Sunday Prayers - Advent 2 - Dec 6

Approaching God

Welcome & Announcements

Prelude

Advent 2 Call to Worship

Advent 2 Reader:             “Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.””

All:    In the beginning was the Word—spoken and breathed, a promise made and kept. God’s promise is true! The Word was in the beginning, and through Him all things come into being.

Advent 2 Reader:     Eternal and near at hand, already and not-yet, God’s promise is the foundation of all life. Speak out, giving voice to God’s peace that passes all understanding.

~2 Purple Advent candles are lit~

Hymn

Prayer of Adoration and Confession

Guide:                  Eternal God, whose power is absolute and abounds throughout the universe, we gather before You in this peaceful place of praise and prayer. We have set apart this time in our lives to worship and adore You. We have responded to Your call and continue to bless Your Holy Name.
People:                 Precious Father, we confess all of our sins to You. For years, we have stored up bitterness in our hearts and allowed pride to damage our souls. We have hurt other people with our spite and disappointed You with our misdeeds. We have sinfully fulfilled our selfish desires by casting aside Your sacred commandments. Forgive us, Gracious God, for we repent of our ugly ways and tarnished faith. Hear us now as we personally seek forgiveness from You.

- SILENCE -

Guide:                  Merciful Lord, You permit us to call upon Your Son Jesus for help, healing, and wholeness. He alone grants us forgiveness and salvation through His sacrificial death on the Cross. In Christ, we are pardoned and forgiven, reconnected to Your Kingdom and restored to Your everlasting favor. In Christ’s own precious words, we continue to pray, saying, “Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER” (debts/debtors).

Promise of the Gospel

Guide: Jesus is the King of Creation and the Lord of our lives. We did not give this honor to Him. God bestowed upon Jesus all authority on Earth and in Heaven to forgive our sins, to restore us to God’s blessing, and to be welcomed into His Eternal Kingdom. So let us rejoice and be truly thankful, for Jesus is our One, True, and Only Savior, both now and always. Amen.

Gloria Patri (sung in unison): Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Amen.

Anthem

Children’s Sermon

Encountering God

Prayers for Health and Healing
Pastor:                 Your healing love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your strength is like the mighty mountains, and Your justice like the great deep. We humbly pray that You will preserve our lives and our loved ones. Your unfailing love and mercy is precious to us. May our families and friends find refuge in Your presence and the healing of all that harms them.
People:                May we regain our health and strength from the abundance of Your power; may You grant us our petitions and delight us with Your grace. For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light; through Your peace, we are released from pain; by Your love we are set free from our fears. Hear us now as we pray.

Silent Prayers for ourselves and others.

Pastor:                 Living and Gracious Lord, continue sending Your love to those who need You, and allow Your healing to be granted to those most cherished in our hearts. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.
(Healing Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 36)


Prayer for Illumination
Reader :               Holy Spirit, challenge and change us through the truths that these sacred scriptures reveal. Move our hearts and show us how to fulfill Christ’s message in our daily lives. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (unison – led by pastor):       Lord Jesus, You know us completely and perfectly understand everything about our lives. We often fail to fulfill our service and devotion to You, and yet You still allow us to receive the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation. With humble and sincere thanks, we offer You our time, talents, and money. Take these tokens of our gratitude and bless them for the continuing life, work, and ministry of Your Church in this community, across this nation, and throughout the world. In Your Precious Name, we pray. Amen.

Communion

Hymn

Benediction (unison):    May Christ protect us from our sinful nature and keep us on His Holy path; may the Father continually cultivate our faith through His Love and Grace; and may the Holy Spirit enable us to go out into the world to effectively witness to God’s kingdom, glory, and power. Both now and forever. Amen.

Doxology & Postlude