Prayer of Confession: Isaiah 55: 1-5


Here’s a prayer of confession inspired by Isaiah 55: 1-5.  It was written for Lent 3, Year C, by Rev. Eliza Buchakjian-Tweedy.

 

Prayer of Confession

(inspired by Isaiah 55:1-5)

 

God of abundance, you have promised to provide us with more than mere survival; in seeking to satisfy our deepest hungers, we shall find an even more profound sustenance than human imagination could envision.


In your holy love, you have given us so much: talents and treasure in unlimited supply.  But often, we spend these on superficial needs.  We throw away our plenty on little hungers and petty desires.  We seek the fleeting delight of novelty, of prettiness, and of veneer.  We follow the urges to momentary importance; to the notice of a fickle society more interested in noise and sparkle than in mundane sturdiness.  We chase after happiness while neglecting joy; we chase after romance while neglecting love; we skim the surface while fearing the depths. 

God of grace, we are hungry.  God of mercy, quench our thirst.

Forgive us, we pray, for our fearfulness, as we rely more upon our own human illusions of control and satisfaction, even though we know that these illusions separate us from you.  Forgive us for not trusting in your grace, in your abundance, in the covenant promises that you have renewed with every generation.  In Christ, may we learn to love you more than we love ourselves.  Amen.

moment of silence

Assurance of Pardon

Come, all you who are thirsty.  If you take the first step, if you are willing to plunge once again into the waters and to emerge into new life, you will receive a love beyond all you can envision. 
We turn our hearts to God, and by grace our hungers are satisfied, our thirsts are sated; through Christ we are made whole; by the Spirit we are led forth as God's people.  Amen.


~ written by Eliza Buchakjian-Tweedy, Pastor at First Church Congregational, Rochester, NH.  She blogs at http://sermonizing.wordpress.com/

Post-Communion Prayer: Easter


Here’s a post-communion prayer of thanksgiving written by Joanna Harader.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Holy, gracious, God,
Here at this table your promise of life is made tangible.
We have rested in the depth of your love;
We have tasted your nourishing, nurturing presence;
We accept you into our bodies, into our lives.
Together, at this table, you have offered us life.
Together, by your grace, we accept the life you offer.
And we give you thanks.

~ posted on Joanna Harader on her Spacious Faith blog.  http://spaciousfaith.com/

Prayer for Others: Easter


Here’s a prayer of intercession for Easter.  It was written by Margaret D. McGee.

Prayers of the People: Easter

Sing aloud, O mothers and sons!
Fathers and daughters, sisters and brothers,
rejoice and exult with all your hearts!
Let us offer our prayers and thanksgivings with one voice,
calling out the good news —

The tomb stands empty!

We look for our Savior among the living.

Jesus Christ is alive and in our midst today.

We pray for all faithful people —
for every human soul that turns to God in longing and in love.
Today and every day, pull us out of our graves and into your life.

The tomb stands empty.

We look for our Redeemer among the living.

Jesus Christ is alive and among us today.

We pray for the nations of the earth —
for those in authority, and for those under authority.
Come from the four winds, O Breath of Life,
and we shall live together in peace.

The tomb stands empty.

We look for our Mediator among the living.

Jesus Christ is alive and within us today.

We pray for this world, our garden home —
for the rain and the snow, the seed and the sprout —
for the birthing room and the last place of rest —
for every new creation.

The tomb stands empty.

We look for our Gardener among the living.

Jesus Christ is alive and beside us today.

We pray for those who are sick or suffering —
for anyone who needs extra help just now.
We pray especially for those named here today,
aloud and in our hearts…  
(pause for names to be said or remembered)  …

Living Lord, renew them in Your love.

The tomb stands empty.

We look for our Sustainer among the living.

Jesus Christ is alive and with us today.

We pray for those who have died, and for all who mourn.
We pray especially for those named here today,
aloud and in our hearts…  (pause for names)  …

Eternal One, bring them home and gather them in.

The tomb stands empty.

We look for our Beloved among the living.

Jesus Christ is alive and in the midst of us today.

With joy and exultation,
we give thanks for the triumph of life over death,
offering special thanks for those joys, sorrows,
challenges and delights named here today,
aloud and in our hearts…  (pause for thanksgivings)  …

We are amazed at what has happened.

The tomb stands empty!

We look for our Creator among the living.

Jesus Christ is alive and in our hearts today.

Holy One, even before we call, you answer;
while we are yet speaking, you hear.
We offer up these prayers in the name of the Risen Christ —
our Savior, Redeemer, and Friend.  

Amen.

~ written by Margaret D. McGee, and posted on In the Courtyard. www.inthecourtyard.com

Closing Responses for Easter


Here’s a commission and benediction for Easter worship from the Third Space website.

Commission & Benediction

We shall celebrate Easter! Alleluia!
We shall bring love to those who are sad
And share joy with those who are happy
We will live our lives to the glory of God
We will live in Easter joy and Easter hope
And bring new life to those we meet.
Alleluia!

May the blessing of God the Creator be upon this place,
The blessing of Christ our Redeemer be upon us,
The blessing of the Spirit, hallowed and healing, be on our lives,
The blessing of the Triune God be on all
who seek an encounter with the loving and divine.

~ posted on the Third Space website. http://third-space.org.uk/blog

Easter Intercessions


Here’s a prayer of intercession for Easter.  It was written by Ann Siddall.

Prayers of the People: Easter

O God, with faces touched by the light of a new day,
and hearts warmed by our prayers and praises,
we come before you to pray
for the needs of our world.

Into the light of Easter morning
we raise those who are struggling with illness,
with despair over their lives, or with
the breakdown of relationships.
May the light of Christ shine upon them.
May the light of Christ shine upon them.

Into the light of Easter morning,
we bring those places in our world
where war, violence, poverty and need
are the experiences of everyday life. (These places may be named)
May the light of Christ shine upon them.
May the light of Christ shine upon them.

Into the light of Easter morning,
we bring the headline news of this weekend (this may be named):
we hold in our hearts the pain
of those suffering violence, bereavement or conflict.
May the light of Christ shine upon them.
May the light of Christ shine upon them.

And into the light of Easter morning
we bring ourselves, the private struggles,
the heart’s yearnings, the hidden dreams,
the unfulfilled potential.
May the light of Christ shine upon us.
May the light of Christ shine upon us. AMEN.

~ written by Ann Siddall, in Lent to Easter liturgies: Year C.  Posted on the website of the Stillpoint Spirituality Centre.  http://stillpoint.unitingchurchsa.org.au/

Easter Call to Worship: Rumour


Here’s an Easter call to worship from Cheryl Lawrie.

Call to Worship for Easter

We’re here because we’re people who have heard a rumour
that there’s life to be found on the other side of death.

We’re here because just the rumour is enough to bring us hope
and just the hope is enough to bring us a moment of life.

We’re here because even though it is only a flicker, a moment, a breath
it’s changed our death forever.

~ written by Cheryl Lawrie, and posted on [hold this space].  http://holdthisspace.org.au/

Easter Sunday Prayer: Fresh Eyes


Here’s a prayer for Easter Sunday from Brian Draper.

Prayer

Lord,
as if the shock of Good Friday wasn’t enough for your closest followers...

We feel for those faithful women who went to visit you
just after sunrise on that Sunday morning,
and fled, trembling and bewildered and afraid.

You were not there.

Forgive us when we sanitise your death.
And forgive us, too, if we belittle your resurrection!

Please help us to see this most incredible of moments,
this greatest twist of any plot,
through fresh eyes,
on this bewildering, yet most joyful of mornings.

Help us to see it through the tear-filled eyes of those women.

Help us to see it through the disbelieving eyes of the men,
some of whom came running.

And help us to glimpse it through your own eyes,
which must have blinked into the early morning sunlight
of that first Easter Day,
from out of complete, and utter, darkness,
and refocused,
and creased, with a smile.

You are risen indeed.

~ written by Brian Draper, and posted on the Monthly Prayers page of the Christian Aid website.  http://www.christianaid.org.uk/

Call to Worship: Psalm 118


Here’s a call to worship based on Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24.  It was written by Amy Loving.

Call to Worship
(adapted from Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24)

Christ is risen!
Christ is risen, indeed!
Give thanks to the Lord, for the Lord is good; God’s steadfast love endures forever!
God’s steadfast love endures forever!
The Lord is our strength and might;
today, the Lord has become our salvation!
The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
This is God’s handiwork, and it is marvelous in our eyes!
This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it!

~ written by Amy Loving, and posted on The Worship Closet website.  http://worshipcloset.com/  Visit that site for other creative worship resources.

Prayers of the People: Easter Sunday


Here’s a congregation prayer for Easter Sunday worship.  It was written by Carol Penner.

 

Easter Congregational Prayer

 

God of the bright and morning star,
God of the rising sun,
God of darkness banished,
we praise and worship you!
For empty tombs:  thank you!
For disciples running with good news:  thank you!
For your presence, alive, powerful, resurrected:  thank you!
We celebrate your victory over death,
over all the powers that would defeat us.

Help us to grasp resurrection;
to understand its power,
to see its force at work in our world,
overturning evil empires,
changing the hatred within us,
moving the world slowly, forcefully,
bending us towards love and truth.

On this day of great gladness
empower us to be your ambassadors,
proclaiming good news.
Good news in our kitchens and living rooms,
good news in the offices and workshops
good news in the fields and factories
Help us to be that good news,
walking softly on this good earth
caring gently for all people,
living hopefully into your kingdom.

Today we think of all who are grieving, especially…
[name those who are grieving]
and for the sick and dying….
[name those who are ill]
for places in the world that are torn by war and bloodshed…
[name countries at war]

In this world of broken hopes and dreams
we catch sight of your kingdom come,
in the person of Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns in us forever.  Amen.

~ written by Carole Penner, and posted on her Leading in Worship blog. http://carolpenner.typepad.com/leadinginworship/  Visit that site for other great worship resources.

Responsive Call to Worship for Easter


Here’s a responsive call to worship for Easter.  It was written by Nancy Townley.

Call to Worship

Rejoice! There is great news! Christ is risen!
Christ is risen, indeed!
Let all the earth proclaim the joy!
Let all heaven show forth in praise.
Alleluia!
Alleluia!

~ written by Nancy Townley, and posted on the Worship Connection page of the Ministry Matters website. http://www.ministrymatters.com/

Easter Benediction


Here’s a benediction for Easter Sunday.  It was written by Joanna Harader.

Benediction for Easter Sunday

As Christ burst forth from the tomb,
may new life burst forth from us
and show itself in acts of love and healing to a hurting world.
And may the same Christ,
who lives forever and is the source of our new life,
keep your hearts rejoicing
and grant you peace this day and always. Amen.

~ posted on Joanna Harader on her Spacious Faith blog.  http://spaciousfaith.com/

Prayer: Not the Kingdom of Death


Here’s a beautiful Easter prayer from Walter Brueggemann.

Prayer

Christ is risen!
We give thanks for the gift of Easter
that runs beyond our expectations,
beyond our categories of reason,
even more, beyond the sinking sense of our own lives.

We know about the powers of death,
powers that persist among us,
powers that drive us from you, and
from our neighbour, and
from our best selves.

We know about the powers of fear and greed and anxiety,
and brutality and certitude.
powers before which we are helpless.

And then you – you at dawn, unquenched,
you in the darkness,
you on Saturday,
you who breaks the world to joy.

Yours is the kingdom…not the kingdom of death,
Yours is the power…not the power of death,
Yours is the glory…not the glory of death.
Yours…You…and we give thanks
for the newness beyond our achieving.
Amen.

~ Walter Brueggemann, Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth.  Posted on Prayers and Creeds. http://prayersandcreeds.wordpress.com/

Easter Call to Worship: When We Least Expect It


Here’s a call to worship for Easter Sunday from Ann Siddall.

Call to Worship for Easter Morning

For those who first went out
into the early dawn, when the sky was grey,
taking spices to the tomb,
there was terror, and surprise.

For us, resisting the impulse to sleep in
as part of a long weekend,
and being over-familiar with the Easter story,
there is the risk of complacency.

So let us open ourselves
to the astounding possibility
that life can break out
at any moment!

Let us challenge the thought
that we have planned the future
so efficiently that
there will be no surprises!

Let us face the fact
that the walls of this church,
and the life of our institution
cannot entirely contain Jesus Christ!

Let us celebrate
the irrepressible power of God
breaking out with life
where we least expect it!

~ written by Ann Siddall, in Lent to Easter liturgies: Year C.  Posted on the website of the Stillpoint Spirituality Centre.  http://stillpoint.unitingchurchsa.org.au/

Easter Benediction


Here’s a closing benediction for the Easter season.  It comes from the Third Space website.

Easter Benediction

May the loving power of God,
which raised Jesus to new life,
strengthen you in hope,
enrich you with his love,
and fill you with joy in the faith

~ posted on the Third Space website. http://third-space.org.uk/blog

Pastoral Prayer: Easter Sunday


Here’s a pastoral prayer for Easter Sunday worship.  It was written by Rev. Abi.

Prayer for Easter Sunday

On this Easter morn we welcome you Jesus into our lives. 
We welcome your resurrection for it is 
life changing, life giving and life sustaining. 
We welcome the hope it brings to our world.  
We welcome the joy it brings to our darkness. 
We welcome the empty tomb for we know that it means you are on the loose. 
 
Lord, may your resurrection give life to those who feel lifeless,
those who are just going through the motions,  
and those who have had the death of a loved one. 
 
Lord, may your resurrection give hope to those who are mired in despair, 
who feel hopeless, and who have given up all hope. 
 
Lord, may your resurrection give joy to those who feel no joy, 
lost their joy or have had their joy snuffed out. 
 
Lord, may you be on the loose in this world as the risen one.

~ written by Abigail Carlisle-Wilke, and posted on Rev Abi’s Long and Winding Road blog.  http://vicarofwadley.blogspot.ca/2010/04/easter-sunday-morning-prayer.html

Call to Worship: Resurrection


Here’s a creative call to worship for Easter Sunday morning.  It was written by Roddy Hamilton.

Easter Call to Worship

Music

Stop!
did you hear it:
the stone roll
the grave clothes being folded
the body rise
it was like a whispered alleluia in the stillness of the dawn
but it was real

Music

Did you hear it:
the angels muffled laughter as the women reached the tomb
the dawn break over the garden revealing footprints in the dew
the mountains bow in slow grandeur just out the corner of your eye
it was like something shifting at the edge of your sight
but it was real

Music

Did you hear it:
The world hold it’s breath
the stars hesitate
the sun linger
creation fill it’s lungs
the air swell
so that the whole earth can proclaim: Christ is risen!
This is resurrection morning

~ written by Roddy Hamilton, and posted on Listening to the Stones. http://newkilpatrickblog.typepad.com/nk-blogging/mucky-paws/  Used by permission.

Benediction: Matthew 28: 18-20


Here’s a closing benediction inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 28: 18-20.

Benediction
(inspired by Matthew 28: 18-20)

The high point has been reached. 
The stone has rolled.
The grave cloths have been folded.
So now simply remember what He has told you...
All authority in Heaven and on earth is His.
As we go from here, let us keep faith in Him.

~ adapted from a blessing posted on the Abbotsford.org.uk blog. http://www.abbotsford.org.uk/

Invitation to Worship: Easter


Here’s an invitation to worship for Easter, from Cheryl Lawrie’s [hold this space] blog.

Easter Invitation

Today we find ourselves in a world where the inevitable
no longer seems sure,
and we wonder what else is made possible
because of the resurrection:
what walls will be broken
and what darkness will be destroyed;
what death will be shown for what it is:
the possibility
for love
to come again.

~ written by Cheryl Lawrie, and posted on [hold this space].  http://holdthisspace.org.au/

Opening Prayer for the Easter Season


Here’s a prayer of invocation for the season of Easter.  It comes from the Church of South India.

Prayer of Invocation for Easter

O risen Lord,
who in your first appearance to Mary was mistaken for the gardener:
be present with us,
and show yourself to us all in all our mistakes and uncertainties.

O risen Lord,
who appeared to your dejected disciples on the road to Emmaus,
and opened to them the scriptures,
so that their hearts burned within them:
be present with us, and set our hearts on fire with love for you.

O risen Lord,
who gave to your distraught followers
the assurance of healing and forgiveness:
be present with us,
and bring together all Christians in peace and harmony.

O risen Lord,
who mindful of the needs of your disciples,
prepared a meal by the Sea of Galilee:
be present with us,
and make yourself known to us in all acts of hospitality and sharing.

O risen Lord,
who in your final appearance on the Mount of Olives,
lifted up hands of blessing on all people:
be present with us,
and grant that our prayers today may be taken up into yours
on behalf of the whole world.

~ from the Church of South India (adapted). Included in The Book of a Thousand Prayers, compiled by Angela Ashwin  Posted on Prayers and Creeds. http://prayersandcreeds.wordpress.com/

Affirmation: Love


Here’s a responsive affirmation of faith from Roddy Hamilton.

Affirmation of Faith

ALL:     We believe in a word
            that forms on the lips of the creator
            and echoes in our souls:
            a word that is LOVE.

MEN:    We believe in a word
            that breaks the silence of evil
            and disturbs the noise of ignorance:
            a word that is LOVE.

WOMEN: We believe in a word
            that brings life out of death
            and laughter with the morning:
            a word that is LOVE.

MEN:    We believe in a word
            that tears up the darkness
            flooding it with light:
            a word that is LOVE.

WOMEN: We believe in a word
            that speaks to all loneliness
            with self-giving compassion and care:
            a word that is LOVE.

ALL:     We believe in a word
            that speaks to our futures
            calling us by name,
            to trust anew,
            and believe once more
            in a word
            called LOVE.

~ written by Roddy Hamilton, and posted on Jonny Baker Worship Tricks. http://jonnybaker.blogs.com/jonnybaker/2004/11/worship_trick_4.html

Prayer: As a Mother


Here’s a beautiful prayer of praise and petition from St. Anselm in the 11th century.  It seemed especially appropriate for services which incorporate Luke 13:31-35, where Jesus weeps over Jerusalem.

Prayer

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 judgement.
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 labour 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.

~ written by St. Anselm (1033-1109)

Prayers of the People: Isaiah 52


Here’s a prayer of intercession inspired by Isaiah 52.  It was written by Ann Siddall.

Prayer of Intercession
(inspired by Isaiah 52)

Jesus, who knew what it was to be despised,
who was no stranger to suffering and infirmity,
who understood the pain of abandonment:
be with us in our living,
where the small dramas play out daily,
and where we feel great pity for ourselves.

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.

Jesus, whose friends hid their faces
and turned away when you needed them most:
whose bruises were a political statement,
and who was a victim of perverted justice:
be with us in our world, where millions
long for justice and dignity.

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.

Jesus, in this long, long day
before you were laid to rest,
grant to all those whose waiting
drifts on through long months and years,
the grace of knowing that you
are also present to our Good Friday stories.

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.

~ written by Ann Siddall, in Lent to Easter liturgies: Year C.  Posted on the website of the Stillpoint Spirituality Centre.  http://stillpoint.unitingchurchsa.org.au/

Prayer of Petition for Good Friday


Here’s a thoughtful prayer of confession and petition for Good Friday.  It was written by William Loader.

Prayer for Good Friday

O God, you hold a mirror before us
and we see love and we see hate.
We see crucifiers and we see the crucified.
Forgive us where we have crucified love –
your love for ourselves, for others, for you.
Do not abandon us where we have abandoned ourselves,
where others have abandoned us,
where we know the pain of crucifixion and rejection and being forsaken.
Take us from the cross to hope and new beginning.

— written by William Loader as part of a larger Order of Service for Good Friday. http://wwwstaff.murdoch.edu.au/~loader/GoodFriday.htm  Posted on Bill Loader’s Home Page.  http://wwwstaff.murdoch.edu.au/~loader/  

Reflection for Good Friday


Here’s a reflection on the events of Good Friday.  It was written by J. Mark Jordan.

Reflection: God Did

I rehashed a tragedy today.
It was messy, shameful, crushing.
They asked why…again and again.
If God…Why did God…How could God…
I don’t understand God…

God didn’t.
The resident forces of darkness
Violently oppose all that is good.
Understood?

The corrupt and corruptible nature of Adam,
Complicit in wrongdoing, fell again.
These powers define the world we inhabit.

I rehashed a tragedy today.
It was messy, shameful, crushing.
I asked why…again and again.
How could God…?
How could I understand God…?

God did.
The superior forces of good,
With greater violence, overcame all that was evil.
I understand.

He did not enter a virtual world with make believe enemies.
He did not shed pretend blood or die a painless death
That was no death at all.

I rejoice in a victory today.
It was messy, shameful and crushing.
Wounding and healing, defeat and victory
God waved no wand; he did not snap his fingers.
Eyes wide open, body braced, he threw himself into the fray.
Real blow by real blow,
The outcome was never in doubt.
But you couldn’t tell it in the process.

~ written by J. Mark Jordan and posted on Thinking in Color. http://jonathanjordan.squarespace.com/


Reflection: The Crucified One


Here is a reflection on the death of Jesus from Loretta F. Ross’s The Praying Life blog.

The Crucified One

God is simplicity and one-foldedness,
inaccessible height and fathomless depth,
incomprehensible breadth and eternal length,
a dim silence and a wild desert.

So wrote John of Ruysbroeck in the 14th century.

God is also a man, whose name is Jesus,
born in a middle eastern city,
of a woman named Mary.
Firmly anchored in time and space,
he walked the paths of Nazareth,
ate, and laughed, and loved.
God is also this same man,
now beaten,  bleeding,  and dying,
executed on a cross.
For in Jesus
the Inaccessible Height and Fathomless Depth
had inserted
itself into
the messy specificity and limitation
of humanity,
and consented
to occupy
suffering,
injustice,
cruelty,
fear,
defeat,
and death.

~ written by Loretta F. Ross, and posted on The Praying Life. http://theprayinglife.com/

Litany for Good Friday


Here’s a litany for Good Friday from Amy Loving.

Good Friday Litany

Blessed Christ, Son of the Creator,
conceived by the Spirit,
born of a young woman,
the Word of the Almighty,
we worship you.

Servant Christ, friend of sinners, 
the one who touches lepers,
the Great Physician, source of all comfort,
we worship you.

Crucified Christ, wellspring of justice and love,
provider of all faithfulness,
full of kindness and mercy,
we worship you.

Almighty Christ, High Priest of God,
King of Heaven, Lord of Lords,
Ruler of All Creation,
we worship you.

Jesus, you who bear our sins,
have mercy on us.

Jesus, you who redeem the whole of creation,
have mercy on us.

Holy Lord, be merciful to us, we pray. 
Guide us in your paths. 
Teach us to share your self-sacrificing love. 
Help us to grow in the ways of peace and justice. 
And strengthen us to do your will. 
In the name of Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.

~ written by Amy Loving, and posted on The Worship Closet website.  http://worshipcloset.com/  Visit that site for other creative worship resources.