Liturgy

Thank you, scandalous God,
For giving yourself to the world,
Not in the powerful and extraordinary,
But in weakness and the familiar:
In a baby; in bread and wine.

Thank you for offering,
at journey’s end, a new beginning;
For setting, in the poverty of a stable,
The richest jewel of your love;
For revealing, in a particular place,
Your light for all nations.

Thank you for bringing us
to Bethlehem, House of Bread,
Where the empty are filled,
And the filled are emptied;

Where the poor find riches,
And the rich recognize their poverty;
Where all who kneel and hold out
their hands are unstintingly fed.

We light the fourth Advent candle of love
and worship you, our God, the Creator,
our Christ, the Savior,
and the Holy Spirit, our ever present Guide.
Amen.

Community Confession

Lord, you are always with us.
You surround us with goodness.
Your love is a mystery.

But we hunger for certainty,
and exhaust ourselves in search of
what we already have in abundance.

Open our eyes, God, to see
that we have everything in You.

Lord, you have invited us to give up the
weight of our performing in exchange
for the lightness of your complete gift.
We are known and loved by you.

Teach us to practice compassion for
ourselves and others. And in doing so,
may we find an ocean of peace and
gratitude in our hearts and in our homes.

We ask in the name
of the Father,
of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

(Trevor McCurry)

Sermon and Reflection

Sermon Podcast 12.23.18 – Lectio Divina: Luke 1

What words or phrases stood out to you from this passage? Why?

How does this text speak to you in your current situation and environment?

What is the text calling you to do or become this week? (How do I need to live in light of this scripture?)

Benediction

Go now, as the Spirit of God has called you:
to be a waiting people of grace,
to be a waiting people of truth,
to be a waiting people who pursue peace,
to be a people who forgive
and to be a waiting people who love.

May we enter this week
Love as you have loved us

in the name of the Father,
of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Go in peace and live the church.
See you throughout the week.

[Photo by Robert Ogilivie @ Flickr]