Peace

Prayer of Preparation: O God, we continue to hope in your promise that your light will come to transform our lives and the life for the world. Your coming is neither past nor future, but the present, which has only to reach its fulfillment. Help us to be open to your shaping of our lives. Grant us the grace to live now, in the hour of your Advent, in such a way that we may be your light in the world. Amen.

Lighting of the Advent Candle

Voice 1: In Advent, we wait upon the Lord: awaiting signs of hope, peace, joy, and love. We gather this morning in hopeful expectation. We gather to give praise to God for the promise that the Christ child will be born to us again this year.

Voice 2: We gather this morning with anticipation, awaiting God’s light in our lives, awaiting God’s presence that comes to the dark places in our hearts and in our world. Yet, we confess that the ways of God sometimes overwhelm us. So we must turn to one another and share our stories to find the strength and courage to fulfill our calling.

Voice 1: Today, we light two candles as a reminder that we do not wait alone. We keep each other company, nurturing that which lies deep within each of us and remembering that God’s promise is closer than we realize, and that God’s promise is soon to be fulfilled.

Sat. Worship 2014

Call to Worship

We gather with anticipation of this Advent season.

We gather and watch, sharing our stories with one another.

We wait for Christ to enter our lives in a new way.

We watch for the signs of God’s light in our world.

We gather to hear the good news and to gather strength for the times to come.

We wonder at God’s work in the world, and wonder what God will do next.

Prayer of Confession

O Holy God, in your presence and in each other’s company, we confess that our lives and the life of the world are cast in shadow by what we do and by what we fail to do. But we know a light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not over come it. Forgive us, O God. Heal our weakness and fears. Give us the strength to grow in the love we lack. Remind us that you are coming into our lives in a new way – illumine our souls with the first glimmers of the coming light of Christ. Amen.