We believe in God, the giver of life and grace, whose wondrous acts of mercy
and love offer eternal hope in a troubled and hurting world.
We believe that Jesus came to us as God’s love, God’s hope and God’s gift to humankind.
His presence among us is still and always, because he lives in our hearts.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, who whispers words of hope, peace, joy and love to ALL.
We believe in Christ’s church, the living body of Christ in the world, to which we belong.
We believe that we are called to minister to God’s people in Jesus’ name and for his sake,
today and tomorrow as this is, once again, the beginning. Amen.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Eternal and Merciful God, hear our prayer. Humanity cries out for relief from the madness born of fear and enmity. Lead us in the ways of righteousness and tolerance, seeking to embrace justice and fairness. All too often we depend upon threat and restraint, or withholding as a means of managing our relationships. Like foolish buggy drivers, we believe that if we hold the reins tight enough, the horses at the other end of the tether will never bolt and run away. In our fever to be in control of everything, we are often mislead by machines that are imperfect, and we can fall prey to innuendo and rumor. Our children bow their heads, but not in prayer. Rather we are all bowing our heads to read and text, often oblivious to those around us. We no longer talk to each other face to face, but sideways, our eyes fixed on a screen. In this Advent season, empower each one of us to be engaging messengers of hope. Inspire us to meet the eyes of the stranger behind us, and offer them the greetings of the season. Let us be their Good News Hope, in the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.
THE OFFERING INVITATION
Advent comes from the Latin ad + venire meaning, to arrive, to come to, but it refers to the coming of something really, really big; something momentous — something the world has been waiting for. Some of us have witnessed the advent of cars with automatic transmissions, dial-up and push button phones used on a private line, not a party line, and televisions. We have witnessed the advent of the computer from ENIAC to PCs and Macs, the bulky cell phone to the awesome smart phone. We have witnessed the division of the Atom, and along with that advent of Atomic bombs, nuclear submarines, ICBMs and Drones. Invenire, which means to come upon, to devise, or discover is a more appropriate term for these human inventions. I personally will keep the word Advent linked to the God’s promise and the momentous arrival of the Christ child.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Gracious God, these gifts are an act of worship as important as praying, singing and attending to your word. Ever seeking to discern your will and way for us, our hearts are full as we labor side by side with our brother and sister Christians. As you have entrusted us with much, we respond in kind, lending our hearts and hands to heal a broken and hurting world. Help us build ministries that glorify your name, empowering us to serve wholeheartedly in Christ’s name. Amen.
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