Psalm 85:8-10 and
We meet you here, Lord,
at the intersection of love and faithfulness.
Here prayer and praise join hands,
scripture is embraced,
and our voices unite in hymns to you.
Speak tenderly to our hearts in this hour of worship,
God of all Creation,
and show us the path to peace. Amen.
Reader 1: In a world of where so many despair,
God lights a candle of hope in our hearts.
We wait together for a Saviour,
who will be Immanuel, Christ the Lord.
Hear the word of the Lord:
Reader 2: By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance,
O God of our salvation;
you are the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas. Psalm 65:5
Second Advent – Peace –Purple Candle
What I remember most
is the joy of God’s words on our lips
and in our hearts.
That good news bubbling out,
freely shared with any person we met,
old categories of friend and foe forgotten.
I remember the power of God changing us,
from empty Christians
to disciples full of fire.
I confessed my faith
and chose baptism, freely, consciously,
my prayer as the water trickled over me,
“O my Lord, my God!”
My family and friends,
Our souls magnify the Lord.
Our souls amplify the goodness of God–
we take a good close-up look at all our blessings.
Thank you for plants:
for the deliciousness of fresh lettuce
and the sharp tang of dill,
but also for their beauty, their leafy wonder,
their greenness, their fragrance.
Thank you for the miracle of growth,
for sun and rain which has made them grow
and for the mysteries of photosynthesis.
Creation at work at a molecular level,
Thank you for the miracle of our bodies;
for breath that fills us,
blood that circulates,
synapses that spark,
microscopic particles exchanging in good order,
everything working together in harmony.
We are fearfully and wonderfully made.
As creatures, we are vulnerable,
we have weaknesses and sicknesses.
Creator God, we need your healing presence:
when we have symptoms that are unexplained
and we wonder, “What does this mean?”:
We give thanks today, God of great gifts, for the Bible.
Thank you for these Bibles in our hands, the Bibles in our homes
the free access to holy scripture that we enjoy in this country.
Thank you for the many faithful people
who delivered this Bible into our hands today;
the people who wrote it,
the people who copied it out,
the people who died protecting it,
the people who translated it,
the people who interpreted it,
century after century.
Thank you for the people who shared it with us;
Holy is your name, God in heaven!
We come to worship today longing for your kingdom come.
What is your will in our lives, in our world?
In this hour of worship,
enlighten us with your Word,
inspire us with stirring songs,
enfold us with your community,
embrace us with a vision so strong
that we will go from here with good news for all people.
Amen
God of love, wrap your arms around children who are hiding
from the violence of our families or our communities.
God of justice, cast your eyes on our hidden deeds done in darkness,
so that we may be convicted of our sin and turn to you in repentance.
God of creation, lend your strength to the hidden rhythms of our world,
to restore its natural balance and harmony.
God of comfort, bring healing to the sick and grieving in our midst
so that they may feel your peace in stormy times.
God of hope, speak your words of light to the despairing among us,
even to those who hide that darkness deep within themselves.
God of all ages, hear the hidden prayers of our hearts,
God of all creation, our chief end
is to glorify you,
and enjoy you forever.
Our deep delight is in your presence,
our fondest thoughts are of you,
our strongest longing is for your house.
In this hour of worship,
help us to become who we are meant to be–
a community that breathes thankfulness,
voicing your praise in all we do. Amen.
I am a Mennonite pastor currently teaching theology at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario. I’ve served congregations in Ontario and most recently, Alberta.
I love to write and to lead worship! If you are finding my writing helpful, I would love to hear from you! Feel free to use or adapt the material here, it is all written by me. If printing material, please credit “Copyright Carol Penner www.leadinginworship.com” (and say whether you modified it). If publishing, please contact me for permission. Contact me at carol@leadinginworship.com
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