Monday, November 24, 2014

For November 30, 2014 -- Advent 1

CALL TO WORSHIP
As people of hope we gather together for worship.
Here we begin the road that leads to a manger in Bethlehem.
As people with whom God has shared a vision,
we come to worship, to share the vision, to hold it in front of us.
As those who live the vision of peace and justice, we greet each other with words and signs of God's peace...


OPENING PRAYER
God of hope,
here in this place we open our hearts and souls to you.
God of hope,
in this time of worship renew the fires of hope in our hearts.
God of hope,
help us see past the devastations and broken-ness of the world to the time when you will once again be born in our midst.
We pray in the name of Jesus, whose birth we await, and who would one day teach his friends to pray saying...

PRAYER FOR AND ASSURANCE OF GRACE
God we look at the news headlines and we wonder,
where is there room for hope in such a broken world.
We remind ourselves of your vision for the future and we wonder,
how long do we have to wait for the reign of peace and justice?
The tides of despair threaten to overwhelm us,
and we lose sight of the vision, the letters are too small, we can not read it.
God, as we wait, and wait, and wait,
grant us patience, open our eyes to see the vision, open our hearts that we would be filled with your hope and promise.
And in your grace,
help us to see both where we are part of the broken-ness and where we can be part of enacting the vision.
...time of silent prayer...
In this Advent season of preparation and waiting we wait expectantly. God WILL break into the world again. God WILL share the Good News for all people. Angels will sing and the world will be changed, renewed, restored. We will be changed, renewed, restored as well.
Thanks be to God. Amen.

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