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great prayer: song and dance

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The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is truly right and our greatest joy to give you thanks and praise, O God.

We praise you, O God,
who raised your voice and sang your Spirit over the chaos of creation
to make all that is beautiful and good and precious in your sight.

We rejoice in you, O God,
who gave songs to the prophets,
melodies to the people who you saved from flood and fire and famine.

We celebrate you, O God,
who David delighted in dance and poetry,
who Miriam gave glory with cymbal and drum.

We worship you, O God,
with all saints and angels from every time and place,
gathering our hearts and voices to sing to the glory of your name.

Holy Holy…

From the melodies in our hearts and the songs in our souls,
we give thanks and praise to our savior Jesus the Christ.

Cooing into silent nights, Jesus entered the world amongst the lowly.
Chanting songs of freedom, Jesus proclaimed good news to the captive.
Calling forth from the tombs, Jesus granted new life to people claimed by death.
Wailing and weeping, Jesus understood the stress and sorrow of a broken world.
Frolicking around wells and streams, Jesus opened hearts to Living Water.
Dancing through death, Jesus invites us to proclaim life in death’s bitter sting.

So we come to this table with deep joy and humble gratitude, for we know that:

Breaking bread, Jesus feeds us with a hunger for justice.
Pouring cup, Jesus invites us to join into the song of salvation.

Come, Holy Spirit, and stir in our hearts,
for the one who called us to the table calls us to sing and dance.
Teach us the music, guide us in the footsteps,
empower us to join in the celebration and invite all we see to do the same.

Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ,
through the power of the Holy Spirit,
may all glory and honor be yours, O Lord of the Dance,
who taught us to pray by saying,

Our Father…

referencing Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
submitted by Rev. Lindsay Conrad, Resident Minister, First Presbyterian Church, Ann Arbor, Michigan

 

 

POP: Overwhelm us with Your love

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We pray to you, O God…

Overwhelm us with your love, which casts out every fear

If love is how we know you God, remind us this day,

that love is what set the world in motion,

Love is what spoke order into the chaos at creation,

Love is what breathed into the dirt and brought Adam

Love is what inspired Adam to see his partner and cry out

bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh.

Let us know the love that brings us life and life abundant

So if love is how we know you, we pray to you, O God…

Overwhelm us with your love which casts our every fear.

If love is how we drive out fear, then we cry to you,

for the fear that leaves people paralyzed in their homes

for the fear in war torn communities and broken families

for the fear of losing life, the fear of rejection

for the fear that tells us we don’t belong

for the fear that makes us selfish.

Drive out our fear and make it clear that your love is stronger even than death.

So if love is how we drive out fear, we pray to you, O God…

Overwhelm us with your love which casts out every fear.

If your love is how we love others, then we ask you this day

to bless us that we might be a blessing to others,

to challenge us that we might grow deeper in your love,

to guide us as we stumble forth as your children,

to lead us as we love boldly in your holy name.

Make us into the bearers of your love.

So if your love is how we love others, we pray to you O God…

Overwhelm us with your love which casts out every fear

And cast us out into our work and into our world with the task

to be your hands, your feet, your love, your people.

We pray in the name of the Beloved who taught us to pray saying…

 

Submitted by Rev. Lindsay Conrad, First Presbyterian Church, Ann Arbor MI

communion: hope, love, joy

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The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Glory to You, in the highest, oh God! It is indeed right to give You all thanks and praise.

For in the beginning You made Light. And in this season You give us light that proclaims PEACE – so we pray for the most war-torn places here and around the world knowing You are in our midst as the Prince of Peace to rule over all nations,

You give us light that proclaims HOPE – so we pray expecting You to be with us as we remember Your radical breaking-in to the world as a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes,

You give us light that proclaims LOVE – so we pray that all come to know Your forever-beating heart that summons all Your children to this table,

You give us light that proclaims JOY – so we pray that this table reminds us of the feast that is to come as sure as You are ever-coming into our midst in glory.

Glory to You, in the highest, oh God! We join our voices this day with the saints of every time and place and all the hearts around the world who are watching and waiting and singing to the glory of Your most holy name…

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

Glory to You in the highest, oh God! And glory to the Christ Child who wondrously entered the world through the humblest of means…

To engage with the most vulnerable,
To question authority,
To love radically,
To feast with the outcast – breaking His own body and pouring His own blood proclaiming Your Kingdom come.

Glory to You in the highest, oh Christ, defeating death and inviting us again to the table to taste and see that You are good!

Come, Holy Spirit, enter this space and enter us – your people, that all things ordinary might dazzle in this Holy Meal. Fill us with Your body and blood, empower us with Your peace and hope and love and joy that we might go out from this place into Your world proclaiming Your wondrous entry into the world!

Glory to You in the highest, Oh God, for we have gathered at Your table that we might see Your light. In the name of the Most Holy Child we pray saying, Our Father…

Submitted by Rev. Lindsay Conrad, First Presbyterian Church, Ann Arbor, MI

POP: the body of Christ

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1 – Most gracious God, you sent forth your faithful and true witness out into the world who beckoned us to follow and believe. And now we are bold to pray as Christ’s body out into the world. We thank you for every service that proclaims your love,
2 – When we see the work of mission beginning inside the walls of this church,
3 – When we serve with people committed to making a difference in this community and beyond, 1 – When we grow, and love and serve and pray, we stand out and faith and remember…
All – We are the body of Christ.
2 – When we witness the work of those gifted with talents of teaching and healing
3 – When we gratefully rally for people in power who are committed to your love and service
1 – When we can translate and interpret scripture for the sake of those longing to hear the good news 2 – When we use the gifts you have granted us with grateful hearts, we remember…
All – We are the body of Christ.
3 – Mighty God, as your body commissioned to serve out in the world, we also ache for the people you love who are suffering.
1 – When violence and unrest rips through nations,
2 – When children are fitted for war and starving on street sides,
3 – When abuse and neglect cause chaos in your good creation.
1 – When we are bombarded with news of lives lost, corrupt systems, and feelings of hopelessness, we remember our cause to cry out with the people suffering because we know….
All – We are the body of Christ.
2 – When racism and classism continues to influence our decisions,
3 – When the dull ache of loss continues long after loved ones have passed,
1 – When sickness wears at the best of our energies to fight
2 – When we are overwhelmed by the pain that seeps into your creation, we cling to one another as we boldly demand your kindom come. We pray in the confidence that you hear our prayers because…
All – We are the body of Christ.
3 – So as your people, fashioned for your good work in the world, we pray boldly that your Holy Spirit move through us
1 – As we work peacefully for justice
2 – As we worship and pray and praise
3 – As we beckon for your ear and lift up our prayers to you in the name of Christ, for… All – We are the body of Christ.
1 – And we are bold to pray as he taught us:
Our Father, who art in Heaven…

 

Submitted by Rev. Lindsay Conrad, First Presbyterian Church, Ann Arbor, MI.