Good morning.
Today is Thursday,
December 3rd,
2020.
Oh Lord,
Let my soul rise up to meet you as the day rises to meet the sun.
Glory to God,
The three in one,
Creator,
Redeemer,
And sustainer.
As it was in the beginning,
Is now,
And will be forever.
Amen.
Then let us bow down and worship.
Let us kneel before the Lord,
Our maker.
Remind yourself that you're in God's presence.
Notice how God may be speaking to you today.
Let yourself dwell on any word or phrase that catches your attention or moves your heart.
Then let your heart simply respond to God in prayer.
Please repeat these words.
I will wait for you,
Lord.
My soul waits.
And in your word,
I place my trust.
Our scripture today is Psalm 89,
Verses one through four.
Forever I will sing the wonders of your love,
Oh Lord,
Proclaiming your faithfulness to all generations.
I'll tell them that your love stands firm forever.
Your fidelity is fixed in the heavens.
I have made a covenant with my chosen,
Sworn an oath to David,
My faithful one.
I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm throughout all generations.
Please repeat these words.
So I wait for you,
Lord.
My soul waits.
And in your word,
I place my trust.
Our prayer today is written by Ann Weems,
And it's titled The Coming of God.
Our God is the one who comes to us in a burning bush,
In an angel's song,
In a newborn child.
Our God is the one who cannot be found locked in the church,
Not even in the sanctuary.
Our God will be,
Our God will be where God will be,
With no constraints,
No predictability.
Our God lives where our God lives,
And destruction has no power,
And even death cannot stop.
The living.
Our God will be born where God will be born,
But there is no place to look for the one who comes to us.
When God is ready,
God will come,
Even to a God-forsaken place,
Like a stable in Bethlehem.
Watch,
For you know not when God comes.
Watch that you might be found whenever,
Wherever God comes.
I invite you now,
In a moment of silence,
To hold someone before God.
Don't worry about diagnosing anyone's needs or telling God what to do.
Only hold someone before the Lord in the silence this morning.
We pray in the name of Jesus,
Who taught us to pray.
Our Father,
Which art in heaven,
Eternal God,
Birth-maker,
Pain-bearer,
Life-giver,
Source of all that is and all that shall be,
Not only Father,
But Mother of us all,
May the hallowing of your name echo through the universe.
May the way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world.
May your heavenly will be done by all created beings.
May your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today,
Feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another,
Forgive us.
In times of temptation and test,
Strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure,
Spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil,
Free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love,
Now and forever.
Amen.
And now,
My friends,
May the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ go with you wherever he may send you today.
May he guide you through the wilderness,
Protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
Lord love and peace.
