January 1, 2017 NEW YEAR'S DAY "THE MYTHICAL THREE"

AFFIRMATION FOR EPIPHANY
We believe in God, the creator of all things, the giver of life and breath.
We believe in Jesus Christ, born Emmanuel, “God with us.”
He was baptized by John, and anointed the most beloved Son of God.
Jesus sought to heal humanity by taking our brokenness upon himself.
Suffering for us, he was crucified, died and was buried.
God raised him from the dead for our sake and for the sake of the whole world.
We believe he will come again, one day.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, who is poured out upon us refreshing our lives.
We believe in the church, the Body of Christ in the world.
The Spirit leads us ever onward, into a new day, and always toward the kingdom of God.
This Spirit is our soul companion, and counselor of truth,
speaking to us of the power of faith, the ever presence of God and the promise of eternal life.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Loving and ever-encouraging Lord, we call upon you to guide us as the new year begins and its 365 days unfold. With new leadership in our nation we are anticipating radical change in the new year to systems and ways we have come to depend on even though we may not fully understand them. We confess we are afraid we won’t be able to navigate the changes, weather them or afford them. Remind us daily, Gracious Lord, that we posses a resilient faith, able to move mountains. Let us not be quick to panic, but let us ponder the journey ahead with hopeful hearts. Like the wise men who saw the star and followed it, may we see your star leading us to something wonderful, new and hopeful. We are resolved to be able disciples of the Christ, marching to his drumbeat, choosing life over death and love over hate. All this we pray in his name. Amen.
INVITATION TO THE OFFERING
Epiphany, from the late Greek epiphaneia, means “manifestation, striking appearance.” The etymology dictionary also says that in Ancient Greece it was a festival held in commemoration of the appearance of a god at some particular place." When referring to Jesus the Christ the word refers to his being made manifest, displayed, shown off, as it were, in a particular place attested to by the visit of the star-following wise men. It was the day of his display, his appearance in a particular place, when foreign visitors, from a distant land made very public their belief that Jesus was the newborn king of the Jews. Certainly the gifts they brought were fit for a king. How could they have know that their gifts, in fact, saved the life of the child.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Wondrous and Eternal God, pour out your blessing upon these gifts and promises. We offer them with full and grateful hearts. We trust that you will always guide us to use them wisely, and always for the greater good. Proclaiming our belief that all things are possible with you, we offer ourselves in service, seeking always, in the name of the Christ, to do your work and will. Amen.

December 25, 2016 CHRISTMAS DAY "BE BORN IN US TODAY"

AN AFFIRMATION OF FAITH FOR CHRISTMASTIDE
We believe in GOD, the divine beginner and imaginative creator of all things good and precious.
The earth and all the creatures who dwell upon it, are GOD’S labor of love,
and we are the appointed stewards.
We believe GOD so loved us that in time GOD came to us in human form;
birthed like us, an infant boy tiny and helpless, our Emmanuel.
We believe in the healing and redeeming power of JESUS’ name and claim him as our savior.
We believe he claimed us when he gave his life for us on a cross.
We believe the GOD of would not abandon JESUS, the beloved.
GOD raised JESUS from the dead, inviting us all to embrace the promise of eternal life in Christ.
We believe in the gift of the HOLY SPIRIT, who is always with us,
helping us to walk the path of righteousness and genuineness.
As Christ’s body in the world, we believe, no matter what happens in the world,
we are to love one another as GOD has loved us, in Christ JESUS our LORD. Amen.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Our Loving ABBA Father, when Christmas falls on Sunday, we become even more aware that this day was meant to be a day of gratitude and pondering the meaning of your most precious gift. We all have traditions that we follow on Christmas day. Some of us spend the whole day in our PJs. Some of us open our stockings before breakfast and the-under-the-tree-presents after breakfast. Some of us stay home and some of us travel over the river and through the woods to see children and grandchildren, singing our favorite carols on the journey. However, as we spend hours celebrating with loved ones and friends, we will also take that most important moment celebrate the birth of the Christ Child. We will think about why the babe has come to us, to abide with us. And, in the midst of the gleeful cheers and excitement , going on all around us, we will ponder how this Christmas Day is meant to change our lives for the better. Thank you. Amen.
INVITATION TO THE OFFERING
It’s Christmas morning. How do you go about opening your gifts? Do you open them in any certain order? Do you open them according to the name of the giver? When I was growing up there were always gifts under the tree from our pets— my father called them our 4-legged brothers and sisters— a sweater from our goldens, Exit and Minnie, or mittens from the 3 legged black lab, Joshua. We received fun and funny gifts and always one, seriously, special gift from Mom and Dad. It was something we had longed for, and often something that took my breath away. The gift of the Christ child is that longed for gift, so exquisite, so precious that it takes our breath for a moment, until we catch it once again and breathe him in.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Wondrous and Eternal God, the arrival of the Christ child is always in the nick of time and reminds us that life is more than the sum of our possessions. What you have given us in person of Jesus, is beyond measure. Accept the gifts we set before you today as a gesture of our love and reverence. We offer them with full and grateful hearts proclaiming our belief that all things are possible with you. Pour out your blessing upon us and this offering. We offer ourselves in service, seeking always, to do your work and will, in the name of the Christ. Amen.

PROUD AUNT SHOWING HER NEPHEW'S VIDEO!!!

December 18, 2016 "GOD'S SIGNAGE"

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH FOR ADVENT
We believe in God, the giver of life and grace, whose wondrous deeds
bring hope and healing to people of all nations.
We believe that God’s decision to be with us, in the person of Jesus,
manifested God’s immeasurable love for humankind.
We abide in Jesus, the Beloved One, whose name is written upon our hearts.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, who is at work whispering words of HOPE, PEACE, LOVE and JOY to ALL people.
We believe in the church, the living body of Christ in the world, to which we belong.
As members of the body, we are called to minister to all people in Jesus’ name
seeking transformation for ourselves, the church, and the world.
And so it begins. Amen.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Glorious God, we sing this morning of joy, and lift our voices in praise to you. We pray that you will hear the sound of our reverence and our love in every note that rises from this sanctuary. In these days of Advent, our hearts have been moved, our spirits prodded, and our faith empowered. Your very presence has been palpable among us as we wait. We have been preparing ourselves, readying ourselves, to embrace the coming Prince of Peace. We want only to be fully present when he comes, listening for the angel voices that herald his arrival. Help us not to focus on last-minute Christmas preparations, but help us to engage with neighbors and friends celebrating your most glorious gift to humankind. Oh, how we long to see your face! Come to us, abide with us, our Lord, Emmanuel. Amen.
INVITATION TO THE OFFERING
The truth is, when we offer our gifts to God, we are giving back to God what God has given to us. In other words: “We give thee but thine own, what e’re the gift may be. All that we have is thine alone; a trust, O Lord from the Thee.”
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Wondrous and Eternal God, pour out your blessing upon these gifts and promises. We offer them with full and grateful hearts. We trust that you will always guide us to use them wisely, and always for the greater good. Proclaiming our belief that all things are possible with you, we offer ourselves in service, seeking always, in the name of the Christ, to do your work and will. Amen.

December 11, 2016 "PREPPING YOUR HEART"

AN AFFIRMATION FOR ADVENT
We believe in God, the giver of life and grace, whose wondrous deeds
bring hope and healing to people of all nations.
We believe that God’s decision to be with us, in the person of Jesus,
manifested God’s immeasurable love for humankind.
We abide in Jesus, the Beloved One, whose name is written upon our hearts.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, who is at work whispering words of hope, peace, joy and love
to ALL people.
We believe in the church, the living body of Christ in the world, to which we belong.
As members of the body, we are called to minister to all people in Jesus’ name
seeking transformation for ourselves, the church, and the world.
And so it begins. Amen.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Most loving and gracious God, we come before you this morning pondering our own notions of the meaning of the word LOVE. We confess that living up to love’s expectations is one of life’s greatest challenges. We distance ourselves from making commitments to for fear of being hurt, or let down. We are often too busy with lots of things going on in our lives, too much on our plate, to invest ourselves in the one thing that just might renew us. And then what if too much is expected of us; what then? Open our hearts and minds in this Advent season to ponder your decision to come to us, to be with us, one like us, experiencing life and love as we experience it. What wondrous LOVE IS THIS, O my soul, that caused the Lord of Life to lay aside his crown for MY soul, for MY soul, to lay aside his crown for MY soul. For this LOVE, we give you thanks and praise. Amen.
INVITATION TO THE OFFERING
During this consumer season all of the jewelry and department stores promise that buying the gifts they proffer for your loved ones and friends, will be the purest expression of your love and the absolute proof of your love for the recipient. It’s almost as if they are suggesting that the gift itself possesses love. I suppose that’s true if we honor the notion that it is the spirit in which a gift is given that endows the gift with its “mojo,” its charm, its power. Think about it, we treasure heirlooms handed down to us from parents or grandparents, mostly because they remind us of the loved ones who cherished them, whether plates, jewelry, or battered antiques we just can’t part with. The spirit of that beloved ancestor somehow lingers in the heirloom. God’s LOVE Lingers here, as a presence born in each of us. That presence endows your gift with its “mojo,” its charm, its power.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Wondrous and Eternal God, pour out your blessing upon these gifts and promises. We offer them with full and grateful hearts. We trust that you will always guide us to use them wisely, and always for the greater good. Proclaiming our belief that all things are possible with you, we offer ourselves in service, seeking always, in the name of the Christ, to do your work and will. Amen.

December 4, 2016 "OF CALM AND BRIGHT"

AN AFFIRMATION FOR ADVENT
We believe in God, the giver of life and grace, whose wondrous deeds
bring hope and healing to people of all nations.
We believe that God’s decision to be with us, in the person of Jesus,
manifested God’s immeasurable love for humankind.
We abide in Jesus, the Beloved One, whose name is written upon our hearts.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, who is at work whispering words of hope, peace, joy and love
to ALL people.
We believe in the church, the living body of Christ in the world, to which we belong.
As members of the body, we are called to minister to all people in Jesus’ name
seeking transformation for ourselves, the church, and the world.
And so it begins. Amen.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
O Most Loving and Merciful God, in these days of Advent, we truly await your pleasure. It is you, after all, who desire to give us hope, peace, love and joy. It is you who are at work inspiring poets with words, and composers with tunes and melodies, so we can hear the glorious music that sounds across your firmament. Daily, we are listening for the music of redemption. We praise you, singing with the angels: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace and goodwill to all.” Help us grasp the whole glorious idea that we are surrounded by promise, and are being enfolded in the arms of what-is-to-come. Each day we shall ready our hearts, minds and spirits to receive the wonders you will reveal to us. For all this, and more, we give you thanks, most gracious Lord. Amen.