re:Worship: All Saints

Showing posts with label All Saints. Show all posts

A Prayer for All Saints' Day

Here is a prayer for All Saints’ Day from Christine Jerrett. It was posted on her Christine Jerrett blog (see below for link).

All Saints’ Day Prayer: Set in the Company of Saints

You are our God and we are Your people,
and we are grateful that You have claimed us as your own.
You have set us in the company of saints past and present,
among those who have made bold witness
to Your goodness and Your truth.
Your Word opens up new futures
where we see no way forward.

You know the places in our hearts
where we are afraid
— afraid of a future we cannot control;
— afraid of losing health and independence
— afraid for the well-being of our children
— afraid that past mistakes will ruin our future

Write the stories of your people deep into our hearts
so that we may learn to trust you beyond our fears.
Give us hearts and minds and spirits
ready to trust and follow wherever your Spirit leads,
confident that you will not lead us
beyond your loving embrace.
We ask in Jesus’ name
whose outstretched arms welcome us
and hold us securely in your grace.

~ written by Christine Jerrett, and posted on the Christine Jerrett blog. https://christinejerrett.wordpress.com/

All Saints: Opening Prayer

Here’s a responsive opening prayer for All Saints Day/Sunday. It comes from the Seasons Online website.

Opening Prayer

for All Saints Day

In all our weakness and strength,

with our youth-filled spirits and aging bodies,

we come to be your people, O God.

Strong in faith and eager with questions,

singing our praise and whispering our prayers,

we come to be your people, O God.

Filled with saintly determination

yet mindful of our human limitations,

we come to be your people, O God.

Made strong in your endless love for us,

we know ourselves to be yours and

we come to be your people, O God.

May we truly become your people today. Amen.

~ from “All Saints Day (Year A),” posted on Seasons Online. http://www.seasonsonline.ca/files/all-saints-day_cong-life_yr-a.pdf

The Beatitudes

Here’s a fresh taken on the Beatitudes from Brian McLaren and Rob Bell. It was posted on Third Space.

The Beatitudes

(see Luke 6:20-22, Matthew 5:3-12)

The poor, and those in solidarity with them –

God is on your side.

Those who mourn and feel grief about the state of the world –

God is on your side.

The non-violent, gentle and humble –

God is on your side.

Those who hunger and thirst for the common good –

God is on your side.

The merciful and compassionate –

God is on your side.

Those characterized by sincerity, kindness and generosity –

God is on your side.

Those who work for peace and reconciliation –

God is on your side.

Those who keep seeking justice –

God is on your side.

Those who stand for justice and truth as the prophets did,

who refuse to be quiet even when slandered,

misrepresented, threatened, imprisoned or harmed –

God is on your side!

~ posted on the Third Space blog. http://third-space.org.uk/fairtrade-beatitudes-and-sanctuary/

Call to Worship: Come!

Here’s a call to worship inspired by Matthew 11:29 and Revelation 21:5. It was written by Rosie Venner.

Call to Worship

(inspired by Matthew 11:29 and Revelation 21:5)

Come all who are weary

of wealth, of poverty, of power, of struggle, of division

Come all who are heavy-laden

with too much, with too little, with anxiety, with fear, with anger

Come all who have hope

for liberation, for peace, for freedom, for the kingdom

Hear these words

“See, I am making all things new.”

~ from I Am Making All Things New, written by Rosie Venner. Posted on the WSCF Europe website. http://wscf-europe.org/mozaik-issues/mozaik-25-the-powers-that-be/worship-i-am-making-all-things-new/

Call to Worship: Beatitudes

Here’s a contemporary call to worship inspired by the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12, Luke 6:20-22). It was written by Katherine Hawker.

Call to Worship

(inspired by Matthew 5:3-12, Luke 6:20-22)

Happy are we

when our treasures cannot be quantified.

Happy are we

when our knowledge is tempered by mystery.

Happy are we

when our pain is held in the balm of love.

Happy are we

when our delight comes from beyond ourselves.

~ written by Katherine Hawker (2006), and posted on Liturgy Outside. http://liturgyoutside.net/beatitudes.pdf

Prayer: Revelation 21

Here’s a prayer inspired by Revelation 21. It was written by Christine Jerrett and posted on her blog (see link below).

Prayer:

A God who makes all things new

(inspired by a reading of Revelation 21)

Living God,

Maker of heaven and earth,

we come into your presence

and we know ourselves to be recipients of

great and wonderful gifts —

the earth, the sky, the waters —

given to us here in such abundance and beauty.

We lead enormously privileged lives.

Don’t let our comfort blind us to the newness

you are making in our midst —

a newness that is taking us in directions

we would not choose on our own;

a newness that moves our safe horizons

out beyond what we can control.

This much does not change:

You are our God; we are your people,

bound to you by the love of Jesus Christ

and by the call of your Holy Spirit.

Faithful God, hold us deep in that truth

even as you move us into your new creation.

Creating and re-creating God,

take us in our uncertainties

and make us new.

We pray in the name of your Son,

who has gone ahead of us into your new future

and who beckons us follow. Amen.

~ posted on Christine Jerrett. https://christinejerrett.wordpress.com/

Commission & Benediction: Salt of the Earth

The Spirit of God is upon you and has anointed you.

You are the salt of the earth and you bring light to the world.

You are not too young or too old,

you are not too rich or too needy

to bring good news to the impoverished,

to give a hand to the broken-hearted,

and to live out freedom and pardon

through the gifts you have been given.

So remember to pack peace in your toolbox,

hope in your briefcase,

love in your lunch box,

and may integrity, honesty, and joy be your designer wear of choice.

Do not be frightened, for you are never alone.

The God in whose image you are made

will walk with you and guide you today, tomorrow, and every day.

Prayer: You are making all things new

Here’s a prayer litany from the Weekly Worship page of the Christian Aid website. It was inspired by passages like Isaiah 43, Revelation 21:5 and others.

Prayer Litany

(inspired by Isaiah 43:18-19; 65:17, Revelation 21:5, Romans 12:2)

You are making all things new.
A new heaven
A new earth
A new way of thinking
A new way of being.

You are making all things new.
No more Death
No more mourning
No more crying
No more pain.

You are making all things new.
Renew our minds
to renew the world
by living out your
commandment of love.

You are making all things new.

~ originally posted on the Monthly Prayers page (now Weekly Worship) of the Christian Aid website. https://www.christianaid.org.uk/churches/weekly-worship

Call to Worship: Revelation 7:12

Here’s a responsive call to worship inspired by Revelation 7:12. It was written by the Reverend Susan A. Blain of the Faith Formation Ministry staff of the United Church of Christ, and posted on the Worship Ways website (link below).

Call to Worship

(inspired by Revelation 7:12)

We praise Creation’s God:

Blessing and honor, glory and power!

Let each single voice praise God:

Blessing and honor, glory and power!

Let all voices together praise God:

Blessing and honor, glory and power!

Let the great multitude of nations praise God:

Blessing and honor, glory and power!

With all Creation we praise God:

Blessing and honor, glory and power!

~ written by the Reverend Susan A. Blain and posted on the United Church of Christ’s Worship Ways website. http://www.ucc.org/worship_worship-ways

Prayer: Strange Territory

Here is a prayer which reflects on the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12, Luke 6:20-22). It was written by Christine Jerrett in 2011, and posted on her blog (see link below).

Strange Territory:

A prayer reflecting on the Beatitudes

God of life and of truth,

Your Son invites us to see the world through your eyes

and we find ourselves disoriented:

You bless the poor

You bless the meek

You bless the pure in heart.

You turn our world and its values upside down.

We have signed on to follow your Son

but this is strange territory.

It doesn’t look anything like

the life we have been taught to yearn for,

to work for,

to believe will bring us happiness.

Yet, You know the despair that besets

so many of our young people

who fear that their future has been mortgaged

by our greed and carelessness.

You hear the cries of those who

have traded their souls for power and money

and now have emptiness as a friend.

You see those who are caught in lives that

lead only to weariness and anxiety.

Set us at Jesus’ feet

so we can learn to judge our lives differently.

Awaken in us that hunger and thirst for you

which will lead us to your will

and your peace.

Open our eyes to see your unexpected blessings.

Open our hearts to welcome you

when you come to us in strange ways.

Then make us into a community of blessedness

that beckons this neighbourhood

into your joy.

We ask these things in the name of Jesus

who blesses us with your living presence

and fills our lives with your life-changing truth. Amen.

~ posted on Christine Jerrett. https://christinejerrett.wordpress.com/

Litany: Happy are They

Here’s a responsive litany from the Canadian Interfaith Conference.

Happy are They

(inspired by Matthew 5:1-12 and other passages)

Happy are all they that wait for the LORD. (Isaiah 30:18)

Happy are all they that put their trust in him. (Psalm 2:12)

Happy are they who know that they are poor;

the kingdom of heaven is theirs. (Matt. 5:3)

Happy are they whose delight is in the law of the Lord. (Ps. 1:1-2)

Happy are they of a gentle spirit; (Ps. 37:11)

They shall have the earth for their inheritance. (Matthew 5:5)

Happy are they who do hunger and thirst to see the right prevail;

For they shall be satisfied. (Matthew 5:6)

Happy are the merciful;

For they shall obtain mercy. (Matthew 5:7)

Happy are the pure in heart;

For they shall see God. (Psalm 24:4, Matthew 5:8)

Happy are the peacemakers;

For they shall be called the children of God. (Matthew 5:9)

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us,

that we should be called the children of God.

And such we are. (1 John 3:1)

Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who only does wondrous things;

And blessed be the Name of his majesty for ever:

Let all the earth be filled with his glory. (Ps. 72:19-20)

Amen and Amen.

~ in Canadian Centennial Anthology of Prayer (The Canadian Interfaith Conference, 1967). http://www.amazon.ca/Canadian-Centennial-Anthology-Interfaith-Conference/dp/B0087KOKTW

Call to Worship: Isaiah 25: 6-9

Here’s a responsive call to worship inspired by Isaiah 25:6-9. It was written by Joanna Harader and posted on Spacious Faith.

Call to Worship

(inspired by Isaiah 25:6-9)

Hurricanes and floods and environmental havoc;
drones and IEDs and handguns;
cancer and heart disease and ebola;
poverty and injustice and oppression.
The ways of death in this world are many.
The words of death surround us.
The fear of death envelopes us.
But we come now to hear a different Word,
a true Word
a life-giving Word.
We are here on Isaiah’s mountain
where tears are wiped away,
where a banquet table has been set,
where death has been swallowed up forever.
We do not fully understand it.
We may not fully believe it.
And yet here it is:
the power of Christ’s life within us and among us.
So let us be glad and rejoice in our salvation!

~ written by Joanna Harader and posted on Spacious Faith. https://spaciousfaith.com/

Prayers of the People: Beatitudes

Here’s a pastoral prayer inspired by the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-16). It was posted on the Literature and Liturgy website.

Pastoral Prayer

(inspired by Matthew 5:1-16)

God of the prophets,
God of Christ:
we are reminded today
that your blessings do not necessarily follow the logic of the world.

The world believes that the rich are blessed,
but Jesus reminds us that it is the poor who are blessed,
the poor in spirit
and the materially poor as well.
We pray for a more just world
in which all have enough and none are left behind.

Though we fear death and avoid its inevitable arrival,
Jesus tells us that those who mourn are blessed.
Help us to experience the truth of this mystery;
bring healing and wholeness to those who are sick;
and comfort those of us who have lost loved ones.

While people covet power,
Jesus blesses the meek;
instruct us, O God, in the ways of humility;
help us to stand in solidarity with the oppressed and marginalized;
show us your presence in the faces of those the world forgets.

Give us a hunger and thirst for righteousness;
fill our hearts with love, overflowing with mercy;
make our hearts pure, and give us a vision of your glory.

In a society divided by race, gender, class, ideology, sexual orientation,
and so many other labels we alone have created,
remind us that we are created in your image,
each of us a beautiful reflection of you,
each of us your beloved child.
Help us then to end our conflicts and wars,
help us to be peacemakers and agents of reconciliation.

Gracious God,
you have so richly blessed us with life,
with love and joy,
with hope in the midst of despair.
Help us to be the salt of the earth.
Help us to be the light of the world,
sharing with others that which we have received,
boldly proclaiming the good news of your love,
finding the seeds of your kingdom within us
and letting your way grow in our lives and throughout the world.

Give us eyes to see the ways you are changing the world in which we live.
Give us ears to hear your call to join with you in the great transformation.

Hear us now, o God,
as we pray for the coming of your kingdom,
following Christ as he taught us to pray:

Our Father…

~ posted on Literature & Liturgy. https://jesusscribbles.wordpress.com/

Prayer for All Saints

Here’s a prayer for thanksgiving and intercession from Rev. Karla. It was posted on RevGalBlogPals.

Prayer for All Saints

Holy One
of days and nights,
of sinners and saints,
of right and left
and everything between and beyond,
We are grateful for all Your presence

that abides in every corner of our living.

You lurk quietly in the loneliest places in our hearts,

keeping watch.
You grieve with us in our devastations,

our losses, our fears.
You journey with us in our celebrations, our defeats,

and even in the monotony of our days.
You delight in us, and love us.

May we live in that love and delight,

knowing that as we sink into You we might become more like You,

wanting life and grace for this world

and all peoples and creatures that live upon it.

We pray for this world,
for the places and precious people

who are striving to recover from hurricanes

and floods and raging fires.

We pray for peace among nations,
and make us instruments of that peace.

We pray for our children and our youth

that they may be surrounded by protection,

and also be challenged to be all of who they have been created to be.

We give you thanks,

for all of the saints in our lives,

those who are living and those of blessed memory.

We pray this prayer for Love’s sake,
Amen.

~ written by Rev. Karla Miller, Minister for Community Life at Old North Church UCC in Marblehead, Massachusetts. It was posted on RevGalBlogPals. https://revgalblogpals.org/2017/11/04/sunday-prayer-226/

Call to Worship: Psalm 34: 1-3

Here’s a call to worship inspired by Psalm 34:1-3.

Call to Worship

(based on Psalm 34:1-3)

I will praise God in every moment,

and through every situation.

Through my words and action,

my life will pay tribute to Him.

Whenever the poor and humble hear of His greatness,

they will celebrate, too!

Come and lift up God’s name with me;

let’s praise His name together!

~ Christine Longhurst. re:Worship blog. Inspired by Psalm 34:1-3 (The Voice translation)

Contemporary Call to Worship: Psalm 24

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it!

From the east to the west, from the north to the south,

God’s Spirit moves across the face of the earth.

From the east to the west, from the north to the south,

we gather together, united by God’s Spirit,

to celebrate God’s glory

and proclaim His praise!

Let’s worship God together!

~ Christine Longhurst, re:Worship. Inspired by Psalm 24.

Pastoral Prayer for All Saints

Here’s a prayer of remembrance and intercession for All Saints Day (November 1). It was written by Bruce Prewer.

Pastoral Prayer

for All Saints

Living God, in whom there is no shadow or change,

we thank you for the gift of life eternal,

and for all those who, having served you well,

now rest from their labours.

We thank you for all the saints remembered and forgotten,

for those dear souls most precious to us.

Today we give thanks for those who during the last twelve months

have died and entered into glory.

(Names may be mentioned here….)

We bless you for their life and love,

and rejoice for them “all is well,

and all manner of things will be well.”

God of Jesus and our God,

mindful of all those choice souls who have gone on ahead of us,

teach us, and each twenty-first century disciple of every race and place,

to follow their example to the best of our ability:

to feed the poor in body or spirit,

to support and comfort the mourners and the repentant,

to encourage the meek and stand with them in crises,

to affirm those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

to cherish and learn from the merciful,

to be humbled by, and stand with, the peacemakers.

Let us clearly recognise what it means

to be called the children of God,

and to know we are to be your saints

neither by our own inclination nor

in our own strength

but simply by the call

and the healing holiness

of Christ Jesus our Saviour. Amen!

~ written by Bruce Prewer, and posted on Bruce Prewer’s Home Page. http://www.bruceprewer.com/DocA/61SAINTS.htm

Prayer of Confession: 1 John 3: 1-3

Here’s a responsive prayer of confession inspired by 1 John 3:1-3. It was posted on the Seasons Online website.

Prayer of Confession

(inspired by 1 John 3:1–3)

Beloved, we are God’s children now,

but what we will be in the fullness of our time

has not been revealed.

What we do know is this:

we will be like Jesus the Christ and saints of God.

Let us consider how Jesus was revealed among us

and pray to be more like the Christ in every way.

(Offer the reflections below or use some of your own.

Follow each statement with a moment of silence.)

Jesus embodied the unconditional love of God…