Prayers/Litanies
Praying in Response to Violence
On Sunday, 6/12, 49 people were shot to death, and many more were injured in an Orlando nightlcub. It was a horrifying tragedy on its own, but I think it was also the 133rd mass shooting (more than 3 shot) in the US in 2016. We have a major problem in this country with violence in general and gun violence in particular. Sadly, it is a problem that will not go away soon. The church has always prayed in response to violence. Often that praying has taken place during public gatherings like worship services, vigils, bible studies, etc. More...
read moreVTCUCC AM 2016
In April 2016, and for the 221st time, the Vermont Conference, United Church of Christ met for its Annual Meeting. The meeting was held from Friday morning, 4/29 through Saturday afternoon, 4/30 at the Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, VT. Our theme was, “Be The Church” which was borrowed from the national setting of the UCC. Below you will find the orders of worship for three services that took place during plenary sessions. Our musicians for these services were Peter and Mary Alice Amidon and our preacher/keynote was Bishop...
read moreInvocation for Annual Meeting
Here is a prayer of invocation I wrote and delivered for a plenary session of the 2009 Annual Meeting of the Vermont Conference, UCC. The theme was: “Diving In: The Living Waters of the Vermont Conference” which accounts for the water imagery in the prayer. It could be adapted for use in a variety of settings. God…your life-giving water is everywhere. It flows from our faucets…it streams through our backyards… …it falls from the sky…it pools in our lakes…and it covers most of our world. Our bodies…God…are saturated with...
read moreBe the Church
In 2016, The United Church of Christ has a lively new call to action, listing nine ways we are called to “BE THE CHURCH.” You can get banners and other materials to promote this vision of faith made visible in the world at www.uccresources.com. I explored the theme in a five part worship series, and these are the materials I wrote for the series. I have included the scriptures used, some of which are referenced in the worship materials. Martha Peck #1 – Be the Church: Care for the Poor (John 21:1-19, Acts 9:1-9) (NOTE: For this first...
read moreMother’s Day: thoughts & a prayer
Mother’s Day has become sort of a thing. Like it has happened with Memorial Day and Passover Seders on Maundy Thursday, more and more of my colleagues have developed an ambivalent/tense/negative relationship with the second Sunday in May. “It’s just a Hallmark holiday,” some will say. “It has no place in the church calendar,” other will say. Still others will bemoan the particular ministry complexities of this day, arguing, “not everyone has a mother,” or “not everyone has/had a good...
read moreEverything on the Table: A Script for the Transformation of Gun Violence
This script was used a part of a closing devotional to end a three week ecumenical study about violence in general and gun violence in particular during Lent 2016. (NOTES: 1) The scripture reference below is Micah 4:1-4; 2) For this study we used a resource created by the United Methodist Church, titled “Kingdom Dreams, Violent Realities,” which accounts for some of the language you will see below. For this resource, click here.) The text below can be adapted for use in small groups, at a vigil, for a Sunday morning worship...
read moreEaster Communion: Words of Resurrection
Below are some elements of a simple liturgy for Holy Communion on Easter Sunday. They are similar to the elements of our standard Communion liturgy (adapted from the United Church of Christ Book of Worship) except that the WORDS OF INSTITUTION have been replaced by WORDS OF RESURRECTION. INVITATION – Dear ones, this isn’t my table. It’s not your table. It’s not our table. But it’s Christ’s table. And because it’s Christ’s table all of us are welcome here. At this table, you don’t have to look a certain way. You don’t have to worship a...
read moreSharing the Banquet: Luke 15:1-3; 11-32
Worship and Communion Resources based on Luke 15: 1-3,11-32 (Prodigal Son) CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: Though we are often wayward and stubbornly independent, People: God invites us to share the banquet. Leader: Though we are often obedient and dull, People: God calls us to join in the dance. Leader: Are you hungry? Come and eat. People: Are you lonely? Come and touch those who love you. Leader: Friends, let us worship and feast at the Lord’s Table. People: All are welcome here. PRAYER OF INVOCATION...
read moreGratitude & Grief: Mother’s Day Litany
For this piece, I was struck by the complexity of our relationships with our mother’s and the mixture of gratitude and grief we sometimes experience on Mother’s Day. Users should feel free to update the references to current events as appropriate. Hymns cited are from the Chalice Hymnal. A LITANY FOR MOTHER’S DAY (based on Psalm 98) Leader: O sing to the Lord a new song, but sing the old songs too. Sing a song of remembrance: People: We remember the God who named and claimed us, and the mothers who read us Bible stories, and made us...
read moreMaundy Thursday: Commandments & Promises
This Service for Maundy Thursday focuses on the commandments and promises of Jesus. The congregation is drawn in as they read aloud the words Jesus spoke to his disciples in his final days with them. We are reminded that Jesus offers us both comfort and challenge, as we follow him. The responsive readings work best when not hurried. The mood should evoke remembering the last cherished words of a loved one no longer with us. Hymns cited are from the Chalice Hymnal. Leader reads regular type, congregation, bold. *=stand as able. DIVINE...
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