For February 28, 2021 Lent 2B

CALL TO WORSHIP
May the Peace of Christ be with you!
And also with you!
People of God, you are invited into this virtual space.
Sitting in front of TVs and phones and computers we gather to worship with our friends in faith.
Let us open our hearts and souls to God!
We come to celebrate God’s presence.

Opening PRAYER
Source of life and love, we open our lives to you.
In this unending season of COVID-19 we seek your comfort and your wisdom.
As we listen for your voice during this time of worship,
remind us who we are called to be, empower us to live into that reality.
As we strive to follow Jesus, to live as citizens of your Kingdom,
keep us bold both when the way is easy and when the road is darker and more challenging.
We pray in the name of Jesus, who leads us on the road, who calls us to be ready to offer our lives, and who teaches us to pray saying...

PRAYER FOR AND ASSURANCE OF GRACE
God is the time now? Is the Kingdom of God alive here in our midst?
If so, help us to repent, to change direction, to believe in the Good News.
God you call us to follow Jesus on The Way, even though it may lead us to difficult, even dangerous places.
We want to. Really we do.
But to be honest that whole “lose our lives to save them” thing seems a little...odd, hard, unsettling.
God you challenge us to be bold for the Kingdom, for a renewed vision of a changed world.
When we are unsure we can be that bold, strengthen us, when we have trouble seeing the vision, open our eyes.
God of Grace, you tell us that the time is now, that the Kingdom is alive in our midst.
God of Grace, you lead us in The Way, when it is easy and when it is difficult.
God of Grace, help us to live fully, to offer of ourselves, to see beyond our preconceptions and fears.
We pray in the name of Jesus, our teacher, our guide, our source of hope. Amen.

COMMISSIONING
The time is here!
The time is here when we will share the Good News that the Kingdom of God is at hand
As our worship concludes, we commit ourselves to live for God’s Kingdom.
Taking the risks that come with this commitment, opening ourselves to renewal, pledging to follow a new path.
Take on this commitment knowing that God, known as Parent, Child and Spirit is with you every step of The Way.
Thanks be to God. Amen.

 

For February 14, 2021 -- Valentine's Day

CALL TO WORSHIP
May the Peace of Christ be with you!
And also with you!
God calls us together in this virtual space.
We gather together in Spirit to worship the God who loves us and commands us to love each other.
God is at work in the world, transforming it through love
God is at work in us transforming us through love.
Let us worship together.

OPENING PRAYER
God of love, you meet us in every moment of our lives.
Meet us again, we pray, in this time of worship.
God of of love, you love us and call us to love each other, to embrace the transforming power that is love.
As we worship, remind us that we are loved, embolden us to love our neighbours, open our hearts to be transformed
We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Love incarnate, who taught us about your love and who encourages us to pray saying...

COMMISSIONING:
The world around us is crying out for love.
As followers of Christ we carry love to that world, loving it as we have been loved.
The world around us is waiting to be transformed
Transformed by the power of love, a power that moves in the heart and soul to renew and remake.
As you go through your week, may you know God’s transforming power at work in you.
And may you know that God: the Lover, the Beloved, the Love is with you always.
Thanks be to God! Amen.

 

 

To go With John 1:35-51 on February 7, 2021

CALL TO WORSHIP
May the Peace of Christ be with you!
And also with you!
Come and see! Come and hear!
See who? Hear what?
The Lamb of God is walking by! Jesus from Nazareth!
Let’s go see him together!

Opening PRAYER
God you see us under the fig tree, or brewing coffee in the kitchen, or relaxing on the couch,
and you recognize us for who we are.
We wonder what you are up to, where you might be found,
and you invite us to come and see.
In this time of worship,
move in our hearts and souls,
give us the curiosity and the courage to come and see,
and then to share what we have seen and heard.
We pray in Jesus’ name Amen

PRAYER FOR AND ASSURANCE OF GRACE
Come and see!
God you invite us to explore what you are doing in the world.
Come and see?
But we are sometimes comfortable where we are and maybe a little dubious that there is much to see anyway.
Come and see?
Where we are reluctant to see and hear, where we are reluctant to share what we have seen and heard, strengthen our curiosity, embolden our words, we pray
Come and see! God is at work in the world. God is sharing the news of God’s grace and mercy. God is being revealed in our midst.
We come to see, to hear, to be reminded of God’s presence in our lives.
We are not alone. Thanks be to God. Amen.

COMMISSIONING
Go and share!
Share the Good News about what God is doing in the world.
Share the exciting news the God is afoot, that the world is being changed
Share the promise that God sees us where we are and welcomes us into the circle.
We have come to see, now we go to share the love of God with the world around us.
And you are not alone. The Three-in-One: Parent, Child and Holy Spirit is with you always.
Thanks be to God!

 

 

 

For January 24, 2021 -- 3rd Sunday After Epiphany

OPENING PRAYER (followed by the singing of Sidney Carter's Lord of the Dance)
God, you invite us to join in the dance.
Joining with fellow dancers all over the globe, kicking up our heels as you call out the moves.
You pick the tune, you hum the first few bars,
and we jump up from what we are doing, unable to keep still.
In this time of worship, re-invite us to join in the dance, to sign up for a new adventure.
Give us the vision that leads us to leave our nets by the water
give us the hope to sing a new song, or an old song with a new twist,
give us the energy to dance and prance even when the road seems long and hard.
We join with fellow Christians around the globe in the dance that unites us as we say together the prayer that unites us...
LORD’S PRAYER

COMMISSIONING:
The leader of the dance meets us where we live and work,
and calls us to leave behind what we know to try something new.
Will we have the courage to jump up and join in the adventure that awaits us?
We will dance where ever we may be,
we will go and fish with Christ,
we will join in the worldwide ministry of living, giving, and loving.
And our lives will never be the same again.
As we go out to join in the dance, to follow the adventurous path;
we do so trusting that God: who chooses the tune;
who calls out the moves;
who is made known as Parent, Child and Holy Spirit;
is with us along the way.
Amen.

For January 10, 2021 -- 2nd After Epiphany, Year B

 CALL TO WORSHIP
Maybe the voice came like a whisper in the night,
filling your dreams with hope and meaning.
Maybe it came in in the early dawn,
waking you from sleep, preparing you for the day.
Maybe it came in the middle of the day,
pushing you onward, energizing your work for love.
Whenever you hear it, God’s voice whispers to us, calling us to worship, calling us to serve.
Let us worship together...

PRAYER FOR AND ASSURANCE OF GRACE
God you whisper into our ears, calling us by name.
Like Samuel we do not immediately know who is there.
You whisper again, and again, and again,
waiting until we recognize what is happening and open our hearts to listen.
You challenge us with hard words to hear, hard truths to share.
So sometimes we choose to put it off for another day, pretending we did not hear you calling in the night.
But still you call, still you urge us back to the road of wisdom, you do no give up.
For the times we have rolled over and gone back to sleep,
for the times we have closed our ears and our hearts to your truth,
for the times we have chosen to keep silent when you call us to speak,
forgive and strengthen us we pray.
...time of silent prayer...
The God who calls us by name, who challenges us to live and serve, who moves us to share God’s truth, does so in love always. Where we miss the mark we are forgiven and called again to complete the task.
Call us again God. We will listen and we will answer. Amen.

COMMISSIONING:
Stop! Listen! Do you hear it?
Like the whisper of the wind, like the roaring of the storm.
God is calling us onward and outward.
As our worship concludes our service continues, as we share God’s truth and God’s love,
may we know that the God who calls us by name is with us always.
Thanks be to God! Amen

Christmas Eve Dialogue 2020

 (This is an adaptation from one first written in 2009 [and also on this blog] to acknowledge the realities of Christmas in the midst of COVID-19)

P= Preacher struggling to prepare for Christmas Eve Service
G= God

P: [singing We Need a Little Christmas] AUGH! Select All and DELETE! This just isn't working! This has got to be wrong. God! You there God! What am I supposed to say this year?!?!
G: You called?
P: You're darn right I called! You really expect me to talk about tidings of great joy this year?
G: Of course. It's Christmas, you do remember that the Christmas story is about good news and hope and all those things right?
P: Yes yes I know all that. It's just that it doesn't seem to fit this year. I mean Celebrate? Good Times? You have to be joking! Haven't you been watching the news these last few months?????
G: So times are tough. That doesn't change the story.
P: Times are tough?? That is an understatement. We are in the middle of a global pandemic that has killed thousands. Because of that we can’t gather together with friends and family to share our tidings of comfort and joy. Christmas services are only being held online. People are lonely and isolated...
G: Yes and?
P: You want more? How about earlier this year when the bottom fell out of oil prices? Or the shutdowns to fight COVID that left people underemployed and businesses struggling? Then there are the persistent issues like Climate Change, and racism, and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people, and so many more. These are NOT good times. Not even close!
G: SO? Where does it say that Christmas is about Good Times?
P: Pardon???
G: Where does it say that Christmas is about Good Times?
P: Well.. I guess it doesn't.
G: Of course it doesn't. Christmas is about all times. Christmas comes when things are going really well and when it is all falling apart. Christmas is about hope and promise and joy. When do you need those more than right now?
P: Well yeah but...
G: But nothing. What happens at Christmas? What do you talk about?
P: Well there is the story of course. You remember, the baby in a manger...
G: You mean the baby born to peasants who had nothing, not even a place to stay, whose lives were simple to the point of basic. Go on.
P: And there are the angels appearing to the shepherds...
G: Messengers from me to folk who were among the lowest of the low in their place and time. Messengers bringing good news to people who had nothing. Messengers telling them that I am active in the world. Messengers bringing good news of great joy for all people to a world where so many were struggling just to get by. Go on.
P: Well I guess that is about it. But the story is so old. Everybody knows it. What do I tell people that is new?
G: New is over-rated. I mean new is good sometimes, lots of times. But sometimes new and innovative gets in the way. Think about that story again. Yes it is a pretty simple scene but you must see that there is good news for the world today in that story.
P: Well maybe. But it seems odd to talk about joy and celebration these days. What is there to celebrate? It feels like our celebrations have been stolen from us this year.
G: Lots. Even when life is going badly there are small things to celebrate once in a while. And remember, celebrations don’t have to be fancy and noisy. They can be pretty simple and quiet too. Christmas isn’t about noisy and fancy. Christmas is about remembering that I am breaking into the world, that I am sharing this life you live. Is that worth a celebration?
P: But joy? So many people are unhappy and anxious and lonely and scared. What about joy?
G: Hey! Joy isn't about happiness! Christmas Joy has nothing to do with how much you laughed yesterday!
P: It doesn't?
G: NO! Christmas Joy is about recognizing that something special is happening. Christmas Joy is the rush you feel when you remember that you are not alone. Christmas Joy is in the promise that I am active in the world. It isn't about happiness, it goes much deeper. It's about faith and hope. Joy to the World! Listen to the angel song again. And think about that story. Who is in it? What happens to them? I just told you what was important about it.
P: The story? I told you we all know the story. A baby in a manger, angels and shepherds.[pause] oh, you mean that stuff about the couple who had nothing and messengers to the lowest of the low...
G: Now you're getting it. Do you maybe see what needs to be said this year?
P: Sort of. But...
G: I told you, no buts. That song you were just singing. Did you pay attention to the part where it says For I've grown a little leaner, grown a little colder, grown a little sadder, grown a little older,
P: Yeah, that was the part I really found meaningful this year.
G: well the important part is right after that. Think about what it says: I need a little angel sitting on my shoulder, need a little Christmas now. For we need a little music, need a little laughter, need a little singing, ringing through the rafter, and we need a little snappy "Happy ever after," need a little Christmas now.
P: Hey yeah. That matches what we need to hear right now! We need a little Christmas Joy and hope and promise. We need to remember that the angels are still singing to us about tidings of great joy for all people. We need to join in the song about peace on earth, goodwill to all.
G: And the fact that these aren't good times?
P: That's why we need to hear it! Just like the story is full of people who live hard lives being reminded that You are with them, we need to be reminded that we are not alone. Even with everything that seems to be going wrong around the world we can tell the story again and remember that You continue to break into the world today.
G: Now you've got it! That is what Christmas is all about! I really don't care whether anyone believes that Luke got the story right. Arguing about what really happened when Jesus was born isn't what Christmas is all about. Christmas is all about the present and the future, not the past. Christmas is all about people being able to recognizing that I am active in the world around them. Christmas is a promise that things can get better.
P: Thanks for that! If there was ever a time when we need a little Christmas this is one of them. Joy to the World! God is here, we are not alone. Let's all celebrate! Come ON!

A Christmas Prayer (2020)

 NOTE: Every Sunday this Advent season a piece of poetry has been worked into the sermon. This prayer uses bits from each of those poems.

God of Christmas,
we open our hearts and our lives to you.

Peace upon earth is the prayer we offer
Peace was the promise when Jesus was born
Peace to all [kin], Peace once again
To this war-weary, war-worried world this morn.
(from Peace on Earth by Miriam Therese Winter, Medical Mission Sisters ©1971)
God of peace, at Christmas you open a window on the possibility of peace.
You reach into our troubled hearts and troubled world,
and tell us that peace is possible.
Spread, we pray, your arms across the globe this holy night.
Where hearts are troubled, bring them comfort.
Where relationships are strained, bring open ears and hearts.
Where conflict reigns, bring a pause in the violence.
God of Peace, we pray for peace tonight.

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth [God] sleep
The Wrong shall fail, The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to [all]."
(from Christmas Bells by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ©1863)
God of hope, with the birth of the Christ-child hope is born on earth.
Throughout this past year hope has sometimes seemed far away.
Social distancing and daily case counts and lockdowns
have sometimes made us wonder where we are headed.
On this Christmas night, remind us,
open our eyes and ears and hearts to angels proclaiming
Good news which shall be for all people, the Saviour is born.
God of Hope, reawaken hope in our hearts tonight.

Someday soon we all will be together
If the fates allow
Until then we'll have to muddle through somehow
So have yourself a merry little Christmas, now
(from Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Hugh Martin ©1943)
God of Joy, joy which somehow seems distant this year,
muddling through, making it up as we go along has been a big part of 2020.
This has not been the year we would have asked for,
this has not been the Christmas season we asked for.
God who brings tidings of great joy, on this night of nights,
reach into the souls of those who can not find joy,
touch the broken hearts of those who mourn, who are anxious, who are ill,
appear in our pain and anxiety and bring us comfort.
God of Joy, joy which comes from the promise of your presence,
help us share tidings of comfort and joy tonight.

Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, Love Divine,
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and Angels gave the sign.
(from Love Came Down at Christmas by Christina Rossetti ©1885)
God of Love, in the Christmas manger we see love smiling up at us.
As we sing the old songs and share the old stories,
we hear you inviting us into the great love story of the ages.
In this world of relationships, remind us how to live lovingly with each other.
God who loves the world so deeply
help us love each other as we have been loved.
In this world of fear and anger and ill-will,
spread love far and wide, touching and changing the hearts of your children.
God of love, love lying in a manger, love announced by a star and angels,
fill our hearts with love this night.

God of Christmas,
we open our hearts and our lives to you.
Fill the world with peace and hope and joy and love tonight.
In this year which has been so very different than others,
we look forward to the future and wonder what it will bring.
Open our eyes to see the promise of a baby in a manger,
open our hearts to be changed by his presence.
Amen.