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Tag Archives: Easter 5B

Living as the Vine and Branches in the Era of COVID-19: A Worship Liturgy

13 Wednesday May 2020

Posted by mictori in Current Events, Liturgy, Pop, Quarantine Liturgy and Prayers

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

1 Corinthians 12, Body of Christ, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Easter 5B, Easter 6A, John 15, Liturgy, Prayer, Prayers, Vine and Branches

yellow-vines-on-gray-concrete-wall-1029609

This week, I’m going off lectionary to continue to preach on the challenges of COVID-19.  I suppose I feel called to preach on the John 15 text that we see in Easter year B.  As part of the sermon, I will be using the 1 Corinthians 12 “Body of Christ” text as well.

Entry into Worship
Like a vine wrapped around a fence,
the Divine thrives in our world.
Like each flourishing branch of the vine,
we, too, blossom in our connection to God and neighbor.
Even though we may be worshiping in individual spaces,
Through the Spirit, we are forever united.
When the complete vine suffers, we all suffer together.
When humankind struggles, we all struggle together.
May we see our well-being as a piece of the whole
and as connected to God and neighbor.

Invocation
God of Connections, in this world of isolation, bring us closer together in ways we’ve never previously experienced.  In this world of heartache, call us to use words and deeds to bring comfort to our neighbors.  Grant us the lens to see our siblings across this world as a part of our realm.  May we balance our desire for fierce autonomy with a growing sense of the covenant we have with you and neighbor.   Amen.

Prayer of Reconciliation
Loving God, Divine Connector,
Right now, we have few opportunities to look into the eyes of our neighbors-
from friend to stranger
and from those who bring us comfort to those who bring us uneasiness.
Because of this physical distance, we are forgetting the great connection between all of us.
We make decisions based only on our needs.
We dismiss concerns, ailments, and the despair of our neighbors.
We forget their health is connected to our health,
and their prosperity is tied with ours.
In this season of wilderness, may we see that loving our neighbor as ourselves is a piece of your Great Commandment,
and may we begin to see how the well-being of all are linked.  Amen.

Assurance of Grace
The God of Humankind, our Great Connector, continues to open our spirits to the needs of our neighbors.  God continually pours grace upon our souls, calling us to new beginnings and hope-filled futures.  Amen!

Reflection on Giving
The Divine Connector, Christ, the Great Vine, calls us to see how our actions impact the lives of others.  God our Connector directs us to how our treasures, talents, and time are best used in this season.  Even in this time of quarantine and wilderness, we are being asked to give as we can to our neighbors, our community, and our congregation.  By our contributions, we promote healing between neighbors and gratitude for what God has given each of us.

In this spirit of thanksgiving, we pray together,

Holy Binder, you yearn for your children to join together for the well-being of all.  You desire that each of us shares our gifts for the unity of your kin-dom.  With gratitude, we celebrate the treasures, talents, and time we contribute to our church and community.  May our work and our gifts nourish each branch on the Great Vine.  Amen.

Benediction
May God, the Great Connector, open our souls to the ones across our cities.
May Christ, the Great Vine, open our hearts to the ones across our states.
May the Holy Spirit, the Great Soul, open our minds to the ones across our country and world.
We are many branches on the one Great Vine.
Love and care for the people connected to this Vine as if each of our well-beings depend on it.
Amen.

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A Service for the Vine and the Branches – Easter 5B

28 Saturday Apr 2018

Posted by mictori in Church Life, Liturgy, Pop

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Tags

Easter 5B, Jesus, John 15, Liturgy, progressive Christian, progressive Christianity, vine, Vine and Branches, worship

IMG_7971CALL TO WORSHIP
One: I am one.
Many: But all of us are connected.
One: Each of us offers unique gifts.
Many: Our gifts pooled together build the Body of Christ.
One: I am only a branch.
Many: But your branch is part of Christ’s vine.
One: Let us celebrate uniqueness and relationships.
Many: We are one, but together we create God’s kin-dom.

OPENING PRAYER (unison)
God of the individual parts and God of the whole, we celebrate our distinctive beliefs and efforts. At the same time, we celebrate the great covenant we have with all of your children. Open our eyes to see the ways our gifts create a better world. Amen.

CALL TO RECONCILIATION
One: Who is absent from our church? Who is absent from our communion tables? Who are the people we have excluded from our church family? Let us turn to God and each other with open arms and hearts.

PRAYER FOR RECONCILIATION (unison)
God of everyone, you are present in the lives of all your children. There is not one person who you do not love. You also ask us to love everyone, yet we feel that we must qualify who comes into our lives and our worship space. There are still people in our minds that we believe shouldn’t be a part of our congregation. Help us to see that they are also created in your image. Shape our hearts to welcome the unexpected visitor, stranger and enemy. Through you, we see that all people are your children. Amen.

ASSURANCE OF GRACE
One: God is God of all. No exceptions! Let us be an example of what Christ’s unconditional love looks like in our world. Amen!
All: Amen!

SCRIPTURE
John 15:1-11 & 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

INVITATION TO OFFERING
One: Through our combined efforts, we create a stronger church and community. In our gratitude, we share our treasure with the Body of Christ and beyond.

PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Eternal Source of Light and Love, we give thanks for the gifts you bestow upon us. We are grateful that you call us to use these gifts to build a just-filled world. May your spirit embolden us to use these gifts to bring more love into our communities. Amen.

BENEDICTION
One: Through the stirrings of the Holy Spirit, we go on separate paths,
But the winds of the Spirit bring us back together.
We are individuals, unique, but we are one in Christ.
May the love of God unite us today and throughout this week.
All: Amen!

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