Index
of 1st QuarterIndex
of 1st Quarter
Invocation or Call to Worship (from Luke 1:47-55 )
O Lord, let our spirits rejoice. In these moments of worship let us feel the mercy of the God which has gone from generation to generation. In these moments of worship let us know that our God has filled those in need and has sent those who are filled only with greed away empty. Let us worship in Joy and fill our spirits. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
O Dear God, we admit that we are often fascinated by the rich and famous. We admit that we often pattern our lives on those folks who are constantly in front of us on TV or in print. O Lord, we just do not appreciate that the world is kept going not by the famous, but by the mundane. We fail to see you in the obscure moments and persons around us. We keep expecting You to be found in the newest situation or in the next person overtaken by fame. O Lord, we confess that we are blind to the fact that You are with us in the smallest and quietest ways. Help us to love being un-noticed for You and help us see you in the ordinary next to us. Amen.
Prayer of Dedication
Long ago, Dear God, you raised up a small town and made it great even though it was small and hidden. We ask You to take these gifts and raise them up and make them do great things. Take these moments of joy and anticipation and help them add to the gifts we give each other. Remind us that we celebrate the greatest gift of all. Amen.
Pastoral Prayer
O Lord, this is a magic day for many of us. The children among us are counting the minutes waiting for Your birthday with true excitement and the child in all of us feels that. Keep these moments of anticipation pure. Keep these moments of joy uncontaminated. Make these moments a way of coming closer to you.
Lord, do not let this celebration of Your birthday and the feelings that surround this time of year be mere sugar plum fairies dancing in our heads. Do not let the myths and customs and economic haste of this season become a way to loose sight of You. For after all this is a happy day for You Dear God, a day when Your son came to us, a day when you emptied yourself and became one of us. Let that joy speak to those buried in misery. Let that joy light the lives of those trapped by loss and sadness. Let the joy of Jesus be a part of our lives. Amen.