Advent Awe
Gracious God,
Source of our song of praise,
You open us to the wonder and beauty of your presence.
Our common voices chant our gratitude and longing.
From ancient days you promised your love and presence.
Our ancestors reminisced of your kindness and care.
Prepare our generation for a new awareness of your mercy.
Today we are pregnant still with hope for a waiting world.
We long for your face to turn us away from violence and despair.
We wait for the day when unity replaces the brokenness of war.
Birth in us the fearlessness to live a message of peace.
Birth a new hope in our children living in our fragile marriages.
Birth in us a loving care for the poor and lonely.
Reveal your face of love to those hiding from prejudice and stereotypes.
Reveal your presence to heal our sick in nursing homes and hospitals.
Reveal your kindness to those without joy and who are too lonely to pray.
Break through our arrogance and greed and free us from fear.
Break open our stubbornness of heart and self-sufficiency.
Break through the waters of our baptism and birth us again in your Spirit.
God, in our waiting days of Advent,
You challenge us not to be afraid.
Like Mary, we bear the Word to a fragile world.
Open our hearts in joy and loosen our tongues in shouts of jubilation.
We wait in loving hope until we see you as you are.
Amen
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Third Sunday in Advent, 2008
Advent Abundance
Gracious and merciful God,
Your love flows forth in lavish concern for us.
Your tidings speak forever of your abundant love.
In these Advent days,
Walk with us through the darkness toward a new dawn.
Take us by the hand through the uncertain shadows,
So we may find ourselves in your Light and Love.
Your prophet John pierced the doubt of his followers.
His testimony remains our source of challenge and comfort.
His baptisms still prepare us for the fire of your Spirit.
Anoint the brokenhearted with your oil of gladness and forgiveness.
Anoint your people bandaged in self-loathing and loss.
Anoint the feet of the strangers in our midst and welcome them.
Wrap your beloved in a shroud of hope and protection.
Wrap our elderly in an embrace of patience and peace.
Wrap your arms around our friends who cannot love themselves.
Clothe us in robes of salvation and harmony.
Clothe our naked friends who are lost among addictions and disease.
Clothe our nations in lasting and comforting peace.
God, you plant a garden of justice for those in need.
In our Advent prayer,
Bring your love to the poor and sprout hope for all people.
We rejoice heartily and forever,
In Christ who is the joy of our souls now and for all eternity.
Amen
Gracious and merciful God,
Your love flows forth in lavish concern for us.
Your tidings speak forever of your abundant love.
In these Advent days,
Walk with us through the darkness toward a new dawn.
Take us by the hand through the uncertain shadows,
So we may find ourselves in your Light and Love.
Your prophet John pierced the doubt of his followers.
His testimony remains our source of challenge and comfort.
His baptisms still prepare us for the fire of your Spirit.
Anoint the brokenhearted with your oil of gladness and forgiveness.
Anoint your people bandaged in self-loathing and loss.
Anoint the feet of the strangers in our midst and welcome them.
Wrap your beloved in a shroud of hope and protection.
Wrap our elderly in an embrace of patience and peace.
Wrap your arms around our friends who cannot love themselves.
Clothe us in robes of salvation and harmony.
Clothe our naked friends who are lost among addictions and disease.
Clothe our nations in lasting and comforting peace.
God, you plant a garden of justice for those in need.
In our Advent prayer,
Bring your love to the poor and sprout hope for all people.
We rejoice heartily and forever,
In Christ who is the joy of our souls now and for all eternity.
Amen
Second Sunday of Advent, 2008
Advent Awakening
O God of tender voice,
We turn our attention to you in these Advent days,
For your concern pierces the ages,
Your words tell us again of your comfort and care.
You remind us of your ancient promise,
That nothing hinders your love for your people.
You shepherd us when we stray
and protect us when we are afraid.
You gave voice to your prophet John, who speaks to us today,
His hearty zeal still points us to your coming and salvation.
His attention to you teaches us to let go of our selfish ways.
Awaken us to your presence when we feel abandoned and alone.
Awaken us to your love when apathy
has lulled us into unfaithful sleep.
Awaken us to the sound of your voice
in our children who depend on us.
Challenge us to silence our words of revenge and neglect.
Challenge us when we rely on our own powers of unhealthy addictions.
Challenge us along the rugged path of our families’ broken relationships.
Prepare us to see beyond our bounty
to those who starve for food and housing.
Prepare us to gaze on people lost
in desserts of disease and mental illness.
Prepare us to look further
along our rough roads of loneliness and poverty.
God of everlasting love,
From our celebration of Word and Sacrament,
Give us true heavenly food and gather us in your arms.
Awaken our lives in the promise of Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen
O God of tender voice,
We turn our attention to you in these Advent days,
For your concern pierces the ages,
Your words tell us again of your comfort and care.
You remind us of your ancient promise,
That nothing hinders your love for your people.
You shepherd us when we stray
and protect us when we are afraid.
You gave voice to your prophet John, who speaks to us today,
His hearty zeal still points us to your coming and salvation.
His attention to you teaches us to let go of our selfish ways.
Awaken us to your presence when we feel abandoned and alone.
Awaken us to your love when apathy
has lulled us into unfaithful sleep.
Awaken us to the sound of your voice
in our children who depend on us.
Challenge us to silence our words of revenge and neglect.
Challenge us when we rely on our own powers of unhealthy addictions.
Challenge us along the rugged path of our families’ broken relationships.
Prepare us to see beyond our bounty
to those who starve for food and housing.
Prepare us to gaze on people lost
in desserts of disease and mental illness.
Prepare us to look further
along our rough roads of loneliness and poverty.
God of everlasting love,
From our celebration of Word and Sacrament,
Give us true heavenly food and gather us in your arms.
Awaken our lives in the promise of Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen
First Sunday of Advent 2008
Advent Art
Potter God,
From your creative love and caring hands,
We emerged in this world with joyful faces and faithful hearts.
From the earth we were reminded of your heavenly breath.
Your ancient prophets molded and shaped us, too.
Their sharp-edged words carved in us purpose for our being.
Their strong shouts chiseled a path toward our true home.
Today we proclaim Jesus’ gumption and urgency.
His words teach us that you are not finished with us yet.
You reach across the centuries and wipe sleep from our eyes.
Call us to wake up because hatred has stopped our breathing.
Call us to see anew because cataracts of prejudice cover our vision.
Call us to listen again to the despair among our ill and dying.
Rouse in us at cockcrow a desire to live each day in truth.
Rouse in our weariness a new energy to work for justice.
Rouse in your beloved a new respect for those burdened by hardship.
Create patience in us when our relationships wear thin.
Create peace among us when violence overtakes us.
Create praise on our lips when human words divide us.
God of our longing,
You continue creating us in your image.
In these weeks of Advent, wake us up from our heart-numbing routine.
Carve in us a home of gratitude, love and courage.
We wait and watch for you alone.
Amen
Potter God,
From your creative love and caring hands,
We emerged in this world with joyful faces and faithful hearts.
From the earth we were reminded of your heavenly breath.
Your ancient prophets molded and shaped us, too.
Their sharp-edged words carved in us purpose for our being.
Their strong shouts chiseled a path toward our true home.
Today we proclaim Jesus’ gumption and urgency.
His words teach us that you are not finished with us yet.
You reach across the centuries and wipe sleep from our eyes.
Call us to wake up because hatred has stopped our breathing.
Call us to see anew because cataracts of prejudice cover our vision.
Call us to listen again to the despair among our ill and dying.
Rouse in us at cockcrow a desire to live each day in truth.
Rouse in our weariness a new energy to work for justice.
Rouse in your beloved a new respect for those burdened by hardship.
Create patience in us when our relationships wear thin.
Create peace among us when violence overtakes us.
Create praise on our lips when human words divide us.
God of our longing,
You continue creating us in your image.
In these weeks of Advent, wake us up from our heart-numbing routine.
Carve in us a home of gratitude, love and courage.
We wait and watch for you alone.
Amen
Palm Sunday
April 5, 2009
Jesus,
I come humbly before you.
I bend my knee in your name.
I offer my life to you.
You offered your life to us in real human suffering.
You did not run or turn away or hide.
You let go of what was most precious, life itself.
You faced mockery, abandonment and agony.
You faced inevitable death on a cross.
You gave us your body and your heart.
Your followers denied you and some betrayed you.
Some fled and some fell asleep.
You were scourged and flogged.
You died, your body oiled, and friends buried you.
In this deep and dark story we call you King.
You rose up from the grave and beyond our comprehension.
Now in your new life we find our own.
Accept the pain of all who follow.
Receive the demons that drive us into despair.
Take us by the hand when we lose our way.
On your cross we die to ourselves and find new life.
Your cross in our bodies brings us forgiveness.
Jesus, remember your people.
Amen
Jesus,
I come humbly before you.
I bend my knee in your name.
I offer my life to you.
You offered your life to us in real human suffering.
You did not run or turn away or hide.
You let go of what was most precious, life itself.
You faced mockery, abandonment and agony.
You faced inevitable death on a cross.
You gave us your body and your heart.
Your followers denied you and some betrayed you.
Some fled and some fell asleep.
You were scourged and flogged.
You died, your body oiled, and friends buried you.
In this deep and dark story we call you King.
You rose up from the grave and beyond our comprehension.
Now in your new life we find our own.
Accept the pain of all who follow.
Receive the demons that drive us into despair.
Take us by the hand when we lose our way.
On your cross we die to ourselves and find new life.
Your cross in our bodies brings us forgiveness.
Jesus, remember your people.
Amen
Fifth Sunday of Lent
John 12:20-33
March 29, 2009
Jesus,
I cling to what I think is certainty.
I really do not like change.
I realize nothing lasts forever.
Change forces me to hold tight to what I know.
Fear takes hold of me because I live too comfortably.
You promise me if I let go you will not abandon me.
You tell me I am similar to the grain of wheat.
It thinks it is enough to stay as it is.
But it must fall to the earth.
It must die.
It must become something more.
Fashion me in the pattern of wheat.
Pry open my life from living my self-sufficient ways.
Encourage me to abandon my cares in your love for me.
Help me die the deaths that stifle my growth.
Live in me so I can become something more.
Jesus,
These Lenten days show me my stubbornness.
They teach me how I am emotionally bottled up.
The Scriptures teach me to trust in your dying and rising.
Release me from my pre-occupation.
Show me what you have planned for me.
Help me see my own growth from the bud of letting go.
Then I will be free to serve.
As I fall to the ground like wheat to the earth.
I will grow for others.
Open my heart and teach me to serve people.
Help me grow toward the light of love.
Amen
March 29, 2009
Jesus,
I cling to what I think is certainty.
I really do not like change.
I realize nothing lasts forever.
Change forces me to hold tight to what I know.
Fear takes hold of me because I live too comfortably.
You promise me if I let go you will not abandon me.
You tell me I am similar to the grain of wheat.
It thinks it is enough to stay as it is.
But it must fall to the earth.
It must die.
It must become something more.
Fashion me in the pattern of wheat.
Pry open my life from living my self-sufficient ways.
Encourage me to abandon my cares in your love for me.
Help me die the deaths that stifle my growth.
Live in me so I can become something more.
Jesus,
These Lenten days show me my stubbornness.
They teach me how I am emotionally bottled up.
The Scriptures teach me to trust in your dying and rising.
Release me from my pre-occupation.
Show me what you have planned for me.
Help me see my own growth from the bud of letting go.
Then I will be free to serve.
As I fall to the ground like wheat to the earth.
I will grow for others.
Open my heart and teach me to serve people.
Help me grow toward the light of love.
Amen
Fourth Sunday of Lent, 2009
March 22, 2009
Jesus,
I try to bear the weight of life on my own shoulders.
My heart becomes numb even to my own needs.
My body bends to the earth.
My spirit shrinks into selfishness.
When I am stooped down and bent low I finally look up at you.
You come to raise me up.
Help me believe in your light because our bodies are bent over in self-concern.
I want to cast my eyes beyond the darkness of the ground before me.
Open a path so I may find my way beyond the shadows of uncertainty.
I want to walk released from the shackles of my questions and concerns
Everyday I see how struggles wear people down.
I see the addict bent down white knuckling sobriety.
I witness the mother on her knees for the lack of insurance for her sick child.
I listen to the couple begging for one more night in a shelter.
Jesus,
Lift up our world torn apart with indifference.
Lift up our weariness and discouragement when daily life challenges us.
Lift us out of our dark cave of fear.
Lift up our thin patience and weary bodies.
Lift us out of chaos with your healing love.
In these journey days of Lent restore our relationships.
Help us all find love again.
Out of love you came to us.
Out of love you offered your life for us.
Out of love you died so we might learn how to live.
Jesus,
You were lifted on the cross for all to see.
In this vision we are all lifted up beyond the worries that wear us down.
You are light for our way.
Show us mercy and reach down and heal us.
Amen
Jesus,
I try to bear the weight of life on my own shoulders.
My heart becomes numb even to my own needs.
My body bends to the earth.
My spirit shrinks into selfishness.
When I am stooped down and bent low I finally look up at you.
You come to raise me up.
Help me believe in your light because our bodies are bent over in self-concern.
I want to cast my eyes beyond the darkness of the ground before me.
Open a path so I may find my way beyond the shadows of uncertainty.
I want to walk released from the shackles of my questions and concerns
Everyday I see how struggles wear people down.
I see the addict bent down white knuckling sobriety.
I witness the mother on her knees for the lack of insurance for her sick child.
I listen to the couple begging for one more night in a shelter.
Jesus,
Lift up our world torn apart with indifference.
Lift up our weariness and discouragement when daily life challenges us.
Lift us out of our dark cave of fear.
Lift up our thin patience and weary bodies.
Lift us out of chaos with your healing love.
In these journey days of Lent restore our relationships.
Help us all find love again.
Out of love you came to us.
Out of love you offered your life for us.
Out of love you died so we might learn how to live.
Jesus,
You were lifted on the cross for all to see.
In this vision we are all lifted up beyond the worries that wear us down.
You are light for our way.
Show us mercy and reach down and heal us.
Amen
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