These candlelighting liturgies were created to accompany the Advent sermon series “Daring Dreams: Advent with the Prophet Isaiah.” The parts may be split up in any way that is convenient for the groups lighting the candles. You are welcome to use or adapt these liturgies for worship, with credit. When printing these liturgies, please useContinue reading “Longing for the Light: Advent Candlelighting Liturgies (Year A)”
Author Archives: carolhprickett
Daring Dreams: A Confession Cycle for Advent (Year A)
These confessional prayers were created to accompany the Advent sermon series “Daring Dreams.” The bold text is spoken by the whole congregation. You are welcome to use or adapt these liturgies for worship, with credit. When printing these liturgies, please use the following credit line: “Prayer by Rev. Carol Holbrook Prickett.” Advent I (Hope) Prayer ofContinue reading “Daring Dreams: A Confession Cycle for Advent (Year A)”
Prayers of the People: Beatitudes
These prayers of the people are based off Jesus’ sermon on the mount from the Gospel of Matthew. Precious Jesus, Lord, Savior, Teacher, hear us as we pray, and as we plead, Lord, in your mercy. hear our prayer.
Litany of Dedication: Generations
This responsive litany of dedication is appropriate to the blessing of financial pledges, offerings, or simply recommitting our energies to the church for a new year. From generation to generation, you are the Lord. For the faithful of the ages, we give you thanks and praise: For the disciples and apostles of the early church,Continue reading “Litany of Dedication: Generations”
Prayers of the People: Simple Prayers
God of Grace and God of Glory, you have poured your power on your people. We pray now in your holy name, as generations have prayed before us, for the joys and concerns of our days, knowing that you care for great and small.
Prayers of the People: Great and Small
God of great and small, we lift our prayers to you,trusting in the power of your love,to bring healingeven in the midst of heartache,and magnify our joywhere we find our life in you.
Prayers of the People: Where Our Help Comes From
Loving God,we come to you in prayer this morning,not because we are helpless, but because we know where our help comes from,from you.
Prayers of the People: Waterlogged Hearts
God of all people, our hearts are heavy today, waterlogged,as we try to lift them to you.
Affirmation: The Church Community (Belhar Confession)
The Belhar Confession was developed as a faithful response to racial apartheid in South Africa. Originally written in Afrikaans, it was adopted into the PC(USA) Book of Confessions in June 2016. The following is excerpted and adapted from the longer confession.
A Communion Liturgy for an Installation Service
Invitation to the Meal Friends, tonight we are celebrating a church that has answered God’s call: God’s call to look to the future with hope, and to serve God with grace and joy.
Confession of Sins: We are Called
Invitation to Confession When we say, “we don’t sin,” we deny who we are. But when we say, “there’s no way out,” we deny who God is. Trusting that God’s grace is more powerful than our sin, let us confess our sins together.
Prayers of the People: What We Experience
God, we know that you see everything that happens in this world; nothing we pray about is news to you. Yet still we pray, asking that your peace and wisdom rest on us, and your presence transform our lives.
Affirmation: God (The Scots Confession)
The Scots Confession is one of twelve statements of faith from our Book of Confessions. In 1560, Scotland declared itself a Protestant nation and set its clergy, including reformer John Knox, to the task of composing a confession of faith. This affirmation is the first of twenty-five chapters proclaiming their understanding of the faith.
Prayers of the People: Anniversary of 9/11
Lord, we lift our memories of the past to you this day. We know that the tragedies of history are too many to count, and too many for us to remember; yet we know that you hold it all in your heart, that no name is lost from your lips, no life slips from yourContinue reading “Prayers of the People: Anniversary of 9/11”
Communion Liturgy for a Baptismal Day
The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper The Invitation It is appropriate that on a day when we have baptized two new daughters of God, we come together at this table, the family table of the Lord.
Thanksgiving Over the Water for Baptism
A prayer of thanksgiving, adapted from the PCUSA Book of Common Worship. Eternal and gracious God, we give you thanks: For the crashing waters of creation, calmed by your spirit soaring by. For the high waves of the Red Sea, a pathway from slavery to freedom. For the reedy banks of the River Jordan, where forContinue reading “Thanksgiving Over the Water for Baptism”
Communion Liturgy for Proper 14C
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible. (Hebrews 11:1-3:)
Prayers of the People: Joy and Grief
Jesus Christ, Savior, Light of the world, we lift our prayers to you, confident that you hear us, weep with us, laugh with us, and stay always close by us.
Prayers of the People: Wounds
Holy God, holy Friend, another tough week. It is times like we remember that prayer is not merely our privilege but a necessity, that we need to reach out to you and be centered in your love and peace. Hold us gently as we pray, and speak to us in turn, that we may answerContinue reading “Prayers of the People: Wounds”
Two Hands and a Basin (A Maundy Thursday Poem)
John 13:1-5 Two hands and a basin and a towel at his waist against twenty-four feet that had followed him this far. Without his outer robe he looked frail, tired, old almost and they heard how his knees creaked as he bent towards each pair of feet sore and smelly calloused and hairy crackedContinue reading “Two Hands and a Basin (A Maundy Thursday Poem)”
