Tag Archives: Liturgy

Reformation Day/Reformation Sunday Liturgy

26 Thursday Oct 2017

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For those who may need a Reformation Day/Reformation Sunday liturgy, here is an option for you to use and, if needed, adapt.  Please attribute.  Thank you!

CALL TO WORSHIP (Inspired by Psalm 96)
One: O sing to God a new song!
Many: Sing to God, all of us throughout this earth.
One: Sing throughout our lives. In our song, bless the name of God.
Many: Exclaim God’s salvation from morning until night.
One: Declare God’s glory and marvelous works
Many: For great is God, and with excitement, we join in praise.

OPENING PRAYER
God of all time and spaces, we know that through your magnificent creative Spirit our world and our lives came into being. And yet, you are not completely finished with creation.  You continue to speak.  As you nudge us to newness, grant us renewal as we observe creation with refreshed souls.  Help us to appreciate the boldness of Jesus, Martin Luther, and other reformers throughout history.   Give us the courage to change what needs to be transformed in order for your Church to grow.  Amen.

PRAYER OF RECONCILIATION
One: Just as the world continues to revolve and evolve, the church is called to move in new directions. Yet we do what we can to place brakes on change and silence newness. The winds of the Holy Spirit are still blowing in our direction, nudging us to move forward, but we have chosen to close doors, shut windows, and ignore its urging.

Many: Forgive us when we limit you, God and when we place you and your ideas into boxes. Open our souls to the expansiveness of faith.  May we incorporate the new winds and bold ideas even when we are set in our old ways and content with our monotonous routines.  Amen.

ASSURANCE OF GRACE
No matter how many times we have slammed the door on God, God continues to knock and wants us to answer.  We are grateful for the saturating grace that God continues to pour over us.  Amen!

CALL TO OFFERING
As God calls us to cultivate the Church, God asks us to share our time, talent, and treasures. As we give present our treasures, let us spend moments reflecting upon where God may be calling us to share our time and talents.

PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Through the gifts that we have placed in these plates and the offerings that we give of our time and talents, we seek to grow the Church, God. Let us continue to find creative ways to contribute.  And may our Still Speaking God’s call entice us to not only build but reform Christ’s church.  Amen.

BENEDICTION
May we leave this place understanding that this is the beginning. May we depart today knowing that the best of our faith is yet to come. And may the exhilarating mystery of God, the courage of the Great Reformer Jesus, and the dynamic nudging of the Spirit excite us as we become reformers for the Divine.  Amen!

 

 

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A Communion Liturgy for Pentecost

01 Thursday Jun 2017

Posted by in Church Life, Holidays, Liturgy, Pop

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Service of Communion

Invitation

One: Come to this table
Where bread and cup are transformed by the Spirit of God
Into a meal of love and grace
A supper of visions and dreams
A table where all souls are welcome.

Prayer of Communion

Loving God
Whose Divine Lungs exhaled the Spirit into our World
Your breath continues to transform our world
From the still to the stirring.

Before the earth was formed
The Spirit of God swirled through voids and shadows.

As humans were created
The air of God filled the lungs of Adam
And the soul of Eve.

This Divine Air
Continues to fill us up
When our bones are dry and spirits are sluggish.

On this day of Pentecost
When we celebrate the breath of the Spirit coming upon the disciples
We invite the Spirit to come upon these elements.

God of winds, pour out your Spirit to make the elements come alive for us.
Make this meal awaken our sleepy hearts and stagnant souls.

May this time of eating and drinking be one
where we stir from our sadness and rise from our hopelessness.

May we begin to celebrate visions
And animate the dreams that have only been alive in our minds.

As we share this meal,
Let us remember our siblings in faith who came to this table

In decades and centuries past
And our children who will surround this table in the future.
Each generation uniquely celebrates your presence, Spirit of Life.

The night before Jesus died was a solemn time around the table.
Breaking bread.  Drinking from the cup.
Jesus asking to remember him in our eating and drinking.

There was a time to mourn followed by a time to dance.

After the day of resurrection
The disciples ate on the beach with the risen Christ
Celebrating new life, new hope, new vitality.

On this Pentecost, as we come to the table,
let us celebrate the Spirit of Resurrection
And the promise of a needed second-wind in our own lives.

Let us partake of this celebratory meal together.

Distribution of Elements

Unison Prayer of Thanksgiving

Spirit of God, who fed the multitudes, provided the manna in the wilderness, and blessed the elements, we give great thanks for the meal eaten and the company surrounding us.

Inspire us as we move forward this day and encourage us to transform our dreams into reality.  Amen.