Chalice Lightings, Opening and Closing Words, Readings UUA’s WorshipWeb includes a searchable collection of prayers, meditations, readings, and words to open or close your service. Entire services are also available. (THE BOOK OF WORSHIP 1965, ALT.) Christmas Eve, Day or Season. Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of a great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. (LUKE 2:10) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Worship begins with God’s initiative. God calls the church into being and calls us to worship in this time and place. Words from Scripture are thus spoken or sung to proclaim who God is and what God has done. This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. So opening a meeting in prayer can be a remarkably important stage in the service or get together, for it reminds us of these important truths - that God is with us and that God is for us. This page features several beautiful invocations for opening meetings, with sample prayers for church services, worship times and work meetings.
Churches have different ways of making clear that a service is about to start. Ordinary greetings such as 'Good Morning' or 'Welcome' make people feel comfortable and link what we do with everyday human encounters. But biblically-based prayers (such as 1.1 - 1.2), or reminders of our purpose in meeting together (such as 1.4 - 1.7), focus our attention on God and what we might expect from him. God has called us together and we should acknowledge that from the beginning, in the way we speak to him or speak about him. A well-chosen hymn or song may also fulfil some of these introductory functions.
Introductions 1.4 and 1.5 can be extended to give a seasonal or thematic emphasis, or lead straight to an invitation to confess sins (see section 4). There may be special events in the life of the congregation to be noted.But, above all, it is important to focus attention on God and the prospect of listening to his word and responding with prayer and praise.We have not come together merely to have fellowship with one another or to encourage one another, but to meet with God.
| 1.1 | The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you and also with you. |
| 1.2 | Grace, mercy and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, be with you and also with you. Cf. 1 Timothy 1:2 |
| 1.3 | (In the Easter season) Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. Alleluia! |
| 1.4 | (Friends in Christ) We have come together to meet with God, to express our fellowship in the Lord Jesus, and to take our part in the building of his church. We will praise and thank him for his goodness towards us, hear from his holy word, and pray for the world, and for ourselves. (Especially today . . .) |
| 1.5 | We have come together in the name of Christ, to offer our praise and thanksgiving, to hear and receive God's holy word, to pray for the needs of the world, and to seek the forgiveness of our sins, that by the power of the Holy Spirit we may give ourselves to the service of God. (Especially today . . .) Common Worship |
| 1.6 | We meet in the presence of God, who knows our needs, hears our cries, feels our pain, and heals our wounds. |
| 1.7 | Since we believe that Jesus our Saviour has ascended into heaven, and opened the way into God's presence for us. let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith; let us hold fast to the hope we profess; and let us consider how we may spur one another on to love and good deeds. Cf. Hebrews 10:19-25 |
Opening Voluntary
Welcome and Theme
Confession and Forgiveness
Blessed be God, Father, ☩ Son, and Holy Spirit, whose forgiveness is sure and whose steadfast love endures forever.
Amen.
Together let us honestly and humbly confess
that we have not lived as God desires.
Silence is kept for reflection.
Loving and forgiving God,
we confess that we are held captive by sin.
In spite of our best efforts, we have gone astray. We have not welcomed the stranger;
we have not loved our neighbor;
we have not been Christ to one another.
Restore us, O God.
Wake us up and turn us from our sin.
Renew us each day in the light of Christ. Amen.
People of God, hear this glad news:
by God’s endless grace
your sins are forgiven, and you are free—
free from all that holds you back
and free to live in the peaceable realm of God.
May you be strengthened in God’s love,
☩ comforted by Christ’s peace,
and accompanied with the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Opening Hymn –
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you
Canticle of Praise
Glory to God, glory to God,
Glory to God in the highest;
Glory to God, glory to God,
And peace to God’s people on earth.
Lord, God heavenly king,
Almighty God and Father,
We worship you, we give you thanks,
We praise you for your glory.
Glory to God, glory to God,
Glory to God in the highest;
Glory to God, glory to God,
And peace to God’s people on earth.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
You take away the sin of the world:
Have mercy on us;
You are seated at the right hand of the Father:
Receive our prayer.
Glory to God, glory to God,
Glory to God in the highest;
Glory to God, glory to God,
And peace to God’s people on earth.
For you alone are the Holy One,
You alone are the Lord,
You alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
In the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Glory to God, glory to God,
Glory to God in the highest;
Glory to God, glory to God,
And peace to God’s people on earth.
Prayer of the Day
Stir up our hearts, Lord God, to prepare the way of your only Son. By his coming strengthen us to serve you with purified lives; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
Word
First Reading: Isaiah 40:1-11
1Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God.
2Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her
that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
3A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.
5Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
6A voice says, “Cry out!” And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field.
7The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
surely the people are grass.
8The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever.
9Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings;
lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings,
lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
10See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him;
his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.
11He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms,
and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.
Please stand
Gospel Acclamation
Halle, halle, hallelujah!
Halle, halle, hallelujah!
Halle, halle, hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
The holy gospel according to Matthew
Glory to you, O Lord.
Mark 1: 1-8
The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way;
3the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’ ”
4John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Sermon – John the Baptist
Hymn of the Day –
Prayers
Faithful God, you teach us to wait for you with faithfulness and patience. Sustain and support us in our doubts and questions. Nurture our faith as we discern and enact your mission. Hear us, O God.
Opening Prayers Sunday Worship
Your mercy is great.
Loving God, you set the stars in the sky and breathe life into the earth. Renew the face of creation where it is in need of your healing touch. Mend the wounds of environmental damage and restore balance to ecosystems so that all creation can declare your praise. Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
Steadfast God, you never tire of seeking justice. Where people suffer from discrimination, judgment, and injustice, speak words of truth and comfort. We pray especially for the millions infected with COVID – 19. Lead us toward a world where faithfulness will sprout underfoot and righteousness rain down from above. Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
Leading God, you ask us to make uneven ground smooth. Make even the disparities between your people. Sustain and support people with physical and intellectual disabilities. Accompany disability advocates who work for a world accessible to all. Teach us to celebrate the great diversity in our midst. Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
Tender God, you know sorrow and joy alike. We pray for those in our families and congregation who are not joyful in this holiday season. Comfort those who grieve, be a companion to all who are lonely, tend those who are sick or struggling with depression, and gather all people in your healing embrace. Geri,Becky, Lynda, Barbara, Brendan, Rebecca, and Alec. Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
Eternal God, we give thanks for the saints who have prepared your way in the wilderness and taught us to continue their faithful work (especially Nicholas of Myra). Make their generous lives an example for all. Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
Draw near to us, O God, and receive our prayers for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
MEAL
Please stand
Great Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right and salutary that we should at all times and in all places offer thanks and praise to you, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and ever living God. You comforted your people with the promise of the Redeemer, through whom you will also make all things new in the day when he comes again to judge the world in righteousness. And so, with the Church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
Holy, Holy, Holy
Holy, holy, holy Lord. God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest, hosanna in the highest.
Words of Institution
The Lord’s Prayer – (sung)
Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, and the power, and the glory are yours,
Prayer Of Invocation For Worship Service
Now and forever and ever. Amen. Amen. Amen.
Please be seated
Communion – proceed up to the table eat and drink away from the table and dispose of your cup.
Communion Song –
Prayer after Communion
Gracious and abundant God,
you have done great things for us, and we rejoice.
In this bread and cup you give us life forever.
In your boundless mercy, strengthen us
and open our hearts to the world’s needs,
for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Opening Words For Baptist Worship Service
Amen.
Blessing –
The Creator of the stars bless your Advent waiting,
Opening Sentence Ideas For Church
the long-expected Savior fill you with love,
the unexpected Spirit guide your journey,
☩ now and forever.
Amen.
Closing Hymn –
Dismissal
Go in peace. Prepare the way of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Opening Words For A Worship Service
Closing Voluntary