Dec. 5, 2021
Leader: What shall we say when we thirst for God?
People: Hope in God; give thanks for His saving presence
What shall we say we cry and we’re depressed?
Hope in God; give thanks for His saving presence
What shall we say when our bones are crushed?
Hope in God; give thanks for His saving presence
ALL: For deep calls to deep and He is with us
Opening Prayer
Sovereign Lord: Over the next hour, let what we sing, say, and do in
worship of you breathe life into us so that we will know that you are the Lord
who is the Resurrection and the Life.
Bring forth a belief in us so that we will live even if we die rand have
life forever never dying. Amen.
Prayer of Preparation
Jesus, our Resurrection and
Life: Raise us up to new life with you,
breathing your Spirit into us, as we meditate now on what it means to be alive
for you. Amen.
Intercessory Prayer
Spirit of God, we see around us so many dry bones. They are brittle and will easily fall apart
because they suffer from so much. We pray
Lord that you would breathe life into all who suffer so that they can rise
up. We pray Lord that this breath of
life would blow upon the sick and dying and those who care for them; we pray
that this breath of life would blow upon all who have any sort of mental
illness; we pray that this breath of life would blow upon each person who is
made to feel marginalized; we pray that this breath of life would blow upon
anyone who is struggling to make ends meet; we pray that this breath of life
would blow upon families that are struggling in their relationships with one
another; we pray that this breath of life would blow into the schools on our
teachers and students; we pray that this breath of life would blow upon the weary;
we pray that this breath of life would blow upon those who see no other way
than a life of crime; we pray that this breath of life would blow from all four
directions so that it reaches every person everywhere who needs to know your
love and is need of your mercies. Let it blow on us too so that we can be the
hands and feet of Jesus Christ who taught us his prayer: Our Father… Amen.
Offering Prayer
God who has given a message through the prophets: we pray that we would
be given life and rise up like a great army with the purpose of reaching out to
those in need. Let these gifts that we
offer to the church of Christ be used in His service. Amen.
Benediction
The Sovereign Lord has breathed
his breath of life into you
He has given you this life to
honor him above all
May the Father, the Son and the
Spirit be praised in all you do this week
And may you feel their breath
upon you, blessing you.
AMEN
Advent Wreath Lighting - 2 options depending on context (families or older congregation)
Mom: Well child’s
name. I think that maybe you should open that one next.
Child: This one, Mom?
Mom: Yes, that one. It’s very fragile, so be careful.
Child: [carefully and quietly unwrapping] OK, I
will be… [after unwrapped] Dad! Look
it’s a microscope.
Dad: Yes, with that you can see even the living
things that you normally might not see like dust mites, pollen, bacteria, and
even human cells!
Mom: There are so many kinds of life that we
just don’t think about because we can’t see them.
Child: But they’re there aren’t they. Just because we can’t see it doesn’t make it
not true. Kind of like that story I
heard in Sunday School about the time that Jesus brought a man back to
life. I can’t see it, but I know it’s
true.
Person #1: Can you remind me not to eat anything after 8pm tonight?
Person #2: Why?
Person #1: Because I need to go to the lab tomorrow morning for fasting blood
work.
Person #2: Oh my, is everything OK?
Person #1: Yes, just routine checkup stuff… the kind of thing I can’t
test for at home. I can check my blood pressure at home. I can check my blood sugar at home. But they need to take some of my blood and
look at it with a microscope…I don’t remember what test it is, but it’s the one
where they count all the kinds of blood cells.
Person #2: Oh, you mean a CBC – a complete blood count.
Person #1: Yeah, that’s the one. I don’t understand why they need it. I know I have blood. I don’t need it in a tube for someone to look
at under a microscope to see it and know it’s there.
Person #2: Kind of like Jesus. I
know He’s there and I don’t need to see Him to know it.
Person #1: Yes, He is alive and we’re alive for Him. It’s not the blood in my veins that makes me
alive for Christ. I’ll still be alive
for Him even after this blood doesn’t flow anymore because of His blood for us!
Person #2: And that reminds me I need to light this second candle on
the Advent Wreath because we’re getting closer to Christmas when we celebrate
His entering into this life for us! (lighting the first and second candles)
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