A PRAYER FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT OT

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT  OT

Isaiah 11:1-10

11 A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,

    and a branch shall grow out of his roots.

2 The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,

    the spirit of wisdom and understanding,

    the spirit of counsel and might,

    the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

3 His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.

He shall not judge by what his eyes see,

    or decide by what his ears hear;

4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,

    and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;

he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,

    and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

5 Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,

Come O Spirit of The Lord 

Rest upon a weary people

and bring us a spirit of wisdom and understanding

We are a people who look and see not

We see the bright lights of success and riches

not the hungry and homeless

We hear the praise and clamor of work and play

not the cry of the widow or the orphan

Come You who judge not by sight 

but by justice

who will fill the bellies of those who hunger

and give all who need shelter a safe home

Come O Spirit of The Lord 

Rest upon a weary people

and bring us a spirit of counsel and might

We are a people who listen but hear not

We arm ourselves as persons and nations

against enemies real and perceived

We are more ready to take life than give it

more willing to conquer than encourage

Come You who judge not by hearing 

but by shalom

who will break the bow and sword

and teach the ways of peace

Come O Spirit of The Lord 

Rest upon a weary people

and bring us a spirit of knowledge 

and the fear of the Lord.

We are a people who know only ourselves

We fear only getting what we have not

and using any means to obtain it

We boast that we fear no one or nothing

puffing our chests in false bravado

Come You who judge not by idol worship  

but by fear of The Lord

who will instruct us in God's ways

and show us the paths of righteousness

Come O Spirit of God

Bring us the spirit of wisdom and understanding,

  the spirit of counsel and might,

    the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

Amen

A PRAYER FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT OT

A PRAYER FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT OT

Matthew 3:7-12

7 But when he(John) saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 9 Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 “I baptize you with[b] water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with[c] the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

We confess, Lord Jesus

We are but barren branches 

on a tree 

dying in the orchard

rotten fruit falling to the ground

You planted us to yield 

a living and loving life

that would pollinate many 

peoples and places 

growing and thriving

Instead our branches bear

only thorns and thistles

full of anxiousness and

self-centered ness

without flower or seed

Swing your ax

down upon us

to clear your orchard

of dead trees

and wasted space

We confess, Lord Jesus

We are no more than chaff

laying on the threshing floor

gleaned from the scythe

from the field at harvest

You planted us in your fields

to become the stewards

of your creation

Nurture and protect 

our earth and its inhabitants 

Rather we rot upon the vine

feeding only vultures

to hover over and devour

our oceans and plains

deer and lamb

Pitch into us your winnowing fork

and clear away spoilage

that corrupts everything 

and everyone

we touch and see

Forgive us

and redeem us

Christ Jesus

that we may flower and grow

bear fruit as your followers 

and feed all those who hunger

  

Forgive us

and redeem us

Christ Jesus

that we may bring forth

an abundant harvest

of justice and peace

Amen 

A PRAYER FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

A PRAYER FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

OT

 Isaiah 2

3     Many peoples shall come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

    to the house of the God of Jacob;

that he may teach us his ways

    and that we may walk in his paths.”

For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,

    and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

4 He shall judge between the nations,

    and shall arbitrate for many peoples;

they shall beat their swords into plowshares,

    and their spears into pruning hooks;

nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

    neither shall they learn war any more.

Come, Jesus of Nazareth 

Come and lead us to your house

on the mountain of truth

For we are a people run wild 

in the streets

Arming ourselves

against stranger and neighbor

Fearing the violence 

hiding behind our fortresses

Come, Jesus of Nazareth 

Come and lead us to your house

on the mountain of justice

Arbitrate between the rich and the poor

the mighty and the weak

Raise up the trampled

strengthen the weary

Turn out the gluttonous 

lower the powerful

Come, Jesus of Nazareth 

Come and lead us to your house

on the mountain of peace

For we are a warring people 

arming ourselves for conquest 

Nations rising up against nations

fortifying to beat back invaders

Abandoning the widows and the orphans

to survive on their own

Come, Jesus of Nazareth 

Come and lead us to your house

on the mountain of shalom

Break our swords

bend our guns

shatter our storehouses

of death and destruction

May we learn not the ways of war

but study the paths of peace 

Come, Jesus of Nazareth 

Come and lead us to your house

on the mountain of love

For we strain to know one another

preferring to nod as an acquaintance 

and not as a neighbor 

Avoid knowing or caring 

desiring distance to intimacy

safety to risking

Come, Jesus of Nazareth 

Come and lead us to your house

on the mountain of reconciliation 

Break down the walls 

that divide us 

Bring us together as one

One people

One faith

One God

Come, Jesus of Nazareth 

Come and lead us to your house

on the mountain of justice

and peace 

shalom 

and righteousness 

Amen

A PRAYER FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

A PRAYER FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

NT

Matthew 24:36-44

36 “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39 and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. 42 Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day[b] your Lord is coming. 43 But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

Is the flood coming today Lord?

We're not ready!

We heard the rumors

read the news

listened to the preachers

kept up on stuff

thought we were ahead 

Can't you wait a bit 

give us a heads up

let us know 

when to start preparing 

building our ark

Is the flood coming today Lord?

We're not ready!

We checked our calendars

looked at our schedules

tried to look ahead

clear some time

adjust our itinerary

Can't you hold off a little

make it a more convenient time

send us an email

or a Google alert

so we can make time

Is the flood coming today Lord?

We're not ready!

We have so much to do

things to take care of

errands to run 

jobs to do

crises to negotiate 

Can't you make it more convenient

fit it in better for a time 

when we can give it our full attention 

be better focused

ready to be on task 

Forgive us O God

for not being ready

at any and every moment

to prepare for your coming

Forgive us O God

for not being willing 

at any day or time

to welcome your coming

Forgive us o God

for not wanting

today or tomorrow

to be ready for your coming

Come Lord Jesus

Come

Come today

Come tomorrow

Come forever

Amen

A PRAYER FOR CHRIST THE KING SUNDAY

A PRAYER FOR CHRIST THE KING SUNDAY

Jeremiah 23:1-6

(NRSV)

1 Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord. 2 Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the Lord. 3 Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the Lord.

We are sheep

Wandering from hillside to hillside

Looking for pastures to lie in

Dipping into streams for refreshment

We follow shepherds who tend us

Following their voice 

Leading us this way and that

Over the hills and down to the rivers

We pray to feel safe in our pasture

Safe from the wolves who would devour us

Safe from the winds that would destroy us

Safe from the worries that would deter us

O Where

O Where is the Shepherd

The One who can defeat the wolves

and calm the winds and soothe our worries

O Where

O Where is the Shepherd

The One who can lead in green pastures

and beside still waters

It is you

Lord Jesus

You are The One

You are The One who sends the wolves 

on the run to keep us safe

You are The One who stays the winds

and calm us in the storm

You are The One who holds us close

and gives us moments of peace

You are The One who fills our hunger

and quenches our thirst

You are The One

Lord Jesus

We praise you

We thank you

Shepherd and King

Amen

A PRAYER FOR THE 25th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

A PRAYER FOR THE 25th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Psalm 98

4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;

    break forth into joyous song and sing praises.

5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,

    with the lyre and the sound of melody.

6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn

    make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord.

7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;

    the world and those who live in it.

8 Let the floods clap their hands;

    let the hills sing together for joy

9 at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming

    to judge the earth.

He will judge the world with righteousness

Do you hear it, Lord

That's us

Your creation

singing to you

Every wave that breaks upon the shore

Every wind that howls thru the trees

Every drop of rain that beats upon the earth

all are singing

PRAISE TO GOD

OUR GOD

CREATOR OF ALL

Every beast of the field 

Every creature in the sea

Every bird aloft

Lift their voice 

Lions roaring

Cattle stampeding

Whales singing

Eagles soaring

join the chorus

PRAISE TO GOD

OUR GOD

CREATOR OF ALL

Every mountain and forest

Every river and stream

Every field of wheat and corn

raise their anthem

Summits pointing heavenward 

Rapids bursting and bubbling

Waves of Amber, stalks growing

harmonize with all

PRAISE TO GOD

OUR GOD

CREATOR OF ALL

Every person

Every nation

Every community

chant your name

Seeking calm in the chaos

Seeking shelters from the storm

Seeking peace amidst the wars

cry unto you

PRAISE TO GOD

OUR GOD

WHO GIVES US LIFE 

SUSTAINS OUR LIFE

RESTORES OUR LIFE

PRAISE TO GOD

OUR GOD

WHO METES OUT JUSTICE

BENDS THE BOW

AND ESTABLISHES PEACE

PRAISE TO GOD

OUR GOD

WHO HEARS EVERY CRY

WHO COMFORTS EVERY HURT

WHO HEALS EVERY WOUND

PRAISE TO GOD

OUR GOD

NOW 

AND EVERMORE

AMEN

A PRAYER FOR THE 26th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

A PRAYER FOR THE 26th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 

Luke 21:5-19

NRSV

7 They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” 8 And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’[a] and, ‘The time is near!’[b] Do not go after them.

9 “When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.” 10 Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; 11 there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.

12 “But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. 13 This will give you an opportunity to testify. 14 So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; 15 for I will give you words[c] and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. 17 You will be hated by all because of my name. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your endurance you will gain your souls.

This is the way the world ends

This is the way the world ends

This is the way the world ends

Not with a bang but a whimper.

(T S Eliot)

It feels like the end of the world, Lord

 

So many people are running around

Crying that the sky is falling

Everything is falling apart

Doomsday is here

Prepare to meet your make

Everyday we look

There is chaos and crisis

Nobody can manage

All is up for grabs

Where can we hide

Where are we safe

What can we go

Turning and turning in the widening gyre

The falcon cannot hear the falconer;

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

(W. B. Yeats)

It feels like the end of the world, Lord

There is nothing to hold onto

Nothing secure

Nothing sure

Nothing sacred

Our cries go unheard

Our panic undiminished

Our prayers unanswered

What can we do 

What can we say

What can we pray

14 So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; 15 for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict.

Praise you Lord Jesus

Praise you for the words

you give us

Words of love instead of hate

Words of assurance instead of fright

Words of peace instead of war

Words of friendship instead of mistrust

Praise you, Lord Jesus

Praise you for the wisdom

you give

Wisdom to know truth to hold onto 

Wisdom to know the path to take

Wisdom to know when to be silent

Wisdom to know when to speak

19 By your endurance you will gain your souls.

Praise you, Lord Jesus

Praise you for the endurance

you give us

Endurance to face our enemies

Endurance to walk through the flames

Endurance to withstand every storm

Endurance to stand at the last

Praise you, Lord Jesus

Praise you for standing

ever beside us

In our moments of loss

You are there

When we are lost

You are there

In the beginning

and at the end

You are there

Praise you, Lord Jesus

Forever and ever

Amen