For December 11, 2016 -- Advent 3, the Anunciation

OPENING PRAYER

God of joy, in this time of waiting and preparing,

we come together to worship, to celebrate the promise of birth.

God of birth, as we hear the story of a new life to come,

remind us of the possibilities of the future,

remind us of the joy that lies in growth and change,

remind us that in Jesus you make all things new.

These things we pray in the name of the Baby whose birth gets closer and closer, Jesus, who will later teach his followers to pray saying...

PRAYER OF WAITING AND WATCHING

God of hope, we look around the world today

and see lots of reasons to despair, help us find the hope.

God of peace, we look around the world today,

and see few signs of peace, give us the strength to be peacemakers.

God of love, we look around the world today,

and see many who need to be loved, push us to share love with each other.

God of joy, we look around the world today,

and see darkness and fear, awaken the joy of life in our hearts.

God of grace, as we wait and prepare,

open our eyes and hearts to see the world as it is,

open our eyes and hearts to see where you are active,

open our eyes and hearts to see the possibilities that surround us.

God of Advent and Christmas, as we get closer to the time of birth,

through your grace help us to move past our fear or our complacency to embrace the promise of change in a baby in a manger. Amen.

COMMISSIONING:

We have heard the angel come and make a surprising announcement.

A baby! When we least expect it! What a joy! What a surprise!

We have heard Mary agree to God’s surprising plan.

Now we continue to wait and watch and prepare.

We leave this time of worship and head out into the world.

Carrying with us the promise of Joy for the whole world.

Go with the God who created us, the Christ who leads us, the Spirit who fills our hearts with Joy

We are not alone. Thanks be to God.

Prayer of Expectation

Whenever you hear the words: God of Peace, as we wait for the birth of the Messiah

Please respond with: We pray for peace, for justice, for new life.

God, you invite into this time of preparation, of waiting, of hoping.

We talk about the Prince of Peace, but we live in a world of violence.

Every day our news feeds have stories of threats and attacks,

bombs in the Middle East, active shooters on university campuses,

promises to register those who are different than us.

We need a dose of peace in our world today.

God of Peace, as we wait for the birth of the Messiah

We pray for peace, for justice, for new life.

God, you invite us to live as citizens of the Kingdom.

You invite us to a place and time where justice is the rule,

where there is good news for the poor and liberty for the oppressed.

But that is not the world where we live.

The gap between the rich and the poor gets wider and wider.

The powerful find new ways to enslave the oppressed.

The weeping of the broken-hearted grows louder and louder.

We look forward to the year of your favour,

the promised justice that brings Shalom.

God of Peace, as we wait for the birth of the Messiah

We pray for peace, for justice, for new life.

God, in the busy-ness of shopping and baking and decorating,

you ask us to pause,

to listen for angels bearing surprising news,

to look around and see the wonders hiding in plain sight,

to remember what it is we are preparing for, what we wait for.

In the middle of a hectic season, we look for a respite, a time of calm.

God of Peace, as we wait for the birth of the Messiah

We pray for peace, for justice, for new life.

God who is love.

In this season of preparation we pause to join with hearts around the world singing songs of praise,

sharing the wonders of life, shouting thanksgivings for the blessings of life

...time of silence...

God who is love.

In this season of preparation we pause to join with hearts around the world singing songs of lament,

sharing the struggles of life, shedding tears for the bitterness of life

...time of silence...

God who is active in the world, God who is changing the world,

we place our lives in you hands as we serve and wait and watch.

God of Peace, as we wait for the birth of the Messiah

We pray for peace, for justice, for new life.

So be it. Amen.

For December 4, 2016 -- Advent 2, Isaiah 61

OPENING PRAYER

God of peace, who promises to change the world, you bring

good news to the poor,

freedom to the captives,

healing to the broken-hearted.

God of peace, as we gather for worship.

Open our hearts to receive your peace.

God of peace, as we sing and pray,

open our eyes to see where peace and justice need to be planted.

God of peace, when we go out from this time of worship,

allow us to carry your promise of justice and peace wherever we go.

This we pray in the name of Jesus, whose birth we prepare for, whose passion for the Kingdom we share.

Amen.

COMMISSIONING:

The world around us is a place in need.

Some need healing, some need freeing, we all need Good News.

We go out to serve and share,

to offer the promise that the Year of God’s Favour is coming

to offer the hope for God’s Shalom

to carry the Peace of Christ into a world of strife.

As you go out to live and serve, know that God is with you

know that the Peace of Christ flows around and through you

know that the Holy Spirit imbues all that we do and are.

Go in Peace, in Love, in Hope.

Amen

For November 27, 2016 -- 1st Sunday of Advent

OPENING PRAYER

God of hope, in a world of despair,

we open ourselves to your presence.

God who saves, in a world of threat,

we pray for protection of those who are the most vulnerable.

God of presence, in our time together,

reveal yourself to us, remind us that hope and the Kingdom will yet prevail over despair and oppression.

We pray in the name of the baby who birth we await,

Jesus of Nazareth, the promised Saviour,

who taught his friends to pray saying...

LORD'S PRAYER

PRAYER FOR AND ASSURANCE OF GRACE

God, we live in a world with many voices telling us how to live.

And if we are honest, sometimes following a different path is hard.

God who calls us to follow the Way of love and life,

we know that sometimes we take the path of “go along” because it is easier.

God who calls us to be bold, to see visions, to proclaim your word of hope,

give us the grace and courage we need.

God of grace, pour your grace upon us.

On our fear and on our courage, on our hope and on our despair.

...time of silence...

Lions come in many shapes and sizes, and live in many types of dens. God may lead us into the valley of fear. But God is there with us, ready to lead us from fear to courage, from hope to despair. Through God’s grace:

We are not alone! Thanks be to God! Amen.

COMMISSIONING:

People of Hope! Go into the world!

We go to share God’s vision of Hope and promise with the world

People of Hope! Go into the world!

We go remembering that God is with us, that we are not alone.

People of Hope! Go into the world!

We go knowing that the Hope of the World will soon be born

We go to prepare for His birth.

Jesus, the one who saves.

And as we wait,

we WILL have hope.

CAll To Worship for the Advent Season

EAch week the blank spots will be filled with weekly-appropriate words.

May the Peace of Christ be with you

And also with you.

In this season of watching and waiting,

we hear God calling us together to sing, to pray, to listen.

As we prepare for the birth of the child who brings ____

P:

For November 20, 2016 -- Reign of Christ Sunday, JEremiah and the New Covenant

OPENING PRAYER

God of love, we gather for worship,

with hearts waiting to be filled with your love.

God of the covenant, you write the rule of life in our hearts and souls,

and we admit that there are times when we don’t read so well.

God of grace, when we acknowledge that we sometimes fail to keep the covenant,

remind us that you are faithful,

remind us that you are merciful,

remind us that we are forgiven, that we are worthy of the covenant,.

God of transformation, in our time of worship this morning,

remind us of the law of love,

help us remember to look deep inside out soul and see what you have written there,

embolden us to live as people of the Kingdom’s covenant.

God of life, as we go out from here this morning,

lead us into the world to live and serve, to be agents of the love you have written on our hearts.

We pray in the name of Jesus, who proclaims the Kingdom, who calls us to pray together saying...

 

COMMISSIONING:

Go to the world!

We go as citizens of God’s Kingdom.

Go to the world!

We go to proclaim the promised Reign of Christ.

Go to the world!

We go as those who have the rule of life written in our hearts and souls

We go as transformed people, living the law of love wherever we go

Go with God, who Creates, Redeems and Sustains.

For January 1, 2017 -- New Year's Day

CALL TO WORSHIP
Wipe the sleep from your eyes, a New Year is here!
We open the year with praise and prayer.
Come, gather together to worship the One who gives us life.
We open the year with thanksgiving and hope.Come, now is the time to worship...

LIGHTING OF THE CHRISTMAS CANDLES
Hope, Peace, Joy, Love, Light shining in the darkness
These candles reminds us of the light that shines from the mangerAs we see them shine we greet each other with the Peace of the Christ Child.

OPENING PRAYER
God of the seasons’ turning, as we turn the calendar page,
we gather to worship.
In our time together this Christmas season,
keep alive the hope of the angel song,
help us hear the possibility of peace in the child’s cries
reveal to us the joy of new beginnings,
push as to live out the love of the Babe in the manger.
And as the New Year breaks forth,
lead us into the future with hope and promise.
We pray in the name of the baby who is just 8 days old, who later will teach his friends to pray saying...

PRAYER FOR THE TURNING OF THE YEAR (using words from Sunrise,Sunset)
Sunrise, Sunset, swiftly flow the days
It is hard to believe another year has passed.God we look back on the year that was,
and we know there have been triumphs and defeats
there have been times of laughter and times of tears.As we look to the year that is just beginning,
we wonder what it will bring.
What hopes will be fulfilled? What dreams will come true.Sunrise, sunset, swiftly fly the years.
And yet you, God, are with us with each beat of time’s wings.
One season following another.
Laden with happiness and tears.
Gracious God, in the time to come,
walk with us, strengthen us, empower us to live your love each and every day. Amen.

For November 13, 2016 -- The Call of Isaiah

OPENING PRAYER

God of grace and God of glory,

we gather here to open our hearts, minds, and souls to your presence.

God whose presence fills us with awe,

we sing and pray and listen, experiencing your awe-some presence.

As we worship together this morning,

remind us that we are worthy and able to be your servants.

When we leave this place this morning,

may it be with hearts that are ready to say “Here I am Lord, send me”

We pray in the name of Jesus, who reminds us that we are loved and accepted just as we are and who taught his friends to pray saying...

PRAYER FOR AND ASSURANCE OF GRACE

God you reveal yourself in our midst,

and we tremble in fear and awe, sensing our own unworthiness.

God you ask who is willing to be sent out to the world,

and we stare at the ground, hoping we won’t be chosen.

Then God, you look deep into our souls,

seeing the pain and the fear and the possibilities.

God of grace,

clean us, take away our sense of unworthiness, steady our fearful souls

God of grace,

empower us, prepare us, and send us out ready to serve.

...time of silent prayer...

God is gracious and merciful. When we all too aware of our inadequacies and feel unworthy God sends messages of forgiveness and strength. God makes us worthy and able to live and serve.

Thanks be to God! Amen.

COMMISSIONING:

As we go out to a world of need God continues to ask “Whom shall I send?”

Here I am. Send me.

God leads us out into the world to live and serve.

We commit to share the love and hope of God in word and deed.

God with God, the One who has called you, made known as Parent, as Christ, as Spirit.

We are not alone. Thanks be to God.