Sermon Text: Psalm 148
That praise will be our characteristic language
Exalted God, we exult in You and delight to join our voices to the cosmic chorus that praises You without end. We praise You as creatures of your making and as caretakers of this earth through which You provide for and nourish us.
We sing with joy of your splendor and of the beauty and order You have created. Your energy and ingenuity are beyond our imagining, but we express our gratitude as fully and artfully as we can.
We sing with passion. We welcome, with hearts aflame, the One You have given us as Savior, Teacher, Model, Friend and Sovereign.
Do not let our voices be stilled. Let praise of You be the language that characterizes our daily lives and our corporate worship. Let every aspect of our lives match the praise we offer. Amen.
Thoughts, and prayers from Pastor David Antieau at St. Nicolai United Church of Christ
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Prayer for December 19-25, 2010
Sermon Text: Matthew 1:18-25
That we will receive You in trust when trust is risky
God, our God, we rejoice that You have come among us in Jesus Christ. We rejoice that through Jesus we have forgiveness of sins and friendship with You. We rejoice that in the drama of salvation, women and men like Mary and Joseph were sensitive to your guidance and placed their lives at your disposal in spite of many risks.
Present One, give us such sensitivity to your guidance that however You speak to us—through dream or prophet, through song or scripture, we will receive your word, receive You, and place our lives in your care for the achievement of your purpose.
God, we praise You for your tenacious love. We praise You for the ingenuity with which You have drawn us to You by coming among us. We praise You that You are still among us and that You are our Source of life that is filled with peace and joy. Amen.
That we will receive You in trust when trust is risky
God, our God, we rejoice that You have come among us in Jesus Christ. We rejoice that through Jesus we have forgiveness of sins and friendship with You. We rejoice that in the drama of salvation, women and men like Mary and Joseph were sensitive to your guidance and placed their lives at your disposal in spite of many risks.
Present One, give us such sensitivity to your guidance that however You speak to us—through dream or prophet, through song or scripture, we will receive your word, receive You, and place our lives in your care for the achievement of your purpose.
God, we praise You for your tenacious love. We praise You for the ingenuity with which You have drawn us to You by coming among us. We praise You that You are still among us and that You are our Source of life that is filled with peace and joy. Amen.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Prayer for Christmas - December 25, 2010
Christ Candle Prayer
Reading: Matthew 1:18-25
O God, You have visited us in Jesus, your Chosen One. You have come close to us. You have looked us in the eye. You have spoken our names. You have offered forgiveness, healing, friendship, comfort, peace, joy and love as gifts of your presence, gifts of salvation.
We welcome Jesus in whom we see your perfect image and fullness. We welcome Jesus as Savior, Instructor, and Example. We welcome Jesus as our Light and Life.
Give us the mind of Christ. Fill us with the Spirit of Christ. Let the world see and know Christ Jesus through our living witness.
Reading: Matthew 1:18-25
O God, You have visited us in Jesus, your Chosen One. You have come close to us. You have looked us in the eye. You have spoken our names. You have offered forgiveness, healing, friendship, comfort, peace, joy and love as gifts of your presence, gifts of salvation.
We welcome Jesus in whom we see your perfect image and fullness. We welcome Jesus as Savior, Instructor, and Example. We welcome Jesus as our Light and Life.
Give us the mind of Christ. Fill us with the Spirit of Christ. Let the world see and know Christ Jesus through our living witness.
Prayer for Advent 4 - December 19, 2010
Advent Candle Prayer (PEACE)
Reading Isaiah 35:1-10
God of Peace, in our world of turmoil we look to you for peace. We look to the One You have promised as Prince of Peace,* and we trust that He will be your Agent to create peace in our world of conflict and hatred.
Let the promised and enduring peace of Jesus overcome our many anxieties.^ Fill us with your peace that passes understanding.# Enable us to learn the reconciling ways of Jesus so that we may bring your peace to relationships that are fractured by anger, competition, prejudice, greed and jealousy.+ Because of your promises, we await with hope the day when your unending peace will fill the earth.** Amen.
*Isaiah 9:6; ^John 14:27; #Philippians 4:7; + Matthew 5:9; **Isaiah 9:7
Reading Isaiah 35:1-10
God of Peace, in our world of turmoil we look to you for peace. We look to the One You have promised as Prince of Peace,* and we trust that He will be your Agent to create peace in our world of conflict and hatred.
Let the promised and enduring peace of Jesus overcome our many anxieties.^ Fill us with your peace that passes understanding.# Enable us to learn the reconciling ways of Jesus so that we may bring your peace to relationships that are fractured by anger, competition, prejudice, greed and jealousy.+ Because of your promises, we await with hope the day when your unending peace will fill the earth.** Amen.
*Isaiah 9:6; ^John 14:27; #Philippians 4:7; + Matthew 5:9; **Isaiah 9:7
Friday, December 10, 2010
Prayer for Advent 3 - December 12, 2010
Advent Candle Prayer (JOY)
Scripture readings: Isaiah 35:1-10, Psalm 146, Luke 1:47-55
You who rejoice over your people with singing,* we sing and say our praise to You with great joy.
We rejoice because You have called us by name and made us your people. We rejoice because of your great acts of mercy and forgiveness on our behalf.
We rejoice because of the hope you give to those who are lowly, those who cry for justice, those who cry out for healing and freedom. We rejoice because You welcome and care for those who have been abandoned by their friends, families, and congregations.
God of joy, we rejoice that You are with us and that You are creating a realm in which joy will flow without limit. We will rejoice in You forever! Amen.
*See Zephaniah 3:17
Scripture readings: Isaiah 35:1-10, Psalm 146, Luke 1:47-55
You who rejoice over your people with singing,* we sing and say our praise to You with great joy.
We rejoice because You have called us by name and made us your people. We rejoice because of your great acts of mercy and forgiveness on our behalf.
We rejoice because of the hope you give to those who are lowly, those who cry for justice, those who cry out for healing and freedom. We rejoice because You welcome and care for those who have been abandoned by their friends, families, and congregations.
God of joy, we rejoice that You are with us and that You are creating a realm in which joy will flow without limit. We will rejoice in You forever! Amen.
*See Zephaniah 3:17
Prayer for December 12-18, 2010
Sermon Text: Luke 1:47-55
That our hands and hearts will be open to our many neighbors
Mighty God, many of us can make no claims of humility in our attitude or means. We are proud of our hard work and our skillful management of resources. We are proud of the lives we have shaped. We are proud to be good citizens of a wealthy and powerful nation.
Few of us are wealthy compared to our near neighbors, and it is easy to overlook our wealth when compared to distant neighbors we do not see. So we often fail to see ourselves for who we actually are.
In spite of all that we have, we are often fearful and anxious. We forget what You have done for us and fear loss and deprivation.
We are not eager for a reversal of fortunes on a broad scale because we fear that we may lose our privileged status in the world. We do not want parity or justice that will cost us too much.
God, in spite of our anxiousness, we want Jesus to be present in our lives even when Jesus judges our unfaithful pride and tries to reorient us to your will. Teach us to be confident in You, not in ourselves. Open our hands and our hearts to our many neighbors, even as we open our lives more fully to Jesus. Amen.
That our hands and hearts will be open to our many neighbors
Mighty God, many of us can make no claims of humility in our attitude or means. We are proud of our hard work and our skillful management of resources. We are proud of the lives we have shaped. We are proud to be good citizens of a wealthy and powerful nation.
Few of us are wealthy compared to our near neighbors, and it is easy to overlook our wealth when compared to distant neighbors we do not see. So we often fail to see ourselves for who we actually are.
In spite of all that we have, we are often fearful and anxious. We forget what You have done for us and fear loss and deprivation.
We are not eager for a reversal of fortunes on a broad scale because we fear that we may lose our privileged status in the world. We do not want parity or justice that will cost us too much.
God, in spite of our anxiousness, we want Jesus to be present in our lives even when Jesus judges our unfaithful pride and tries to reorient us to your will. Teach us to be confident in You, not in ourselves. Open our hands and our hearts to our many neighbors, even as we open our lives more fully to Jesus. Amen.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Prayer for December 5-11, 2010
Sermon Text: Isaiah 11:1-10
That we may be transformed into agents of justice
God of all, Jesus has come and his church has identified him as the stem from David who taught and ministered to others with wisdom and power from your Spirit. Through Jesus, You have rescued us from sin and death. Through Jesus, we have learned to respond to You with reverence and obedience.
But the justice we hope for tarries. Poor people often seem to lack an effective advocate who can enact the righteous decisions they await. Wickedness seems to spread as rapidly as weeds, entangling and limiting life that could be vital and free.
We believe You are capable of action that seems impossible to us. We believe You can create a world where predation and fear are obsolete. But that is not the world we live in at the moment. Viciousness thrives. Fear grows. Knowledge of You seems more like a collection of leaky vessels than like a great sea.
Draw nations to You. Transform the world. Transform us so that we may be agents of your justice. Amen.
That we may be transformed into agents of justice
God of all, Jesus has come and his church has identified him as the stem from David who taught and ministered to others with wisdom and power from your Spirit. Through Jesus, You have rescued us from sin and death. Through Jesus, we have learned to respond to You with reverence and obedience.
But the justice we hope for tarries. Poor people often seem to lack an effective advocate who can enact the righteous decisions they await. Wickedness seems to spread as rapidly as weeds, entangling and limiting life that could be vital and free.
We believe You are capable of action that seems impossible to us. We believe You can create a world where predation and fear are obsolete. But that is not the world we live in at the moment. Viciousness thrives. Fear grows. Knowledge of You seems more like a collection of leaky vessels than like a great sea.
Draw nations to You. Transform the world. Transform us so that we may be agents of your justice. Amen.
Prayer for Advent 2 - December 5, 2010
Advent Candle Prayer (LOVE)
Reading: Isaiah 11:1-10
Giver of visions, You who desire us more than we can expect or imagine, flood the world with knowledge of You.
Flood the world with knowledge of You that is expressed through intimacy with You: with a love that energizes and directs our entire being as a response to your own great love.
Enable us to live into the vision of peace that You have given through your prophets and that You will bring to fruition in your chosen time and through your Chosen One. Amen.
Reading: Isaiah 11:1-10
Giver of visions, You who desire us more than we can expect or imagine, flood the world with knowledge of You.
Flood the world with knowledge of You that is expressed through intimacy with You: with a love that energizes and directs our entire being as a response to your own great love.
Enable us to live into the vision of peace that You have given through your prophets and that You will bring to fruition in your chosen time and through your Chosen One. Amen.
Prayer for Advent 1 - November 28, 2010
Advent Candle Prayer (HOPE)
Reading: Isaiah 2:1-5
Holy and Glorious One, you give us hope for a future that we can barely imagine: an age when your presence and your word attract all the peoples of the world to worship You and learn from You and obey You; an age when international disputes are settled by your wise judgment; and an age when all training for war is abandoned and all implements of war are reshaped for life enhancing purposes.
We long to be part of such a future. Shape our lives for this future You are creating. We hope in You and You alone. Amen.
Reading: Isaiah 2:1-5
Holy and Glorious One, you give us hope for a future that we can barely imagine: an age when your presence and your word attract all the peoples of the world to worship You and learn from You and obey You; an age when international disputes are settled by your wise judgment; and an age when all training for war is abandoned and all implements of war are reshaped for life enhancing purposes.
We long to be part of such a future. Shape our lives for this future You are creating. We hope in You and You alone. Amen.
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