ADVENT PRAYERS FOR PEACE

The hour long program is a reading of the Scripture passages from the four Sundays of Advent (you may change these according to the Liturgical Year). In our act of turning, we turn our chairs 90 degrees each time, until at the end, we will be facing the same direction as we began.

Hymn numbers are from Hymnal: A Worship Book.

Call to Worship

I greet you this evening with the words from Psalm 117, an invitation to the people of the whole world, to praise God together. Praise the Lord, all you nations! Extol him, all you peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!

We gather on this first day of Advent to begin the worship season of expectant waiting and readiness for the coming of Christ.

As we worship
- we look back to the time of when God radically broke into the world at Christ's first coming,
- we look around at our own time to see how God is at work among us
- and we look forward in anticipation to when Christ will come again.

We fill our watching and waiting with prayers for God to bring peace on earth and in our own lives. We know that God hears our prayers because they echo the desires of God's heart that there be peace across the earth and deep within each of our lives. And we believe that as we worship God our understanding of the world and our place in it undergoes a slow transformation.

We will leave here this evening seeing the same world as when we entered, facing the same direction as when we began, yet we see the world differently because we know God's place above and through and within it.

Opening Prayer

Please bow with me in prayer.

Gracious God,

I pray that as we gather to pray for peace, You may grant that all of us may be strengthened in our inner being with power through Your Spirit.

I pray that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith, as we are being rooted and grounded in love.

I pray that we may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth of the love of God that leads to peace.

I pray that we may come to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that we may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to God who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Hymn of Prayer       No. 172 "O come, O come Immanuel" (verses 1, 6)

IN TIMES OF WAR GOD WILL TEACH US WAYS OF PEACE

Looking back

Situation in the time of Isaiah
Scripture reading        Isaiah 2:1-5

Situation today
Special music       "If the war goes on"     (John L. Bell and Graham Maule)
Congregational affirmation

But this we know and believe, that in this time of chaos and despair throughout the world, our God who loves peace will teach us what to do.

Prayers for the world

Scripture reading       Romans 13:11-14 Responsive reading
The congregation is invited to read the bold print.
After the responsive reading please turn your chairs clockwise 90 degrees.

Lord Jesus, we long for your coming.
   O come, O come Immanuel.
Jesus came into our world at Bethlehem
bringing God's vision of peace and righteousness on earth.
   O come, O come Immanuel.
Jesus is coming again into our world
bringing the realization of peace and righteousness on earth.
   Come, Lord Jesus. In our lives we turn to greet you.

Act of turning
Hymn of prayer       No. 172        "O come, O come Immanuel" (verses 2, 6)

Looking back

Scripture reading        Isaiah 11:1-10
Hymn        No. 178        "Come, thou long-expected Jesus"

Congregational affirmation

But this we know and believe, that when Jesus comes the aggressors and the victims will be reconciled in righteousness and faithfulness and peace.

Prayers for our city

Responsive reading

Lord Jesus, we long for your coming.
   O come, O come Immanuel.
Jesus came into our world at Bethlehem
bringing God's vision of peace and righteousness on earth.
   O come, O come Immanuel
Jesus is coming again into our world
bringing the realization of peace and righteousness on earth.
   Come, Lord Jesus. In our lives we turn to greet you.

Act of turning
Hymn of prayer        No. 172        "O come, O come Immanuel" (verses 3, 4)

Looking back

Situation in the time of John the Baptist
Scripture reading        Isaiah 35:3-6a
Scripture reading        Matthew 11:2-11
Hymn        No. 176        "Comfort, comfort, O my people"

Congregational affirmation

But this we know and believe, that when Jesus comes he brings healing and good news to all who suffer.

Prayers for healing

Responsive reading

Lord Jesus, we long for your coming.
   O come, O come Immanuel.
Jesus came into our world at Bethlehem
bringing God's vision of peace and righteousness on earth.
   O come, O come Immanuel
Jesus is coming again into our world
bringing the realization of peace and righteousness on earth.
   Come, Lord Jesus. In our lives we turn to greet you.

Act of Turning
Hymn of prayer       No. 172        "O come, O come Immanuel" (verses 5, 6)

Looking back

Scripture reading         Isaiah 6:10-17 Scripture reading        Matthew 1:18-25 Hymn       No. 182        "O how shall I receive thee"

Congregational affirmation

But this we know and believe, that when Jesus comes God is with us.

Silent Prayers

Responsive reading

Lord Jesus, we long for your coming.
   O come, O come Immanuel
Jesus came into our world at Bethlehem
bringing God's vision of peace and righteousness on earth.
   O come, O come Immanuel
Jesus is coming again into our world
bringing the realization of peace and righteousness on earth.
   Come, Lord Jesus, in our lives we turn to greet you.

Act of turning
Hymn of prayer        No. 172        "O come, O come Immanuel" (verses 5, 6)

The peace of Christ be with you.
   And also with you.
We have heard God's voice beneath the human word.We have seen the way of Jesus in his deeds of kindness.
We have been touched by the Spirit in prayer and song.
We go forth to witness to what we have seen and heard.
We go forth to proclaim the peace of the Risen Christ.

For lyrics and music for "The War Goes On" go to http://peace.mennolink.org/resources/ifthewargoeson.html

Act of Turning: we set up the chairs in the sanctuary with adequate space in between so that at each Act of Turning, we all turned our chairs 90 degrees. The Scripture readings and prayers we then lead from the new location each time.