Older Litanies for Year A

 for Epiphany, Year A

One: Call out to God. Ask for God's help.
All: God will respond, "Here I am."
One: The fast that God chooses is
to loosen the bonds of injustice,
All: to undo the thongs of the yoke,
and let the oppressed go free.
One: to share our bread with the hungry,
All: and bring the homeless poor into our house.
One: When God needs hands to do this work, 

All: let us each answer, "Here I am."
           from Isaiah 1-9a


First Sunday in Advent        30 Nov 1986

Call to Celebration

L: Come, let us go to the house of Yahweh!

P: Let us rejoice and praise God's name!

L: Together in worship we are united with brothers and sisters throughout the world.

P: Together we look forward in expectation. The day of Yahweh is coming!

L: Yahweh lives here among us: Peace be on earth.

All: And praise be to Yahweh! Let us worship God!

                                from Psalm 122

                                             Call to Celebration by K.K. Hudson-Bates

Invocation

We stand at your mountain, God, in awe and expectation. As the special day in our year draws near, we join in prayer with sisters and brothers around the world. You have taught us that all people are our friends and our family, and so we pray for peace and prosperity for all people in our world. Teach us each day to hammer swords into ploughshares and spears into sickles, that we might together know your peace and your happiness in this, our world. In your son's name we pray. Amen.

Second Sunday in Advent            7 Dec 1986 

Invocation

O Yahweh, we gather to celebrate your name! Your scriptures teach us so much about hope, justice and peace. Our faith calls us to follow your teachings, yet we so often fall short. In this season of advent, we pray to you, O God, that we may have such joy and peace in our faith that the power of the Holy Spirit will remove all bounds to hope. In your son's name we pray. Amen.

Second Sunday in Advent            6 Dec 1992

Call to Celebration
L: Yahweh, you are a God of justice and hope!
P: Give your justice to our leaders, that they may rule the nations rightly.
L: That they may defend the cause of the poor, and save those in need.
P: Let the mountains and hills yield prosperity for the people.
L: May righteousness flourish and peace abound!P: Until the moon is no more!
All: Let us celebrate Yahweh, our God.
                            from Psalm 72:1-8

                                             Call to Celebration by K.K. Hudson-Bates

Third Sunday in Advent        14 Dec 1986

Invocation

Creator God, we look to you in expectation, each year awaiting your special mystery. Yet at times, we know we have not even recognized your glory. Again and again you must remind us of its simplicity and humbleness. Open us, O God, to hope for and seek the joy and beauty of your simple justice. This we ask in your son's name. Amen.

Third Sunday in Advent       12 December 2010

Call to Celebration

L: Let the wilderness and the drylands exult, let the dessert rejoice and blossom!

P: Let it bring forth flowers like the crocus. Let it rejoice and sing for joy!

L: For Yahweh, God of Jacob, maker of heaven and earth, is forever faithful.

P: Yahweh gives justice to those denied it, gives food to the hungry, and liberty to prisoners.

L: Yahweh restores sight to the blind and straightens the bent.

P: Yahweh protects the stranger, the orphan and the widow.

All: Let us shout for joy, for Yahweh our God is coming! 

                    from Isaiah 35 and Psalm 146

                                             Call to Celebration by K.K. Hudson-Bates
 
Fourth Sunday in Advent        19 December 2010
Call to Celebration
L: The earth is God's, and all that is in it, the world and those who live in it.
P: Lift up your heads, O gates!
L: And be lifted up, O ancient doors!
P: That the God of Glory may come down.
L: This will be the sign: a young woman with child.
P: She shall bear a son and shall name him Immanuel.
L: God is with us. Emmanuel.
All: God is with us. Alleluia!
                            from Isaiah 7:10-16 and Psalm 24
                                             Call to Celebration by K.K. Hudson-Bates

Invocation
O God Who is with us even now, each year we hear the Christmas story - through songs and scripture, in sermons and storybooks. The words are so familiar that we generally fail to really listen to them. Lift up our heads, and open our hearts that we may be energized by God's continuing message of new birth. Alleluia. Amen.

For Christmas            24 December 2010
Call to Celebration
L: In those days a decree went out that all should be registered.
P: Declare God's glory, God's marvelous works in all the nations!
L: Joseph went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to the city of David called Bethlehem, and with him Mary, to whom he was engaged.
P: Sing to God, all the earth!
L: Mary was expecting a child.
P: God is great and greatly to be praised!
L: While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child.
P: O sing to God a new song!
L: And she gave birth to her firstborn son.P: Let the heavens be glad and let the earth rejoice!
All: Alleluia! Amen!
                            from Luke 2:1-20 and Psalm 96

                                             Call to Celebration by K.K. Hudson-Bates  

First Sunday After Christmas        26 December 2010

Call to Worship

L: Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; and in the heights!

P: Praise God, all the angels and all the host!

L: Praise God, sun and moon and shining stars!

P: Praise the name of the Lord,

L: Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!

P: Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds!

L: Kings of the earth and all peoples,

P: Young men and women alike, old and young together!

All: Let them praise the name of the LORD. Alleluia!

                        from Psalm 148
                                             Call to Celebration by K.K. Hudson-Bates

Second Sunday after Christmas         2 January 2011:

L: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

P: The Word became flesh and lived among us.

L: Even in this new year, God continues to live among us.

P: God guides us along a marvelous way; God herself is our shelter by day and a starry flame through the night.

L: Through God, we are redeemed and find new life for a new year.

All: Sing aloud with gladness!  Proclaim the Lord and give praise!

                        taken from the Wisdom of Solomon, chapter 10 and John, chapter 1

                                             Call to Celebration by K.K. Hudson-Bates

ALTERNATE:
Second Sunday after Christmas

Call to Worship

L: Sing aloud with gladness,

P: Raise shouts for the chief of the nations;

L: Proclaim, give praise, and say, "Save, O LORD, your people, the remnant of Israel."

P: For God lets us walk by brooks of water.

L: Come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and be radiant over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd;

P: Their life shall become like a watered garden, and they shall never languish again.

ALL: Sing aloud with gladness! Praise God!

                        Jeremiah 31:7-14  

                                             Call to Celebration by K.K. Hudson-Bates

Sunday after Epiphany         9 January 2011

L: Bring tribute to God, O heavenly beings,

P: Worship God in holy splendor.

L: God gives us as a covenant to the people,

P: A light to the nations,

L: To open eyes that are blind,

P: To bring out prisoners from the dungeon.

L: The voice of the Lord is powerful,

P: The voice of God is full of majesty.

All: Praise be to God!

                        from Psalm 29 and Isaiah 42

                                             Call to Celebration by K.K. Hudson-Bates 

Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

(Year A)

Call to Celebration:

One: You are the light of the world!

All: Let your light shine before others, so that they see your good works and give glory to God!

One: Loosen the bonds of injustice and let the oppressed go free.

All: Share bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless into your house.

One: Then your light will break forth like the dawn!

ALL: Praise be to God!

                                  from Isaiah 58:1-8 and Matthew 5:14

Call to Celebration by K.K. Hudson-Bates

Proper 4        12 June 1994 (Lectionary was changed after this date - now goes here)

Call to Celebration

L: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

P: Therefore we will not fear, though the mountains shake,

L: For God is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge.

P: God makes wars cease to the end of the earth,

L: God breaks the bow, shatters the spear, burns the shields,

All: Let God be exalted among the nations! Let God be exalted in the earth!

                            from Psalm 46

                                             Call to Celebration by K.K. Hudson-Bates

Proper 29:            23 November 2008 (or 20 November 2011)

L: Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food?

P: When were you thirsty and we gave you something to drink?

L: When was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you?

P: When did we see you naked and give you clothing?

L: When was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?

All: Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.

                                                Matthew 25: 37-40

                                             Call to Celebration by K.K. Hudson-Bates  

Litany and Prayer, Thanksgiving, Year A

Call to Worship and Prayer for Thanksgiving, Year A:

One: The earth belongs to God, and all that is in it,

All: The world is indeed God’s, and all of us who live in it.

One: God supplies seed to the sower and bread for food,

All: And God multiplies the seed and increases the harvest.

One: Out of our abundance, God requires that we share,

All: That all may have enough. Thanks be to God for such an indescribable gift!

              From 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Let us pray:

Creator God,

You are amazing! Even with our small gifts you are able to do wonderful things! We hear our world suffering from violence and tragedy, and you guide our hands to do your work of caring for others. We see people each day without homes, without food, without basic necessities, and you guide our hearts to feed those who are hungry. We feel helpless in the face of great needs, and you guide our minds to study and be forever watchful for ways to better serve our world. Make us whole so that our hands and hearts and minds might work together to your glory. Amen.

                  Call and Prayer by K. K. Hudson-Bates

Litany and Prayer for Fourth Sunday in Easter, Year C

Call to Worship:

One: With God as our shepherd,

All: We need nothing more!

One: God leads us to paths at the wetlands,

All: Or by the quiet waters of Cache Creek, for walks that might restore our spirits.

One: God guides us to work for justice,

All: To challenge - in God’s holy name - any wrongs we find in our world.

One: Even in the depths of our misery,

All: Even while walking through our darkest hours,

One: The God of Love is with us, comforting us, chasing away our fears!

All: Let us worship God together!

         from Psalm 23

Community Prayer:

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray:
God of Love,

You are our Loving Shepherd.

Your creation beckons us, calling us to renew our spirits, to reconnect: to spend more time in our gardens, on pathways in nature, at the arboretum, on mountain trails or walking the labyrinth, to restore imbalances caused by too much work, too much screen time, too much time commuting on busy highways. You call us to better serve in our community and world: speaking justice, healing pain, and reaching out in love. We pray that we might answer your calls - to restore our souls so that we are energized, and to do your work in our world. This we pray, O God of All Creation. Amen.

                Litany and Prayer by K. K. Hudson-Bates

Litany and Prayer - Proper 25 year C

Call to Worship:

One:  O God, Answerer of Prayer! To you all people shall come. 

All: When we are overwhelmed by our own misdeeds, 

One: You forgive our wrong-doing.

All: Time and again, you answer our poor or misguided actions

One: With loving kindness rather than judgement.

All: And because you have clothed us in joy, we shout and sing together in praise of you!

                        From Psalm 65

Community Prayer:

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Let us pray:

God of Our Salvation,

You are the hope of all at the ends of the earth and the farthest seas. We are awed by your signs. But, like the tax collector in Jesus’ story, we are not blameless. We find ourselves turning our backs on people because we are uncomfortable. We judge others as not worthy of our time or money. We procrastinate so that we don’t have to make hard choices. We pray that we might learn to be more humble and caring in our relationships. We pray that we might open our hearts to all peoples, so that we might be avenues for your love in our world. This we pray, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

          from Psalm 65 and Luke 18

               Litany and Prayer by K. K. Hudson-Bates

Litany and Prayer for Proper 18, Year C

Call to Worship:

One: Loving Creator, you have searched us and known us,

All: You know when we sit down and when we rise up.

One: It was you who formed our inward parts,

All: And we are fearfully and wonderfully made!

One: In our lives today, we have choices that are before us.

All: We can choose between life and death.

One: We can choose between good and evil.

All: And because we have known you, God, we can choose to love as you have loved us,

One: And we can choose to walk in your ways.

All: Let us choose life so that we and our world might live abundantly! Amen.

                       from Deuteronomy 30.19-20 and Psalm 139

Community Prayer:

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray:
God of Many Possibilities,

You know us from the inside out. You know our intentions and our difficult choices. You have been with us from the moment we were formed. You know when we are hurting and when we may have hurt others, when we need a healing touch and when we can give a healing touch to another. You know the anguish we feel when we see injustice, and you are with us when we search for ways to respond to that injustice. We pray that our hearts will be open as your Spirit nudges us always in the direction that leads to abundant life. This we pray, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Call to Worship and Prayer by K. K. Hudson-Bates

Litany and Prayer for the Sixth Sunday in Easter, Year A

Call to Worship:

One: May God be gracious to you and bless you.

All: May God’s face shine on you!

One: God has given us an Advocate, a Spirit of truth.

All: God is with us. We are not left orphaned;

One: God truly listens, and gives heed to the words of our prayers.

All: Through the many trials in our lives,

One: God’s loving Advocate, God’s Spirit of truth, remains with us always.

All: Let us all sing for joy and praise God! Amen.

                    from Psalm 67 and John 14:16-21

Community Prayer:

God of Spirit and Truth,

You have indeed given us an Advocate. Your Holy Spirit continues to reach out to us, teaching us, reminding us, guiding us. Your Spirit of truth is with us through drought and forest fires, through hunger, through the daily violence that shatters our world and lives, and through day to day conflicts that wear away at our center of balance. Your Spirit of truth nudges us to recognize the ways we are complicit in the causes of drought, violence, hunger, and daily conflicts. We pray that you help us loosen our tight grasp on the ways of the world, and open our hearts and minds to your way, that you might fill us with your peace and a clearer vision of your love for us and our world. This we pray, O Holy Spirit. Amen.

                            Call and Prayer by K. K. Hudson-Bates

Litany for Third Sunday in Lent, Year A

Call to Worship:

One: Come! Let us make a joyful noise to God!

All: Let us come into God’s presence with thanksgiving!

One: For God reaches across oceans, across cultures, across all barriers,

All: To bring us into closer relationships.

One: When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well,

All: He saw a woman needing acceptance and forgiveness.

One: Like the woman at the well, we too yearn for a connection to God.

All: Let us join our hearts to worship the God of Compassion.

           from John 4:1-15, 19-30 and Psalm 95

Community Prayer:

God of the Living Water,

You who know our very being, you see beyond our nationality and our culture. Like Jesus did with the woman at the well, you look through our mistakes and see us at the center of who we are. You push us to let go of cultural norms and biases that keep us from freely sharing your radical love. We pray for your continued presence in our lives as we struggle with our own prejudices and blind spots. We pray that we may be receptive of your nudging toward openness and inclusion. This we pray, O God of Spirit and Truth. Amen.

              Prayer and Call to Worship by K. K. Hudson-Bates