John 1:35-51 (Psalm 66:1-5)

Narrative Lectionary, Year 4, Week 17
Jan. 2, 2022
John 1:35-51 (Psalm 66:1-5)

Opening Prayer
Son of God, we come to worship you, because we have heard the testimony of your prophet, John the Baptist, and the testimonies of your first followers as told to us in the Gospels.  We pray today that you would reveal greater things to us in time, and that what we do and say today will be worthy of the greatness that will be seen.  In your holy name, Amen.

Prayer of Preparation
God who has done awesome deeds for mankind, the most awesome of which is the birth of your Son, Jesus Christ, King of the Jews, we wish to see your glory revealed to us now in the study of your Word.  May the things we hear allow us to know you better.  Amen.

Offering Prayer
Lamb of God, we have come and we have seen.  We know that you have taken away the sins of the world because we have believed you are the Christ and that you’ve done this for us.  But there are many whom we can invite, those who need to also come and see.  We pray, Father God, that through the offerings we give that your church would do this work and that we would be your hands and feet in it.  Bless us Lord, Bless our Church, Bless those who will hear.  Amen.

Intercessory Prayer
Christ, your invitation to the disciples to Come and See was followed by telling Nathanael that he would see greater things as the heavens opened and angels descended to and from on the Son of Man.  We’ve read, and we’ll study in some of the coming weeks, some of the examples of how you healed.  We’ve read, and we’ll study in some of the coming weeks, some of what you taught about yourself and faith.  We’re familiar enough with the narratives to know that you have shown us that you are sent by God and that you have seen God because you are God.  Through this, you have the power to heal the lame, the blind, and even to raise the dead.  We pray today for miracles of healing for those who are in our prayers.  You know the needs of each person who is dealing with economic troubles, illness, homelessness, discrimination, abuse, grief, mental health troubles, and so much more.  You, Lord, have the power to do even greater things than we will ever know or see, and we pray to you Christ, asking your mercies on all those who need to be invited to Come and See what it is that you can offer.  We pray it in your name with your prayer… Our Father…Amen

Benediction
What do you seek, Jesus asks us.
Come and see, he invites
Follow me, he commands
In doing so, we will be blessed
By Father, Son and Spirit
Amen

Luke 1:46b-55, Micah 4:1-5, Eph. 2:11-12

Revised Common Lectionary, Year C, Daily Reading
Dec. 22, 2021
Luke 1:46b-55, Micah 4:1-5, Eph. 2:11-12

Opening Prayer
God our Savior,
You have looked upon the lowly state of your servants.  You do great things for each generation that fears you.  Tonight we join in worship and praise of you because of these mighty deeds and let our soul be magnified in our admiration of you, Lord God. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Intercessory Prayer
Christ Jesus, Spirit of the Father, God of this world:
We pray for the unity of mankind tonight.  We pray that by being peace-bringers, we can contribute to the end of suffering.  Empower us as your church to be a hand of help to those who are downtrodden, sick, suffering, anguished, grieving, tired, worn out, and beaten down by the world and people around them who oppose them only because of who they are or who they represent.  We pray Lord that you would bring peace to the world this week in the birth of your Son Jesus Christ that we’ll celebrate in a few short days.  In His holy name and with His holy prayer, we pray: Our Father… Amen.

Communion
Christ our Lord invites all to his table who love him,
  who earnestly repent of their sin
  and seek to live in peace with one another.
Therefore, let us confess our sin before God and one another.

Let us pray…

Our Lord,
At this time, there is not a peace in the world.  Walls are up that divide people.  At a time when a coming together and a unity amongst us would be helpful to solving many of the issues we face.  But we let political rancor get in the way.  We let selfishness of individuality get in the way.  We do not work together with fellow man and instead our actions contribute more to poor getting poorer, marginalization, hatred and discord.  Forgive us for these sins and the sins we confess in silence….  Amen

Hear the good news:
Jesus Christ was born into this world in a lowly state of infancy and poverty as a refugee
But through His actions of the cross, He forgave the sins of the world, your sins and mine included
He allows that we can return to our homeland, our heavenly home.
In the name of Jesus Christ you are forgiven
Glory to God
Amen

We give you thanks to you, our God because
it is always a good, right, and joyful thing,
  to give thanks to you,
  Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. 

Once we were near to you God, in the Garden that we tended as you walked among us
But our sin took us out of that place and into a world where we were instantly divided,
Brother against brother, man against wife, nation against nation
But the promise came to Mary that God would come as an infant in her womb
She praised God, singing out loud and rejoiced in the Spirit of God that was upon her
That Spirit of God came upon all of mankind who wished to know your presence on Pentecost
After you had lived and died and conquered death
You promised your return and now
We celebrate the season of Advent looking forward to the Day of the Lord
when all the people of earth and the heavenly choir all sing:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ,
Who prayed for the unity of His church
That was built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets
Jesus Christ, himself, being the chief cornerstone, who
Through his baptism of suffering, death, and resurrection
  he delivered us from slavery to sin and death,
  and made for us the new covenant made by water and the Spirit

On the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread,
gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said:
"Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me."

When the supper was over he took the cup,
gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said:
"Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant,
poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."

And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving
as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of faith.

Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.

Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here,
and on these gifts of bread and wine.
Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ,
that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.
By your Spirit make us one with Christ,
one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world,
until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet.

Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church,
all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father (God), now and for ever.
Amen.

This is the body of Christ broken for you.  Take and eat. AMEN
This is the blood of Christ shed for you.  Take and drink. AMEN.

Benediction
Let your soul magnify the Lord,
Let your spirit rejoice in God your Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His servants;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call them blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for us,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever
Amen

Luke 2:1-20

Narrative Lectionary
Christmas Eve 2021
Luke 2:1-20

Opening Prayer
O Great God who humbled yourself as the Christ Child, a babe in the manger.  Everyone who has gathered here tonight all began their lives as a newborn infant requiring caregivers to ensure that our lives would continue, just as your mother Mary, and earthly father, Joseph, did for you.  But you had a bigger plan than that.  A plan to give up your life so that our lives will continue not just here on earth, but forever in your kingdom.  So we raise up every glory, honor, and praise to you singing:

“Glory to God in the highest!
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Be present with us tonight Holy Spirit as we worship in the holy name of Jesus, Immanuel, God with us!  Amen.

Prayer of Preparation
Savior, Christ our Lord:
We want to hear again the story of old and find in it the truth of how great a gift that you have given us so that we can make widely known the saying told to us concerning this Child: great tidings of joy for all people that today a Child has been born for us.  With great praise and thanksgiving, Lord, we pray that we’ll hear your words, as we recall the words of the prayer you’ve taught.  Our Father...Amen.

Offering Prayer

Heavenly Father:
There is no greater gift than the one you have given to us of your Son, Jesus Christ, to be born this night for our salvation.  But this is not a gift that we can keep to ourselves.  It is a gift we must share if we want to follow after you and honor you as you deserve to be.  Therefore, we give our gifts to your church so that the work of sharing this great blessing can happen.  We pray Lord over our offerings and our church that in the coming year, we would do great things for you and your kingdom.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Benediction

You have heard the tidings of great joy:
Unto you, born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, the Christ, our Lord
Having heard this greatest gift go and proclaim to all who will hear the glory and praises of God!
For in the hearing and the telling is the blessing
May God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit bless you and this world with peace tonight.
Merry Christmas!
Amen.

2 Options for Advent Wreath

Mom: Here’s a present for Dad:
Dad: [opening the present] Wow! A picture frame.  I can get a special photo printed with my new camera and put it in the frame so we can always remember that moment.  Maybe later we can drive around and I can try to get a photo of some great Christmas lights somewhere so I can frame that picture.
Child: Perhaps all these people who’ve been watching our Christmas celebrations might want to take a photo with their cell phone cameras to remember this moment too.
Mom: Let’s get a selfie [family poses to take selfie photo] [looking at her phone] yes, that’s perfect… a great memory of the day.  I’ll always treasure this memory and the photo will help remind me of it.
Child: Hey, didn’t the Scripture read in church on Christmas Eve say something about Jesus’ mom treasuring the memories too
Dad: Yes, I think that it does say that in Luke 2

Person 1: Merry Christmas!
Person 2: And a very Merry Christmas to you too!
Person 1: There’s really nowhere else I would want to be on Christmas Eve.
Person 2: Me too.  But I still have gifts to wrap before morning.  I shouldn’t have procrastinated.
Person 1: I’m sure no one will be upset if the gifts aren’t wrapped.
Person 2: But I want everyone’s Christmas to be great.
Person 1: Isn’t it already?  We’ve received the greatest gift when Jesus was born.
Person 2: Yes, you are right.  Thank you for reminding me of that.
Person 1: Here, let’s light these candles to remind everyone tonight that Jesus is the greatest gift.
(Laity will light four Advent candles)
(Pastor lights Christ Candle with Scripture reading, Luke 2:1-20)

John 1:1-18, Psalm 130:5-8

Narrative Lectionary, Year 4, Week 15
Dec. 19, 2021
John 1:1-18, Psalm 130:5-8

Opening Prayer
Read Psalm 130:5-8
Merciful Lord,
With great anticipation, we continue to wait.  Christmas is almost upon us and truth be told, it makes many adults feel like children again with the anticipation of seeing what loved ones have chosen for us and seeing the excitement on their faces as they unbox the carefully curated Christmas packages we’ve wrapped up for them.  But, we also wait as your children with a greater anticipation for the day when your greatest gift, Jesus Christ returns with the glory of heaven around Him to give us a new heaven and earth and make all things once again new, giving His abundant redemption.  In His Holy Name, Amen.

Prayer of Preparation
Word of God, Light of Life, Fullness of Grace upon Grace:
Through you and what you share with us, we see the glory of God.  Enlighten the darkness of our minds now as we hear your message as we prepare for the celebration of your birth.
Amen.

Offering Prayer
Father God in Heaven:
We have not yet seen your glory, but we’ve been offered a glimpse of it because your Son shines light into the darkness.  As there are still some who have rejected Him in this world, we your church, want to share your message.  This is not something we can do without you.  Take these gifts and magnify them for your glory so that your light shines upon more people and they come to know you.  Amen.

Intercessory Prayer
Creator God,
With just a Word, you spoke all things into being.
With just a Word, you spoke life into a place void of it.
With just a Word, you spoke Light into a place with only darkness.
And we see from Scripture times when with just a Word, Your Son, The Word, spoke healing upon someone.
Today we pray to you, Lord Jesus, that you would speak a single Word of healing over all who need it.
May the Word of healing reach the infirm, the grief-stricken, the abused, the poor, the homeless, the mentally ill, the ones in anguish and pain, the marginalized, and all who need it.
May the Word of healing heal our hearts of sin, forgiving us, and making us righteous in your sight.
May the Word of healing shine light into the darkness and may we be agents of it as we continue to worship and magnify the name of God With Us, Emmanuel, Jesus Christ, with His prayer: Our Father… Amen.

Benediction
Forgiveness
Redemption
Life
Light
Healing
Mercy
Love
Any of these single words can describe God
But none of them fully
Yet our God, Father, Son, and Spirit
Is the Word-Made-Flesh
May He

Bless you and keep you

Make His face to shine upon you

Be gracious to you

Lift up His face to you

And give you peace

AMEN

2 Options for Advent Wreath:
Option 1
[turning to stockings] Mom: I wonder what presents might be in the stockings for us!
[getting up to retrieve them] Child: I’ll get them. [gives one each to parent and keeps one for self]
[all reaching into stockings and removing an item] All: Sunglasses!
Dad: this reminds me of how bright the light will be when we see the glory of God revealed in heaven.
Mom: Yes, didn’t John’s Gospel tell us about the glory of the light of Jesus coming into the world.

Option 2
Person 1: The days are getting so short and the nights so long.
Person 2: Yes, but in a few days, on Tuesday, Dec. 21, it will be the shortest day of the year and then the days will start to get longer and the nights shorter.
Person 1: Oh, I can’t wait until it stays light later into the evening.  I don’t drive at night anymore unless I absolutely have to.
Person 2: The same is true for me.  My aging eyes make it so difficult to see clearly when there are headlights from an oncoming car.
Person 1: Yes, if only it didn’t get dark at all, then we could go out for a later dinner and other social activities in the middle of winter.
Person 2: One day, when we’re all in God’s kingdom we won’t have to worry about any darkness at all because the Light of God will be so glorious it will shine all the time and there won’t be any darkness.
Person 1: Won’t that be something to see!
Person 2: In the meantime, let’s light these four Advent candles as a reminder to everyone that Jesus is the Light!

Isaiah 55:1-13, John 4:13-14

Narrative Lectionary, Year 4, Week 14
Dec. 12, 2021
Isaiah 55:1-13, John 4:13-14

Opening Prayer
Our Great God in Heaven:
We come to this place seeking you.  But your Scripture says we can only find you in the places where you are to be found.  Therefore, we invite your Holy Spirit into this place.  We want to return to your ways and thoughts in the coming hour as we worship your Son, the Witness to the People.  In His Name, Amen.

Advent Wreath Lighting & Reading
Option 1

Mom: I think its Dad’s turn to open something next.  Here sweetie, open this present that we chose for you.
Dad: Wow, I wonder what it is.
Child: Wait, maybe you can guess.   I’ll give you a clue.  What can make something that never speaks and never move.  Yet the thing it makes will forever be a witness to a moment in time and can tell a story that is one thousand words long.
Dad:  Hmmm… [thinking] Oh, I’ve got it!  A camera! [unwrapping a camera excitedly]
Mom: Yes, so that we can take pictures that witness to the important things in life.
Child: Just like the prophets who heard from God and the people who saw Jesus witnessed to others in the words of the Bible about all the things they heard.

Dad: Just like we should do also when we tell people that Jesus is a like fountain of water that always is flowing because He always wants to give eternal life.

Option 2
Person 1: One of my favorite parts about being in the sanctuary is looking at the stained glass.
Person 2: Me too!  Did you know that one of the reasons that churches originally had stained glass was because the people were illiterate and the windows were meant to tell the story of the Bible?ast
Person 1: No, I didn’t!  But that makes sense.  They say a picture is worth a thousand words.
Person 2: But is it really?  It is just a snapshot of the event that it is meant to record.
Person 1: Well yes, but if you don’t know what it records, you could probably make up a story that has a thousand words about the picture.
Person 2: Yes, I guess that’s true.
Person 1: Hey, let’s light these three Advent candles.  Perhaps someone will take a picture of us as we do it and maybe someday someone will make up a story worth a thousand words about that.
(Light the candles while the pastor photographs it.)
Person 2: Oh, I hope that the story is a witness to the faith of this congregation!
(With permission of participants, photo will be shared to social media!)

Prayer of Preparation
Jesus, who is the Giver of Water that Forever Quenches Thirst: let us focus ourselves now on the things that will reveal your thoughts and ways. Let the words we hear not return you void, but let them accomplish what you please and prosper the things for which you have sent it.  Amen.

Offering Prayer
O Lord our God: as your covenant people, it is our hope and desire to work towards the mission of having every nation knowing you and running to you.  We want them to have water, milk, and bread so they can delight in abundance.  May the gifts we give to your church today enable this to happen.  In Jesus Name, Amen.

Intercessory Prayer
Our God, the Water of Life:
Many in our world are thirsty for what quenches their thirst;
many in our world are hungry for what fills their bellies.
This is both quite literal and spiritual and so we come to you in prayer for these people.
But, first we ask that we would be the hands and feet of you, O Lord, so that the work of this church will bring abundant life.
We pray today for all in need of water and bread.
Lord God, feed those who are hungry; and, Lord God, give water to those who are thirsty by providing for their physical needs of sustenance.
Lord God, feed those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
Lord God, feed those who hunger and thirst for healing of physical illness.
Lord God, feed those who hunger and thirst for the balm to mental illness.
Lord God, feed those who hunger and thirst for an ease of pain from grief.
Lord God, feed those who hunger and thirst for justice.
Lord God, feed those who hunger and thirst for freedom.
Lord God, feed all who hunger and thirst for whatever needs they have.
In the name of Jesus Christ who taught us his prayer: Our Father… Amen.

Benediction
Our Lord promised that one would come who would be a witness.
He has come and He will come again.
In the meantime, be a witness for our thirst-quenching God.
Tell of the blessing of Father, Son, and Spirit.
AMEN