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CTW: wonderful things

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The Lord has done wonderful things for us,
offering us new life when we were in the wilderness…
Praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord!  O my soul!
The Lord has done wonderful things for our community,
offering us the gift of new opportunities, new vistas in ministry…
Praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord!  O my soul!
The Lord has done wonderful things for us,
offering us the challenge of changing paths…
Praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord!  O my soul!
Praise the Lord!  Let us gather to praise our God!
Let us gather for worship in this Advent Season
of waiting, of preparation, of new life, and new possibilities!
Praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord!  O my soul!  Amen.  
submitted by Rev. Shannan Vance-Ocampon, Watchung Avenue Presbyterian Church, North Plainfield, NJ

confession: lost sight of your peace

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O Lord our God, too often we have lost sight of your peace, forgetting your call upon our lives. Instead we have believed the lie that peace is elusive, or that it will never arrive or that it is dream we should stop wishing would come true. We have turned over our faith to other things, weapons of war, instruments of violence, or monetized “values.” We have ignored the prophet’s proclamation and have turned our back on the teachings of our spiritual ancestors.

Have mercy on us in this Advent Season.

Restore in us once again your peace.
Re-ignite in us once again your hope.
Renew in us once again your call.
Remind us that we are to be the people of peace, no matter the cost, no matter where it takes us.
Reconnect us again to Jesus, for whom we wait with expectant souls in this holy season of Advent.
Amen. Amen. Amen.

Submitted by Rev. Shannan Vance-Ocampo, Watchung Avenue Presbyterian Church, North Plainfield NJ

CTW: O Advent Day of Peace

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One: O Advent Day, O Day of Peace!
All: May the reign of Christ outlast the sun, outlive the moon—age after age after age!
One: We gather to wait together for our Savior, the Christ, whose birth is drawing near.
All: May he outlast the sun, outlive the moon—age after age after age!
One: Today, Scripture reminds us of our calling…to be those that co-create Peace…
All: May our efforts outlast the sun, outlive the moon—age after age after age!
One: Salvation will come from the places we least expect it, and arrive in the places most in need!
All: Come let us Worship! Come let us gather to hear the Story once again!
Let us remember that Jesus the Christ, the Savior of all
will outlast the sun, outlive the moon—age after age after age! Amen.

 

Submitted by Rev. Shannan Vance-Ocampo, Watchung Avenue Presbyterian Church, North Plainfield, NJ

Advent 1: peace be within you

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Call to Worship

One: As we begin this Advent Season let us say to one another…
All: Peace be within you!
One: As we begin this Advent Season let us say to the communities we live, work and play in…
All: Peace be within you!
One: As we wait for the birthing of the Christ Child, full of newness and light…
All: Peace be within you!
One: As we open our hearts, our souls to your transforming ways…
All: Peace be within you!
One: Advent begins today! Let us wait and watch together saying always…
All: Peace be within you!

Prayer of Confession

As we begin this Advent Season we confess that we have not always been patient. We have wanted life to speed up quickly, our prayers to be answered yesterday, or our lives to make sense today. We have wanted to rush rather than wait, we have seen slowing down as a sign of weakness. We struggle to live with unanswered questions, wanting instead absolute truths so that we do not have to engage in the practice of discerning your will.
As we begin this Advent Season, O Living Spirit, help us to slow down so that we might see you. Guide us to let go so that we might hear you. Allow us to trust so that we might embrace. We pray all these things in the name of the Risen Christ, for whom we long in this Advent season. Amen and Amen.

 

submitted by Rev. Shannan Vance-Ocampo, Watchung Avenue Presbyterian Church, Plainfield, NJ

confession and assurance: not enough

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O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

We confess that we are no longer seeking anything because we believe we can longer be surprised.  As those who live in a place of security we do not understand what it means to faint or to thirst.   Have mercy on us.

So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.

We have come into this sanctuary today with not enough reverence, not enough praise, and not enough awe for You.  Have mercy upon us.

Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name.

We are afraid to make a spectacle of ourselves when we sing, or pray or praise You.  Our worship is too clean, organized and so stay an arm’s length away from You.  Have mercy on us.

But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth; they shall be given over to the power of the sword, they shall be prey for jackals.

We look for revenge, we gloat and we rejoice when some around us stumble or fall.   We have lost sight that we have participated in the destruction of life and are in danger of Your disappointment, wrath or anger.   Have mercy on us.

Silent Confession

Words of Assurance

O Lord, You have been our help.  In the shadow of Your wings we sing for joy.  Our souls cling to you.  Your hands hold onto us.  We are reminded of Your forgiveness and Your mercy.  We are reminded that in You we have new life.  Alleluia.  Amen.

Passing of the Peace

(Can be read responsively with the leader reading the scripture and then the Congregation responding, or by two voices, or by voices sprinkled throughout the Congregation.)

 

Submitted by Rev. Shannan Vance-Ocampo, Watchung Avenue Presbyterian Church, North Plainfield, NJ