For some liturgical inspiration, since we know that many of us are struggling to find liturgical language adequate to the moment…Here we have some contributions from our RevGals community to help. Feel free to use as-is, adapt, or use for inspiration. If you use them in printed materials, please note the author and revgalblogpals.org. If you use them in online worship and it is possible to give credit in video descriptions, that is sufficient (no need for verbal attribution). Thanks!
Prayer based on Isaiah 40:1-11 and Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13, by Kathy Swaar
Holy Word who stands forever, speak.
Speak tenderly to your people once again,
for we crave consolation.
Speak hope to us. Speak comfort.
Speak to us of eternal things: Of grace and forgiveness.
Of righteousness and salvation.
Of steadfast love and faithfulness.
Lift us up, Author of Life, into the peace of your Presence.
Open our hearts to receive and embrace your compassion and care,
that we may walk your path in newness of life.
Communion invitation & prayer based on Joel 2 (Narrative Lectionary year 3 Advent 2) by Teri Peterson
Join in the feast, all you who dream, and you who plan…
You who have visions, and you who like cold, hard facts…
In this meal we see Christ most clearly, broken and shared to make us whole.
In this meal we know the Spirit entering our own bodies, feeding us and changing us from the inside out.
In this meal we see God’s dream for the world: a feast where all—sons and daughters, young and old, heir and disinherited, slave and owner, rich and poor, brown and white—all God’s people come, from north and south and east and west, and sit at table together, sharing what God has provided.
This is not a Presbyterian table, it is the Lord’s table, and it is God who invites you to know grace and mercy and love, served up in bread and wine.
Let us pray.
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, ruler of the universe,
for you have planted your goodness deep within us all,
and shown us the way to return to you.
Though our hearts are often hard, and our minds closed,
still you call out
through prophets and through peasants,
through rooted and refugee,
through parent and child,
through word and witness.
You lived among us to offer us new life:
life filled to the brim with grace,
overflowing in honour and acceptance and love.
As we feast together,
we remember those who are pushed aside from your table.
We seek a glimpse of your heavenly banquet,
a vision of your kingdom,
seeing you at every table
that we might be strengthened to begin that work here on earth,
moving aside, making room,
lifting up voices long silenced,
admitting that your Spirit knows no bounds
and your Word is living and active, even now.
Prepare us, O God,
to receive your good news
in bread and wine,
in a baby in a manger,
in the story of our neighbour.
Even now, you call us to return to you,
hearts broken by what breaks yours.
Transform our brokenness into openness.
Pour out your Spirit,
and make us doers of your word,
builders of your dream,
the Body of Christ, ready to love, serve, and care for the world.
We pray in the name of the One who is to come, Jesus the Christ, who taught us to pray together…
~~~~~
Musical Suggestions:
Softly and Tenderly (Will L. Thompson) recalls the “speak tenderly” language of the Isaiah text, and verse 1 would work well for a choral call to confession.
If this is a Communion Sunday, Gentle Shepherd, (words and music by Bill and Gloria Gaither) would be appropriate following the sermon or as a lead-in to the Sacrament.
RevGalBlogPals encourages you to share our blog posts via email or social media. We do not grant permission to cut-and-paste prayers and articles without a link back to the specific post. For permission to use material in paper publications, please email revgalblogpals at gmail dot com. For Worship Words, you may use or adapt what you find here, but please credit the author in printed orders of service/web publications and in public video descriptions if possible.
If you have written words for worship in this strange new world that you are willing to share, please send us an email: revgalblogpals at gmail dot com.
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