leadinginworship

HIV/AIDS Advent Peace Prayer

Dear God, you proclaimed your presence to Mary and Joseph

and walked with them to Bethlehem.

This advent, we listen for your voice;

we ask you to walk with us in our HIV/AIDS filled world.

We pray expecting your presence among us!

Be with all who live with the effects of this disease.

Be with those who wait to die because they have no access to medication.

Be with children who received HIV as a legacy from their parents.

Be with orphans and families who have lost loved ones.

Be with countries who have millions of citizens with HIV/AIDS.

Be with all who are stigmatized and ignored because they have this virus.

Be with politicians and corporate executives who control access to affordable medications.

Be with researchers and scientists who work to find a cure.

Be with healthcare workers and caregivers who comfort and encourage.

Be with all who have lost hope because of HIV/AIDS.

Lord, we hear the angel's song of peace!

Fill the hearts of people around the world with good will

so that together we can work for justice and healing

for all who suffer from HIV/AIDS.  Amen.

Praying on a Windy Day

On this wind-swept day

my prayer is a kite

rising from outstretched arms

stringing taut and fast

up with sailing clouds

up with soaring hawks

my kite swoops

in the high blue

writing thank-you

thank-you.

Waiting in the Waiting Room

A loved one’s heart attack is like a closed door;

he is on that side and we are on this side.

The door opens with the sudden collapse.

Ambulance attendants act as ushers.

Now we are in the waiting room waiting

and he is on the other side of the door

in ICU having a heart attack.

 

The waiting room is suspended in time

every minute stretching out and back

“we were just eating dinner…”

“he was just telling us about work…”

every minute stretching out and forward

“when will we hear something?”

“what’s happening now?”

every person jumping when someone walks by

“It’s just the janitor.”

“It’s just the people from the lab.”

every quiet moment a prayer

“Let him be all right.”

“Let him get better.”

 

The nurse enters with hopeful words,

“You can see him now.”

One by one we go through the big steel door,

shocked by the morass of tubes and wires

mentally peeling off the breathing tube, the IVs

to uncover the one we love.

A quick glimpse and back to the waiting room.

 

Time passes and the doctor enters.

He has a sober look on his face.

Cushioning words--     “I’m sorry to tell you this…”

another closed door--    “he’s had another heart attack.”

that will not open-- “and we lost him.”

ever   “I’m sorry.”

 

Waiting in the waiting room

as we gasp for breath

as we clasp each other for dear life

staggering with loss, wild with grief.

Tears flow.  Hands hold heads

as we catch our careening minds

and anchor them to the new reality

of a closed and locked door.

He is on that side and we are on this side.

 

God of closed doors,

God of what is on this side

and what is on the other side,

be with us as we wait

for our turn through the door

in a world that has become a waiting room. 

The Starry Host

For the starry host of heaven

for the velvet black of night

for the moon a brilliant circle

for the clouds reflecting light

for the land in silence resting

for the stillness everywhere

for the dew like grace descending

for the fragrance in the air;

for God is in the evening

for Christ is drawing near

for the Spirit now is longing

to make beauty's presence clear.

When a Friend Sins Grievously

The fall of high regard

leaves us dizzy and disoriented.

Esteem and trust plummet

as disappointment blossoms darkly.

God of dark places,

can you fathom the human heart?

Is our dismay a faint echo of your own?

 

Give us the courage of Bethlehem

to walk in this one’s shoes.

Give us the strength of the desert

to resist great temptations.

Give us the grace of Cana

to love with free abandon.

Give us the joy of Jericho,

to offer fellowship freely.

Give us the hope of Bethany

to expect new life miracles.

 

God of the here and now,

after this great fall,

from the bottom up,

empower us to be your people

loving your people.

Save Us: A Prayer for Hostages and Captors

Hear, Lord, the prayer of hostages!

Prayers spoken through teeth clenched in fear,

prayers courageously floating on a tide of despair,

prayers that are a slender thread of hope.

Lord, we join our voices with all captives,

crying for freedom and return.

We cry for an end to the nightmare

of each soul in captivity.

 

Creator God, touch the hearts of captors,

recall to them the sacredness of each life in their hands—

keep them from doing more harm.

Prince of Peace, work your miracle of transformation;

out of situations of unspeakable violence,

bring healing, bring hope.

Holy Spirit, strong dove of comfort,

you go where we cannot.

Fly straight to imprisoned and imprisoning hearts

with a message of love.

A God who Grieves

When I am beside myself with grief--

Jesus, you are there beside me.

When my mind reels and I feel like I’m falling—

Jesus, you are the fixed point that does not move.

When grief’s bands tighten around my chest—

Jesus, you are the oxygen I breathe.

When the ache in my heart is the only thing I feel—

Jesus, save me.

You who wept with sorrow and with fear,

thank you for staying with me in this hour,

this hour of grief.

God at the Last

At the last kiss,

at the final true laugh,

at the bottom of the body’s decline,

at the mind’s last conscious thought,

at the moment when love vanishes,

at the end of all remembering,

be the God at the last.

Be the God of wrinkled bodies and stooped shoulders,

the God of vacant eyes and open mouths,

the God of incontinence and shaking.

Be the God who holds the hand,

the God who soothes the brow,

the God who whispers words of comfort

and the God who hums a lullaby

until the last sleep falls.

Saviour in a Swampy Land

There’s a swamp of secrets here

stretching as far as the eye can see.

Secrets, crossed over with lies, half-submerged,

the muck of deception clings close

and there is something rotten in the state of grace.

You speak about your life, lightly,

and politely comment on the weather.

Your eyes tell a different story.

You are mired here, bone-mired,

in mud that will not let you go.

You are trapped and alone

and this may be the end.

 

It’s no good talking about the wise man

who built on the rock.

It’s no good talking about the disciple

who walked on the sea.

It’s no good talking about the tree

planted by streams of living water.

What we need is a Jesus

like an amphibious tank

a thousand horsepower strong

roaring into view

spinning mud like geysers

clambering across every obstacle,

against all odds,

in this bleak landscape

a vehicle of hope.

Prickly Prayer

God, I have entered the irritation zone.

In the irritation zone,

conversations always rub me the wrong way,

nothing is where I left it,

everyone is being inconsiderate to me

and it is all taking too much time.

 

In the irritation zone,

my skin feels like its crawling,

my stomach is a tight ball,

my hands want to bang things

and my voice finds a sharp edge to every word.

 

In the irritation zone,

I can’t imagine myself in another place.

I am wrapped up in my own affairs,

I cannot stand the people I love

and I feel like I would rather do anything than pray.

 

In the irritation zone,

I can find only prickly prayers.

I pray for things to go my way,

I pray for you to fix what’s wrong

and I feel like a spoiled child.

 

In the irritation zone I expect you

to tell me to pull up my socks,

to quit being a whiner,

to think about someone else for a change,

to stop being such a loser.

 

A still small voice,

calm as a benediction:

Eat something.

Get some sleep.

You’ll feel better tomorrow.

Abusing a Precious Gift

When all is not what it seems,

when evil masquerades as good,

when it seems the wrong path is calling us,

Jesus, we need your help.

 

When sexually explicit images appear before us,

when curiosity and desire urge us to linger,

when it seems innocent just to look,

Jesus, we need your help.

 

When we make sexual comments in a social setting,

when our words make another uncomfortable,

when it seems funny at the time,

Jesus, we need your help.

 

When affection turns to passion,

when we are not committed in marriage,

when it seems there’s no point in waiting,

Jesus, we need your help.

 

When sexual desire sparks inside us,

when we know we are committed to someone else,

when it seems harmless just to imagine,

Jesus, we need your help.

 

When we touch someone who does not want to be touched,

when we trespass where we should not go,

when it seems that no one could prove it happened,

Jesus, we need your help.

 

When having sex is all about me,

when we give hardly a thought to our partner,

when it seems normal to live this way,

Jesus, we need your help.

 

When we want to act on our sexual desires,

when that person is a child,

when it seems that they will never remember,

Jesus, we need your help.

 

When we use our sexuality carelessly,

when we abuse this precious gift,

when we are confused and broken,

Jesus, your help saves us.

Advent Prayer for People Living with Violence

At this time of year as we sing “Silent night”

with its echoes of calm and heavenly peace,

we say a prayer for all who live in homes

where peace is absent.

We pray for children who live with fear,

whose homes are not a place of safety,

who live with beatings, both physical and verbal.

We pray for seniors and other vulnerable people

whose caregivers do not care

as they are neglected or degraded.

We pray for all who are emotionally abused,

and who are not loved, honoured and cherished.

We pray for women who have had to flee their homes

or are afraid to flee their homes.

We pray for women and men who have been sexually violated,

and who are haunted by terrible memories

and a continual fear of violation.

May love’s pure light this season empower us

to come to the aid of your hurting people.

We join together to sing Alleluia and thank you

for your grace that transforms our world.

In the name of the Holy Infant,

Christ our Saviour, Amen.

Benediction: Pitched, Peeled and Poised

Go into your week

with your ears pitched

to the sound of God’s voice calling your name.

Go into your week

with your eyes peeled

for the face of Jesus in unexpected places.

Go into your week

with your soul poised

to receive the Spirit of God,

the Spirit of Peace.

From the Brokenhearted

Such a good idea, the family.

Generations supporting each other,

the network of love binding us together,

stronger than any genetic tie.

How can such a good idea fall so flat?

Here’s the damage:

broken trust

broken vows

broken feelings

broken futures.

We are all broken up about it.

We know, God, that you can break into our lives

--we’ve let everything else break in.

And so this is a prayer

from the broken hearted:

take all the little bits and bind them together

find every chip, fill every fracture

--we long for the mended family.

Friendly Call to Worship

Here we are Lord !

We've come today to this worship service for many reasons;

we've come because we need to meet you,

we've come out of habit, or because someone made us come,

we've come because we hope the music will lift our spirits,

we've come because we are hungry for your word,

we've come because we want to see our friends,

we've come because we want to make friends,

we've come because you are the friend we need most of all.

Here we are--touch each person here with your presence,

shape us into the church that you want us to be. Amen.

Morning and Evening Prayer

As night falls

as I lay my body down

as muscles relax,

take, Lord, the burdens of the day,

hold, Lord, my loved ones in safety,

remove, Lord, all clinging fears,

give, Lord, the sweetest dreams,

grant, Lord, a restful sleep

in Jesus’ name.

 

As the dawn rises,

as I lift my body up,

as I prepare for this day,

take, Lord, my hand and lead,

hold, Lord, me back from temptation,

remove, Lord, all selfishness from me,

give, Lord, strength for my tasks,

grant, Lord, that I may serve

in Jesus’ name.

Heavyhearted Prayer

My heart is heavy.

Heavy like a bulky suitcase carried too long,

Heavy like the pressure at the bottom of the pool’s deep end,

Heavy like feet at the end of a long day’s walk,

Heavy like carrying bad news to a friend,

 

Lifter of the heavyhearted, hear my prayer.

Help me to remember the strength that first lifted

    and bore the weight easily.

Help me to remember the sweet surrender of diving

    and the adventure of going deep.

Help me to remember the lightness of step

    at the beginning of a purposeful journey.

Help me to remember how even bad news

    is endured together in love’s embrace.

You are the God of the heavyhearted and the lighthearted,

keep me near your heart this day.  Amen.

God save the Children

God, save the children tonight.

Save them from empty stomachs and hunger pangs.

Preserve them from beatings and harsh words.

Protect them from bullets and bombs.

Shield them from sexual abuse.

Guard them from pain and disease.

Shelter them from anger and discord.

In their innocence, grant them peace.

 

God saves the children tonight.

Saves them when someone sends food for body and soul.

Preserves them when a neighbor intervenes.

Protects them with peacemakers who make peace.

Shields them with caregivers  who find safe places.

Guards them through workers who provide clean water and vaccinations.

Shelters them through protectors of the rights of the innocent.

The wide scope of God’s providence

brings salvation to the children

in the actions of all who work for peace tonight.

Old Friends

Thank God for old friends

who take the long view—

who are not startled by temper flares

or momentary lapses of judgement.

The ballast of high regard

floats all ships:

you think well of me

and I strive not to disappoint.

 

Thank God for old friends

who see the lighter side,

who take great pleasure in double takes,

in funny accidents and awkward moments.

The helium of humour

lifts all spirits

as laughter shakes us up,

and we cannot catch our breath together.

 

Thank God for old friends

who hold out a steadying hand—

who are there with open ears

and sympathetic shoulders.

The engine of constant love

moves all mountains

as we share each other’s burdens.

Long-time God of friends, thank you for my friends.

Anniversary Prayer

God of love, thank you for marriage

and the way love’s face

changes with time.

 

Thank you for love’s beginning;

the tidal pull that draws together

as sure as sea and shore,

the beauty of that meeting,

its strength and intense fragility,

sweet as an apple blossom

pale in the moonlight.

 

Thank you for love’s deepening;

the confidence that grows

with a thousand leavings and greetings,

the hardiness of belonging,

its ability to survive storm and drought,

resilient as supple branches

swaying in the wind.

 

Thank you for love’s maturing;

the companionship that develops slowly,

forged in the hot and cold of everyday life,

the power of lives intertwining,

its quality of sturdy faithfulness,

delicious as a ripe red apple

after a day’s long hunger.