M I S S I O N T I D E

A time for deepening our understanding of what

it means to walk by faith and not by sight

 

THE PROCLAMATION OF THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH

 

WE ARE THE PEOPLE

 

WHO HAVE HEARD GOD'S "YES" TO OUR LIVES,

 

 

WHO HAVE RECEIVED "GRACE UPON GRACE"

 

AS WAVE  AFTER WAVE OF GOD'S LOVE CLAIMS US.

 

WE ARE THE PEOPLE OF GOD, THE CHURCH, WHO HAVE SAID

 

 "YES" TO GOD'S "YES,"

 

WHO HAVE SEEN THAT SAVING WORD IN JESUS CHRIST;

 

WHO HAVE FELT THAT HEARTWARMING EMBRACE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT.

 

 

WE ARE THE PEOPLE

 

WHO REMEMBER OUR MOTHERS AND FATHERS IN THE FAITH,

 

 WHO CROSSED THE RED SEA,

 

TRIUMPHED OVER THE CROSS,

 

AND FOUND A WAY TO SAY

 

THIS GRACE-FILLED "YES" EVEN TO US.

 

WE ARE THE PEOPLE OF GOD, THE CHURCH,

 

WHO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS MEMORY IS IN OUR HANDS

 

TO PRESERVE AND PASS ON TO GENERATIONS UNBORN,

 

NOT MERELY IN WORDS AND RITUAL, BUT IN THE WILLINGNESS

 

TO LAY DOWN OUR LIVES FOR EACH OTHER.

 

 

WE ARE THE PEOPLE

 

 WHO CONFESS THAT WE HAVE OFTEN

 

SEEN OUR OWN NEEDS FIRST,

 

BEEN DEAF TO THE PAINFUL CRIES OF THE OPPRESSED,

 

TASTED AND PREFERRED THE SWEET SECURITY

 

 OF OUR OWN SANCTUARIES TO THE

 

BITTER WINDS OF THE OUTSIDE WORLD,

 

AND AFRAID TO TOUCH THE HURTS

 

OF OTHERS FOR FEAR THAT THEY MIGHT BE CONTAGIOUS;

 

WE ARE THE PEOPLE OF GOD, THE CHURCH,

 

IMPERFECT, BUT CHANGING,

 

UNWISE, BUT LEARNING,

 

INCOMPLETE, BUT GROWING.

 

 

WE ARE THE PEOPLE

 

WHO HAVE SEEN A SAVIOR WE CANNOT UNSEE,

 

HEARD A PROMISE WE CANNOT FORGET;

 

WE ARE THE PEOPLE OF GOD, THE CHURCH, AND WE KNOW

 

 IN OUR HEARTS THAT SALVATION AND SERVICE ARE INSEPARABLE,

 

THAT OUR MISSION IS TO THE WORLD,

 

IN THE WORLD, BUT NOT OF THE WORLD,

 

AND THAT WE WILL NOT FAIL.

 

+++

Leader: The Kingdom of God is like a grain of mustard-seed

small, when sown, but grows to become

 the greatest of shrubs.

 

PEOPLE: SO MAY IT BE WITH US.  MAY THE SEED OF FAITH

           WITHIN US GROW INTO MANY ACTS OF LOVE. 

 

ALL: AMEN

 

+++

 

O God,

Sometimes I like my own little world too much,

especially when I act as though I am the only person in it.

I am not sure I want "Thy Kingdom to come," if it means

mine has to change too much.

Yet, I know that I cannot remain the same always,

and I do not want everyone around me to remain the same either.

I want to grow as a person

and I want those I care about the most to grow, too.

Inform my values,

broaden my concerns,

strengthen my spirit,

deepen my dedication.

Help me to become a better person.

Amen.

 

+++

 

O God,

I want to live in a way that makes me alive to

everything around me and within me.

I have tasted the kind of death that comes

from being surrounded by insensitive, "dead" people.

What is worse, I have tasted the death that comes

when I have been insensitive to all that is alive around me.

I do not want to be a walking corpse, dead before my day.

Help me to do more than merely exist.

Help me to fully live the life you have given me,

so that when physical death does come it will not be The End,

but a New Beginning,

through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

 

+++

 

Dear God,

You have come to claim your people in many ways:

You led us out of bondage into the Promised Land;

You have us commandments to help us shape our lives;

You were present in the throbbing words of the prophets;

And you came to us as a person in Jesus of Nazereth.

We confess, though, that we do not always recognize you when you come:

We sometimes prefer bondage, where it seems safe;

We ignore your commandments, thinking they are merely mortal words;

We turn deaf ears to your prophets, preferring teachers who suit our own likings;

And we are like those on the Road to Emmaus,

who did not even know Jesus was with them.

Give us eyes of faith that see beyond the disguises you wear

when you come to claim us.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

+++

 

From the Sarum Primer, 1558

 

God, be in my head, and in my understanding;

God, be in my eyes, and in my looking;

God, be in my mouth, and in my speaking;

God, be in my heart, and in my thinking;

God, be at my end, and at my departing.

Amen

+

A D V E N T

A time of anticipation that One will come who knows

our needs and limitations and will help us overcome them

+

C H R I S T M A S T I D E

A time of acceptance of the gift of love in the realization

that in each new Act of Love, everyone's love is renewed

  +++

E P I P H A N Y

A time of sharing love received in a way

that will overcome human needs and limitations

+

THE PROCLAMATION OF PURPOSE

We gather to worship to claim our reverence for Life.

YOU HAVE TAUGHT US TO LOVE, DEAR GOD,

BY FIRST LOVING US.

You have revealed to us that every person has value.

AND WE HAVE COME TODAY TO RECLAIM THOSE MOMENTS

WHEN WE HAVE BELIEVED THAT WITH ALL OUR HEARTS.

+

O God,

You are the one who knows the life

that is alive deep inside of me.

As for me,

my own behavior baffles me.

I do not always do what I really want to do,

even when I know in my heart what is right.

Often I have the will to do good,

but not the power.

There is a part of me that starts out each day

seeking the good life.

Yet, at the end of the day it is sometimes difficult

for me to recognize my own self.

It is an agonizing situation and I yearn to be

set freefrom all that threatens and limits me.

Show me the way out,

through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen

(based on Romans 7:14 JBP trans.)

+

When I am honest, O God, there is a battle

going on inside me. It is a battle between

past, present, and future.

Often, every threatening memory I have ever had

seems to rise to be faced again.

Is it true that the only way I can turn loose of those

kind ofmemories is by remembering them?

Is it true that, in reality, remembering

is a critical step toward forgetting?

Remind me that you are the One who knows my

memories even better than I do and you are

the One who loves me, memories and all.

Amen

+

O Creator of All,

We have allowed ourselves to be trapped

by things we should master.

Our love of money turns us into puppets.

Our thirst for power makes un heartless.

Our hungry pride tempts us

to misuse and abuse others.

We can justify almost anything in the name

of a good time, which we easily convince

ourselves we have deserved.

We have fallen captive to that which

we were meant to control.

And, what is worse, we magnify our sin

by spreading the gospel of these false gods

where we have the most influence,

in our families.

Help us in our struggle to know the difference

between the gods wecreate and

the One who has created us.

Amen

+

O God,

there are so many things I want to try, but do not.

Sometimes I feel limited by my fear and I remain

in the little box someone else has created for me.

Sometimes I feel that my abilities are limited

and that I am destined never to improve.

Sometimes I feel limited by my age.

Is there too much time left or too little?

I do want to do something worthwhile with my life.

Help me to know the difference between

a right and a privilege;

an obligation and a responsibility;

a temptation and an opportunity.

May I know my parameters so well

that I can grow because of them.

Amen

+

O God,

too much of life is consumed in hostility.

Yet, we are never comfortable with hate,

not our own or anyone else's.

Show us again how love can break through

any barrier, dissolve hate, and bring even

the lion and thelamb together.

You have shown us howlove

always wins and never loses,

always finds and never loses,

always saves and never loses.

Teach us to make love, all kinds,

and not war, any kind.

In the name of the Prince of Peace.

Amen

+

Dear God,

I need help with today.

My whole being sometimes wanders into tomorrow

or next week or next year, but deep down

I know I can only live one day at time.

It is a struggle, though, Lord.

I must plan for the future or

I might fall behind in everything I have to do.

It is like having to be in two places at once!

Save me from the anxiety and frustration

of not being able to do everything at once.

Help me to give the proper respect

to where I am now and

to take the next step with a trusting heart.

Amen

+

O God,

We confess that while we like to think of ourselves

as modern people and progressive thinkers,

we are often afraid of change.

We know that Christ calls us to be

transformers of the world and, yet,

too often in our insecurity we are merely

protectors of the status quo.

We are so busy trying to keep our lives

comfortableand secure that wefail to see the

possibilities for growth you are constantly offering us.

Remind us, O Lord, that growth requires change

and that we can continue to grow

no matter what our age.

Help us to understand

that only as we allow ourselves

to be open to creative change

can newness of life take place in us

as persons and as a people.

Amen

+

L E N T

A time of personal examination as to how

we have kept our agreement to love

+

THE GETHSEMANE PRAYERS

O God,

We have been in the darkness too long,

unable to see the light, incapable of finding the way.

In that darkness we have hidden our insights,

nursed our sorrows, and honed our grudges.

The darkness has blinded us and made us

timid of heart, weak of spirit, and lonely of soul.

Jar our memories, open our eyes, loosen our tongues,

give us confidence to share out of the depths

of who we really are.

If a time should come when we see clearly

the truth, but lack the courage to do it,

please, Good Lord,

if it is possible, let that cup pass from me,

but if not...Amen

+

O God,

There are timesI feel hopeless and afraid;

confused and not sure about anything.

What difference does my life make

in the midst of such a vast universe?

Sometimes, thoughts of my own death

stir-up feelings of doubt and uncertainty.

I feel that I am going in circles

rather than toward a destination.

In the midst of my unsureness I become

impatient with those who are closest to me.

If it is possible, let that cup pass from me,

but if not...Amen

+

Dear Lord,

You have shown me what a bridge love is

across my wild rivers of anger and

my deep valleys of mistrust;

how it can tame that

uncompromising beast, Guilt.

You have shown me how love

warms without burning,

cools without chilling,

holds without crushing.

Whenever I may be hungry,

love can fill my emptiness.

Whenever I may be wounded,

love can heal.

However down I may feel,

one touch of its pleasure

can make me a saint.

There are times, though, when love

expects more of me than I have to give.

If it is possible, let that cup pass from me,

but it not...Amen

+

O God,

You so generously give us life,

the freedom of choice,

sunrise in the morning,

sunset in the evening,

and all the time there is.

We confess that our schedules often

crowd out appreciation of these gifts.

Everyday living requires such a serious

investment of ourselves that we often

neglect the time to laugh and play.

Then, when sorrow comes

and despair engulfs us,

all our strength seems drained from us.

If it is possible, let that cup pass from me,

but if not...Amen

+

Dear God,

You know that there are times when I have

more questions than I do answers.

I seem trappedby my own inability

or reluctance to make a decision.

I am afraid of the consequences.

I want a guarantee that everything

will work to my benefit.

There are times when I hope that

someone will take over for me and

times when I know I must do it myself.

If it is possible, let that cup pass from me,

but if not...Amen

+

Dear Lord,

I, too, can feel the excitement in the

long-awaited coming of One who can change

shadows into sunlight,

despair into hope,

and even death into life.

With all inhibitions downI could join in the

parades,

processionals,

and testimonials

for such a person.

If I were to be asked, though,

to join with such a person on a march

that could lead to

rejection,

negation,

and maybe even death,

I am not so sure.

If it is possible, let that cup pass from me,

but if not...Amen

+

 E A S T E R T I D E
A time of realization that even in the face of crucifixion
love survives, deepens, and raises us to new heights

+

 THE EASTER PROCLAMATION

I BELIEVE

THAT MY LIFE IS A GIFT,

THAT IT KEEPS COMING AND NEVER ENDS;

THAT MORE THAN ANYTHING I POSSESS OR CONSUME,

IT IS LOVE ALONE THAT MAKES IT WORTH LIVING.

I BELIEVE

THAT I AM LOVED,

BY PEOPLE NEAR AND FAR, YOUNG AND OLD;

THAT LOVE CAN BE A MEMORY,

LOVE CAN BE A TOUCH,

LOVE CAN BE A WORD SPOKEN IN TRUTH,

BUT WHENEVER AND HOWEVER IT HAPPENS,

IT, TOO, COMES AS A GIFT AND RENEWS MY LIFE.


I BELIEVE

THAT I CAN LOVE,

MYSELF,

PEOPLE WHO ARE LIKE ME,

PEOPLE WHO ARE DIFFERENT FROM ME.

I CAN DO IT WITH MY WHOLE BEING,

BODY, MIND, AND SPIRIT.

I BELIEVE

THAT IS WHAT LOVING GOD IS ALL ABOUT

AND THAT IS PRECISELY THE WAY GOD

KEEPS GIVING LIFE BACK TO US.

GOD LOVES US BACK TO LIFE!

AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN!

AMEN

+

O GOD OF GOOD FRIDAY AND EASTER,

OVERCOME OUR WILLINGNESS TO TAKE LIFE AS IT IS,

RATHER THAN SEARCH OUT ITS NEW POSSIBILITIES.

WE HAVE BEEN DEADENED BY HARD REALITY

AND COLD FACTS LONGER THAN WE CARE TO ADMIT.

GIVE US BACK THE LAUGHTER,

THE ENTHUSIASM,

THE OPTIMISM,

THE DREAMS,

THAT HELP US FIND SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN ONCE AGAIN.

ROLL THE STONE AWAY FROM OUREMPTY HEARTS.

FILL US WITHLOVE AND ENABLE US

TO BE TRULY ALIVE ONCE MORE.

HELP US TO SEE OURSELVES AS YOU SEE US,

AS YOUR BLESSED CHILD.

AWAKEN US FULLY TO THE NEW MORNING

THAT HAS BROKEN THIS DAY,

THROUGH JESUS CHRIST,

WHO HAS BECOME OUR SAVIOR.

AMEN


+

O GOD,

WE HAVE BEEN EASTER CHRISTIANS FOR TOO LONG.

WE JOINED THE PROCESSIONS

AND SHOUTED OUR HALLELUJAS FOR AWHILE,

BUT NOW WE SPEND TOO MUCH OF OUR TIME

AS BYSTANDERS AND ONLOOKERS.

FORGIVE US WHEN WE LOOK DOWN ON THOSE FIRST

FOLLOWERS WHO ABANDONED JESUS THE NEARER

HE GOT TO THE CROSS. WE ARE TOO MUCH LIKE THEM.

         FORGIVE US FOR AVOIDING THE CROSSES AND

REACHING FOR THE CROWNS.

SHOW US AGAIN THAT FAITH CAN HANDLE BOTH.

AMEN

+

CREATOR GOD,

WE TURN TO YOU IN OUR GRATITUDE AND PRAISE.

IN EVERY LEAF THERE IS THE WONDER OF CREATION.

IN EVERY SUNRISE THERE IS THE MYSTERY OF A NEW DAY.

WITH EVERY BREATH WE EXPERIENCE

THE MIRACLE OF LIVING.

SLOW US DOWN SOON ENOUGH

 AND QUIET US LONG ENOUGH

THAT OUR AWARENESS OF YOU MAY FLOW

INTO RIVERS OF GRATITUDE AND SONGS OF PRAISE.

OPEN OUR EARS TO THOSE WHO CAUTION US

THAT WE ARE ENDANGERING LIFE ON THIS PLANET.

WAR IS AN INADEQUATE ANSWER.

CARELESSNESS IS A POOR COMPANION.

OPEN OUR EYES TO SEE OPPORTUNITIES FOR POSITIVE CHANGE.

OPEN OUR LIVES TO LIVE CARINGLY,

SO THAT OUR CHILDREN AND OUR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN

WILL LIVE ON A BALANCED AND BOUNTIFUL EARTH.

IN THE NAME OF THE RISEN CHRIST,

AMEN


+

O LORD, WE ARE THANKFUL FOR ALL THAT THE PAST HAS BEEN.

ITS MIXTURE OF JOY/SORROW, PAIN/HEALING, AND GUILT/FORGIVENESS

HAS MADE US WHAT WE ARE THIS DAY.

WHATEVER THE NIGHT MAY BRING,

WE HAVE LEARNED TO AWAIT THE NEW DAY

THAT COMES WITH THE BRIGHTNESS OF LIFE-GIVING LOVE.

HOWEVER LONG THE DROUGHT, NEW LIFE COMES TO US

AS THE SPRING RAINS THAT WATER THE EARTH.

FROM THE ALTARS OF THE PAST, O LORD, HELP US

ALWAYS TO TAKE THE FIRE AND NOT THE ASHES.

IN THE NAME OF THE ONE WHO SHOWED US THE WAY

FROM THE CROSS TO AN EMPTY TOMB

AND CHANGED SUNSET TO SUNRISE.

AMEN


+

ALMIGHTY GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE HAVE NOT LOVED

AS WE HAVE BEEN LOVED, NOR HAVE WE GIVEN

AS FREELY AS WE HAVE RECEIVED.

WE HAVE HEARD YOUR CALL. WE HAVE SEEN YOUR WAY.

YOUR LIFE IS ALL AROUND US AND WITHIN US.

YET, THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN WE HAVE RESISTED YOUR SPIRIT.

WE HAVE BEEN SLOW TO LOVE.  WE HAVE FORGOTTEN HOW TO BELIEVE.

FORGIVE WHAT WE HAVE BEEN. HELP US TO CHANGE WHAT WE ARE.

BY YOUR HOLY SPIRIT DIRECT WHAT WE SHALL BE,

THAT THROUGH JESUS CHRIST,

WE MAY BECOME THE PEOPLE YOU HAVE CALLED US TO BE:

YOUR BLESSED CHILDREN.

AMEN

 +

O GOD, HELP US TO SAY THE WORDS

THAT JESUS SAID FROM THE CROSS,

"FATHER, INTO THY HANDS I COMMEND MY SPIRIT."

OTHERS HAD DONE VIOLENT THINGS TO HIS BODY,

AND THE CROSS IS A THREAT TO US ALL, O LORD.

EVEN HIS MIND HAD BEEN PRESSURED BY THE EXPERIENCE,

AND ALL OF US FEEL THE TENSION OF DECISION-MAKING

LIKE HE FELT IN GETHSEMANE.

BUT HIS SPIRIT WAS HIS OWN AND IN THE END

HE COMMITTED IT ANEW TO YOU,

WHO, ALONE, CAN LOVE US BACK TO LIFE.

MAY WE LEARN FROM THAT, O GOD.

WE, TOO, ARE BODY, MIND, AND SPIRIT.

NO ONE CAN TAKE OUR SPIRIT FROM US,

NOR CAN IT EVER BE DESTROYED.

WE THANK YOU FOR AN EASTER EXPERIENCE

THAT MAKES THAT CLEAR.

AMEN


+

DEAR GOD, WE CONFESS THAT TOO OFTEN IN WORSHIP

WE CENTER ON OUR PETTY NEEDS AND SHALLOW HOPES

TO THE EXCLUSION OF MUCH THAT CAN STRENGTHEN OUR FAITH.

HELP US TO SEE OURSELVES THIS DAY

AS PART OF THE PEOPLE OF FAITH OF ALL AGES.

EVEN BEFORE THE TIME OF JESUS,

YOU WERE PREPARING FOR JUST SUCH A BODY OF FOLLOWERS

AS THE CHURCH, EVEN THIS CHURCH.

LONG AFTER WE ARE GONE, OTHERS WILL COME WILLINGLY

TO CARRY THE BANNER OF TRUTH.

MAY WE LIVE AS THOUGH WE KNOW OURSELVES

TO BE VITAL LINKS FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT

IN PRESERVING THE BONDS OF LOVE

THAT MAKE LIFE WORTH LIVING.

AMEN

+

 PENTECOST

   A time of actualization in which

we vow to live what we have heard

+

This is a New Day.

AND WE ARE A NEW PEOPLE.

If we listen carefully we can sense

the rushing wind of the spirit,

THAT WARMS OUR HEARTS AND

GIVES US TONGUES OF FIRE!

+

O Giver of Life,

We are the People who have heard a word we cannot unhear;

we have felt a warmth that cannot be chilled;

even a fire that will not be quenched.

It moves among us,

connecting us

to one another,

despite our different languages,

our different races,

our different loyalties,

our different religions,

our different cultures:

It is a word, a warmth, a fire

that cleanses with the gentleness of a spring shower,

that finishes like a fine carpenter sands rough wood,

that warms our hearts in a way that bonds us as One---

And no one can stop it from happening,

for at the heart of all Creation is a Unity

we are still discovering,

which instinctively we know will save our civilization.

Let us meet at that Center,

combining all the experiences that have made us who we are,

and sharing the many ways we have

heard that word,

felt that warmth, and

been illuminated by that fire.

Amen.

+

O God of the still, small voice,

we confess that during Pentecost

we spend too much time talking about your Spirit

without opening our lives to receive its many gifts.

We feel its fire burning,

but we quench its flame.

We feel it moving among us,

but we harden our hearts.

Breathe in us the fire of a Spirit that cannot be quenched.

Fill us with a love that pours freely from us

and never runs dry.

Through this Spirit of Love

raise us up from death itself and give us

a new heart,

a new hope,

and a new life,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

+

O GOD,

We are yearning for the rushing wind of the Spirit

that warms our hearts and gives us tongues of fire.

Wind and fire often make us fearful, though.

They can require more of us than we have to give.

We confess that too often 

fear breeds only pious chatter;

too often fear is the fire that burns. 

Too often fear deafens us

to the promptings of the Spirit.

Relieve us of our pretense.

Give us ears that truly hear;

hearts that are truly open.

May we sense that the rushing wind of your Spirit

comes on wings of love;

that its fire warms without burning;

that it can give us a new heart, a new hope, and a new life;

that these dry bones can live anew;

that the wind and fire of your Spirit

can raise us up from death itself,

through Christ our Lord,

Amen

+

O God,

We do not know how to pray as we should.

Help us to replace worn-out phrases

with feelings that run deep and truly communicate.

Forgive us when our prayers

become an exercise or a duty

or a way of shielding ourselves from reality.

May we not desire to hide from life,

but to find ourselves within it.

May we not vainly seek tasks suited to our strength,

but strength more suited to our tasks.

May we not panic in the presence of silence,

but learn to listen more and better.

Help us to hear the truth not only in the

"earthquake, wind, and fire,"

but also in the "still, small voice."

Amen

+

O God,

There is a part of me that only you and I know about.

Sometimes I find it hard to share that part of myself with anyone,

but you know me better than I know me.

You know the hidden depths and the strong yearnings.

Even when I look bad to everyone else,

you know what I am going through on the inside.

And, what is more, you save me from the awful death

of judging myself.

You are the one who makes sense of my sighs and groanings

and ignites, again, the flickering flame of my spirit.

Thank you for your love and forgiveness

that heals and makes me whole.

Amen