Prayer: Children of Abram

Here’s a prayer of petition and intercession from John van de Laar at Sacredise.com.

Prayer

(inspired by events in Genesis 12-18)

Long before the change of name,

before the first signs of new life

showed the beginnings of promises fulfilled,

You asked Abram to make his home among foreigners,

and share the blessing that was to come.

And now, O God, you ask the same faith of us:

The faith to count ourselves among the least,

to find our place alongside the poor and broken;

The faith to trust in your mercy and your promises,

and to share what we have received;

The faith to wait expectantly for your reign of justice and equity,

together with those who most need its gifts.

Teach us to be children of Abram, sharers of the blessings we enjoy:

The blessing of plenty shared with those who have need,

The blessing of healing shared with those who are sick and wounded,

The blessing of joy shared with those who celebrate

and of tears shared with those who grieve,

The blessing of friendship shared with those who are excluded,

and of solidarity with those who fight injustice,

The blessing of peace shared with those in conflict,

and of confrontation shared with those who bring harm;

And in some small way, may our faith and our sharing,

help to bring your promises into being

in our world.

Amen.

~ written by John van de Laar and posted on Sacredise. http://sacredise.com/prayers/type/intercession/children-of-abram/

Call to Worship: Colossians 1: 15-17

Come and worship Christ,

the visible image of the invisible God,

the firstborn of creation,

the eternal God:

the one through whom all things were created,

and in whom all things are held together.

This is our God!

Let’s worship together.

Call to Worship: Dance of the New Creation

Here’s a possible call to worship inspired by the beginning of Paul’s letter to the Colossians (Colossians 1: 19-22).  It would be suitable for Easter Sunday…or Holy Humor Sunday (traditionally the Sunday after Easter)…or Proper 11 C, when Colossians 1: 15-28 is the suggested epistle reading. 

It comes from Colossians Remixed: Subverting the Empire by Sylvia Keesmaat and Brian Walsh, and was originally posted on Jonny Baker’s Worship Tricks website.

Call to Worship

(inspired by Colossians 1: 19-22)

In the face of a culture of death
a world of killing fields
a world of the walking dead
Christ is at the head of the resurrection parade
transforming our tears of betrayal into tears of joy
giving us dancing shoes for the resurrection party

And this glittering joker
who has danced in the dragon’s jaws of death
now dances with a dance that is full
of nothing less than the fullness of God

this is the dance of the new creation

this is the dance of life out of death

and in this dance all that was broken
all that was estranged
all that was alienated
all that was dislocated and disconnected
is reconciled

comes home

is healed

and is made whole

~ excerpted from targum 2: subversive poetry in a postmodern world col 1:15-20, published in Colossians Remixed: Subverting The Empire by Sylvia C. Keesmaat and Brian J. Walsh.  Posted on Jonny Baker’s Worship Tricks website. http://jonnybaker.blogs.com/jonnybaker/worship_tricks/wt82.html

Prayer of Confession: Psalm 15

Here’s a congregational act of confession inspired by the suggested scripture readings for the fourth Sunday after Epiphany. It was written by Stephen Fearing and posted on Wild and Precious Life.

Prayer of Confession

(inspired by Psalm 15)

Holy God,
we do not deserve to be in your dwelling place.
We have not led a blameless life.
We have not done what is right in your sight 
or spoken the truth that you have sealed in our hearts.
We have done evil to both those we love 
    and to those we refuse to love as we should.
We have not been faithful stewards of that which we have been blessed
    and have hoarded that which should be shared

    with the least of these.
Hear our cry, God of our hope,

as we confess that which weighs us down…

Redeeming God,
save us from our foolishness and guide us to your wisdom.
Gather us in your righteousness and redemption.
Forgive us for we are seeking your light and your salvation.
Cleanse us of our brokenness that we might do justice,
    love kindness, and walk humbly with you.  Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

Because we are not worthy to enter God’s dwelling,

God came to dwell with us

through the body and being of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. 

Christ came to be with us, amongst us, and for us. 

Hear the good news of the Gospel: 

in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!  Alleluia!  Amen!

~ written by Stephen Fearing, and posted on Wild and Precious Life. http://www.stephenmfearing.com/

Prayer of Intercession: Colossians 1: 15-20

Here’s a prayer of intercession inspired by Colossians 1: 15-20.  It comes from the Iona Community.

Prayer for Others

(inspired by Colossians 1: 15-20)

O Christ, your cross speaks both to us and to our world.

In your dying for us

You accepted the pain and hurt of the whole of creation.

The arms of your cross stretch out  

Across the broken world in reconciliation.

You have made peace with us.

Helps us to make peace with you

By sharing in your reconciling work.

May we recognize your spirit

Disturbing and challenging us to care for creation

And for the poor who most feel the effects of its abuse.

O Christ, the whole of creation groans.

Set us free and make us whole. Amen.

~ from the Iona Community’s Iona Abbey Worship Book (Wild Goose Publications, Iona Community, 2001). Posted on the Yale Divinity website. http://www.yale.edu/divinity/fb/5thSundayprayers.pdf

Prayer of Intercession: 2 Corinthians 5

Here is a prayer for others inspired by 2 Corinthians 5:16-21. It was written by Ann Siddall, and posted on the website of the Stillpoint Spirituality Centre.

Pastoral Prayer

(inspired by 2 Corinthians 5:16-21)

Reconciling Christ, bless our efforts to bring about reconciliation.

Give us the strength to persevere without counting the hurts,

and to find within ourselves the capacity to keep on loving.

Give us the grace to be able to stand in the middle of situations,

and to be a conduit for the deep listening

which can lead to healing and forgiveness.

Help us to conduct ourselves with dignity,

giving and expecting respect, moving from prayer to action,

and from action back again into prayer.

Grant that we may be so grounded in your love,

that our security is not threatened if we change our minds,

or begin to see a better way to act.

Bless those who are called to reconcile on a large-scale –

politicians, world leaders, leaders of business,

and those who stand in the midst of bitter conflict.

Reconciling Christ, bless us and bless all who engage

in the sacred work of envisioning new wholeness,

and bringing people and nations together. AMEN.

~ written by Ann Siddall, and posted on the website of the Stillpoint Spirituality Centre.  http://www.stillpointsa.org.au/

Readers' Theatre: Colossians 1: 15 - 28

Here’s a readers’ theatre setting of Colossians 1: 15-28, the suggested epistle reading for Proper 11, Year C.  It is set for two readers.

Readers’ Theatre: Colossians 1: 15-28

Christ is the exact image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created

and is supreme over all creation,

for through him, God created everything
in the heavenly realms and on earth.

He made the things we can see
and the things we can’t see—

thrones and kingdoms,

spiritual powers and authorities.

Every detail was crafted through His design,

by his own hands and for his purposes.

He has always been!

It is his hand that holds all creation together.

Christ is also the head of this body, the church.

He is the beginning,

the first of those to be reborn from the dead.

So he is first in everything!

For God in all his fullness

was pleased to live in Christ,
through him, reconciling everything—the whole creation—to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

This even includes you who were once far away from God.

You were his enemies,

separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 

Yet now he has reconciled you to himself

through the death of Christ in his physical body.

As a result, he has brought you into his own presence,

and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him

without a single fault.

But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it.

Don’t allow yourselves to be shifted away from the hope of the gospel,

which you have heard,

and which, indeed, the whole world is now having an opportunity to hear.

I myself have been made a minister of this same gospel,

and though it is true at this moment

that I am suffering on behalf of you who have heard the gospel,

yet I am far from sorry about it.

Indeed, I am glad,

because it gives me a chance to experience in my own suffering

something of the untold pains which Christ suffers

on behalf of his body, the Church.

For I am a minister of the Church by divine commission,

a commission granted to me for your benefit,

and for a special purpose:

that I might fully declare God’s Word—

that sacred mystery which up till now has been hidden

in every age and every generation,

but which is now as clear as daylight to those who love God.

They are those to whom God has planned to give a special vision

of the full wonder and splendor of his secret plan for the nations.

And the secret is simply this:

Christ in you!

Yes, Christ in you bringing with him the hope

of all the glorious things to come.

So, naturally, we proclaim Christ!

We warn everyone we meet,

and we teach everyone we can,

all that we know about him,

so that, if possible, we may bring everyone

to full maturity in Christ Jesus.

Prayer of Confession: Reconciliation

Here’s a prayer of confession from the Starters for Sunday website.

 

Prayer of Confession

 

Eternal God,

Creator of all that is,

In you we live and move and have our being.

You have placed us on earth

and sustained our being through the produce of the land

and the cleanness of the air we breathe.

You have made us for each

to tend and care for the weak

and ensure a just sharing of the earth’s resources.

 

But we are part of a proud and hard-hearted people

who hoard what the earth provides

and seem loathe to share the fruits of our labours,

who live for today with little thought for tomorrow

who are afraid to let pain and suffering affect us.

 

Incarnate God, you know us in our inner being.

In your grace you offer us forgiveness

even before we have the chance to articulate our sorrow.

You embrace us in all our sinfulness

and in doing so give us the chance to start again

to learn from the example you have given us in Jesus,

who chose the way of the Cross

that all might know the depth of your love for all you have made.

 

Spirit of God

open our hearts and minds

that we may grasp your forgiveness,

and forgiven seek to forgive others

and to live a life of reconciling love

modelled on the example of Jesus Christ

in whose name we make this prayer. Amen

~ from the Church of Scotland’s Starters for Sunday suggestions for Lent 4C, from the Very Rev. Dr. Sheilagh Kesting.  http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/

Prayer for Reconciliation: 2 Corinthians 5: 18

Here’s a prayer of reconciliation based on 2 Corinthians 5:18. It was posted on the Reformed Church of America Website.

Prayer for Reconciliation

(Based on 2 Corinthians 5:18)

 

Loving God,
you have reconciled us in Christ Jesus
and have given us the ministry of reconciliation.

We pray for all those from whom we are estranged.
Bring healing to strained or broken relationships.
Forgive us for the times we have wronged others,
whether by ignorance, neglect, or intention.

Grant us the courage and the grace to seek their forgiveness
and opportunity to make amends.
Where others have wronged us,
grant us a gracious spirit,
that we might forgive
even as we have been forgiven in Jesus Christ. Amen.

~ from Prayers for Peace and Justice, posted on the Reformed Church in America website.

https://www.rca.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=1871

Litany of Praise and Prayer: Colossians 1: 15-16

Here’s a litany of praise inspired by Colossians 1: 15-16.  It was written by Dave Bookless.

Litany of Praise and Prayer

(inspired by Colossians 1: 15-16)

“…for it was through him that everything was made,

whether spiritual or material, seen or unseen.” Col. 1: 16)

Jesus, Lord of the Earth

By you all things were created

All creeping things, all flying things,

All living things, all dying things,

The highest hills, the deepest seas,

The strongest gale, the slightest breeze,

The blossom on a cherry tree,

A spinning spider’s artistry,

The smell of dry earth after rain,

Each cell within a human brain,

Each fallen leaf, each towering pine,

Reveals your intricate design.

Creator Lord, we stand amazed,

And for your earth, we give you praise.

Jesus, Lord of the Earth

For you all things were created

The smoothest pebble on the shore,

Detritus on the forest floor,

The undiscovered depths of space,

The wrinkles on a baby’s face;

Each sparrow and each human hair

Is numbered and is in your care,

All iron and oil and diamonds too,

Whilst used by us, belong to you,

Forgive us Lord, for we forget,

All things are yours, and yet,

Provider Lord, we stand amazed,

And with your earth, we give you praise.

Jesus, Lord of the Earth

In you all things now hold together

All of earth’s greatest mysteries,

And all our personal histories,

Each planet and each grain of sand,

You hold them in your nail-scarred hands,

You feed the birds and clothe the flowers,

You warm the soil and send the showers,

You sound the rhythms of the earth,

Of tides and seasons, death and birth,

It is for you creation sings,

The head, the centre of all things,

Sustainer Lord, we stand amazed,

And with your earth, we give you praise.

Jesus, Lord of the earth

In you all things are made new

Lord God before all time began,

Yet you became a Son of Man,

You stepped into the world you made,

A world once good, now spoilt, decayed,

As Son of Man your death reversed

The chaos of creation’s curse,

The earth itself quaked on that day,

Released from bondage to decay,

All things are reconciled to you,

Creation’s hope is born anew.

Redeemer Lord, we stand amazed

And with your earth, we give you praise.

Jesus, Lord of the earth

By you all things were created,

For you all things were created,

In you all things now hold together,

In you all things are made new.

And all creation cries Amen!

~ copyright © Dave Bookless, A Rocha UK 2008.  Posted on A Rocha’s Good Seed Sunday website.

http://goodseedsunday.com/resources/wr_sunday-service-resource-pack.pdf