God of all peace and joy,
send your Spirit to this place
to bless this our reading of your word
that it may be a lamp to our feet
and a light unto our path. Amen.
Submitted by Rev. Stephen M. Fearing, Shelter Island Presbyterian Church, NY
Advent
confession: in the wilderness
Call to Confession
Like John the Baptist and like the Israelites,
we often find ourselves in wildernesses.
Sometimes, the toughest wildernesses are the ones we build ourselves.
Join me in confessing the wild sin that so often takes over our lives.
Prayer of Confession
Forgiving God,
in this season of Advent,
we welcome the coming of your light
in a world filled with darkness.
We confess to you the ways in which we have added to that darkness
rather than obeyed our call to live as children of the light.
We ask your forgiveness:
for times when we worship violence and belittle peace,
for times when we fight amongst ourselves,
for times when we forget that we are all children of God,
for times when we do not stand up for the helpless among us.
By your tender mercy,
may the dawn from on high break upon us,
and give light to those of us that sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace. Amen.
Assurance of Forgiveness
By the mercy and grace of our Good God,
we may live in peace with one another
for we have been forgiven
and Christ welcomes us
as a parent welcomes home a long-lost child.
Alleluia! Amen!
Submitted by Rev. Stephen M. Fearing, Shelter Island Presbyterian Church, NY
Prayer: prepare
God of our Lives,
we prepare for every important event in our lives,
weddings, funerals, baptisms, graduations, ordinations.
Help us this day prepare for the most important event in our lives:
the coming of your son to save us! Amen.
Submitted by Rev. Stephen M. Fearing, Shelter Island Presbyterian Church, NY
CTW: lift up
Lift up your hearts, people of God,
for the Lord has looked favorably upon us
and is sending us his beloved son.
He is raising up for us a mighty savior
in the house of his servant David.
God is showing the mercy promised to our ancestors,
and has remembered his holy covenant,
the oath he swore to our ancestors Abraham and Sarah,
that we might serve him without fear.
We go before the Lord, following John the Baptist,
to prepare the way of the Lord.
Come, let us worship God
and listen to the voice crying out in the wilderness.
Submitted by Rev. Stephen M. Fearing, Shelter Island Presbyterian Church, NY
Prayers of the People: Advent 1
God of our beginning and our end,
we confess to you that we live in a world that needs your mercy now more than ever.
As we celebrate joyfully in anticipation of your coming son,
we recognize that joy does not come as easily to everyone’s lips.
So many people are using their lips to cry out for healing in a broken world.
Gracious God, be mindful of your mercy.
We pray this day especially for children in places of violence,
who struggle to find happiness and fulfillment,
who hunger for love and compassion.
Gracious God, be mindful of your mercy.
We pray for women and men who are the victims of domestic violence,
who endure pain and physical abuse,
who long for peace and healing.
Gracious God, be mindful of your mercy.
We pray for people who suffer from alcoholism and substance abuse,
who seek an escape from that which they cannot solve by themselves,
who despair at seeing no way out.
Gracious God, be mindful of your mercy.
We pray for worshiping communities of all faiths that seek to heal the world,
who preach love in the face of hate and welcome the stranger as a friend,
who work to better themselves and share their blessings with others.
Gracious God, be mindful of your mercy.
We pray for those dear to us who struggle with cancer and other illnesses,
who desire comfort in the face of constant pain,
who wait for healing and peace.
Gracious God, be mindful of your mercy.
We pray for those who will call Maureen’s Haven their home this winter,
who shiver in the cold and fear the unknown,
who search for people to acknowledge them as human.
Gracious God, be mindful of your mercy.
We pray for those who have lost loved ones recently,
who grieve the loss of children and parents and other family and friends,
who find the holidays a difficult time where joy is hard to find.
Gracious God, be mindful of your mercy.
We pray for those who we lift up to you in silence or out loud…
(personal petitions may be made here)
Gracious God, be mindful of your mercy.
We trust that you are a God of righteousness, mercy, and steadfast love.
We hope for the day when you will wipe away every tear
and death and pain will be no more.
Until that day comes, be mindful of your mercy and forget not your children.
This we pray in you holy and merciful name. Amen.
Submitted by Rev. Stephen M. Fearing, Shelter Island Presbyterian Church, NY
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