Category: prayer

Isaiah Bulletin by Rev. Dr. Barb Hedges-Goettl

All Original Prayers by Rev. Dr. Barb Hedges-Goettl, permission to use with credit

Prelude Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence                 Fernando Ortega

Opening Prayer (1)

O Holy God, 

like Isaiah the prophet, we stand in awe of Your glory,

feeling tremendously small and polluted by our sin, 

and the sin of our society.

Even so, You touch us with Your burning presence,

and we are made clean and whole.

O God, our Creator, 

continue to build this household of faith into what You want us to be.

O Christ, our Savior, 

lead us to do as You will.

O Spirit, our Power,

strengthen us for the work of the Kingdom.

Amen.

Call to Worship (Response is Isaiah 6:3) (2)

Glory in God’s holy name. Let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;

the whole earth is full of his glory.”

99:9Exalt the Lord our God. Worship at his holy hill, 

for the Lord our God is holy.

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;

the whole earth is full of his glory.”

145:17The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;

the whole earth is full of his glory.”

145:21My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord.

Let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.

Call to Confession   

John Calvin, whose work and theology are the basis for the Reformed tradition, including our Presbyterian faith, notes that when we compare ourselves to others, we may think highly of ourselves. But when we compare ourselves to God’s absolute holiness and goodness, we see how far we fall short of who God created us to be. Let us be reminded of God’s holiness and our need for forgiveness.

Prayer of Confession (from Isaiah 6:1-7)

O Holy Lord,                                                                                                       when we see that just the hem of your robe fills the whole temple,                                  we know we are a people of unclean lips.

When the six-winged seraphim attend you,                                                   we know we are a people of unclean lips.

As the angels proclaim that the whole earth is full of your glory,                          we know we are a people of unclean lips.

When the thresholds shake and the place is filled with smoke,                                        we know we are a people of unclean lips.

Woe to us! When we see you, O King and Lord of hosts,                                                we know we are lost because                                                                                    we know we are a people of unclean lips.     

(Silent confession)

Assurance of Pardon 

God touches us with burning coal, 

and our guilt departs, our sin is blotted out. 

Thanks be to God for the Good News: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Gloria Patri: (Blue #579) Glory Be to the Father 

Prayers of the People/Lord’s Prayer (traditional)

Celebration of Birthdays and Anniversaries

Hymn of Dedication  Just As I Am, Without One Plea

Just as I am, without one plea But that Thy blood was shed for me
And that Thou bid’st me come to Thee O Lamb of God, I come! I come

Just as I am, and waiting not to rid my soul of one dark blot
to thee whose blood can cleanse each spot O Lamb of God, I come, I come

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind Sight, riches, healing of the mind
Yea, all I need, in Thee to find O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve
Because Thy promise I believe O Lamb of God, I come, I come

Doxology (Blue, #592)   Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow

(1) From prayer based on Isaiah 6 from My Redeemer Lives website. 

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

(2) 1 Chronicles 16:10; Psalm 99:9; Psalm 145:17, 21. King James Version.

 Prayer of Dedication            Blessed are you, God of all creation; 

through your goodness we have these gifts to share. 

Accept and use all that we give and all that we are 

for your glory and for the service of your kingdom. Amen.

Prayer for Illumination  Take Thou Our Minds, Dear Lord

Take thou our minds, dear Lord, we humbly pray;
give us the mind of Christ each passing day;
teach us to know the truth that sets us free;
grant us in all our thoughts to honor thee.

Old Testament Reading  (NRSV)                     Isaiah 6:1-8

6 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne,                  high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.     3 3 And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”

4 The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called,            and the house filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost,                  for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7 The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”

What comes before “Here I Am”? Rev. Barb Hedges-Goettl

Affirmation of Faithfrom the Westminster Confession of Faith

God alone is the Holy One.

There is but one only living and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection.

God alone is the Holy One.

God is a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions, immutable, immense, eternal, and incomprehensible.

God alone is the Holy One.

God is almighty; most wise, most holy, most free, and most absolute,

God alone is the Holy One.

God works all things according to the counsel of his own immutable 

and most righteous will for his own glory,

God alone is the Holy One.

God is most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness 

and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin.

God alone is the Holy One.

God is the alone fountain of all being, of whom, through whom, and to whom, 

are all things.

God alone is the Holy One.

God is most holy in all his counsels, in all his works, and in all his commands.

God alone is the Holy One.

To him is due from angels and from human beings, and every other creature, worship, service, and obedience for

God alone is the Holy One.

Closing Hymn  Here I Am, Lord  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcxOkht8w7c

[Verse 1] I, the Lord of sea and sky; I have heard my people cry
All who dwell in dark and sin. My hand will save

[Chorus] Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?  

I have heard you calling in the night.

I will go, Lord, if you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart.  [Chorus]      

[Verse 2] I, who made the stars of night
I will make their darkness bright

Who will bear my light to them? Whom shall I send? [Chorus]

[Verse 3]  I, the Lord of snow and rain
I have borne my people’s pain
I have wept for love of them They turn away [Chorus]

Charge and Benediction

Postlude Holy is the Lord Twila Paris 

God Calls Isaiah Prayers

Isaiah 6:1-8
Luke 5:8-10 Opt Psalm 138

Call to Worship (Psalm 138:1-3)

I give thanks to you O Lord 

with my whole heart, I praise you

I bow down towards your holy temple

Give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and faithfulness

On the day I called, you answered me, 

You have increased the strength of my soul; Come let us worship God

Call to Worship:

God only you are holy

When you instill our hearts with fear and wonder, you remind us of your power

Sweep our breaths away, as we worship you today.

Come let us worship God

Invitation to Confession: As you are called to confession, it is because the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. God’s mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning.

Prayer of Confession: Dear God, we confess that we often do not understand your call. Too often we obsess about holiness, and how to be holy with you instead of letting ourselves wonder. We confess that we forget that there is work be done, and have trouble hearing your Call. Forgive us, please, and teach us to be a resurrection people we pray. Amen. 

Prayer of Confession: Lord, we become so frustrated when humans don’t do what we want them to do. We think of Isaiah, who surely had a troubled heart when he went to bed. Yet he awoke to visions of holiness and glory. Help us to be able to see some of your

Assurance of Pardon: God is forever faithful, God who promises Emmanuel God with us, Jesus is coming! God will not turn away from us, but give us forgiveness. Know in your hearts the Good news: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Prayer of Dedication: Holy, Holy, Holy God, Let us go forth saying that All the Works shall praise thy name from earth and sky and sea! You are merciful and mighty! Let us go forth proclaiming the God of three persons, the blessed Trinity, we pray. Amen.

Hymns: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, Eagle’s Wings, Here I am Lord, Amazing Grace,

Jonah Bulletin by Rev. Dr. Barb Hedges-Goettl

More Narrative Lectionary Resources

Prelude  Lord, I Want to be a Christian           Joslin Grove Choral Society  

Opening Prayer (adapted from Jonah 2:7-9 NRSV)

O  Lord, we remember you.
Our prayers come to you, in your holy temple.
Those who worship vain idols forsake their true loyalty.
But we, with the voice of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you;
what we have vowed we will offer. Deliverance belongs to you, O Lord. Amen.

Call to Worship (adapted from Psalm 145) 

The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.

The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger 

and abounding in steadfast love.

All God’s works shall give thanks to the Lord and all God’s faithful shall bless the Lord.

They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, and tell of your power

The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger 

and abounding in steadfast love.
God’s works make known to all people God’s mighty deeds

 and the glorious splendor of God’skingdom.

The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger 

and abounding in steadfast love.
 God’s kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
    and God’s dominion endures throughout all generations.

The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger 

and abounding in steadfast love.

AND SO WE LOVE AND SERVE THE LORD.

Hymn Lord, I Want to Be a Christian https://youtu.be/iZvUDFKAsKI

Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart, in my heart, 

Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart. In my heart, in my heart, Lord, 

I want to be a Christian in my heart.

Lord, I want to be more loving….
Lord, I want to like Jesus…

Call to Confession   

God calls us to love those who are against us, and to pray for them.

God calls us not to rejoice in wrong, but to rejoice in the right.

This is a very tall order, and we often fall short.

Prayer of Confession

Lord, the hardest thing you asked was that we love our enemies.
We know how we’d like to love them:

We’d love our enemies to be far away.
We’d love them not to compromise our security.

Forgive us and change us, O God.
We’d love them not to scare us or change the way we live.
We’d love them to be lovable.

Forgive us and change us, O God.
You know, God, We’d love it to be popular to love enemies.
We’d love our neighbors to respect us for this good deed.
We’d love the people on the news to provide examples of how to love.

Forgive us and change us, O God.
If loving enemies were easy,
Jesus wouldn’t have told us about the tax collectors and gentiles,
Who love only their friends. (Matthew 5:46-47)

Forgive us and change us, O God.
If loving enemies were easy, we know
We wouldn’t need your strong arms to bear us up in difficult times.
We wouldn’t need the blood of your Son to save us from human sin.
We wouldn’t need your Spirit flowing among us, wiping our tears.
We wouldn’t need the Bible to tell us what the world does not.

Forgive us and change us, O God.
Give us the strength to stop hating

And halt the cycles of violence and revenge.
Teach us forgiveness,

which we know is suffering love through piercing tears.
Forgive us and change us, O God.
When our community looks at our congregation,
Hears our words and sees our deeds,
Help them to know that you, the God of love, live among us
And that they can come to us to learn about Christian love of enemies.

Forgive us and change us, O God.

(Silent confession)

Assurance of Pardon 

God loves us when we are yet God’s sinful enemies, 

God saves us through God’s immeasurable grace,
God gives us a gift we did not deserve,

Thanks be to God for the Good News: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Gloria Patri: (Blue #579) Glory Be to the Father 

Prayers of the People/Lord’s Prayer (traditional)

Hymn of Dedication  O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee (no intro) 

O Master, let me walk with Thee In lowly paths of service free

Tell me Thy secret; help me bear The strain of toil, the fret of care            

Help me the slow of heart to move By some clear, winning word of love;

Teach me the wayward feet to stay, And guide them in the homeward way.

Teach me Thy patience; still with Thee In closer, dearer company

In work that keeps faith sweet and strong, In trust that triumphs over wrong.

In hope that send a shining ray Far down the future’s broadening way;

In peace that only Thou canst give, With Thee, O Master, let me live.

Doxology (Blue, #592)   Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow

 Prayer of Dedication 

Blessed are you, God of all creation; 

through your goodness we have these gifts to share. 

Accept and use all that we give and all that we are 

for your glory and for the service of your kingdom. Amen.

Prayer for Illumination Jesus Calls Us https://youtu.be/vgP70vB3lJQ

Jesus calls us: by Thy mercies, Savior, may we hear Thy call.

Give our hearts to Thine obedience, Serve and love Thee best of all. 

Old Testament Reading  Jonah summary with selected verses (NRSV)

1:4 But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and such a mighty storm came upon the sea that the ship threatened to break up.

 3:10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it. (NRSV 3:10) 

4:2-11 “O Lord! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing.” 

The Lord God appointed a bush, and made it come up over Jonah, to give shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort; so Jonah was very happy about the bush. But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the bush, so that it withered. 

8 When the sun rose, God prepared a sultry east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint and asked that he might die. He said, “It is better for me to die than to live.9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?” And he said, “Yes, angry enough to die.” 10 Then the Lord said, “You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?”

Message Whaddyaknow? Rev. Barb Hedges-Goettl

Affirmation of Faithfrom the Confession of 1967

We believe that God’s redeeming work in Jesus Christ embraces the whole of human life. God’s redeeming work includes the social and       the cultural, the economic and the political, the scientific and the technological, the individual and the corporate. 

We believe that God’s redeeming work in Jesus Christ embraces the whole of human life. God’s redeeming work includes the natural environment as exploited and despoiled by sin. 

We believe that God’s redeeming work in Jesus Christ embraces the whole of human life. God’s redeeming work fulfills the divine purpose     for human life under the rule of Christ and all evil be banished from creation.

We believe that God’s redeeming work in Jesus Christ embraces the whole of human life. God’s redeeming work brings about the rule of Christ, the heavenly city, the household of God, a new heaven and earth,   a marriage feast, and an unending day culminate in the image of the kingdom. 

We believe that God’s redeeming work in Jesus Christ embraces the whole of human life. God’s redeeming work brings about God’s triumph over all that resists the divine will and disrupts God’s creation.

We believe that God’s redeeming work in Jesus Christ embraces the whole of human life.  God’s redeeming work is already present as a ferment in the world, stirring hope in all people and preparing the world to receive its ultimate judgment and redemption 

We believe that God’s redeeming work in Jesus Christ embraces the whole of human life. God’s redeeming work provides an urgency to present tasks and our striving for a better world. It does not identify 

We believe that God’s redeeming work in Jesus Christ embraces the whole of human life. In steadfast hope, we look beyond all partial achievement to the final triumph of God. 

THANKS BE TO GOD!

Closing Hymn  Lord, Speak to Me, That I May Speak (with intro)https://youtu.be/CDUkQBN4i_c

Lord, speak to me, that I may speak In living echoes of thy tone

As Thou hast sought, so let me seek Thy erring children lost and lone

O lead me, Lord, that I may lead The wandering and the wavering feet

O feed me, Lord, that I may feed Thy hungering ones with manna sweet

O fill me with Thy Fulness, Lord, Until my very heart o’erflow

In kindling thought and glowing word Thy love to tell, Thy praise to show

Charge and Benediction

Postlude Called as Partners in Christ’s Service

Called as partners in Christ’s service Called to ministries of grace
We respond with deep commitment Fresh new lines of faith to trace
May we learn the art of sharing Side by side and friend with friend
Equal partners in our caring To fulfil God’s chosen end

Christ’s example Christ’s inspiring Christ’s clear call to work and worth
Let us follow never faltering Reconciling folk on earth
Men and women richer poorer All God’s people young and old
Blending human skills together Gracious gifts from God unfold

Thus new patterns for Christ’s mission In a small or global sense
Help us bear each other’s burdens Breaking down each wall or fence
Words of comfort words of vision Words of challenge said with care
Bring new power and strength for action Make us colleagues free and fair

So God grant us for tomorrow Ways to order human life
That surround each person’s sorrow With a calm that conquers strife
Make us partners in our living Our compassion to increase
Messengers of faith thus giving Hope and confidence and peace

More Narrative Lectionary Resources

Imprecation: Shatter Them

Lord God, how do I do this prayer thing when I’m really angry at someone?

Can I wish them ill? Do I throw curses off of my tongue?

(If I use the fancy word for curses: imprecation, does that make it better? It feels better to say Imprecation)

What did Moses do when the Pharaoh continually made a promise to free the Hebrew people, and then took it back, over and over again?

What did Jesus do when people tried to throw him off the cliff the first time he preached?

Can I just shake the dust off from those encounters, and continue on my day?

That doesn’t feel like enough!

Lord, God, I know it is my job to name evil when I see it, and that a synonym of imprecation and curses is simply denunciation.

Sibling Jesus, I am praying that you Help me to reject evil, Lord. Gift me with a better understanding than hate the sin and love the sinner (because that just isn’t good enough)

And I know the Psalms is full of really hard curses like: Give them what they deserve, and let my enemies experience what I have experienced.

Hannah says ” He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness;  for not by might does one prevail. The Lord! His adversaries shall be shattered;” (1 Sam 1:9)

Mother Mary, who is often portrayed as sweet and quiet prays: “God has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things,  and sent the rich away empty.” (Luke 1: 51-53)

So I guess my prayer will echo theirs, in it’s own simplicity.

And trust you know the full meaning of the prayer, because I confess I do not.

And justice is yours.

Lord shatter the enemy.

Those in power Shatter them to pieces.

Shatter the hardhearted as only you can.

In Christ’s name. I submit this prayer to you, O God.

Amen

Use/Copy/Adapt with Credit to Pastor Katy Stenta

Denunciation of Evil Prayer

Mundane Prayers & Pandemic Prayers

Bulletin: God Answers Hannah Pastor Katy Stenta

God Answers Hannah (Extended Advent Opt 1) Imprecation: Shatter Them
1 Samuel 1:9-11, 19-20; 2:1-10
Luke 1:46-55 Opt Psalm 96

Call to Worship (Luke 1: 47-49)
My Soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
For the Holy One has done great things for me,
Holy is His name, Holy is the Lord God Almighty

Hymn Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee

(Luke 1: 51-53) Prayer of Confession: Lord, we confess that we look for strength in power and money, instead of in the lifegiving practices that you model. So often your Holy Spirit is at work renewing and creating and we confess we spend too much time worrying about the structures being ruined, instead of looking for opportunities to learn and grow. Remind us that you bring down the powerful, and lift up the lowly. Help us to preach the good news of how you fill the hungry with good things and send the rich away empty, we pray.

(Luke 1: 50) Assurance of Pardon: God’s mercy is for all who fear him, from generation to generation. Hear the Good News: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

1 Samuel 1:12-17, 2:1-8 (Note we read at home or in our drive in at the same time, and we do so by Pastor Katy indicating what we should read by holding up a finger)
(1 Finger) Hannah was praying silently; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli thought she was drunk.
(2 Fingers) So Eli said to her, ‘How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Put away your wine.’
(Pastor Katy) But Hannah answered, ‘No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. 16Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time.’
(3 Fingers) Then Eli answered, ‘Go in peace; the God of Israel grant the petition you have made to him.’
(4 Fingers) Hannah prayed and said, ’My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in my God. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in my victory.
(5 Fingers) There is no Holy One like the Lord, no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.
(6 Fingers) Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
(7 Fingers) The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble gird on strength.
(Pastor Katy) Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry are fat with spoil. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn.
(8 Fingers) The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
(9 Fingers) The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low, he also exalts.
(10 Fingers) He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes  and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and on them he has set the world.

Children’s Sermon

Sermon “Power & Prayer”

Hymn: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty

The Lord’s Prayer

Passing of the Peace

Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta

More Narrative Lectionary Resources

Passover Prayer

I see what you did there, God. All those years ago.

You put forth all the plagues: the bloods and the bugs and the frogs (or a giant frog depending how you translate it).

And when all of that was said and done. When Moses’ leadership alone wasn’t enough to set the Hebrews free–you required some participation.

You said, with arms outstretched, that if you want salvation, I’m going to need a little work and sacrifice from you people.

I imagine there might be some Godfearers in Egypt–some friends–who also put the sign of God upon the door. I imagine there was grace there that is as of yet unknown.

And I wonder, God, if the method to this was the foretaste of the work to come. The understanding that Moses could lead all he wanted but without the people, nothing would happen.

What a great precursor to Jesus who stands with an open hand for our salvation–and at the same time forces no one and waits for our participation.

God is always with us, but are we able to see it?

Lord, how can I participate in my own salvation? How can I help others paint their doors with the sign of God?

Image from Prince of Egypt from here

In an era where we continue to think it’s every person for themselves, I’m praying that you show us how to be more like the people in Exodus–who although they complained every step of the way, and fumbled and made mistakes. In the end they understood that my freedom is wrapped up in yours.

Lord teach us to be safe and free, teach us how to love and serve one another. Help us to participate in our own Passover today. Not because we are better than anyone else, but because we want every single person who can be saved, to be saved.

I pray this is your most holy name. Amen.

More Narrative Lectionary Resources

God of the Rainbow Coat

God,

when you looked into Joseph’s face, laced with drama;

when you saw their heart–full of queer notions…

And their coat/cloak/princess dress that was rainbow to its core.

When you truly got to know who Joseph was.

Then, and only then did you call them by name.

I know this, because you are God, and you are with us.

You don’t call us as strangers who might be able to help.

You call us as beloved children who you know can be more fulfilled serving others.

You didn’t ask Joseph to take off their rainbow dress, or to change, or to be better–you just asked them to come.

And it is beautiful that you can take a dreaming child, who was too flamboyant, and dramatic, and talked to much, and turned their dreams into hope.

First for all of Egypt, and then for the very siblings that betrayed them.

May we all have the grace to remember that God calls us exactly as we are. Remind us, that just as God knows each and every star, God knows and calls us all by name.

We pray in the Holy Names of Christ

Amen.

Feel free to use/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta

More Narrative Lectionary Resources

Orange Skies

Lord, today I wonder what you think when you see our skies in California, stretched orange with smoke.

When Karachi is flooded.

When Superstorm Laura winked out the power before a heat wave.

When Beirut explodes, and Typohoon Haishen blows through Japan and South Korea.

Did you have a big messy cry when violence erupted not once but twice in Kenosha, WI?

I did.

God I cannot even grasp the news. I can feel people falling through the gaps as children go hungry and try to sign online to education.

Are there days when you feel like you can’t look at the news anymore–does God wish God could close God’s own eyes sometimes? And yet I know you never do.

You work for that justice that has been delayed and therefore denied too long! No justice, no peace.

For you have promised that one day justice and peace will make love!

I worry about the jobless, the homeless, the sick.

I worry that I haven’t upheld my promise to be anti-racist today. (I haven’t, and the work continues)

I am continually angered by the hotspots that people don’t seem to want to control.

I cringe at how in policy, protection and politics about how all lives–don’t!–matter. Cringe and taste vomit in my mouth.

Today, I think the orange skies pretty much exactly show how absurd my emotions have become.

And though I really don’t think you punish us with disasters–I highly suspect there are a million exit signs on the road that we willfully ignore–I do wonder how you process them all.

Lord God Almighty. What do we do when the sky turns orange?

Please take my messy cries, my absurd emotions, my mistakes, my exhaustion, my cringing and the vomit in my mouth. And shape them into a prayer.

An embodied prayer, so that we can do that which needs to be done.

With my entire self I pray.

Amen.

Feel free to hit share or use or adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta

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God’s Promise to Abraham

God With Us

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God’s Promise to Abraham Bulletin and Sermon & Consider Prayer
Genesis 15:1-6 alt Gen 17: 1-8
Luke 3:8 Opt. Psalm 8

Sermon by Rev. Stephen Cook: please attribute https://day1.org/weekly-broadcast/5d9b820ef71918cdf2004067/stephen_cook_on_beyond

Consider Prayer

Bulletin
Prelude Be Not Afraid John Michael Talbot
https://youtu.be/wQr4udSiEew?t=2

Opening Prayer
God of our forebears, as your chosen servant Abraham was given faith to obey your call and go out into the unknown, so may your church be granted such faith that we may follow you with courage for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, on God, forever and ever.  Amen.

(Book of Common Worship, Westminster John Knox Press, 1993. pg. 245.)

Call to Worship
In days of old God called Abraham and Sarah:
Come—I am with you; step out in faith.
God speaks still, claiming people of every land and race:
Come—I will bless you, that you may bless others.
In the dark of night, Jesus confirms God’s gift of abiding love.
Come—I will bless you with eternal life.
Heirs of the covenant, let us continue the journey:
Come—let us worship the Lord!

(Rev. Barb Hedges-Goettl)

PC(USA) Online Hymnal worship suggestions for March 8, 2020. https://hymnal.pcusastore.com/Home/

Opening Hymn The God of Abraham Praise
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZovXddne9I
The God of Abraham praise, who reigns enthroned above,the Ancient of Eternal Days, the God of love!The Lord, the great I am, by earth and heaven confessed,we bow before your holy name, forever blest.


Your spirit still flows free, high surging where it will.In prophet’s word you spoke of old and you speak still.Established is your law, and changeless it shall stand,deep writ upon the human heart by your strong hand.


Your goodly land we seek, with peace and plenty blest,a land of sacred liberty and Sabbath rest.There milk and honey flow, and oil and wine abound,and trees of life forever grow with mercy crowned.

You have eternal life implanted in the soul;your love shall be our strength and stay, while ages roll.We praise you, living God! We praise your holy name:the first, the last, beyond all thought, and still the same!

Prayer of Confession and Assurance of Pardon
Call to Confession
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. In humility and faith let us confess our sins before God and one another.

Prayer of Confession
Holy and merciful God, in your presence we confess our sinfulness, our shortcomings, and our offenses against you. You alone know how often we have sinned in wandering from your ways, in wasting your gifts, in forgetting your love.
Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we are ashamed and sorry for all we have done to displease you. Forgive our sins, and help us to live in your light, and walk in your ways, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Savior. (Time of silence for personal confession.)

Assurance of Forgiveness
Hear the good news! Who is in a position to condemn?
Only Christ! And Christ died for us, Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us. Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. The old life has gone, a new life has begun. Know that you are forgiven and be at peace. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. Thanks be to God!

(Book of Common Worship, pages 52-56. Reprinted by permission from Book of Common Worship, © 1993 Westminster/John Knox Press.)

Gloria Patri: (Blue #579) Glory Be to the Father
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUBxpypSblw

Prayers of the People/Lord’s Prayer (traditional)

Celebration of Birthdays and Anniversaries
Doxology (Blue, #592) Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivaDXu27_IY

  • Prayer of Dedication Please place gifts in the plate on your way out.

In a world of give and take, in a culture of mend and break,
give us minds, hearts, hands, and wallets for sacrificial care,
to satisfy hunger and thirst everywhere. These and all prayers we offer,
in the name of Love himself, Jesus the Christ.
Amen.

(Todd Jenkins, Happy To Be a Presbyterian PC(USA) https://www.facebook.com/groups/happy2pcusa)

Hymn of Invocation: Spirit of the Living God5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccaFnRYLTok
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me (repeat)
Melt me, mold me, Fill me, use me.

Prayer for Illumination
God of mercy, you promised never to break your covenant with us Amid all the changing words of our generation, speak your eternal Word that does not change. Then may we respond to your gracious promises with faithful and obedient lives; through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Old Testament Scripture Genesis 12: 1-4a
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” 4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him.
Psalm: 1216
I lift up my eyes to the hills; from where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.
The Lord will not let your foot be moved; nor will the one who watches over you fall asleep.
Behold, the keeper of Israel will neither slumber nor sleep,
the Lord watches over you; the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will preserve you from all evil; and will keep your life.
The Lord will watch your going out and your coming in from this time forth forevermore.

Old Testament Scripture Romans 4: Selected Verses6
What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. 5 But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness.
13 For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.
16 For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become “the father of many nations,” according to what was said, “So numerous shall your descendants be.”
20 No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 being fully convinced that God was able to do what had been promised. 22 Therefore his faith “was reckoned to him as righteousness.” 23 Now the words, “it was reckoned to him,” were written not for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in the One who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.
Message Rev. Elizabeth Wagner

Affirmation of Faith from the Brief Statement of Faith, 1983

In life and at death we belong to God. Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit, we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel, whom alone we worship and serve.

(Book of Common Worship, page 91. Reprinted by permission from Book of Common Worship, © 1993 Westminster/John Knox Press.)

Closing Hymn Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPKpkrqBwNs
Come, thou Fount of every blessing; tune my heart to sing thy grace;streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above;praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, mount of God’s unchanging love!
Here I raise my Ebenezer; hither by thy help I’m come;and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love;here’s my heart; O take and seal it; seal it for thy courts above.
Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God;he, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love;here’s my heart; O take and seal it; seal it for thy courts above.
O to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be!Let that grace now, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee.Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love;here’s my heart; O take and seal it; seal it for thy courts above.
Charge and Benediction

Postlude Be Not Afraid The Orchard Enterprises https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEOt7yXCaJI&feature=youtu.be

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Consider

Lord,

I know when I am frustrated or stuck,

When I’m lamenting or angry, that you tell me to consider

Consider the lilies of the field, who neither toil nor spin

Count the stars, the grains of sand, if you can

Consider who made the mountains, all animals and food.

Who made the flood, the earthquake and the hurricane.

Consider who God is, and then remember,

No matter what you say or do.

God says, “Consider,

Consider, I have made a promise, a holy covenant that cannot be broken,

that I will always be your God, and you will always be my people.”

God proclaims that God is not constrained by place or time or ethnicity.

You promise to be present. You promise to be.

“I am, what I am”

The burning bush, the pillar of fire, the whirlwind, the rainbow.

You can be praised by all types of people in all types of circumstances: the enslaved woman Hagar on the run in the desert, the imprisoned and abused Joseph in Egypt, the triumphant and loving sister Miriam.

You are present in Black Lives Matter, in the beauty of being Trans, in all those marginal places we refuse to see: mental illness, drug addition, homelessness, sex trafficking, war zones.

In the midst of trial and tribulation, you are with us. Your rod and your staff comfort us. You remind us “I am, what I Am”

You are God, always and forever, empowering the powerless.

Let us be the kind of people who consider who your are. So we no longer define you by our own constraints, but instead are liberated to worship the multitude that is the trinitarian, relational God.

God, the great I am, let us worship you through the all considerations of who you are–and when we forget remind us to look at the stars we pray.

Amen.

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