Sunday Worship Prayers - Christmas 2A - Second Sunday in Christmas - January 02

Approaching God
Announcements & A Word of Welcome
Gathering & Prelude

First Hymn:

Prayers of Adoration and Confession

Guide:                         Everlasting God, whose goodness knows no bounds and whose greatness is unsurpassed, we worship Your ways and adore Your almighty power. Your will sustains the universe and Your word brings purpose to our lives; we praise You for Your faithful promises and enduring love.
People:            Merciful Father, we confess that there are times in our lives when we are mistaken, selfish, and sinful. There are moments in our days when we allow temptation, pride, and foolishness to overrule our hearts and minds. When we damage our souls with false words and faithless ways, forgive us. When we waste our talents and squander Your blessings, pardon us. Hear us now as we admit our sins to You.
- Silent Confessions -
Guide:                         Loving God, who hears our contrite pleas and listens to our confessional prayers, we place our lives and souls into the precious hands of Christ Jesus, our Savior and Your Holy Son. In Him, we seek forgiveness and pardon, redemption and restoration. Through His sacred words, we continue to pray, saying, "Our Father, Who art in heaven...THE LORD'S PRAYER” debts/debtors
Promise of the Gospel:
Guide:                         Jesus seeks to display God’s work in each of our lives. Through His sacrifice, we are reclaimed as God’s children. By His authority, we are reborn into God’s Kingdom. Let rejoice and praise Him forever! Amen.
Gloria Patri(sung): 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.
Family Sermon (parents and all children, including Elementary school students come forward)

Encountering God
Anthem

Prayers for Health and Healing
Pastor:             Let us look to the Lord for help and healing; let us rejoice in His power and grace. May God become our stronghold of salvation and fortify our faith with His goodness and mercy.
People:            May we flourish in God’s house, earnestly desiring deliverance and expecting great things from His Holy Spirit. We will trust in God’s unfailing love and hold on to His promises forever and ever.
Pastor:             Heavenly Father, send forth Your Holy Spirit to heal our broken bodies, weary souls, anxious minds, and heavy hearts. Graciously answer our prayers and bless the lives of all our loved ones with Your healing touch this day. Hear us now as we silently bring our healing prayers to You.

Silent Prayers for ourselves and others. A candle is lit
Pastor:             May we praise God for the deeds He has done, the hopes He has fulfilled, and the goodness He has given. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.
(Healing Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 52)

Singing of “Jesus Draw Me Close."

Prayer of Illumination: 
Reader:            Holy Spirit, we live in God’s presence and seek Christ’s wisdom each day. Open our hearts and minds to receive the holy lessons of faith that You would bestow upon us through these scriptures now. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

Scripture Readings

Sermon & The Apostles' Creed

Serving God
Offering & Offertory

Dedication Prayer (unison)

Lord Jesus, as we embark upon this New Year, help us to recommit our lives and resources to You. Raise our spirits and cheer our souls. Grant us the blessings of cheerful giving and loving hearts. Take our tithes and gifts for Your work in this church, and the ministries that You ask us to fulfill in Your Holy Name. Amen. 
Communion

Closing Hymn:

Benediction (unison):            May Christ write His compassion across our hearts; may the Father keep us as servants of His Kingdom; and may the Holy Spirit empower and enable us to witness to the glory of the One, Triune, and Living God, both now and forever. Amen.
Doxology May God's Blessing & Postlude

Online Worship Service: Sunday December 26

(Our church worship service was cancelled today due to snow and ice. The following is an online worship service that I've put together using the internet and youtube. Read the prayers out aloud as you go through the service and click on the links for various videos, prayers and readings. Once you have viewed or read the link, just click back for the rest of the service)

Online Worship Service

First Hymn: In the Bleak Midwinter

Prayer of Adoration and Confession

Guide:             Almighty God and Lord of all Creation, we thank You for our lives and loved ones, our families and faith. Your Presence among us enriches our souls and encourages our spirits. We are truly blessed to be Your people and to be allowed to serve Your Kingdom.

People:                        Loving Father and Eternal King, we delight in Your ways and are pleased with Your words. Your Holy Son Jesus Christ has been born among us and we are blessed with His salvation. We joyfully worship His victory over death and gladly praise His Everlasting Name. We are honored to be His disciples and feel privileged to welcome Him into our hearts.

Guide:             Gracious Lord, we know that we are imperfect, impatient, and impudent at times. We allow greed to tarnish our godliness and sin to sully our souls. We have made many mistakes and regret all of our past and recent sins. We ask for mercy and grace; we seek Your Son’s forgiveness and pardon. Hear us now as we silently make our confessions to You.

Silent confessions

Guide:             Everlasting Sovereign, we place our prayers and lives into Your hands. We surrender ourselves to Your judgment. We look to Jesus to save us from our sins, to redeem us from our wrongdoing, and to restore us to Your blessed Kingdom. In His words, we continue to pray saying: Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts/debtors). (A cute 2 year old sings the Lord's Prayer)

Promise of the Gospel

We have humbly and sincerely come before the Lord to confess our sins and profess our need of forgiveness. Our prayers have been heard on high and we are completely pardoned of all our offences to God. Jesus Christ has saved us from God’s justified wrath and we are now restored to His Everlasting Love. Let us rejoice in our salvation and praise Jesus for His mercy and grace. Amen

Children’s Sermon:         A Picture of King Egbert and the Snow Cradle

(Make up your own story to fit the picture…J)

Choir Anthem: Hallelujah Chorus at Food Mall

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor:             Loving Lord, we come to You with our worries and concerns, our health problems and homes issues, our restless spirits and weakened souls.

People:                        We look to You for strength, O God, and seek Your healing touch. We ask for Your favor to be bestowed upon ourselves and our loved ones. We pray for healing and wholeness, recovery and restoration from all that harms us in mind, body, heart, and soul.

Silent prayer for ourselves and others. A candle is lit.

Pastor:             Loving Lord, we thank You for the power of prayer, for the peace we experience in this holy place, and for the hope that You restore to our lives. May we be ever mindful and grateful of these holy blessings given to us in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Singing of Jesus, Draw me Close

Prayer for Illumination

Holy Spirit, speak to us across the centuries and through the words of God’s Holy Book. Reshape our lives in ways that will honor and please the Lord. Grant us the wisdom and discernment to receive this teaching and to apply it in our daily lives. In Christ‘s Name, we pray. Amen.

Bible readings & Homilies

Psalm 96:1-6                       Homily: Coyote Ugly by John Stuart

Titus 2:11-14                       Homily: The Storm is Coming …written by Azalaia Mathieson

The Apostles’ Creed

Offering Ourselves to God

Prayer of Dedication

Lord Jesus, we thank You for the privilege of giving from our resources to enable this church of Yours to fulfill Your ministry among our people and community. Take our tithes and gifts, our year end pledges and designated money for the work of Your kingdom. Bless them in Your honorable way and use them for Your sacred purposes. In Your Holy Name, we cheerfully and sacrificially give. Amen.

Hymn: Joy to the World

Benediction:

May we go from this holy place equipped and ready to serve God’s Son in the world. May we please the Everlasting Father with our faithful and charitable ways. And may we be continually influenced and guided by the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, to the glory of the One, Triune and Living God, both now and always. Amen.

Doxology: Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow

Christmas Prayer for Our Troops

Almighty and Everlasting God, as we celebrate the birth of Your Son in this world and experience the peace He has to offer us today, we remember our troops at home and abroad who dedicate their lives to protecting our people on this planet.

We are sorry that war is still a part of our lives and that we call upon our young people to risk their lives for us, putting themselves in harm’s way for our freedom. We pray that You will enable us one day to put an end to war and truly experience peace on Earth, so that our Christmas celebrations will be full of joy.

We pray for our troops stationed both here and abroad. We ask that You bless, protect and preserve them wherever they are located. Help us to let them know how much we truly appreciate their service and give us opportunities to care for, encourage, and embrace them.

We pray for their families this Christmas who suffer from separation and distance at this time of year. Surround them with good friends and strong families. Be near to the wives, daughters and mothers, husbands, sons, and fathers who miss their loved ones.

We also remember those who have been wounded in action, who are recovering at home or in Veterans’ hospitals. We pray for their healing, recovery, and tender care. We especially remember those who are permanently injured whether emotionally, mentally, physically, or neurologically. May they be deeply cared for and honorably respected.

We pray for our military leaders and Commander in Chief who need to make tough and unenviable decisions. We pray that You will grant them guidance and discernment to act upon the fresh challenges to peace that occur around the world.

Finally, we pray for those service families who have an empty chair at their Christmas tables that will never be filled. In the midst of their loss, surround them with caring friends and loving people. Let the real sacrifices that they have made, and still sadly experience, be humbly honored and deeply respected by all of us. May we cherish the freedom that our troops have accomplished through the giving of their lives.

Hear us now as we silently pray for those who serve our nation today and as we quietly remember those who have actively served and sacrificed in the past.

Silence – lighting of red, white & blue candle.

In the Name of the Holy One Who made the Supreme Sacrifice for the world – Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Sunday Worship prayers: Christmas 1 - First in Christmas - December 26

Approaching God

Welcome & Announcements

Gathering song & prelude

Hymn:

           

Prayer of Adoration and Confession

Guide:             Almighty God and Lord of all Creation, we thank You for our lives and loved ones, our families and faith. Your Presence among us enriches our souls and encourages our spirits. We are truly blessed to be Your people and to be allowed to serve Your Kingdom.

People:                        Loving Father and Eternal King, we delight in Your ways and are pleased with Your words. Your Holy Son Jesus Christ has been born among us and we are blessed with His salvation. We joyfully worship His victory over death and gladly praise His Everlasting Name. We are honored to be His disciples and feel privileged to welcome Him into our hearts.

Guide:             Gracious Lord, we know that we are imperfect, impatient, and impudent at times. We allow greed to tarnish our godliness and sin to sully our souls. We have made many mistakes and regret all of our past and recent sins. We ask for mercy and grace; we seek Your Son’s forgiveness and pardon. Hear us now as we silently make our confessions to You.

Silent confessions

Guide:             Everlasting Sovereign, we place our prayers and lives into Your hands. We surrender ourselves to Your judgment. We look to Jesus to save us from our sins, to redeem us from our wrongdoing, and to restore us to Your blessed Kingdom. In His words, we continue to pray saying: Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts/debtors).

Promise of the Gospel

We have humbly and sincerely come before the Lord to confess our sins and profess our need of forgiveness. Our prayers have been heard on high and we are completely pardoned of all our offences to God. Jesus Christ has saved us from God’s justified wrath and we are now restored to His Everlasting Love. Let us rejoice in our salvation and praise Jesus for His mercy and grace. Amen.

Gloria Patri (sung-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.

Children’s Sermon

Encountering God

Anthem

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor:             Loving Lord, we come to You with our worries and concerns, our health problems and homes issues, our restless spirits and weakened souls.

People:                        We look to You for strength, O God, and seek Your healing touch. We ask for Your favor to be bestowed upon ourselves and our loved ones. We pray for healing and wholeness, recovery and restoration from all that harms us in mind, body, heart, and soul.

Silent prayer for ourselves and others. A candle is lit.

Pastor:             Loving Lord, we thank You for the power of prayer, for the peace we experience in this holy place, and for the hope that You restore to our lives. May we be ever mindful and grateful of these holy blessings given to us in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Singing of ‘Jesus, Draw Me Close.’

Prayer for Illumination

Holy Spirit, speak to us across the centuries and through the words of God’s Holy Book. Reshape our lives in ways that will honor and please the Lord. Grant us the wisdom and discernment to receive this teaching and to apply it in our daily lives. In Christ‘s Name, we pray. Amen.

Scripture Readings :               

Sermon

The Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory:

Prayer of dedication

Lord Jesus, we thank You for the privilege of giving from our resources to enable this church of Yours to fulfill Your ministry among our people and community. Take our tithes and gifts, our year end pledges and designated money for the work of Your kingdom. Bless them in Your honorable way and use them for Your sacred purposes. In Your Holy Name, we cheerfully and sacrificially give. Amen.

Hymn

Benediction:

May we go from this holy place equipped and ready to serve God’s Son in the world. May we please the Everlasting Father with our faithful and charitable ways. And may we be continually influenced and guided by the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, to the glory of the One, Triune and Living God, both now and always. Amen.

Doxology & Postlude

Christmas Eve Worship Service Outline

Outline for Christmas Eve service

Prelude

Lighting of the Christ Candle & Call to Worship

Carol                “O Come, All Ye Faithful”          No. 41

Reading                   Isaiah 9:2-7      

Prayer of Adoration and Joy

Carol          “Once in Royal David’s City”     No. 49

Reading                   Luke 1:26-38    

Blue Christmas Prayer & Candle

Choir Anthem

Reading      Luke 2:1-7

Carol          “O Little Town of Bethlehem”      No. 43/44

Prayer for our Troops and lighting of candle

Reading                 Luke 2:8-18        

Carol      “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”  No.31

Reading                     John 1:1-14             

Homily                                            

Offering           Christmas Joy Offering

Offertory            

Candle Lighting & Carol

                         “Silent Night, Holy Night”          No. 60

Postlude                 

Advent 4 worship prayers - Fourth Sunday in Advent - 19 December

Approaching God

Announcements & A Word of Welcome

Family:            This is the Fourth Sunday in Advent and we seek the Lord’s blessing.

All:                  His Peace heals our pain and His Love liberates our souls.

(Lighting of Three Purple Advent Candles and Pink Joy candle)

Family:            Since we have been justified through our faith, we have everlasting peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Prelude

First Hymn:

Prayer of Adoration and Confession

Guide: Everlasting Lord, whose ways are beyond our imagining and whose will is beyond our control, we assemble in Your Holy Presence and gather to praise Your Sacred Name.

People: Almighty God, whose covenants have always been fulfilled, and whose compassion is unequalled, we gladly worship Your Power and glorify Your wonderful deeds.

Guide: Heavenly Father, when sin affects our souls and we willfully damage our spirits by yielding to temptation, enable us to humbly seek Your forgiveness, and grant us the favor of Your pardon. You alone have the authority to condemn us or forgive us, to judge us or justify us. Hear us now as we personally make our confessions to You.

- Silent Confessions -

Guide: Gracious God, You are our refuge and hiding place, our safe haven and sanctuary. Your Holy Son Jesus Christ has purchased our salvation with His own blood. We are grateful for the opportunity to be acquitted of our past mistakes and restored to Your love and blessing.  We humbly make these confessions in the Name of Jesus Christ, our Only Savior and precious Lord, in whose words we faithfully pray, saying,

"Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts/debtors)

Promise of the Gospel

Guide:  God sent Jesus into the world to heal it of all its unholiness and to reclaim creation to God's Kingdom. We know Jesus as our Savior and Christ, our Peace Bringer and Soul Restorer. So let us gladly rejoice in His perfect obedience, complete forgiveness and everlasting reassurance. In His Name. Amen.

Gloria Patri: 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.

Family Sermon (parents and all children, including Elementary school students come forward)

Encountering God

Choir Anthem

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor:             O Lord of Life, in the midst of weakness or strength, we place our hope in Your sacred words. When we are fearful or anxious, O God, we look to You for comfort and compassion.

People:                        In times of distress or despair, we will not forget Your words of holiness and healing. When our patience is stretched and our peace is broken, reassure us with Your presence and strengthen us with Your love.

Pastor:             When we fall down, or when we feel feeble or frail, do not forsake or abandon us; do not forget our pleas or reject our prayers. Compassionate Father, we appeal to Your mercy and grace and we ask for healing. Restore all our loved ones, and us to health and wholeness. Protect us from all that harms us in body, mind, heart, and soul. Hear us now as we silently pray.

Silent Prayers for others and ourselves. A candle is lit.

Pastor: Preserve us according to Your gracious words. In the Name of Jesus Christ, Healer of the World and Savior to the Nations. Amen.

(Healing prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 119:Kaph)

Singing of ‘Jesus, Draw Me Close.’

Prayer for Illumination

Reader:             Holy Spirit, release us from our fears and strengthen our faith in Jesus. Let God's word bring us closer to Him and equip us to go out into the world liberated by Your love and inspired by this message. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.

Scripture Readings

Sermon & The Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (unison)   Lord Jesus, You have taught us to cheerfully give of ourselves to You and God's Kingdom. You have sacrificed Your life for our salvation, so we gratefully bring to You these gifts and tithes, praying that You will accept them for the life, ministry and work of Your church here in this congregation, our community, and throughout the world. In Your Holy Name, we give and pray. Amen.

Closing Hymn:

Benediction (unison):

May Christ lead us each day to accomplish His purpose for our lives; may the Father's gracious love keep us always in obedience to Him; and may the Holy Spirit continually influence us so that we may glorify and praise the One, Triune and Living God, from this day forth and forevermore. Amen.

Doxology        Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; etc & Postlude