Benediction: The Beauty of God's Creation

Here’s a benediction which celebrates the beauty all around us in God’s creation. It was written by Carlos Fernandez at Village Church in Beaverton, Oregon.

Benediction

Creator God—

as we return now to our homes, workplaces, and communities,

may Your Spirit open our eyes anew

to the vastness and splendor of Your beauty all around us.

May we hear, and smell, and see, and touch

Your glory evident in all of Your creation.

Above all, let us see Your beauty

even in the brokenness of our brothers and sisters—

all of them, created in Your image,

and waiting to experience that redemption that comes

only through Christ Jesus our Lord.

We go now to love and serve our Lord—Amen.

~ written by Carlos Fernandez, Pastor of Spiritual Formation at Village Church in Beaverton, Orgeon.

Prayer of Confession: Psalm 8

Here’s a prayer of confession inspired by Psalm 8. It was written by Beth Merill Neel, and posted on Hold Fast to What is Good.   

Prayer of Confession

(inspired by Psalm 8)

Great God of all creation,

who are we that you are mindful of us?  

You who set the stars in motion, 

who launched waves crashing against the shore,

who knows the heights and depths of the world;

Why do you bother with us?

You count the hairs on our heads,

and call us each by name.

You give us your wisdom and you uphold us by your Spirit.

You tend to us and care for us,

and we do not understand why.

We cannot grasp your love for us, O God,

for it is unlike us to be that loving and forgiving.

We become enmeshed

by our own needs and wants and desires

and we fail to see beyond anything but our own little circles.

Turn us around, O God.

Help us to see as you see,

and to reach out as you reach out.

Remind us once again of the sacredness

of our ordinary, day-to-day lives.

By your Spirit,

teach us to live truly as beings little lower than angels.

In your mercy, O God,

forgive who we are and bless who we will be. Amen. 

~ written by Beth Merill Neel, and posted on Hold Fast to What is Good. https://holdfasttowhatisgood.com/liturgy/

Prayer: In Your Name

Here’s a prayer of commitment from Roddy Hamilton’s Listening to the Stones blog.

In Your Name

May we honour your name
not by paying it lip service, Lord Jesus
but by trusting the vision it speaks of

and the way it calls for

May we honour it by following you

speaking into the word with our actions
and showing who we’re chosen to follow

May we love in your name
speak in your name
care in your name
that willingness to touch the outcast
feed the hungry
remember the sick
visit the imprisoned
clothe the naked
give water to the thirsty
in your name

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

Prayer: Christ the King

Here’s a prayer of petition, confession and thanksgiving from Rev Abi.  It comes from the  RevGalBlogPals website.

Prayer to the King of Glory

O Jesus,
You are the King of Glory,
You are the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings.
And we pray that your Kingdom will reign forever

in our hearts and in this world.

Lord, we pray for your Kingdom to come here now,
bringing a kingdom of justice, righteousness, hope, love,
peace, mercy and grace for all.
Lord, we ask that you rule in our hearts,
lead in this world and govern over your kingdom.

But Lord honestly,
We often have our own plans and agendas
And we want to be rulers of our world.
Forgive us for those times.
And Lord we live in a time that would rather idolize the King of Pop
than worship you.
Help us to know how to live as your Kingdom People in these times.

And Lord , there are a lot of Kings in this world who terrorize, over tax, humiliate,
over exploit, and abuse those they are to lead.
Help us to spread the good news of the different kind of King you are.

Lord, thank you for being a different kind of King.
Thank you for your goodness and kindness in our lives.
Thank you for your generosity.
Thank you for loving us.
Thank you for your Kingdom that is unlike any
Kingdom in this world

~ written by Rev Abi, and posted on RevGalBlogPals blog.  http://revgalblogpals.blogspot.ca/

Prayer of Invocation: Psalm 8

Here’s a prayer of invocation inspired by Psalm 8.  It comes from the LiturgyLink website.

Opening Prayer of Invocation

(inspired by Psalm 8)

Sovereign God,

we look at the things You have made,

the works of Your hands,

and we stop to consider them with awe.

From the intricate immensity of the universe

to the specific singularity of a flower,

Your works astonish us.

Who are we mortals that You pay attention to us?

We wonder at your love for us and rejoice in your presence,

praying in the name of the Creator,

the Christ and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

~ posted on the LiturgyLink website. http://www.liturgylink.net/

Contemporary Songs: Psalm 8

If you’re looking for contemporary Praise & Worship song suggestions to use with Psalm 8 (the suggested psalm for Trinity Sunday, New Year and Proper 22 B), you can find a list at my new blog, Contemporary Psalms.  The blog is still under construction (I keep coming across new songs to add to it), but it’s a start!

Follow this link to Psalm 8:  http://contemporarypsalms.blogspot.ca/2013/05/psalm-8.html

Prayer Litany: Psalm 8

Here’s a beautiful contemporary paraphrase of Psalm 8 from James Taylor’s wonderful collection, Everyday Psalms.  (See below for link.)

Scripture Litany: Psalm 8

My God, my God,

how wonderful you are!

There is nothing like you in the whole earth.

I look up to the skies, and I see you there;

Babies and infants open their mouths,

and I hear them cry your name.

Compared to you, our weapons, our bombs,

our power to destroy,

dwindle into insignificance.

On a starry night, with your glory splashed across the skies,

I gaze into your infinite universe, and I wonder:

Who am I?

Why do I matter?

Why do you care about mere mortals?

We humans are less than specks of dust in your universe.

We have existed less than a second in the great clock of creation.

Yet you choose us as your partners.

You share the secrets of the universe with us;

you give us a special place in your household;

you trust us to look after the earth, on your behalf—

not just the sheep and oxen,

but also the wolves that prey on our domestic animals;

the birds, the plants, and even creatures we have never seen

in the depths of the sea.

My God, my God! How amazing you are.

~ written by James Taylor, in Everyday Psalms (Wood Lake Books, 1994)  http://www.woodlakebooks.com/search/results/inventory/All-Products/Biblical-Studies/Everyday-Psalms. 

Prayer for the Day: Psalm 8

“You have put us in charge of everything you made,

giving us authority over all things….” Psalm 8:6

Wonderful Creator God,
the whole earth declares your greatness.
Your glory glows in the heavens and is seen in the
moon and the stars which you have set in place.

What are we that you care for us?
Yet you have made us only a little lower than yourself
and crowned us with glory and honor.
You have given us responsibility to care for the sheep and cattle,
for wild things, for all creatures that swim and fly.

Forgive us for destroying rather than restoring
and for polluting rather than nurturing.
Help us to declare your glory and the glory of your world. Amen.

-- from The Micah Challenge.  Posted on Rev. Abi’s Long and Winding Road blog. http://vicarofwadley.blogspot.com/

Opening Prayer: Psalm 8

Here’s an opening prayer inspired by Psalm 8.  It comes from My Redeemer Lives website.

Prayer of Invocation

(inspired by Psalm 8)

Lord God,

words are not enough to express Your awesomeness,

Your majesty, Your holiness.

Our highest expressions of theology are but baby talk next to You:

Your creation, Your very self.

Make us aware, through Your Holy Spirit,

that You are here among us.

May this awareness lead us to approach this hour more carefully.

The words we speak, the tunes we sing,

the thoughts we think, the joy and sadness we feel,

may these be pleasing to You.

For in spite of the inadequacy of our words,

this worship is addressed to You.

Make it complete, whole, full to overflowing,

O God, our rock, and our redeemer.

In Christ we pray. Amen.

~ posted on My Redeemer Lives website.

http://www.myredeemerlives.com/prayers.html

Opening Prayer: Reveal Yourself

Here’s an opening prayer from the Fresh Worship website.

Opening Prayer

Creator God
swirling, formless one,
hovering over creation and bringing new things to life
you speak new worlds into being with language that creates and liberates

Eternal God
living, limitless one
inhabiting the vast universe with the rich complexity of your being
you reveal yourself to your creatures and invite us to know you

Friendly God
nurturing, welcoming one
opening yourself wide to the joy and pain of loving your people
you place us in communities and families that echo your true nature

(pause to think about the language we instinctively use for God)

Holy God
We thank you for the ways in which

   we have known and understood you;
We thank you for the metaphors

   that have opened our eyes to more of who you are;
We thank you for the language that has brought

   the transcendent, timeless, mysterious God within our grasp.

Holy God
We are hungry for more of you
We ask you to reveal more of yourself to us
to take us beyond the confines of familiar habits
to free us from the restrictions and distortions of our language
to expand our understanding of you
so that we can love you whole heartedly
we can communicate you faithfully
and we can reflect your full image to a world that needs you
Amen.

~ posted on the Fresh Worship website of Grace Church, an alternative congregation in London, England. http://www.freshworship.org/

Call to Worship: Hebrews 1: 1-3

Here’s an opening call to worship based closely on Hebrews 1:1-3.

Call to Worship

(based on Hebrews 1:1-3)

Long ago, at different times and in various ways,

God spoke to our ancestors through the Hebrew prophets.

But in these last days,

we have heard God’s voice through His Son, Jesus Christ,

who has been given dominion over all things

and through whom all worlds were made.

He is the One who sustains the universe by the power of his command;
the One who gave himself to free us from the grip of sin and death;
the One who, even now, reigns in the heavens, seated at the right hand of God.
This is our God!  
Let's worship together.

Readers' Theatre: Mark 10: 2-16

Here’s a readers’ theatre setting of Mark 10:2-16, the gospel reading for Proper 22 B (Ordinary 27 B) – the nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost.  It is set for two voices.

Readers’ Theatre: Mark 10: 2-16

Some Pharisees came and tried to trap Jesus with this question:

“Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife?”

But Jesus answered with another question:

What did Moses say in the law about divorce?

“Well, he permitted it,” they replied.

“He said a man can give his wife a written notice of divorce

and send her away.”

He wrote this commandment only as a concession to your hard hearts. 

But ‘God made them male and female’ from the beginning of creation.

This explains why a man leaves his father and mother 

and is joined to his wife,

and the two are united into one.

Since they are no longer two but one, 

let no one split apart what God has joined together.

Later, when he was alone with his disciples in the house,

they brought up the subject again. 

Jesus told them, 

Whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else

commits adultery against her. 

And if a woman divorces her husband and marries someone else,

she commits adultery.

One day some parents brought their children to Jesus

so he could touch and bless them.

But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.

When Jesus saw what was happening,

he was angry with his disciples.

He said to them, 

Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them!

For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. 

I tell you the truth,

anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child

will never enter it.

Then he took the children in his arms

and placed his hands on their heads

and blessed them.

Readers' Theatre: Hebrews 1: 1-4; 2: 5-12

Here’s a readers’ theatre setting of Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12, the epistle reading for Proper 22 B (Ordinary 27 B) – the nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost.  It is set for two voices.

Readers’ Theatre: Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12

Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways

to our ancestors through the prophets.

And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son.

God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance,

and through the Son he created the universe.

The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God,

and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command.

When he had cleansed us from our sins,

he sat down in the place of honor

at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.

This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels,

just as the name God gave him is greater than their names.

And furthermore,

it is not angels who will control the future world we are talking about.

For in one place the Scriptures say,

“What are mere mortals that you should think about them,
or a son of man that you should care for him?
Yet you made them only a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honor.
You gave them authority over all things.”

Now when it says “all things,” it means nothing is left out.

But we have not yet seen all things put under their authority.

What we do see is Jesus,

who was given a position “a little lower than the angels”;

and because he suffered death for us,

he is now “crowned with glory and honor.”

Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone.

God, for whom and through whom everything was made,

chose to bring many children into glory.

And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering,

a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.

So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father.

That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. 

For he said to God,

“I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters.
I will praise you among your assembled people.”

Opening Prayer: Hebrews 1: 1-4

Here’s a prayer of praise and adoration inspired by Hebrews 1:1-4.  It was written by Moira Laidlaw.

Prayer of Praise and Adoration

(inspired by Hebrews 1:1-4)

We praise you, O God,

for breaking through to us in the person of Jesus, your Son, our Lord. 

When the words of the prophets went unheard

and when their actions were ignored,

you spoke the creative word once more. 

Bringing order out of chaos again—

this time not to bring a world into being, 

but to bring your very being into the world.

The essence of your love taking on our flesh.

In the midst of this congregation, we praise you.
With our lives, we worship you.

Gracious God, Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer,
to you be all glory and honour, now and forever.  Amen

~ written by Moira Laidlaw, and posted on Liturgies Online.  http://www.liturgiesonline.com.au/

Call to Worship: Psalm 8

Here’s a call to worship adapted from the writing of Bruce Prewer. It was inspired by Psalm 8.

Call to Worship

(inspired by Psalm 8)

Gathered in the name of Jesus Christ,

inspired by the Holy Spirit,

and blessed by God,

we come to worship one, holy God.

O God, our own God,

how wonderful is your name in all the earth.

Your majesty is the music of the starry skies.

yet even children of dust can sing your praises.

In the name of the Healer, the Provider and the Enabler

let your gratitude and joy be made known.

O God, our own God,

how wonderful is your name in all the earth!

— written by Bruce Prewer (adapted), and posted on the http://pilgrimwr.unitingchurch.org.au/ website.

Call to Worship: Hebrews 1: 1-3

This call to worship comes from the archives of the Church of Scotland’s excellent Starters for Sunday website.  

Advent Call to Worship

Throughout the generations

God has sent the message of peace and reconciliation

   in the words of the prophets,

   in acted parable,

   in history

   in nature.

God has revealed a loving intent towards men and women.

Finally, in due time, God sent Jesus into the world

   to demonstrate in human terms God’s way of living and loving.

So today we come to prepare our hearts and minds once more

   to receive the Gospel of hope and healing.

In this place we are invited to open ourselves to the Spirit of God.

   to prepare a place for God in our lives.

Come then, let us worship God. Amen.

— posted on the Church of Scotland’s Starters for Sunday website. 

Prayer: Creator God

Here’s a beautiful prayer of thanksgiving for the beauty of creation, and for our creating God.  It was written by John Birch.

Creator God

 In your time, Creator God
this world was put in place
and in your time
became beautiful
through the craftsmanship of your love.
Remind us always
as we look at sunrise
landscape or tiny child
to look beyond the artist brush
or created thing
to the artist and creator

—Copyright © John Birch, posted on Faith and Worship - Prayers and Resources 

 

 

Opening Litany: Psalm 8

Litany of Praise

(based on Psalm 8)

You, O Lord, are more wonderful than our lips can proclaim!
When we consider the awesome works of your hands,
Your love for us is more than amazing!
You have trusted us with the whole of the earth,
And put everything we see under the care of our hands.
Lord, O Sovereign Lord, the earth is filled with your glory!

—from Lectionary Sermons Archives