PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP December 1, 2013
Greeting
This is a sacred place,
the Lord’s house.
This is a sacred day,
the Lord’s day.
This is a sacred season,
the Lord’s advent.
Let us observe that sacredness
by truly becoming
the Lord’s people.
Penitential Prayer
During this advent season:
Take away our lethargy and give us a sense of expectancy.
Overwhelm our anxiety with the promises of peace
Stop us in our wanderings and set us on the right path again.
Slow down our hectic pace and replace it with a meditative spirit.
Take away our selfishness, and replace it with generosity.
Take away our greed, and straighten out our sense of values.
Cool down our anger, and overwhelm it with love.
Blessing
During this advent season,
Look to Bethlehem with gratitude
and look to Heaven with expectancy.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP December 8, 2013
Greeting
Prepare the way of the Lord;
prepare His way in our Church,
prepare His way in our community,
prepare His way in our homes,
prepare His way in our lives.
Come, let us prepare the way of the Lord.
Penitential Prayer
Forgive us, Father, if we are not heeding the words of John the Baptist — if we are not preparing the way of the Lord.
Forgive us, Lord, if we are leaving boulders of sin in Your path.
Forgive us, Lord, if we have publicly walked the high road by day and have sneaked into the alleys by night.
Forgive us, Lord, if we have neglected to trim away the underbrush; if we have allowed the vines of business and luxuries and sports and cars and money and prestige to overgrow our lives until there is no more room for You.
May this advent season be for us a time of clearing away the underbrush, of walking the high road, and of removing the rocks in the road, so that Your coming to us will be swift and joyful.
Blessing
May the love of the Father who plans,
the salvation of the Son who secures,
and the presence of the Spirit who enlightens,
be yours to keep and to treasure forever.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP December 15, 2013
Greeting
If you have come to worship your Messiah,
we welcome you
and pray that you will be enriched.
If you have come seeking a Messiah,
we welcome you
and pray that you will find Him.
Penitential Prayer
Forgive us, Lord, if we have lived as if Christ had never come —
as if He had preached no Sermon on the Mount;
as if He had left no example of love and unconditional acceptance;
as if He had left no model of simplicity in life-style;
as if He had left no pattern of complete self-giving;
as if He had provided no forgiveness of our sins;
as if He had not provided new life for those who follow Him.
Forgive us, Lord, if we have lived as if Christ had never come.
Blessing
Return to your homes rejoicing,
for the Christ has indeed come,
and He walks with you
as you go on your way.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP December 22, 2013
Greeting
Come, let us worship the Lord,
let us call upon the name of Yahweh,
for He has revealed Himself in our likeness,
and has saved us through His Son.
Penitential Prayer
If we have spent so much time shopping that we have had little time to spend with those we are shopping for,
Forgive us, and give us sensitivity.
If we have been busy practicing for the Christmas programs but haven’t thought about what they mean,
Forgive us, and give us understanding.
If we have been faithful in rehearsing the Christmas Hymns, but haven’t thought about the words,
Forgive us, and put a song in our hearts.
If we have worried about how much Christmas is going to cost, but have given little thought to our treasures in heaven,
Forgive us, and give us perspective.
If we have thought much about Christmas 2013 but have thought little about the meaning of the first Christmas,
Forgive us, and give us insight.
Blessing
May the salvation that was announced to Joseph
be your salvation.
May the love that was conceived by God
be your love.
May the Life that was born of Mary
be your life.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP December 25, 2013
Greeting
The whole creation groans,
The whole creation waits,
The whole creation struggles,
The whole creation hopes,
for God to reveal His Son!
Our hope is not without a firm foundation that makes the struggle all worthwhile.
Penitential Prayer
If our holiday preparations overshadowed our
holy day preparations …
If our Santa Claus songs have drowned out the
Carols of the Christ Child …
If the shopping mall hustle has distracted
us from the way of genuine peace …
If we have tuned in the hucksters’ cries and tuned out the angels’ voices …
If we have paid more attention to commercial
announcements than to the announcement of the Angel of the Lord …
If we have endorsed the secular retelling
of the Christmas Story …
Father, we ask Your Divine forgiveness!
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 29, 2013
Greeting
As members of the blessed community of Christ — the holy family of Christ — we greet one another in the Spirit of Christlike love.
Penitential Prayer
Lord, forgive us for doubting that our works of love in the Lord’s service, especially in our family relationships, are a necessary contribution to the fulfillment of God’s Plan of Redemption.
Lord, forgive us, for failing to uphold the virtues of loyalty, integrity, fidelity and humanity as living examples of Christian family living
for our children
Blessing
May the providence of the Father who hovers
over you, the Presence of the Son who stands beside you, and the power of the Spirit who lives within you, be the strength of your life.
May the power of the Holy Family of God be with you on your way.
