John 3:1-21, Ps. 139:13-18

Narrative Lectionary, Year 4
Jan. 23, 2022
John 3:1-21, Ps. 139:13-18

Opening Prayer
Read Psalm 139:13-18
Let us pray:
O God,
you took the time to
carefully create the cosmos,
from the darkness of the days
to the light of long-ago.
when you set the stars in their celestial orbits
you tilled the topsoil for the trees
and placed the plants in the peat.
then you hammered humans out of the humus.
for six days our work is to watch over the world.
today is the day that our work is to worship you
send your Spirit as we celebrate your Son.
Amen.

Prayer of Preparation
Son of Man, we hear your word and pray that it in the hearing and preaching of it, it would begin to form in our inner parts into that which causes us to be born again from above and that like the psalmist we could recognize how precious your thoughts are to us, O God.  Amen.

Offering Prayer
Lord Jesus, before anyone is born, they begin very small.  Before anyone is born again, their faith begins very small.  We know that you can transform something small into something great and so we pray now over the offerings we’ve received that you would take whatever quantity it is and make it much larger so that we, your church, can do your work.  Amen.

Intercessory Prayer
Father God, we thank you that you allow us time for our faith to grow and develop.  We thank you for the testimony of the Bible and sending others to mentor us into becoming your followers.  When we see the hurt in the world around us, the pain and suffering, the illness and death, the grief and sorrow, the mistreatment that is practiced against fellow man, the abuse and addictions, and all the other concerns of our hearts in this church, this town, this country and world, we pray, O Lord, with a cry of “how can this be?”  We don’t understand your ways and plans for this world Lord Jesus, but we do understand that you came into this world, not to condemn it but to save it.  So while we suffer and see our neighbor suffer, we look forward to the day when you will save this world and we will be made perfect in your sight.  Until that day, continue to form us and all of the inward parts of our faith to be your true disciples.  We pray it in your holy name in one voice with your prayer…Our Father…Amen 

Benediction
The Lord has invited us to come into the light
The light of love from God
The light of salvation through Jesus
The light of being born anew in the Spirit
Seek the light in you and help to form it in others
Amen