Christmas Morning

      

Ecclesiastes 7:15-29 OR Micah 7:1-20

Psalm 44

Matthew 10:9-23 OR Luke 12:1-12

Romans 3:1-22a

OPENING PRAYER [from GREATER ATTENTION: LERW, YEAR D]

O Holy Savior, Son of God and Son of David, shepherd your people with your staff, as in the days of old, the flock that belongs to you, which abides in the midst of a garden land; show us marvelous things, as in the days when you came out of Egypt, so that the nations shall see, cover their mouths, and be ashamed of all their might. For you came into this world with nothing, and you have called us to go forth with nothing but your Spirit to teach us what to say, speaking peace to those who receive you and remaining at peace in the face of rejection. Give us, therefore, strength and sustenance for this earthly life, that we may have hope and courage to endure, for you have promised that those who endure to the end will be saved.

Kindle version of The Joyful Feast is now available

Second Sunday of Advent (Year B)

IN PREPARATION FOR WORSHIP [from WHEN HEAVEN STANDS OPEN: LERW, YEAR B]
We wait for you, little knowing that you wait for us to reach out.
We call to you, heedless of your voice in our ears.
We approach you, making no forward progress, but turning around,
we discover you have been with us all along.

First Sunday of Advent (Year B)

    

For those opting for Year B this year ...

Isaiah 64:1-9

Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19

1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Mark 13:24-37

CALL TO WORSHIP

God is faithful!  Come together and wait for the advent of the Lord.

We lack nothing for the vigil.  We keep watch and wait.

Stay awake!  For you do not know when the Lord will return.

With signs in the heavens,

with power and glory, Christ will come.

Take heart!  By the grace of God you have been blessed.

We will endure to the end, that we may be found blameless

when Jesus Christ comes again.

OPENING PRAYER

Eternal God, who comes to us in different forms and at different times,

we await your coming again: Let the heavens be opened!

Let every creature on earth behold your grandeur and your glory!

We anticipate your arrival with worship in our hearts,

with eager, expectant eyes, and with lives ready to be changed

by your holy presence among us.

For the rest of this liturgy, see When Heaven Stands Open.

Liturgical Elements for Reformed Worship

Consisting of one RCL cycle, plus Year D ...

       

One colleague suggested issuing them in a slip case. Now that would be nice, wouldn't it!

The lectionary and the liturgical year can lend shape to all kinds of things

With Year B fast approaching, allow me to reiterate, yea, demonstrate, that I have long found the Revised Common Lectionary a very helpful, valuable, and inspiring tool, not just for preaching, liturgy, and prayer.

But I encourage you to compare the Table of Contents and the titles here with the Sunday lections in Year B:

... and the track list here to the Sundays of the Christmas cycle (Advent through Transfiguration).

The Secret of Salix Babylonicus

UPDATE: As I was saying ...

BUMPED (Originally posted Jun 22): If you are interested in reading more about the origins of this story, see this related post.

UPDATE: Here is the FB page for SSB.

There are countless people under such tremendous stress just now, many depressed, many bereaved, many sick, many wounded, many undergoing persecution for their faith; there is so much deep need on so many fronts. On one level, this little book is just a short story, a parable (to be more precise), so perhaps one should not expect too much of it. On another level, however, the need of the world is so great that one would be negligent if one were to keep in reserve the most modest palliative or source of consolation that might ease, however slightly, the burden of just one despairing soul. Written in 1997 and fully illustrated for the first time, The Secret of Salix Babylonicus, has much wisdom and encouragement to offer, despite (and perhaps owing to) its brevity and simplicity. May it be a blessing to you, dear reader, and a source of inspiration, encouragement, and hope to you and to any and all with whom you "share" it. [Thank you for liking it on FB. Bear in mind though, that Shares reach further, and the ministry of the willow is all about the long reach.]

Available on CreateSpace:

... and Amazon:

The Joyful Feast

... and with that the series is complete!

Careful! Amazon link is hot!