PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP November 4, 2007
Greeting
Let all barriers be removed.
Let all distractions be disregarded.
Let all resistance be overcome.
We will come before the Lord with boldness,
and we will praise His Name with joy.
Penitential Prayer
Forgive us, Lord, for allowing our repentance to be a cheap and easy way out.
If we have sinned against another, may we apologize to that person as well as to You.
If we have cheated another, may we make restitution as well as confession.
If we have spread a lie about someone, may we just as diligently spread the truth.
If we have been publicly critical of others, may we also publicly praise them.
If we have sinned, grant us more than pardon; grant us the desire to make right the wrongs we have done.
Blessing
As you have been loved, love.
As you have been touched, touch.
As you have been forgiven, forgive.
As you have received, give.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP November 11, 2007
Greeting
Let us worship the risen and reigning Christ,
who alone is worthy of the praise of our lips and
of the allegiance of our lives.
Penitential Prayer
For the times we have forgotten how much You have done for us,
Lord, have mercy on us.
For the times we did not love,
Christ, have mercy on us.
For the times we have refused to face the truth about ourselves,
Lord, have mercy on us.
For the times we knew the best, but chose the worst,
Christ, have mercy on us.
For the times when evil triumphed, and we said nothing,
Lord, have mercy on us.
Blessing
Our God is a God of love;
may He bring warmth to your hearts.
Our God is a God of peace;
may He bring serenity to your souls.
Our God is a God of truth;
may He bring certainty to your minds.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP November 18, 2007
Greeting
We have an inner ear
that will out-hear our worldy ears;
We have an inner eye
that will out-see our worldy eyes;
We have an inner-self
that will out-shine our worldy selves.
Let us pray that our senses will be sharpened.
Penitential Prayer
Father, we confess our mistakes:
While the wind moves quietly through the trees,
brothers and sisters turn their violence upon
brothers and sisters;
While the ocean sits in powerful balance,
brothers and sisters compete for glory against
brothers and sisters;
While the mountains vibrate like great tuning forks,
brothers and sisters judge the acts of
brothers and sisters.
Brothers and sisters, having acknowledged our mistakes,
let there be new found peace in the family of God.
Blessing
If it should come to pass that we shall not meet
in this world again, have no fear.
We all shall meet again in the Eternal Kingdom of Love.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP November 25, 2007
Greeting
Praise be to Him who is the image of the invisible God,
the first-born of all creation.
He is before all things,
and in Him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the church,
and He is the first-born from the dead.
Penitential Prayer
By the miracle of Your incarnation,
the mystery of Word becoming flesh,
please deliver us, O Lord.
By the celebration of Your baptism,
Your ordination to Messiahship,
please deliver us, O Lord.
By the loving service of Your earthly ministry,
the living example of true humanity,
please deliver us, O Lord.
By the agony of Your crucifixion,
Your death and burial,
please deliver us, O Lord.
By the triumph of Your ascension
and the expectation of Your second coming,
please deliver us, O Lord.
Blessing
May the God of grace,
who has given us all things through Jesus Christ,
confirm and strengthen you;
and to Him be glory and power forever.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP December 2, 2007
Greeting
On this first Sunday of Advent,
we turn our eyes toward Bethlehem,
to which the Son of God came as an Infant;
and we turn our eyes toward Heaven,
from whence He shall come as the King of Glory.
Penitential Prayer
If we have thought only of ourselves, forgetting the needs of others,
Forgive us, and give us generosity during this Holy Season.
If we have confused our priorities and muddied our goals,
Forgive us, and give us clear vision during this Holy Season.
If we have been preoccupied with ourselves,
Forgive us, and give us love during this Holy Season.
If we have become embroiled in harsh feelings and angry words,
Forgive us, and give us patience during this Holy Season.
If we have become entangled in a maze of worry,
Forgive us, and give us a smile during this Holy Season.
Blessing
May you be blessed during this Holy Season with the love of the Father who cared enough to send His best;
the grace of the Son who walked among us in compassion,
and the fellowship of the Spirit who lives with us forever.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP December 9, 2007
Greeting
Said John the Baptist,
“The One who follows me is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to carry his sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
Come, let us worship, for He whom John spoke of is here with us, ready to baptize.
Penitential Prayer
As those who listened to John the Baptist were called upon to repent, in preparation for the coming of the Lord and His Kingdom; so it is fitting that we also should repent in preparation for the coming of the Lord and His rule in us — for we have been guilty of the very same sins.
We confess that we who have two coats and perhaps more — to say nothing about the rest of our wardrobe — have often failed to share our luxuries with the needy.
We confess that we too, who have so much food, have been reluctant to give to the starving, even while we spend more and more on expensive delicacies.
We confess that we, too, like the tax collectors of old, have been less than honest in some of our business dealings.
We confess that although we may not have robbed anyone by violence, we may very well have done so by false accusation: robbing them of their good name.
We confess that we, too, have not been content with our wages and our standard of living, but have been caught up in the concept of life which judges success in terms of material possessions.
Forgive us, we pray, in the Name of the Christ who wishes to fully establish His Kingdom in us.
Blessing
May the Spirit of the Living Christ
increase within you daily,
bringing forgiveness and fruitfulness,
peace and power.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP December 16, 2007
Greeting
We come today to experience the power of Jesus:
the power that cures the blind
and even raises the dead.
We come today to experience Jesus’ power of healing:
and to partake of that power
so that we may become healers.
Penitential Prayer
There are times when we say “It’s hopeless,”
when we should be saying “All things are possible with God.”
There are times when we have tried to bring down
God’s faithfulness to the level of our own faithlessness.
There are times when we closed our minds and hearts
to the limitless possibilities of the miracles and surprises
we can expect from Your hand.
Lord, we need strength for our weak faith.
Lord, we need to have our belief in miracles restored.
Blessing
His call is echoing in my ears,
and pounding in my heart and soul;
For He has called out my name,
and I shall follow Him.
He has worked the miracle of faith in my life,
and I believe!
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP December 23, 2007
Greeting
Enter, and have no fear …
His Name is “Immanuel,”
A Name which means “God is with us.”
Have no fear …
God is with us!
Christmas is coming!
The signs are everywhere!
Penitential Prayer
We confess, Father, that peace and brotherhood do not reign through the earth. When the scourge of war ends in one land, it rages anew in another. Because we seem so small and helpless, we do not act. Because we imagine ourselves unable to make our voices heard, we do not speak,
Forgive us, Lord,
if our peace efforts are lackadaisical.
Forgive us Lord,
if we promote goodwill less than we are able to.
Blessing
May the peace of Christ,
the joy of the life in Christ,
the wonder of the love of Christ,
be with you now and forever.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP December 25, 2007
Greeting
Our God is the Alpha and the Omega,
the beginning and the end.
Before the beginning of the world He was;
and after the ending of the world He will be.
Come, let us worship the timeless One,
for with Him we will share eternity.
Penitential Prayer
We confess, Father, that the words, “Peace on earth, good will among men” seems rather out of place here.
There seems to be so little peace among the nations of the world.
There seems to be so little peace between the races and religions, between the rich and poor, between the rightists and leftists.
There seems to be so little peace in our schools, in our neighborhoods and on our streets.
There seems to be so little peace in our shops, our businesses, our unions and our factories.
There seems to be so little peace in our homes and our family circles.
Forgive us, Lord, for what we have contributed to the turbulence of our times.
Forgive us where we have failed to embody the love, the patience and the forgiveness of Jesus Christ.
Forgive us when we have neglected to be peacemakers, standing by idly in the midst of increasing hostility.
Enable us, in a small way, to be the fulfillment of the angel’s prophecy that there will be peace on earth, good will among men.
Blessing
May the peace the angels proclaimed,
the joy the shepherds experienced,
the wonder the wise men expressed,
be with you forever,
now and to the end of time.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP December 30, 2007
Greeting
Come and taste the Lord’s freedom.
Come and see the Lord’s splendor.
Come and smell the Lord’s sweetness.
Come and hear the Lord’s wisdom.
Come and worship the Lord of Lord’s.
Penitential Prayer
Father, we confess that we are far from the righteousness of God,
far from the glory of God,
far from the majesty of God,
far from the grace of God,
far from the power of God.
Having confessed our distance, Father,
we ask You to draw us near;
Having confessed our distance,
we ask You to bring us home.
Blessing
From the deepest mystery
to the most distant stellar dust;
In the smallest particle
and in the greatest dream
God’s infinite power reigns.
With this knowledge,
Go in peace.
