By the tender mercy of our God
love has broken upon us!
Light is given where once there was darkness
and hope where there was only death.
We go into this season knowing
that God will guide our feet into the way of peace.
Inside the stable there is darkness pushing in,
a small light, perhaps, illuminating three faces.
The murmurs of a baby’s cries, his snuffling and suckling,
the rustle of straw, the sound of animals shifting.
The smell of sweat and blood and manure,
the fragrance of milk and sweet baby.
The touch of a hand on a smooth small forehead,
a man’s arm holding a body still shaking with afterpains.
Outside the stable, darkness is pushed away,
radiant brightness illuminating shepherds, flocks.
The gasps of fright as grown men topple to the ground,
A story of light dawning,
light that is yearned for, longed for, desperately sought,
a story of light dawning in darkness;
darkness that covers the deep,
darkness that speaks of death.
A story of hope dawning,
hope that is yearned for, longed for, desperately sought,
a story of hope dawning in the midst of despair;
despair that defeats us,
despair that speaks of death….
God, you are the great Healer.
Today we pray for those who live with mental illness.
For those crippled by depression and anxious feelings,
bring healing, bring peace.
For those who suffer from the high and lows of severe mood swings,
bring healing, bring peace.
For those who are tormented by voices and hallucinations,
bring healing, bring peace.
For those who find it difficult to cope with tasks of daily living,
bring healing, bring peace.
For those who struggle with suicidal thoughts,
Help us to learn from the trees to be your people.
Like the strong oak with its deep roots,
establish us in your word, in community, in prayer.
Like the graceful willow bending in the wind,
strengthen us to withstand tumults and trials.
Like the tall jack pine, true and straight,
make us pure and single-minded, always looking to you.
Like the rustling poplar, shining and shimmering,
give us joy in the winds of life….
God of Wisdom,
As we remember the atomic blasts, the gas chambers, the killing fields,
as we remember the war machines and the military establishments,
as we remember Hitler and Pol Pot, Jim Crow and the Indian Act,
call us to account for our own whispered innuendo,
our own snubs, our own finger pointing,
our own eyes averted from injustice, our own cutting words,
our own shove, our own furtive slap.
Do not allow the grandstand atrocities to blind us to our own cruelties.
From the darkness of our bedrooms to skyscraper boardrooms,
from schools and churches to houses of parliament,
give us ears to hear your call to peace in our time,
peace with our own two hands.
God of grace,
financially, we are sometimes in the dark.
We don’t always know how much money we have,
or how secure our resources are,
or even what expenses we will have in the future.
We choose to give our money to you with light hearts,
gifting boldly and cheerfully,
knowing that our security lies in your grace,
and not in our bank accounts.
Accept these gifts from our hands,
for the work of your church. Amen.
Our call to worship is based on James 5:13-16:
Are any among us suffering? We will pray.
Are any cheerful? We will sing songs of praise.
Are any among us sick? We will call on the name of the Lord.
Have any committed sins? We confess our sins to each other.
We come to worship in the name of God our Creator,
Jesus our Saviour, and the Holy Spirit who sustains us.
Let’s pray together:
Thank you, God, for the invitation to worship
and for this congregation where we have found our home.
With your help, we will both give a blessing,
and receive a blessing today
because we do it all in your name, Amen.
A hymn of praise for fists uncurled!
Alleluias on our lips for ammunition abandoned!
Guns dropped, forgotten,
bombs defused, harmless!
Fervent thanks for tanks rusting,
for jet fighters permanently grounded!
This future, peace-bright,
hovers on the horizon of your kingdom.
It will dawn the day we remember
there are no soldiers—
only your children, beloved and loving,
there are no borders—
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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