Carol Penner, Author at Leading in Worship

Strange Epiphany Prayer

January 7, 2021

It has been a strange epiphany this year, God.
We’ve had sudden insight into how fragile democracy can be.
Many of us are disturbed and shocked by the violence and mayhem
that filled the halls of power in Washington DC this week.
Spaces sacred to government were violated by intruders
carrying weapons and symbols of racism.
We see the injustice of how government responds to protests;
when black people marched peacefully last year
they were met with a massive show of force.
We worry about a president who both refuses to concede
and fans flames of violent protest,

Pandemic Advent Prayer

December 25, 2020

Our prayer this Christmas is beyond words.
You find it in the silence of the sleeping forest,
down under the ice.
You find it with the wind sweeping in cold gusts,
rattling the windows.
Our prayer is the snow that’s falling.
Inside, it’s the table being set, the preparations,
it is every twinkling light and piece of greenery.
Our prayer floats on the fragrance of food in the oven.
We pull this prayer with us
as we remember Christmases long ago,

Pandemic Prayer this Christmas

December 21, 2020

It’s the eve of another celebration of Jesus’ birth–
but this year is different than any other.
It’s hard to cast our thoughts to Bethlehem
when the here and now is so heavy.
On this Christmas Eve, we feel like we are on the eve of everything.
Are we on the eve of sickness or health;
will this pandemic touch the lives of those we love?
Will our hospitals manage this second wave of patients
in the long winter ahead?
We are on the eve of loneliness;
there are too few chairs around our holiday tables

Advent Pandemic Prayer

December 5, 2020

Thank you, God, for thick, warm socks on crisp winter days.
Thank you for the smell of pine needles,
for the taste of a juicy orange,
for packages delivered in trucks,
and colourful lights dancing in the dark.
Thank you for the poignant pleasures
of unpacking Christmas ornaments,
and looking at photos from years gone by.

Blue Christmas Zoom Service in a Pandemic

November 24, 2020

Welcome to this virtual prayer service.
The Christmas season is upon us.
Christmas is a time where we want to be merry and bright,
but in this pandemic year, that can feel impossible.
Many people are weighed down with anxiety and grief,
and it’s hard to remember the reason for the season.
Celebrations that usually happen at this time of year are cancelled
or are being shoehorned into two dimensions on a screen.
Even this service would feel better if we were physically together.
But this is our reality.
I want to thank each of you for coming today;
we are here for each other in this time, in this space.
We are here to talk to God and to listen.
This service will consist of prayers, some readings and some music;
it will take around 30 minutes.

Advent Candle Lighting in a Pandemic

November 23, 2020

Today we mark the first Sunday of Advent,
and today we light the candle of hope.
Advent is the season of hope.
We hope for a Saviour who can save us,
a Healer who can heal us,
and a Counsellor who hears all our sorrows.
In darkness that deepens,
we wait for the coming of the light of the world.
We wait in hope as we light this candle of hope.

Pandemic Eternity Sunday Ritual

November 14, 2020

Eternity Sunday is a day to remember that death comes to every one of us.
Death is a constant in human existence.
For some, death comes suddenly, through an accident or sudden illness,
for others, the movement towards death is years long.
Young people sometimes die, and old people always die.
Death is hard to handle, and even very strong Christians can get the shivers
when we face the death of a loved one:
as we let go of their hands we wonder,
“God are you there? Do you hold their hands now? Can we trust you?”

Indigenous Land Acknowledgement – For Children

November 14, 2020

Our church, First Mennonite, wants to tell you something about the land we live on…
the land where our church, our homes, our towns and cities and farms are.
We aren’t the first people to live here,
there were people here for thousands of years before we got here.
They are called indigenous people, and they still live here;
they have beautiful names: Anishinaabe, Haudenosauneee, Attawandaron.
Let’s say those names: Can you repeat after me? Anishinaabe. Haudenosauneee, Attawandaron.
We didn’t live up to the promises we made with them on how to share the land,
and it’s not been fair to them.
We have hurt the people with these beautiful names, the indigenous peoples.
We are trying to figure out how to make things right,

Eternity Sunday Call to Worship

November 14, 2020

Our call to worship is Psalm 119:50

This is my comfort in my distress,
that your promise gives me life.

Let’s pray:
We come to worship you, God,
and we long for comfort.
In your arms, this morning,
can our distress subside?
In the name of Jesus,
you hold us as your children
and you promise us life,
life eternal, life with you.
May these promises
guide our thoughts and our prayers
this morning. Amen

About Carol Penner

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

Carol Penner

Strange Epiphany Prayer

Pandemic Advent Prayer

Pandemic Prayer this Christmas

Advent Pandemic Prayer

Blue Christmas Zoom Service in a Pandemic

Advent Candle Lighting in a Pandemic

Pandemic Eternity Sunday Ritual

Indigenous Land Acknowledgement – For Children

Eternity Sunday Call to Worship

About Carol Penner

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