us how to worship, teach us how to love,
living in the presence of angels from above.

Blessed child among us waiting to be born,
in whom all are healed, and all our sorrows borne,
help us live in love, in peace and reconciled.
By your birth in us, everyone’s a holy child.

Blessed child within me, waiting to be born,
bringing gifts and wonders with the light of morn,
heaven springing in me, new life yet to grow:
child of holy promise, oh how I love you so!


The Magnificat (Tune: What Child Is This)

My soul sings out in joy to God, who’s favored me, so lowly.
The Mighty One has kindly done great things, for God is holy.
This, this is grace outlaid, God’s mercy in the promise made,
Praise, praise, the Faithful One, and magnify our savior!

God brings the powerful down from thrones while lifting up the lowly.
God feeds the poor, and the rich no more receive, but the hungry solely.
Praise! Praise the Mighty one for all the things that God has done
Love, love will honor God, who promises mercy forever.

December 31, 2023

Lectionary Texts

Isaiah 61.10-62.3 God has dressed us up for something special like a wedding. As God causes living things to grow out of the ground, God’s goodness grows out of human history. God’s people will be light for the world.

Psalm 148 A hymn of praise that every part of Creation sings.

Galatians 4. 4-7 When the time was right God sent a child, born as our human sibling, so that together we could be children of God, and inherit God’s Spirit.

Luke 2. 22-40 Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple. Simeon and Anna see in the child the fulfillment of God’s promises.

Preaching Thoughts

     This is often a “light-weight” Sunday. People are home with family, all “Holidayed out,” and less likely to attend worship. And this year it’s also New Year’s Eve. Sheesh. In 40 years of ministry I never cancelled a service because I thought people wouldn’t come. (Though there was once when we canceled because they couldn’t come, when the snow was up over the doors, and a few times we expected only those who could ski or snowshoe in.) There’s always exhausted families, but there’s also someone who doesn’t have family, isn’t into partying, and really wants their church community—so think of them, too.
      People may be tired of Christmas tunes, having heard Christmas themed Muzak for the last 6 weeks—but this is only the 7^th day of Christmas! (Yes, the carol is right: there are 12 days.) Let it still be Christmas. Today is a great chance to use all those “B Side” carols they haven’t heard much of:
“He Is Born,” “Cold December Flies Away,” “On Christmas Night,” “Rocking,” “Sing We Now of Christmas,” you know, those.

Anna and Simeon
       It’s a common mistake to think the story of Anna and Simeon occurs when Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to be circumcised, eight days after his birth, in Lk. 2.21 But Luke 2.22 is a jump ahead to “the time for their purification” (specifically Mary’s purification) which would be at least 40 days after the birth. Not that it matters much, but do get the story straight.
       In some ways Anna and Simeon offer us something like those “God moments” people share in worship or small groups: times when they saw God’s grace or presence in a particular experience. Anna and Simeon’s joy is not only about this wonderful little baby, but how he fits into their deep hopes for God’s people. Simeon is “looking forward to the consolation of Israel;” Anna spoke of the child to “all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.” Simeon says, “OK God, you can let me die now: I’ve seen what I was waiting for.” The birth of Christ is not about a cute little baby. It’s about God’s intent for humanity, God’s hope—and how God is unfolding the healing of the world in our midst. The birth of the holy child, like any little event in our lives, can reveal not just the warm sentimental glow of a God who wants nice things to happen to us, but the intent of a God who wants to change human history and bring healing to a deeply wounded world. And the means God chooses are always humble, ordinary people.
      On the 7^th Day of Christmas it can seem like the Christmas message is old. Time to move on. But Anna and Simeon remind us that faith is a long haul. They’ve been working their hope for a lot longer than seven days. Anna is 84, and never leaves the temple, fasting and praying night and day; we can assume Simeon is also old, and thinking of death. Christmas is not about a lovely night, or even a 12-day holiday, but a lifetime of faith, of prayer and service and hope, with our eyes on the big picture, the long road.
       Simeon says “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed.”Note he says falling and rising, not rise and fall. First we die, then we rise. And this is no sweet little Christmas tableau: the fate Simeon predicts for this little baby is opposition. Simeon, the realist. He says to Mary “A sword shall pierce your heart.” Many have said this refers to the pain of her witnessing his crucifixion. But Luke doesn’t say Mary was there. More likely Simeon (Luke) is referring to the sword of discernment that divides true from false: even Mary will have to make a choice about following Jesus.
       Simeon’s prayer, the Nunc Dimittis (“Now dismiss me” in Latin), is the basis for ancient prayers and chants, often used in evening worship and prayer services as God “dismisses” us to sleep. You’ll recognize it in some of my prayers.

Call to Worship

1.         [ Luke 2.30-32]
Holy One, you gather your people in peace, according to your word;
       for our eyes have seen your salvation,
       which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples.
a light for revelation to the people of the world.
and glory to those who bear your light.
       Bless us as we worship, that we may see the light of your glory,
       wonder at the mystery of your presence.
       and bear your light faithfully into the world.
Eternal God, Living Word, and Spirit of Life,
we rejoice at your birth among us.
       Holy child, come to us now, and make us holy by your presence.

2.
Wonder of wonders! Christ is born!
The Child of God has come to dwell with us.
The Word is made flesh.
The Divine is with us, and among us.
Earth is blessed.
All life is holy.
We worship in awe, in joy, and in love. Alleluia!

3.             [from John 1.14-18]
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was present to God, and the Word was God.
In the Word was life, and the life was the light of all people.
And the Word became flesh and lived among us,
and we have seen the glory of the Word,
the delight and attention given an only child,
full of grace, full of truth.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.

4.
Love is infinite, enveloping all that is.
Love is as invisible as gravity, and just as strong.
Love is the seed of the universe, the the womb of life.
Love is God, eternal and perfect.
And yet love is also made flesh, right here and now.
Love has been born among us, and within us.
Christ is born! Alleluia!

5.
Light of God, calling all Creation into being, awaken us to new life this holy day.
By your creating light, renew all Creation with the glory of your grace.
Light of Christ, born among us, illumine our hearts.
By your life-giving light, create us anew in your image.
Light of the Spirit, rising in our hearts, chase away all darkness.
By your ever-present light, make us one with you,
that with your angels we may sing your good news to all the world.

6.
Leader: Alleluia! Christ is born
All: Alleluia! Grace is in our midst; love is among us!
Let us live in the light of the Holy Child.
Alleluia! Let us worship in the spirit of Christ. Alleluia!

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
God, you have come among us as a child. Give us grace to attend. Give us hearts to see and to wonder. Give us courage to follow. Speak to us, who long for the fulfillment of your desire. Amen.

2.
God of miracles,
in the hard labor of a mother, your love is revealed.
In the quiet support of a patient father your presence is revealed.
In the tender face of a newborn child your glory is revealed.
In the worship of your devoted people your grace is revealed.
May we witness, your love in our worship.
May we bear witness to your love in our lives. Amen.

3.
Loving God, you have poured your Spirit into us so that we are your children. We rejoice in your love for us. We listen for your voice, as an infant listening to the voice of its mother. Speak to us, and fill us with your light. Amen.

4.
Loving God, your Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we have beheld his glory. Bring your Word to life in us now, as we hear and reflect on your scriptures. O Come, Emmanuel, and be born in us. Amen.

5.
God of Grace, when Anna and Simeon saw Jesus in the temple, they knew that you were present. As we gather in this church, open our eyes to see your presence here. Be with us and bless us with a spirit of prayerfulness and mindfulness, in our worship and throughout our lives. We pray in the name and the spirit and the presence of Christ. Amen.

6.
Eternal God, we give thanks that you choose to come to us and live with us. By the birth of Christ you have revealed to us our salvation, and set us free from the power of sin and death. Bless us this holy day, that we may receive the holy child with faith, serve him in tenderness of heart, and walk with him in ministry all of our days, in the grace of your Spirit. Amen.

7.
God of love, the Christ child is born among us. Give us faith to honor him, in all the ways he appears among us. Give us grace to tend to all who are small, tender, and vulnerable, for Christ is among them. Give us wisdom to tend to the small child within us, the infant Divine, who grows and strengthens, who blesses us from within. Open our eyes, God, to your presence. Amen.

8.
God of all majesty, we thank you, for you have revealed your glory and your tender compassion in Jesus. We who long for the redemption of the world rejoice, for we have seen your salvation. Bless us as we hear and reflect on your scripture, and throughout our lives, that we may behold Jesus’ presence, and shine with his light. Amen.

9.
Womb of Love, you have given birth to Jesus, who is not only our Chief and our Leader, our Teacher and Savior, but also our brother. In awe we celebrate. In gratitude we thank you. In wonder we worship. Alleluia! Amen.

10.
God of all majesty, we thank you, for you have revealed your glory and your tender compassion in Jesus. We who long for the redemption of the world rejoice, for we have seen your salvation. Bless us as we hear and reflect on your scripture, and throughout our lives, that we may behold Jesus’ presence, and shine with his light. Amen.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

Newborn Christ, Infant of God,
we take you in our arms.
We behold your light, our salvation,
your promise fulfilled.
We wonder, We praise.
We hold you.

Prayer for a New Year

God of love, we stand on the threshold of a new year.
All that we have done this year, we have done;
and what we have not done remains undone.
We let it go, and place it in your hands.
Bless the seeds of love we have sown;
forgive all in which we have failed your love;
and set us free to begin anew.
As you give us the gift of a new year
we receive it with humble joy,
and we covenant to spend it according to your will.
Guide us, use us, that by your Holy Spirit
Christ may be born in us. Amen.

Response / Creed / Affirmation

1. [Lk. 2.30-32]
      We believe in God, Creator of all that is and all that is to come, whose promises are sure and whose will is love and blessing.
      We follow Christ: born of Mary, fully human and fully divine, our brother and our Savior, God’s presence among us, our salvation, which God has prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the world and for glory to God’s people. In his human life we see all of God’s promises fulfilled, all of God’s love embodied, and all of God’s power hidden. He loved and served; he was crucified and raised from the dead; he is with us still, if we open our hearts to see him.
     We trust in the Holy Spirit, who leads us; the church, the body of Christ, who accompanies us; the communion of saints, who surround us, the forgiveness of sin, which frees us; the resurrection, which gives us courage; and the mystery of eternal life, which is God’s life hidden in this world. Amen.

2. [from John 1.1-18]
       In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. What has come into being in the Word was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
       The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of human will, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of parents’ only child, full of grace and truth.
       From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Begotten, who is close to God’s heart, who has made God known.

3. [based on John 1.1-5, 14]
Leader: “In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was present to God, and the Word was God.”
All: The Word is love, and it is love we honor and love we live.
“In the Word was life, and the life was the light of all people.”
Love has blessed us; love has birthed us and brought us to this day.
“And the Word became flesh and lived among us,
and we have seen the glory of the Word,
the delight and attention given an only child,
full of grace, full of truth.”
In Jesus we have seen God’s love.
It is that love we give ourselves to, to receive from,
to learn from, and to practice.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it. “
As shepherds returned to their fields telling of the good news,
we go into the fields of our daily lives, proclaiming in words and deeds,
in devotion and in justice, the new birth of God’s love among us. Alleluia!

Poetry

         
           Christmas Blessing

May the coming of Christ
deepen your wonder
and widen your gratitude.

May the helpless child
bring forth your tenderness
and strengthen your love.

May the gentle mother
give you courage to embrace the holy
and find the divine in yourself.

May the child who shares our death
bring light into your darkness,
and hope to your weariness.

May the holy family in the stable
open your heart to the poor,
the homeless, the refugee.

May the child sought by soldiers
embolden you to cry out
and empower you to resist injustice.

May the angels who sing above you
awaken your heart
and surround you with beauty.

May the One Who Comes
remind you of your belovedness
and fill you with kindness and mercy,
and give you joy.

Eucharistic Prayer

See Eucharistic Prayers and Responses (Sanctus, Acclamation and Amen) set to familiar Christmas tunes).

[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]

1.
God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

Creator God, from the beginning
you have made all things through your Word,
in which is life, and the light of all people.
The light shines in the darkness
and the darkness cannot overcome it.
Therefore we sing your praise:

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

The true light that enlightens everyone
was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world was made through him,
yet the world did not know him.
For to all who receive Christ
God gives power to become children of God,
born not of the flesh nor of human will,
but born of God.

[ The Blessing and Covenant ]

As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
full of grace and truth; and we have beheld his glory;
and from this glory we all receive, grace upon grace.
No one has ever seen God; Christ makes God known.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts, O God,
that they may be for us the Body and Blood of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the world
and for glory to you.

     [Spoken or sung]
Amen.

_____________________

2.
God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

Creator God, we bless you in peace,
for according to your word our eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the world and for glory to your people Israel.
For your Word is made flesh, your love embodied among us.
For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so you have caused righteousness and praise
to spring up before all the nations.
In the fulness of time you sent a Son, born of a woman,
so that we might receive adoption as your children.
Therefore with all Creation we sing your praise:


            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ, born of a woman,
who brings your love to our side,
in whom we hold your presence in our arms.
In him your promises are fulfilled
In his love is the healing of the world.
Source of the dying and rising of many,
he was a sign that was opposed.
He was crucified and yet you raised him from the dead.

     (The Blessing and Covenant)
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Spirit on us,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
a crown of beauty in the hand of the Holy One,
and a royal diadem in the hand of God.
As a child Christ evokes our love;
so in his life and teaching he calls forth our love.
Send us now in love, in service to this child,
and to all the children of the world,
in the name of Christ and the power of your Holy Spirit.

     [Spoken or sung]
Amen.

____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]

On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.

Prayer of Dedication / Sending / after Communion

[Adapt as needed.]
1.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) Your Word was made flesh, and has dwelt among us. Your light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.

2.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) We give you our lives, symbolized in these gifts. Receive them with love, bless them with grace and use them according to your will. Send us into the new year as new people, people of hope, your children for the sake of the healing of the world, in the name of Christ. Amen.

3.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) You have given us the gift of Jesus, the gift of your life with us. Therefore in gratitude and joy we give you the gift of our lives with you. Receive these gifts as symbols of our lives, and use them according to your delight for the sake of the healing of the world, in the name of Christ. Amen.

4.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) For the incarnation of your Word in Christ, in this meal, in our hearts, in the Church, and in the world, we give you thanks. Send us into the world to be your Word made flesh, with the Christ child alive in us, by the power of your loving Spirit. Amen.

5.
God of light and healing, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) Grant that in this new year Christ may be born in our hearts, dwell with us all our days, and guide us in all things. Send us into the world to embody your love, to proclaim your good news, and to serve you without fear all the days of our lives. Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)

Anna and Simeon’s Song        (Original song)

Today I held in my trembling hands such a child so pure:
a gift of grace, God’s human face, love so tenderly given.
Wonder! Wonder! How God’s promise is sure!
Fears cease in hope and peace: earth has now become heaven.

Today I saw with my wondering eyes such a child divine!
My heart sang out for all about shone the light of the Near One.
Wonder! Wonder! That this joy could be mine.
Jesus has come to us, the Beloved, the Dear one.

Today you’ll meet in a simply way such a Presence, a Friend:
the Gentle One refuses none with God’s tender salvation.
Wonder! Wonder! Miracle without end!
Praise, pray and everyday bow in deep adoration.


Drawn by Your Light (Tune: Away in a Manger)

In darkness we gather, God, drawn by your light,
your glorious presence that blesses the night,
the light and the deep peace that Jesus imparts,
the Spirit’s bright radiance that burns in our hearts.

The light of Creation that made the first dawn,
the pillar of fire that led Israel on,
the star that led magi to where Jesus was
now draws us to worship with alleluias.

Your light shines so even the darkness is blessed
this night as we wait for the coming of Christ.
God, shine your light warmly in us by your grace,
that we may bear healing and justice and peace.


Emmanuel       (Original song)

How dark is the night and how cold is the home
we have made in our pain and our sin!
How could it be that a savior would come
to be with us? Please enter in!
Welcome, Emmanuel! Welcome in!
Welcome, Emmanuel! Welcome in!

Are we alone in our failure and terror,
struggling, confused in the night?
We cannot save ourselves, weary from error,
Who will bring us the light? Welcome…

Closing our doors to the wind of Creation,
alone, we are living in fear.
Emmanuel comes now, our healing salvation,
to dwell with us, bringing love here. Welcome…

Wait, though, dear Jesus, this life will be trying:
you’ll die in sorrow and scorn.
“Yes, but I’ll bless all your living and dying.
See, in the manger I’m born.” Welcome…


Peace, Peace, Peace         (Tune: Still, Still, Still)

Peace, peace, peace. God grant you peace, my friends.
The Christ child comes, so sweet and tender.
Greet him with your trust and wonder.
Peace, peace, peace, God be with you, my friends.

Love, love, love, love light your way, my friends.
Here at the manger humbly kneeling;
gladly going, serving, healing.
Love, love, love, love light your way, my friends.

Advent to Epiphany – the Story
A solo. Congregation may join in on final chorus.
(Tune: Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah)

In the darkest time of year,
a time of hope, and a time of fear,
the prophet says that God is coming to you.
And so we turn from greed and hate,
still learning to pray and watch and wait,
and sing our fragile, hopeful hallelujah.
     Hallelujah…    

Young Mary said her “Yes” to him,
and Jesus was born in Bethlehem,
and laid him in a manger, that’ll do you.
The light of love shone in the night.
The shepherds came to see the sight,
and angels sang a glorious Hallelujah.
     Hallelujah…

Some wise men traveled from afar,
just following such a tiny star,
as if its simple light could shine right though you.
They gave their treasures to the king,
who makes you want to serve and sing,
who tells you you can be his Hallelujah.
     Hallelujah…