Open our eyes, Lord, to the modern yoke;
the burden of our consumer culture,
the debt that holds people fast,
the myth of success which has us by the throat.
We confess that we are trapped.
You offer the possibility of release;
you loose the shackles of greed,
freeing us from the urge to acquire at any cost,
relieving us from the treadmill of busyness….
God of Hope,
in this time of tumult we lay before you the country of _____.
With their land still trembling,
they try to comprehend devastation too broad in its scope:
the sea sweeping through leaving people killed and missing,
homes and towns and cities demolished.
Our prayers are for the people of ______:
Holy Comforter, bring your peace.
We are acutely aware of all who need rescue:
those trapped in buildings and remote areas,
those without food or clean water or shelter,
the injured, the terrified, the anguished….
Dearly beloved:
A vow is a prayer spoken before God.
A vow is a promise made before witnesses.
A vow is a commitment of life and breath and strength.
A vow is a true joy as it proclaims the heart’s passion.
A vow is a new beginning with old ways discarded.
A vow is a standard by which to measure each year.
A vow is a light that illuminates the path.
A vow is a map that shows the way.
A vow is a steady point in a whirling time of trial.
A vow is a familiar voice always calling you home.
A vow is forever, a hope for eternity.
God, we invite you into the fights of our lives;
fights with the ones we love the most,
our brothers and sisters, our partners and parents, our children.
Despite all our promises and hopes to honour and cherish,
we drop the ball and all hell breaks loose.
Words explode like grenades on the home front.
“You never,” “You should,” “You always.”
“I’m sick and tired of,” “Not this again,” “That’s it.”
Anger spews out of us,
fear and rage rumble inside.
We know how this plays out,
ou are the God of full pockets
and the God of pockets zipped shut;
the God of empty pockets and pockets with holes,
the God of inside-out pockets,
and pockets stuffed with treasures.
You are the God of our pockets.
You came to show us that life is not to be pocketed
but to be given freely, joyfully, sacrificially.
You are the God of full hearts
and the God of hearts that are empty;
I belong to a faith without bells.
No crystal clear call to worship
floating over fields and factories,
whispering over shopping malls;
come, come, come.
I belong to a faith without bells.
No insistent tugging reminder
more universal than any cellphone
piercing even concrete with its message,
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….
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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