Call to Worship

Beloved, God calls to us—like Joseph—through angels and messengers, inviting us to listen for the Spirit’s guidance in the midst of half-truths and distractions.

We listen faithfully for the day that all the earth awaits.

Sometimes, angels surprise us (as they did Mary) with good news too fantastical to believe and yet too real—realer than real—to ignore.

We listen faithfully for the day that all the earth awaits.

For generations, God has sent signs of God’s coming kingdom in unexpected places—the birth of a child, the wisdom of the lowly, the faithfulness of a carpenter.

We listen faithfully for the day that all the earth awaits.

Come! Let us worship God who calls out to us, inviting us to faithfulness as we watch, wait, and work for the day when the whole world knows the abundant love and grace of Emmanuel, God-with-us.

Come! Let us worship as we listen faithfully for the day that all the earth awaits.

Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, May 2025.

Prayer of Intercession

Into our troubles and weaknesses,
Into the barren places of our souls, come, Lord,
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.

Into the war-torn and the refugee,
Into those who live in conflict, come, Lord,
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.

Into the homeless and the unemployed,
Into those who feel abandoned, come, Lord,
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.

Into the sick and the disabled,
Into those with Ebola and with cancer, come, Lord.
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.

Into the poor and the starving,
Into those who are oppressed or abused, come, Lord.
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.

Into the lives of loved ones,
Into those from whom we are estranged, come, Lord,
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.

Into our joys and celebrations,
Into our work and our achievements, come, Lord
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.

O Christ, we long for your coming. Hasten that day when those who seek you in every nation will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit at the table in your kingdom. Hasten the day when your kingdom will come in all its glory, and suffering and pain and sickness and oppression and death will be overcome forever. Hasten the day when we will be resurrected as a great multicultural family and live in peace, harmony, joy, and love together in your kingdom.

Written by Christine Sine on Godspace. Re-posted on the re:Worship website at https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2015/12/advent-intercessions.html.

Prayer of Confession

O Holy God of Promise,
we so often place our trust in the things we can see,
and touch, and easily believe.
But you did not ask us to believe what is easy;
you have asked us to believe what is true!
Forgive us, Holy One, when we doubt the ways you work.
Forgive us when we find it hard to believe an ancient story.
Forgive us when we question how you chose to enter the world,
born as one of us.
Forgive our lack of faith and belief
in ways which seem so impossible to believe.
Help us to look in faith, open our belief, and set aside our doubts
that you sent your Son, born of a virgin –
the one who has come to set us all free.
We offer these prayers in the name of your Son,
Emmanuel, God with us. Amen.

Written by Rev. Jan Brooks, Cottonwood Falls Presbyterian Church. Reposted on the re:Worship blog at https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2017/12/advent-prayer-of-confession.html.