Advent 2025
Call to Worship (from Luke 1: 28, 35, 37)
Greetings, favored ones! The Holy One is with you.
Do not be afraid.
The Holy Spirit comes upon us.
The power of the Most High overshadows us.
For nothing is impossible with God.
Glory be to the Creator, and to the Christ, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. Amen.
Opening Scripture: Psalm 146
Praise God! Praise God, O my soul!
I will praise the Holy One as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
Do not put your trust in rulers, in mortals, in whom there is no help.
When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.
Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in their God,
who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever;
who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry.
God sets the prisoners free and opens the eyes of the blind.
God lifts up those who are bowed down and loves the righteous.
God watches over the strangers and upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked God brings to ruin.
Our God will reign forever, for all generations. Praise God!
Prayer (Charles Wesley)
Come, thou long-expected Jesus.
Release us from our fears and our sins.
Let us find our rest in you.
You are hope of all the earth.
You are our dear desire.
You are the joy of every longing heart.
Amen.
Scripture: Matthew 13:24-43
24 He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while everybody was asleep an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and then went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 27 And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ 28 He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he replied, ‘No, for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30 Let both of them grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’ ”
31 He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 32 it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with[e] three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”
34 Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told them nothing. 35 This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet:[f]
“I will open my mouth to speak in parables;
I will proclaim what has been hidden since the foundation.”[g]
36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38 the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin[h] and all evildoers, 42 and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears[i] listen!
Silent and/or Spoken Reflections
Offering Our Prayers
Holy One, you are the joy of our longing hearts. We thank you for all that is good and gracious in our lives. [God of life, we give you thanks.]
Holy One, we come to you for guidance, for rest, for hope. Receive our prayers . . . [In your mercy, God, hear our prayer.]
Canticle: Luke 1:46-55
My soul magnifies the Holy One,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for you have looked with favor on the lowliness of your servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for you, O Mighty One, have done great things for me,
and holy is your name.
Your mercy is for those who fear you
from generation to generation.
You have shown strength with your arm;
you have scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
You have brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
you have filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
You have helped your servant Israel,
in remembrance of your mercy,
according to the promise you made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and Hagar and Sarah and to their descendants forever.
Benediction (Luke 1:78-79)
By the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Fall 2025
Call to Worship (Kyrie from the Divine Service of the Church of Sweden)
You are the ever-radiant morning sun; give us courage and love.
Kyrie eleison.
You are the living way to life; give us faith and wisdom.
Kyrie eleison.
You are the open door to blessedness; give us hope and happiness.
Kyrie eleison.
Glory be to the Creator, and to the Christ, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. Amen.
Opening Psalm: from Psalm 118
O give thanks to the Holy One, who is good;
God’s steadfast love endures forever!
Out of my distress I called on God
who answered me and set me in a broad place.
With the Holy One on my side I do not fear.
What can mortals do to me?
God is my strength and my might,
and has become my salvation.
This is the day that the Holy One has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
O give thanks to the Holy One, who is good;
God’s steadfast love endures forever.
Collect (a prayer of St. Gertrude)
Loving Jesus: Protect and sustain us with your hand. Open the door of your love that, sealed with your wisdom, we may be free to serve you with joy. Amen.
Scripture: Matthew 12:38-50
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” 39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so for three days and three nights the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth. 41 The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and indeed something greater than Jonah is here! 42 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and indeed something greater than Solomon is here!
43 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting place, but it finds none. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ When it returns, it finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So will it be also with this evil generation.”
46 While he was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers were standing outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”[d] 48 But to the one who had told him this, Jesus[e] replied, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Silent and/or Spoken Reflections
Offering Our Prayers
God, we enter your gates with thanksgiving, offering gratitude for the good and the beautiful in our lives. (God of life, we give you thanks.)
Along with our gratitude, God, we also bring our pain. Hear our prayers for healing, guidance, mercy, and justice. (God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.)
Concluding Prayer (from Hadewijch, Poems in Stanzas)
Praise and honor be to Love,
To her great power, to her rich teaching;
And by her consolation may she heal the pain
Of all who gladly brave Love’s way.
Benediction (from Saint Clare)
Live without fear: your Creator has made you holy, has always protected you, and loves you as a mother. Go in peace to follow the good road and may God’s blessing be with you always. Amen.
Pentecost Season 2025
Call to Worship: Veni Sancte Spiritus
Come, Holy Spirit,
send forth the heavenly radiance of your light.
Come, parent of the poor, come, giver of gifts, come, light of the heart.
Greatest comforter, sweet guest of the soul, sweet consolation.
Veni Sancte Spiritus.
Glory be to the Creator, and to the Christ, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. Amen.
Opening Scripture: Psalm 104:24, 30-
O Lord, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures. . . .
When you send forth your spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the ground.
May your glory endure forever;
may you rejoice in your works—
who looks on the earth and it trembles,
who touches the mountains and they smoke.
I will sing to the Holy One as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
May my meditation be pleasing to God,
for I rejoice in the Holy One.
Collect (from the Presbyterian Book of Common Worship)
God of power,
may the boldness of your Spirit transform us,
may the gentleness of your Spirit lead us,
may the gifts of your Spirit
be our goal and our strength,
now and always. Amen.
Scripture: Isaiah 48:21; Hosea 10:12; Isaiah 45:8; Matthew 5:44-46
Isaiah 48:21
They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts;
God made water flow for them from the rock;
God split open the rock, and the water gushed out.
Hosea 10:12
Sow for yourselves righteousness;
reap steadfast love;
break up your fallow ground,
for it is time to seek the Lord,
that God may come and rain righteousness upon you.
Isaiah 45:8
Shower, O heavens, from above,
and let the skies rain down righteousness;
let the earth open, that salvation may spring up,[b]
and let it cause righteousness to sprout up also;
I the Lord have created it.
Matthew 5:44-46
But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven, for God makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
Silent and/or Spoken Reflections
Offering Our Prayers
Holy One, we celebrate the gift of Your Spirit in this Pentecost season. We offer to you now our deep thanks for your presence in our lives and for all that is good . . . [offer prayers of gratitude with response: God of life, . . . we give you thanks.]
Holy One, we flee to you for refuge; in you we put our trust. Receive now these concerns we carry in our hearts . . . [offer prayers of intercession with response: In your mercy . . . God hear our prayer.]
Pentecost Prayer from Enfleshed
Wrap us in the winds of those early days
aflame with dreams and prophecies
Arouse our weary longings
Form among us strange connections
across land and tongue
Make us drunk with the magic
of an encounter so holy
that we can’t make sense of any other way than:
solidarity in bread and shelter
solidarity in truth and consequence
solidarity in ordinary acts of life
Let us linger in the faith of those ancestors
Their testimonies, brave and enticing
No loyalty to state nor power nor wealth
Only to this wild and surprising love
Ancient and Abiding
Benediction (adapted from John O’Donohue):
Let us arise today
blessed by all things,
wings of breath,
wonder of whisper,
embrace of God.
May we live this day
compassionate of heart,
clear in word,
gracious in awareness,
courageous in thought,
generous in love.
Amen.
Eastertide 2025
Call to Worship
May the words of our mouths
And the meditations of our hearts
Be true, honorable, just, gracious, and loving.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Glory be to the Creator, and to the Christ, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. Amen.
Opening Psalm: Psalm 91:1-6, 15
You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
will say to Adonai, ‘My refuge and my fortress;
my God, in whom I trust.’
For God will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence;
God will cover you with Their pinions,
and under Their wings you will find refuge;
God’s faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
You will not fear the terror of the night,
or the arrow that flies by day,
or the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
or the destruction that wastes at noonday.
When they call to me, I will answer them;
I will be with them in trouble;
I will rescue them and honor them.
Collect (The Little Office & Litany of St Julian of Norwich)
Most Holy God, the ground of our beseeching, who through Your servant Julian revealed the wonder of Your love; grant that as we are Created in Your nature and restored by Your grace, our wills may be so made one with Yours that we may come to see You face to face.
Scripture: Matthew 1: 18-25
18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to divorce her quietly. 20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
23 “Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”
which means, “God is with us.” 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife 25 but had no marital relations with her until she had given birth to a son,[k] and he named him Jesus.
Silent and/or Spoken Reflections
Offering Our Prayers
God of Love, we dwell in your nurturing presence. Receive these words of joy and gratitude.
(God of life . . . we give you thanks.)
Wounded, yet resurrected Christ, hear our prayers for those we love and for this beloved world.
(God, in your mercy . . . hear our prayer.)
Canticle from Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich
(adapted by Erica Lea-Simka; Modern-Language Version by Ellyn Sanna)
See that the Divine Spirit is everything that is good,
everything that comforts us and gives us pleasure!
This Spirit is our clothing.
The Divine One wraps us up, holds us tight, and encloses us with tenderness.
The Spirit lives in everything good that we encounter, the entire universe, and we shall never be abandoned.
Spirit, remind us that all you have created rests in your hands.
It lasts, and it will always last, because You love it.
Everything—all that exists—draws its being from Your love.
Spirit, remind us that you made, love, and keep all of Creation, even us.
Benediction (by Ellyn Sanna)
When your soul cries out in fear, may the God of peace quiet you.
When the world shakes beneath your feet, may the strength of stone hold you firm.
When lack and scarcity pinch your life, may the rich green Earth nourish you.
When your body grows weak from exhaustion, may the oak tree lend you strength.
When all seems lost, may birdsong and sunlight give you hope.
When your soul quakes with anxiety, may the Christ-Spirit enfold you,
and may Divine Love cast out all fear.
Amen.
Lent 2025
Call to Worship (from Psalm 5)
Give ear to my words, O God;
give heed to my sighing.
Listen to the sound of my cry,
for to you I pray.
Holy One, in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.
Glory be to the Creator, and to the Christ, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. Amen.
Opening Scripture: Isaiah 58:6-12
The Holy One says:
Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator shall go before you,
the glory of God shall be your rearguard.
Then you shall call, and the Holy One will answer;
you shall cry for help, and God will say, Here I am.
If you remove the yoke from among you,
the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,
if you offer your food to the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness
and your gloom be like the noonday.
God will guide you continually,
and satisfy your needs in parched places,
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters never fail.
Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to live in.
Collect
Jesus, you are the way through the wilderness: show us your truth in which we journey, and by the grace of the Holy Spirit be in us the life that draws us to God. Amen.
(source: F.B. McNutt, The Prayer Manual)
Scripture: Matthew 27:3-10
When Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus[a] was condemned, he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4 He said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent[b] blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” 5 Throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. 6 But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since they are blood money.” 7 After conferring together, they used them to buy the potter’s field as a place to bury foreigners. 8 For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah,[c] “And they took[d] the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the one on whom a price had been set,[e] on whom some of the people of Israel had set a price, 10 and they gave[f] them for the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”
Silent and/or Spoken Reflections
Offering Our Prayers
God of the journey, we dwell in your Presence through the abundance of your steadfast love. Receive these words of joy and gratitude. (God of life . . . we give you thanks.)
God of the wilderness, in the morning we plead our case to you. Receive our prayers for those we love and for this beloved world. (God, in your mercy . . . hear our prayer.)
Canticle: A Song of Christ’s Goodness Anselm of Canterbury
Jesus, as a mother you gather your people to you;
you are gentle with us as a mother with her children.
Often you weep over our sins and our pride,
tenderly you draw us from hatred and judgment.
You comfort us in sorrow and bind up our wounds,
in sickness you nurse us and with pure milk you feed us.
Jesus, by your dying, we are born to new life;
by your anguish and labor we come forth in joy.
Despair turns to hope through your sweet goodness;
through your gentleness, we find comfort in fear.
Your warmth gives life to the dead,
your touch makes sinners righteous.
Lord Jesus, in your mercy, heal us;
in your love and tenderness, remake us.
In your compassion, bring grace and forgiveness,
for the beauty of heaven, may your love prepare us.
Benediction
Whatever wilderness the Spirit has brought you to:
walk in boldness as a beloved child of God;
walk in peace under the shelter of the Most High;
walk in faith, knowing Christ walks with you.
Epiphany 2025
Call to Worship (from Psalm 96)
O sing to God a new song; sing to the Holy One, all the earth.
For great is our God and greatly to be praised.
Glory be to the Creator, and to the Christ, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. Amen.
Opening Scripture (Isaiah 42:5-9)
Thus says God, the Holy One,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
I am God, I have called you in righteousness,
I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,
a light to the nations,
to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
I am Hashem, that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to idols.
See, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth,
I tell you of them.
Prayer from “Joyful is the Dark” by Brian Wren
Holy, hidden God,
Spirit of the deep,
We praise your majesty in darkness,
And live within the mysterious depth of divine love.
Amen.
Scripture: Exodus 34:29-35
Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. 30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke with them. 32 Afterward all the Israelites came near, and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. 33 When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face, 34 but whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would take the veil off until he came out, and when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, 35 the Israelites would see the face of Moses, that the skin of his face was shining, and Moses would put the veil on his face again until he went in to speak with him.
Silent and/or Spoken Reflections
Offering Our Prayers
God who puts a new song in our hearts, we offer our thanks for your steadfast love and faithfulness. [God of life, . . . we give you thanks.]
Holy God, who stretched out the heavens and spread out the earth, hear our prayers for ourselves, our loved ones, our communities, and our world. [God, in your mercy . . . hear our prayer.]
Concluding Prayer:
Holy Creator,
Whose essence swept over the darkness,
Whose words created light,
Who separated the brightness and the shadows and called all good:
We seek your way and your wisdom in this season of Epiphany.
Let us enter into the light of each new day with compassion and courage,
Embracing joy and enacting justice;
Let us slip into the shadows of every night with contentment and confidence,
Accepting rest and anticipating renewal.
Reveal yourself to us, O God:
In our waking and in our sleeping,
In our faith and in our doubt,
In our clarity and in our uncertainty.
Lead us in your way,
Through divine light and sacred darkness,
One holy step at a time.
Amen.
Benediction (Numbers 6:24-26)
May God bless you and keep you.
May the very face of God shine on you and be gracious to you.
May God’s presence embrace you and give you peace.
Christmas 2025
Call to Worship (From Luke 2:10-14)
The angel said, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace.”
Glory be to the Creator, and to the Christ, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. Amen.
Opening Scripture (from Isaiah 11)
A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of the roots.
The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see
or decide by what his ears hear,
but with righteousness he shall judge for the poor
and decide with equity for the oppressed of the earth;
The wolf shall live with the lamb;
the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
the calf and the lion will feed together,
and a little child shall lead them.
They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
Prayer (From John O’Donohue, “A Morning Offering”)
I bless the night that nourished my heart . . .
All that is eternal in me Welcome the wonder of this day,
The field of brightness it creates
Offering time for each thing
To arise and illuminate. . . .
May I have the courage today
To live the life that I would love . . .
And waste my heart on fear no more.
Scripture: Luke 6:17-36
Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. 18They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases, and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19And everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.
20Then Jesus looked up at his disciples and said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 “Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
“Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22 “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. 23Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven, for that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.
24 “But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
25 “Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
“Woe to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26 “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.
Silent and/or Spoken Reflections
Offering Our Prayers
Holy One, we rejoice in the good news of great joy. We thank you for the goodness and joy in our lives. [God of life, we give you thanks.]
Holy One, we long for your peace to come. Receive our prayers for ourselves, our loved ones, our world. [God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.]
Canticle: Luke 1:46-55
My soul magnifies the Holy One,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for you have looked with favor on the lowliness of your servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for you, O Mighty One, have done great things for me,
and holy is your name.
Your mercy is for those who fear you
from generation to generation.
You have shown strength with your arm;
you have scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
You have brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
you have filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
You have helped your servant Israel,
in remembrance of your mercy,
according to the promise you made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and Hagar and Sarah and to their descendants forever.
Benediction (from Expecting Emmanuel)
May you, beloved child,
ponder deeply each divine message you hear,
whether from angel or shepherd.
May you ponder and treasure
every gift you receive
from the holy hand of God.
Advent 2024
Call to Worship (from Luke 1: 28, 35, 37)
Greetings, favored ones! The Holy One is with you.
Do not be afraid.
The Holy Spirit comes upon us.
The power of the Most High overshadows us.
For nothing is impossible with God.
Glory be to the Creator, and to the Christ, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. Amen.
Opening Scripture: Isaiah 11:1-2, 6-9
A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
The spirit of the Holy One shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of God.
The wolf shall live with the lamb;
the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
the calf and the lion will feed together,
and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze;
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of God
as the waters cover the sea.
Prayer (Charles Wesley)
Come, thou long-expected Jesus.
Release us from our fears and our sins.
Let us find our rest in you.
You are hope of all the earth.
You are our dear desire.
You are the joy of every longing heart.
Amen.
Scripture: Luke 2:1-7
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place in the guest room.
Silent and/or Spoken Reflections
Offering Our Prayers
Holy One, you are the joy of our longing hearts. We thank you for all that is good and gracious in our lives. [God of life, we give you thanks.]
Holy One, we come to you for guidance, for rest, for hope. Receive our prayers . . . [In your mercy, God, hear our prayer.]
Canticle: Luke 1:46-55
My soul magnifies the Holy One,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for you have looked with favor on the lowliness of your servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for you, O Mighty One, have done great things for me,
and holy is your name.
Your mercy is for those who fear you
from generation to generation.
You have shown strength with your arm;
you have scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
You have brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
you have filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
You have helped your servant Israel,
in remembrance of your mercy,
according to the promise you made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and Hagar and Sarah and to their descendants forever.
Benediction (Luke 1:78-79)
By the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Fall 2024
Call to Worship (Psalm 75:1)
We give you thanks, O God, we give you thanks, calling upon your Name and declaring all your wonderful deeds.
Glory be to the Creator, and to the Christ, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. Amen.
Opening Psalm: from Psalm 118
O give thanks to the Holy One, who is good;
God’s steadfast love endures forever!
Out of my distress I called on God
who answered me and set me in a broad place.
With the Holy One on my side I do not fear.
What can mortals do to me?
God is my strength and my might,
and has become my salvation.
This is the day that the Holy One has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
O give thanks to the Holy One, who is good;
God’s steadfast love endures forever.
Collect (a prayer of St. Gertrude)
Loving Jesus: Protect and sustain us with your hand. Open the door of your love that, sealed with your wisdom, we may be free to serve you with joy. Amen.
Scripture: Daniel 6:6-27
6 So the administrators and satraps conspired and came to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! 7 All the administrators of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an interdict, that whoever prays to any god or human, for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the interdict and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” 9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and interdict.
10 Although Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he continued to go to his house, which had windows in its upper room open toward Jerusalem, and to get down on his knees three times a day to pray to his God and praise him, just as he had done previously. 11 Then those men watched and found Daniel praying and seeking mercy before his God. 12 Then they approached the king and said concerning the interdict, “O king! Did you not sign an interdict, that anyone who prays to any god or human, within thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the den of lions?” The king answered, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.” 13 Then they responded to the king, “Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the interdict you have signed, but he is saying his prayers three times a day.”
14 When the king heard the charge, he was very much distressed. He was determined to save Daniel, and until the sun went down he made every effort to rescue him.15 Then the conspirators came to the king and said to him, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no interdict or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”
16 Then the king gave the command, and Daniel was brought and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you faithfully serve, deliver you!” 17 A stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet ring of his lords, so that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. 18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no entertainment was brought to him, and sleep fled from him.
19 Then at dawn, the king got up and at first light hurried to the den of lions. 20 When he came near the den where Daniel was, he cried out anxiously to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you faithfully serve been able to deliver you from the lions?” 21 Daniel then said to the king, “O king, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, because I was found blameless before him; also before you, O king, I have done no wrong.” 23 Then the king was exceedingly glad and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him because he had trusted in his God. 24 The king gave a command, and those who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. Before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.
25 Then King Darius wrote to all peoples and nations of every language throughout the whole world: “May you have abundant prosperity! 26 I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people shall tremble and fear before the God of Daniel:
For he is the living God,
enduring forever.
His kingdom shall never be destroyed,
and his dominion has no end.
27 He delivers and rescues;
he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth;
he has saved Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
Silent and/or Spoken Reflections
Offering Our Prayers
God, we enter your gates with thanksgiving, giving gratitude for the good and the beautiful in our lives. (God of life, we give you thanks.)
Along with our gratitude, God, we also bring our pain. Hear our prayers for healing, guidance, mercy, and justice. (God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.)
Concluding Prayer (from the Presbyterian Book of Common Worship)
God of power,
may the boldness of your Spirit transform us,
may the gentleness of your Spirit lead us,
may the gifts of your Spirit
be our goal and our strength,
now and always. Amen.
Benediction (from Kathy Galloway)
The love of the faithful Creator,
the peace of the wounded Healer,
the joy of the challenging Spirit,
the hope of the Three in One
surround and encourage you,
this morning, this day, and forever. Amen
Summer 2024
Call to Worship (from Psalm 96)
O sing to God a new song; sing to the Holy One, all the earth.
For great is our God and greatly to be praised.
Glory be to the Creator, and to the Christ, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. Amen.
Opening Psalm: Psalm 59:16-17
I will sing of your might;
I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been a fortress for me
and a refuge in the day of my distress.
O my strength, I will sing praises to you,
for you, O God, are my fortress,
the God who shows me steadfast love.
Collect
God of unchangeable power, when you fashioned the world the morning stars sang together and the host of heaven shouted for joy; open our eyes to the wonders of creation and teach us to use all things for good, to the honor of your glorious name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(source: A New Zealand Prayer Book, p. 569)
Scripture: Mark 12:28-34
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[e] 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[f] 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[g] There is no commandment greater than these.”
32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.
Silent and/or Spoken Reflections
Offering our Prayers
Holy One, we rejoice in your steadfast love and we offer to you now our prayers of gratitude . . . [God of life, . . . we give you thanks.]
Holy One, to you we lift up our souls. Hear now these concerns we carry . . . [God, in your mercy . . . hear our prayer.]
Concluding Prayer from Hadewijch, Poems in Stanzas
Praise and honor be to Love,
To her great power, to her rich teaching;
And by her consolation may she heal the pain
Of all who gladly brave Love’s way.
Benediction from Saint Clare
Live without fear: your Creator has made you holy, has always protected you, and loves you as a mother. Go in peace to follow the good road and may God’s blessing be with you always. Amen.
Spacious Faith 