Liturgy

Heavenly Lord God
Maker of Heaven and Earth,
The hills and rivers sing out your name.
As we light the candle for Joy,
We pray to find peace and a moment of warmth.
Call us into your light,
We are ready to be still and listen.
Jesus Christ, our Holy Savior,
Your love shines out to us
Like the star that led the Magi to a miracle
Teach us the song of your grace,
We are ready to rise and sing.
Beloved Holy Spirit,
Breath of life in all things,
Your light reaches us even in the darkest nights,
Even when we don’t want to be found.
Draw us near to you; hold us close.
We gather here this morning
to name our joy in the Lord and in each other.
In the name of God the creator
Jesus our savior
And the Holy Ghost,
Amen
(Vox Prayer Team)

Scripture Reading

We invite you to hear from the Gospel according to Luke 1:46-55

46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices
in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked with favor on the lowly state of his
servant. Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 for the
Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name; 50
indeed, his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the
imagination of their hearts. 52 He has brought down the powerful from
their thrones and lifted up the lowly; 53 he has filled the hungry with good
things and sent the rich away empty. 54 He has come to the aid of his
child Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 according to the promise he
made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” 56
And Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned
to her home.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
The grass withers and the flower fades,
but the Word of the Lord endures forever. Amen.

Homily and Reflection

Homily Podcast: The Joy of Being Remembered

Reflection

How might I cultivate joy by practicing gratitude this week?

Is there a person or situation where I might choose kindness and generosity?

Where can I seek out community and practice solidarity for the road ahead?

Resources:

Commentary: Luke 1-9(Wisdom Commentary Series)  by Shelly Matthews and Barbara Reid

Benediction

May you remember the joy of the Lord’s creation,
The gifts both seen and unseen,
And the eternal love that will always have a seat for you.
We remember
We remember
We remember
May you remember the pain of the lives lost and the promises broken.
May our hearts not fall asleep to the hardship.
May we remember their names and carry their love with us.
We remember
We remember
We remember
May you remember your anger.
There is work to be done to stand against injustice.
May we never forget the strength in our nonviolent defiance.
We remember
We remember
We remember
May you remember the Love you belong to.
Child of God, beloved Lamb,
Leave here with great heart knowing
You will be remembered in the Kingdom of Heaven
We remember
We remember
We remember
We go forth in the name of our Holy Parent,
Jesus our Savior,
And the Holy Spirit our breath of life.
Amen
(Vox Prayer Team)

Photo by Bhanuka Dilshan