Liturgy – Page 4 – Wandering and Wondering

Psalm inspired liturgy

Sometimes it can be a challenge to write liturgy from week to week, so sometimes I need to look elsewhere for inspiration. Sometimes I find liturgy that others have written that I can use (I especially appreciate https://re-worship.blogspot.com/ ). Other times, I reach into the Biblical text, especially the Psalter. Because the Psalms were originally sung, the liturgy gathered from the Psalms practically writes itself. Here, for example, is the Call to Worship and Invocation that I am using this week, which is drawn from Psalm 18. One Psalm can often be the inspiration for a multitude of prayers, litanies, and the like. The Psalms are like a well that is fed by an unending aquafer.

Call to Worship

Pastor: In the Lord I take refuge.

People: God is my deliverer.

Pastor: God is my rock and my fortress.

People: God is my safe place.

Pastor: In the Lord, I put my hope and my trust.

People: God is my protector.

ALL: I will praise God forever more.

Invocation

O God, my protector, you are with me in all that I do: from my waking to my sleeping. You watch over me and seek to guide me. Today, in this time, wake me up so that I may witness your work and begin to see the world around me with more clarity. AMEN

An extra special resource as it pertains to Psalmody is Richard Bruxvoort Cooligan’s Psalm Immersion. His musical creations from the Psalms can be used as background for meditation, for musical prayer responses, or for deepening your perspective on a specific psalm. I encourage you to check his work out.

NOTE: You are welcome to use the liturgy in worship or educational settings. Please cite the origin sources.

Prayer of Illumination

Yesterday, we spoke literally about Illuminating the Word. Today, we are talking about illuminating the word in a more figurative sense; that is, making the reading of the Biblical text more clear and understandable.

I don’t remember growing up with a Prayer of Illumination as part of our liturgy; instead, I was introduced to this prayer when I was working in partnership with two other pastors as part of our joint planning. It was a prayer that Pastor Kathy used regularly in her liturgy and so we all agreed to use it in our planning.

Since then, I have found that this Prayer of Illumination is much like the ancient practice of Illuminating the Word through drawing. It focuses us in and gives proper attention to the importance of text. The Feasting on the Word Worship Companions include such a prayer in their liturgies and you can find them elsewhere as well. I have even used music to invite the congregation into focus before the text is read.

Today, as I continue to write my Lenten / Eastertide liturgies, I was inspired to focus on the Prayers of Illumination because I came by this quote in the book Witness: Lessons from Elie Wiesel’s Classroom by Ariel Burger.

I came to learn that my questions about the disconnect between learning and living had a parallel in Wiesel’s critique of normative education. . . The gap between humanity’s supposed wisdom and the world he lived in troubled him . . . He had many painful questions to ask, but perhaps the one that drove him to become a teacher was this: Why didn’t learning and knowledge inoculate the German people against hatred?
Ariel Burger, Lessons from Elie Wiesel’s Classroom

This made me reflect on the disconnect that is often witnessed in Christians. What we say and proclaim our belief in often varies from our actions. And so I tried to carry this marrying of concept to action as I wrote my Prayers of Illumination today.

Here are several which you are welcome to use with citation:

God, Open our ears. Open our hearts. As your inspired word is spoken, let understanding unfold within us. AMEN

God, Sometimes we trust our eyes and our mind too much. Sometimes we let what we believe we know override what you know to be true. Help us to set down our preconceived perceptions and release our understanding of the world so that your truth may be revealed. Let us release our expectations so that you can show us your way. Let us open our heart and hear today’s sacred text. AMEN

Holy One, as we hear your word read, speak into our hearts. Add in what we particularly need to hear today. Draw our focus not out into a story of old, but in toward our innermost heart. Speak to us, O God. Speak so that we might hear. AMEN

Prepare our hearts, O God. Bring us to attention so that as we hear the scripture read, we do not just hear words spoken but also receive a message from you. Open us to your purpose and calling. AMEN

Author of words divine, In the words we are about to hear reveal yourself. Greet us. Meet us as we hear this story of old. AMEN

God of eternal light, Shine your rays through the words are about to hear. Like a laser, emblazon them upon our heart so that we might ponder them long after the reading has ended. AMEN

God, Etch the words we are about to hear upon my heart. Give me pause to return to them, remember them, and revive them as I have need. Your word is my strength and my guide. AMEN

FOR EASTER – On this most blessed day, O Lord, let us witness to your word. Let us join with the people of the past, the people around the globe, and the people of the future to celebrate the wondrous story of your son’s resurrection. Let our hearts receive the good news so that we may go out into the world and live it out. AMEN

Wondrous One, Wake my heart that it may hear the word about to be read. Let me gather it like a precious woven tapestry so that I may take it out and admire it again and again and again. AMEN

Radiant God, who placed the stars in the night sky and gives them the power to shine, as we hear today’s word read bring them your radiance as well. Let us hear them and know them in ways that bring forth awe, admiration, and a change in our way of being, AMEN

Holy One, Reveal your word to us today. Let us hear your inspired word in the depths of our soul. Let it unfold within us that we may be transformed having heard it. AMEN

God of word and witness, Wake us from our sleepy ways. Shake us from our passivity. Call us to attention. Prepare us to hear your holy word and thus to become part of your living embodied message in the world. AMEN

ASSCENSION SUNDAY – Holy God, As we hear this glorious word, let us not stand and gawk. Let this word move us, propel us, and inspire us. May your inspired word not close us in, but open us up to the needs of this world and the actions that you call us all to. May these words we hear spark our internal fire of compassion, love, and justice. AMEN

Teacher, Abba, Creator, As we prepare to hear your word, let us open our whole selves to the hearing of it. As your word is read, let us not just prepare to store it as a memory, but instead let it flow through us, changing us as it does. Let your word not fade from our memory, but become a part of us and who we are going forward. AMEN

PENTECOST SUNDAY –Holy Spirit, as you alight on our hearts today inscribe the words we are about to hear upon it. Let them not leave us when the reading is complete, but let them continue to form and inform us long after our time today. AMEN

Do you use a Prayer of Illumination in your worship? Do you find such a prayer helpful?

Please feel free to share any that you would like to for others to use below.

Lenten Planning

Today, I finally packed away the final Christmas ornaments (except the one I said I would keep out to remember Jesus’ birth throughout the year), Epiphany is in full force, and I’m in full Lenten planning phase.

*The Christmas ornament that I held out from my birth-father and his wife.*

I try to finish my planning within my blocked out planning time, but this season, it just didn’t pan out. I continue to fill in the blanks, but I have gotten pretty far and should be ready long before March 5th.

Here is a glimpse into the overall theme:

And here is a Call to Worship and Invocation from the series:

CALL TO WORSHIP (based on Psalm 51 & 103 – DMA)

Pastor: We come to you, O Lord, imperfect, but hungry.

People: We trust in your steadfast love and take hope in your abundant mercy.

Pastor: We turn to you, O Lord, recognizing that too often we turn away.

People: We trust that indeed you are merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in compassion and lovingkindness.

Pastor: We desire, O Lord, your wisdom in our inmost heart.

People: We open ourselves to you.

INVOCATION (DMA)

Creator, Meet us here. Meet us now. Walk with us on our Lenten Journey. Continue to create us and form us in your likeness. Let our very being act as an offering to you. AMEN

If you are a pastor, what are you considering for this Lenten season?

If you are not a pastor, what would you hope to hear in church this spring?

NOTE: If you ever would like a template that I’ve created, please just ask. I’m happy to share. If you would like to use a prayer, piece of liturgy, or poem for educational or religious reason, please just cite me as the author.

Economic Justice Sunday

This Sunday we are holding an Economic Justice Sunday as we kick-off our drive for our mission trip to Maine this summer to repair houses through MATE.

For that worship service, here is a Call to Worship and an Invocation:

CALL TO WORSHIP – Based Psalm 69

Pastor: Save us, O God. The water is up to our neck.

People: We are sinking with nowhere to place our feet.

Pastor: The water is deep

People: and our voice is being drowned out in the tumult.

Pastor: Hear, O God, our cumulative cries.

People: Respond to those in peril and send angels to their sides.

Pastor: If we are among the troubled, bring us peace and justice.

People: If we are among those already in peace, bring us purpose and perspective.

INVOCATION: –

Holy One, In our time together this morning, press open our hearts to the pain and pressures of life that others are bearing. Let us hear the cries of those being overwhelmed by the world around them. Shake us from complacency. Move us to action. Forgive us when we justify inequity. Inspire us to act as your emissaries in this world, and let us become a part of your healing balm. Be with us as we are awakened to and reminded of the harsh realities that exist in world today. AMEN

And they went home by another way

Balthazar as he prepared for his journey.

Meet Balthazar.

Balthazar is by tradition the name of one of the Magi that visited Jesus when he was born (The Bible does not actually tell us their names names or even how many their actually was of them.). In our church, Balthazar has been quite busy over the past several weeks. He has been out on an epic adventure. It was anyone’s guess if he would manage to return in a timely fashion for our Epiphany celebration (Even I was not 100% sure).

On the first Sunday of Advent, we set him out on his journey by handing him to one of the children during chancel steps. Since then he has been traveling from family to family. As each person received him, they signed the card and then passed him along to someone else. Each signature was like a passport stamp for all the different households that Balthazar traveled through to make it to the Nativity.

The card was used not only to record Balthazar’s travels, but also to offer the instructions about returning Balthazar. He is supposed to return to church on the Sunday closest to Epiphany (January 6th). This year, that meant yesterday, the 5th of January. Sure enough and miracle of miracles, he did return this past Sunday. All the Magi, both the beautiful ceramic set and their Playmobil counterparts, arrived on time to bestow their gifts to Jesus. This is clearly going to be a new tradition. The kids were thrilled to be a part of the telling of the Christmas story. The return of Balthazar to the Nativity set ranked up there with the placing of baby Jesus in the manger at the 5pm Christmas Eve worship service.

I am very thankful that my colleague, Pastor Karen Fournier, for sharing this idea with me. New ideas are but one of the many blessings that a pastor can gain by fostering strong collegial bonds. And now I offer this idea to you. I can’t wait to hear about all of Balthazar’s travels.

NOTES:

This particular figure is from Playmobil. It came with the other wise men, a camel, frankincense, gold, and myrrh. I liked this figurine because it was durable, easily transportable, and replaceable if necessary. Apparently, you can now also just buy the three wise men from them too without all the accessories. Fisher Price has a set as well which apparently comes from the bigger Nativity set.

This is also the day that we handed out the star words that I shared about earlier in the week.

Happy New What?

I know you expect me to say, “Happy New Year!”,

but in the Christian calendar New Year was a month ago at the beginning of Advent. That doesn’t make this time unimportant though, as this is still a time of noticing change and being thoughtful about what comes next.

We, as Christians, are still well entrenched in the Christmas season and are moving toward Epiphany which is celebrated on January 6th. As we look toward the story of the Magi (Matthew 2:1-12) and consider our own pathways to the nativity and away from it, it is a good time for reflection and a good time to set intentions for the next year.

Some churches, like the one that I pastor, this Sunday will pass out star words.

This was one of the words I pulled a few years ago. Last year, as I had three different worship services that I used this process with, I ended up three words which ironically spelled STaR: Shimmer, Tolerance, and Restraint.

These words are not meant to be talismans or crystal balls. They are not predictions of the future. They are meant to help lead you forward through the year through reflection, consideration, and discernment.

One of the best lines in the Epiphany story is “And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.” (Matthew 2:12) This sentence speaks not only to what the Magi did, but also asks us to consider where we are going and how we will get there.

May we be mindful about our ways in this “new year” as our way affects other’s ways; and all of our ways together affect the world and its future.

Blessings to your and yours this new year’s day.

Pastor Dawn

Here is a list of star words you can draw from.

Here is a link to the star cutouts that were used.

Here is a liturgy that I used to pass out the star words:

Dedication of Stars
Pastor: In this time as we celebrate the light of Christ coming into the world and yet our world seems darker than ever, we lean on our faith to see us through. At the beginning of worship, you were given a star. I invite you to hold that star in your hand.

In your hands you hold a gift from God. A message just for you. Take a moment to reflect on how this word might unfold new truths for you in the coming year.

Silent Reflection

Pastor: In the coming year, use this word, as the Magi used the star as a guide in the sky. May it inspire you to bravely travel wherever God leads. May you see God working in you and those around you. And may you be transformed as you faithfully discover God’s will in your life. Remembering always that you are a part of the Good news that God has planned for the world.

Congregation: We accept our stars and promise to listen for all God may reveal to us through our star word. AMEN