Christmas Invitation to Communion

I come to invite you to join us

In Communion.

Our statement of identity says that:

"We are Disciples of Christ

A movement for wholeness

In a fragmented world.

As part of the one body of Christ,

We welcome all to the Lord's Table

As God has welcomed us."

When I think of Christmas,

The baby in the manger,

I am not surprised that we all love this holiday

Despite its commercialization and too often, frantic pace.

We remember that

God came as a baby.

We  can hold a baby.  We could hold God.

I think deep within in each of us
Is the desire to be in control.

God as a baby gives us control

And sets Christmas in a special place.

But Christmas leads us to Easter,

And a Savior who did not conquer by might

But became the Lamb of God,

A living sacrifice,

Out of our control.

When we take the bread and wine,

We follow Jesus' command:
"Do this in remembrance of me."

In Communion,
God is in control.

I feel at peace with myself

When I take the bread and cup

And know that I do God's will.

That now the Christ holds me.

Join us at the Lord's Table.

Let Jesus cradle you.

Communion Prayer November 2,2014

Dear Lord,

Creator, Word, and Love,

You spoke creation into existence.

Chose to walk this earth in human form,

And to dwell with us now.

As we take this bread and wine,

We follow our Savior's command

To do this

"In remembrance of Me."

Bless this congregation

And make those in it the servants you need.

Let us work together in your love,

To make the world around us what you want

For we are your hands in this place.

In Jesus name we pray,

Amen.

No More Disease

Creator of Life,
Whose being fills the Universe,
You fill me with awe.
All creation bows to you.
Nourish me with knowledge.
Protect me from the fear of the unknown.
Help me protect others from society's created fears.
Deliver me into eternity
As my mother delivered me into this world.
Let the learning that you impart

Through the toil of countless scientists,
Deliver a world free of disease, of suffering.
For you are the Infinite Mind,
All knowing, all powerful,
All Love.

The Lost Sheep

"The Lord is my Shepherd..."

Those words echo in the soul of every Christian.

But too often I feel

Like a sheep that has wandered astray:

Alone,

Lost,

Afraid.

Let me be a sheep in God's fold:

Warm,

Secure,

Surrounded by others.

If that cannot be,

Then let me remember

The parable of the lost sheep:

That the Shepherd will leave the ninety and nine

To look for the lost one.

Look for me, O Lord.

Offertory Prayer August 24, 2014

Romans 12:1-8 

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ²Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. ³For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. ⁴For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, ⁵so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. ⁶We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ⁷ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; ⁸the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness

 

Dear God, Speaker of Life,
Today's offering is yours
Before it is given
Because all is your creation.
Teach us how to not think too highly of ourselves
But to use so sober judgment to know our souls.
Let us understand that being able to give monetarily,
No matter the amount,
Is a gift of your grace.
With all our offerings we pay homage to you,
Creator, Word and Love.

For yours is the infinite
Time unending.

Amen.

Communion Prayer for June 15, 2014

Dear God,

Forgiver of our sins,

As we take the bread

And the wine,

Let us remember
Christ's unrelenting love.

Help us to forgive others

Because we have been forgiven.

In Jesus name we pray.

Amen.

Offertory Prayer for May 11, 2014

Dear Lord,
We are like sheep,
Oblivious to what takes place around us,
Nibbling ourselves lost.
We must raise our heads
And follow the Shepherd.
He is our guide.
He calls us to nurture our church
With our love, our time,
And our money
Just as God nurtures us
With grace so undeserved.
Bless what we lay before you,

And use it for the benefit of your kingdom. 
Amen.

Easter 2014

My church day started with communion preparation.

Nine trays to be filled.

My duty this Sunday.

 My church celebrates the risen Christ

With the bread and wine

Of remembrance.

Next came an Easter egg hunt

Open to all in our city.

We are a church with few children

Except on Easter morning

When young voices echo

Through our old building.

Finally, organ music swelled.

The most joyous service of the year had begun.

Christ is risen!

The minister proclaimed from the pulpit

As he opened with a prayer.

I waited for the joy

That comes on Easter,

But it was not there.

Had I been too caught up

In the mundane

To know this day's exultation?

Then the choir sang

"He Is Not Here!"

As that anthem echoed through sanctuary,

My scalp tingled.

I stood outside Jerusalem

Gazing at an empty tomb,

Knowing that the world had been transformed.

He is risen!

And we all rise with him.

 

The Saturday before Easter Death Reigns

On this day,

Jesus is dead.
His body lies
In a dank, stone hole
Sealed against the light.
A part of God is dead.  
The Trinity is broken.
The Creator holds the breath of life,

But the stench of death

Fills the tomb. 
Without the Word, 
The Comforter is bereft.
Tomorrow,
Life will conquer death.
Jesus will rise
With the promise
Of resurrection for all,
But not this day.
This day death reigns.

Good Friday 2014

Why is it called Good Friday?

I have heard many answers.

None satisfy.

Jesus, the Word made flesh, God incarnate,

Died on a Friday, 
The day after he shared the Passover meal  
With those closest to him.

Fully human.

So human that he suffered just as we would

Nailed to a cross 
After a brutal flogging.

We recoil in horror

At his death

And think it took so long.

Six hours.

Most crucified took days to die.

Was Pilate's flogging a blessing

That gave a swifter death?

Fully God,

Who had never known death.

All creation gone before had drunk

Of that bitter cup,

But God had not.

God died on that first Good Friday,

As much of God

As could exist in human form.

A maimed, lifeless body was laid in

The cold stone tomb.

Love's breath stilled.

 Heaven wept.

Creation waited. 

Palm Sunday 2014

Children scurry down the aisles

Of churches small and large

Waving green palm fronds in the air

In memory of 

Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem
On what we now call Palm Sunday. 
On that day so long ago

The crowd spread cloaks and palm leaves

Before  Jesus' donkey's feet.

 People exulted.

Hosannas filled the air.

Soon the Romans would be gone,

They believed.

Jerusalem would be theirs alone.
But Jesus had warned them
That was not his message.
He came to usher in  God's kingdom
Not to fight the Romans.

As the days passed,
The cries of joy faded,
Turned to shouts of anger

By the High Priest's perfidy.

Christ was

Arrested,

Condemned

And

Crucified.

His body placed in a tomb.

Did Jesus know what was to come

As he rode into Jerusalem?

I think he did.

And still he came to Jerusalem

For God.
For us.

Communion Prayer for April 6, 2014

Romans 8:6-11

⁶ The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. ⁸ Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
⁹ You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life^[a] because of righteousness. ¹¹ And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of^[b] his Spirit who lives in you.

Dear Lord,

We come to share the bread and wine

In celebration and remembrance of you.

     The passage from Romans we read today 

Reminds us that You sent Your Spirit

To dwell within us and

Give us life and peace.

So we know

As we eat the bread and drink the wine

The Comforter joins us.

Amen.

Communion Prayer March 2, 2014

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. ² And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. ³ Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. ⁴ Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I^[a] will make three dwellings^[b] here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” ⁵ While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved;^[c] with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” ⁶ When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. ⁷ But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” ⁸ And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead. (Matthew 17:1-9

Transfiguration by Alexandr Ivanov, 1824

Dear Lord, 

We come on this Transfiguration Sunday

To share the bread and wine

In celebration and remembrance of you.

The Creator called you :" Beloved."

We call you "Savior."

Let this bread and wine remind us

Of your glory,

Of your love,

Of your sacrifice,

Of your words to Peter, James and John:

"Do not be afraid,"

Amen.

Offeratory Prayer March 2, 2014

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. ² And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. ³ Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. ⁴ Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I^[a] will make three dwellings^[b] here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” ⁵ While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved;^[c] with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” ⁶ When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. ⁷ But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” ⁸ And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead. (Matthew 17:1-9 )

Transfiguration by Alexandr Ivanov, 1824

Dear Lord,  I know

That when you came down

From the Mount of Transfiguration

You entered into a world of suffering

And immediately healed a young man,

We cannot heal as you did,

But we can give our treasure and our time

To your service.

Bless what we lay before you,

And use it for the benefit of your kingdom.

In Jesus name I pray.

Amen.

Lectionary Gospel Reading for January 12, 2014

Matthew 3:13-17
3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him.
3:14 John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"
3:15 But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented.
3:16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.
3:17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."

 Creator, Word, and Love

God complete in three.

 John recognizes that he confronts the Word,

God Incarnate.

John believes he is not worthy to baptize God.

Jesus reassures him with cryptic words.

Jesus chooses to use baptism

To signal his commitment to the Kingdom.

We echo his actions

When we are baptized.

And commit ourselves to the Triune God. 

 Jesus rises from the water

Just as he will rise from the grave.

The Love of God descends on Jesus

Linking Creator and Word with Love.

The Trinity is renewed.

Jesus, the Son of Man,

Has received the blessing of the Creator

Through the Holy Spirit.

That blessing and love will carry him

To Jerusalem,

To Death,

To Resurrection.

The Judgment of the Nations

The Judgment of the Nations

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40 And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family,g you did it to me.’ 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Today the Lectionary puts our focus on how Christians are to act.

How seldom we heed these words.

Time for those who profess to follow the Son of Man

To do what he commands.

To those who say it only matters how we act as individuals

I say heed the words of God.

Judgment is for the nations

As well as the individual.

Christ's command

Was to love God

And love our neighbor.

Our neighbor is not only the person next door.

Our neighbor is the one who has been set upon by evil:

Evil in the form of robbers,

Evil in the form of hunger,

Evil in the form of thirst,

Evil in the form of deportation,

Evil in the form of lack of shoes and clothes,

Evil in the form of sickness,

Evil in the form of imprisonment.

We ignore the unfortunate at the cost

Of God's eternal opprobrium.

We must embrace compassion

As an individual,

As a nation,

And care for the least in the family of God.