Meg Jenista Kuykendall

This opening of worship originally appeared in "Be Not Afraid—Epiphany 2: Fear of the Stranger."God Calls Us to Worship and PraiseCall to WorshipI will extol the Lord at all times;     his praise will always be on my lips.I will glory in the Lord;     let the afflicted hear and rejoice.Glorify the Lord with me;     let us exalt his name together.—Psalm 34:1–3Songs“Praise the LORD! Sing Hallelujah” (st. 1, 3–4) Psalter“Lord Most High” Harris and Sadler Greeting from GodWe Greet Each OtherThe Lord Is Close to the Broken-HeartedCall to ConfessionI sought the Lord, and he answered me;     he delivered me from all my fears.Those who look to him are radiant;     their faces are never covered with shame.This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;     he saved him out of all his troubles.—Psalm 34:4–6Song“Pelas dores deste mundo / For the Troubles” NetoPrayer of ConfessionO Christ, you are the light of the world. Shine into the dark places and expose the sins of greed, oppression, hate and violence. Fill us with love, joy, peace, patience, and a willingness to forgive.O Christ, you are the light of the world. We pray for the homeless, the refugees, the expelled and forgotten people everywhere. Strengthen us in our belief that you are a God of justice. Empower us with the determination to work for basic human rights.O Christ, you are the light of the world. We pray for people everywhere that you would show us how we are to live together as neighbors, understanding and respecting one another. We remember before you the many places in the world where there is conflict between nations. We pray that love may determine a just solution.O Christ, you are the light of the world. As the Risen Christ you broke the chains of death; free us from every kind of oppression. Breathe your Holy Spirit upon us. Make us a people of hope who live in lands where there is peace and justice for everyone.—Pocket Prayers for Peace and Justice, compiled by Christian Aid. Prayers for Peacemakers, page 46, by Women of Jerusalem, Church House Publishing, 2004, © The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England. Used by permission. copyright@churchofengland.org. Assurance of PardonThe righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;     he delivers them from all their troubles.The Lord is close to the brokenhearted     and saves those who are crushed in spirit.The righteous person may have many troubles,     but the Lord delivers him from them all.—Psalm 34:17–19Revised Common LectionaryYear A: Season after Pentecost—All Saints DayYear B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 14 (19)Year B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 15 (20)Year B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 16 (21)Year B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 25 (30)

This confession and assurance originally appeared in "Be Not Afraid—Epiphany 1: Fear of Strangers."“See, Darkness Covers the Earth, and Thick Darkness Is Over the Peoples”Call to ConfessionGod calls us to live in the light and to walk as people of the light. But on this Epiphany Sunday, we come before the Lord in prayer to confess that we still walk in darkness. We make personal decisions that drive us into the darkness. Our world is one filled with darkness, brokenness, and despair. We are deeply in need of Jesus Christ, the light of the world, to enter in and shine on us. Together we confess in song our need for light.Sung Prayer of Confession“Christ, Be Our Light” (st. 1, 3, 5) FarrellAssurance of PardonThe light of God shines in the darkness. God is calling the whole world together in unity to walk in the light as beloved and chosen people. Open your hearts to God’s light and to one another. Thanks be to God.

This communion liturgy originally appeared in "Be Not Afraid—Christmas Eve: Fear of Revelation."Lord’s SupperInstitution of the Lord’s SupperLong after the angels vacated the skies, the shepherds left the manger and the Magi traveled home again. On another night—the night of his betrayal, not his birth; the night of his arrest, not his adoration—Jesus sat at dinner with his disciples.On that night, he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”In the same way, he took the cup saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this in remembrance of me.”As we eat this bread and drink this cup, we remember and proclaim the mystery of our faith:Christ has died.Christ is risen.Christ will come again.Great Prayer of ThanksgivingThe Lord be with you.And also with you.Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord.Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.It is right for us to give thanks and praise.With joy we praise you, gracious God, Eternal Creator. At the beginning of time your rescue plan of salvation began with the work of Your hands, fashioning our planet and spinning our galaxies into place.Through history you sent prophets and priests to point the way and to shape the expectations of your people longing for rescue from sin and salvation from bondage to sin’s effects.Until, at last, in the fullness of time, our Savior and Redeemer was born.Though he could not find hospitality in his own city, his birth offers the world the eternal hospitality of God.Song“Of the Father’s Love Begotten”  (st. 1–3) Prudentius We give thanks to you, Jesus Christ, who came among us as the Word made flesh to show us a new and radiant vision of your glory, full of grace and truth.Therefore, we join our voices with the angel choirs who forever sing glory to your name.Song“Of the Father’s Love Begotten” (st. 4–5) Prudentius By the power of your Holy Spirit, unite us with Christ and all who share this feast. Give us courage to live according to the promise of this night, to be your people, showing forth your justice, grace, mercy, peace, and love until the day when the baby whose birth we celebrate tonight comes again in fullness and peace.Then we will feast with all your saints in the joy of your eternal realm.Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor are yours, almighty God, now and forever. Amen.InvitationThe church father Ambrose of Milan wrote about the significance of this evening, saying:“He became an infant and a child so that your humanity might be made perfect. He was wrapped in swaddling clothes so that you might be absolved from the bonds of death. He was on earth so that you might be in heaven. He had no room at the inn so that you might have mansions in heaven. He was in a manger so that you might be at the altar.”—Ambrose, Exposition of the Gospel According to Luke 2:41The gifts of God for the people of God![Distribution of elements while singing “What Child Is This” Dix]

This prayer originally appeared in "Be Not Afraid—Longest Night Service Based on Psalm 80: Fear of Darkness."Prayer for God’s BlessingLord, it is night. The night is for stillness. Let us be still in the presence of God.It is night after a long day. What has been done has been done; what has not been done has not been done; let it be.The night is dark. Let our fears of the darkness of the world and of our own lives rest in you. The night is quiet. Let the quietness of your peace enfold us, all dear to us, and all who have no peace.The night heralds the dawn. Let us look expectantly to a new day, new joys, new possibilities.In your name we pray, amen.

This prayer originally appeared in "Be Not Afraid—Longest Night Service Based on Psalm 80: Fear of Darkness."Prayers of IntercessionWith refrain “Come and Fill Our Hearts” TaizéWe light this candle to remember those who have died, and those who mourn the dead. The shadow of death can seem impenetrably dark during these long nights. We pray to God, whose first act in creation was to call light from darkness.     RefrainWe light this candle to remember those who are captive to darkness. For those lost in the night of addiction, depression, anxiety, or unexpected grief, we pray to God, who guided the Israelites through the darkness with a pillar of fire.     RefrainWe light this candle to remember those who feel that hardship will overwhelm them. For the poor, the persecuted, the hungry, the immigrant, the refugee, and the homeless, we pray to God, who walked with three men through the consuming flames of a fiery furnace.     RefrainWe light this candle to remember those who are battling illness. We lift up those who suffer the pain, indignity, and bewilderment that accompany a broken body. For all who desire to be returned to wholeness, we pray to God, who lit the night sky with a star to guide three Magi to the healing Christ.     RefrainWe light this candle to remember those who are alone. We remember those who isolated from loved ones; far from home; wandering down the wrong path; or convinced that God is unconcerned with their suffering. We pray to God, who is like the woman who lit a lantern to search all night for one lost coin.     RefrainWe light this candle to remember God’s beautiful and fragile creation. For those who experience drought, flood, disease, famine. For survivors of natural disasters and for all those called to be caretakers of creation. We pray to God, who will not destroy the earth but purify it with refiner’s fire that goodness may be restored.     RefrainYou alone see us as we are, Lord God, so we ask you to nurture us according to our need tonight, to minister to us according to our wounds, to heal us in all the places you can see that we are broken or sick. Come and fill our hearts with your peace. Alleluia. Amen.Prayer StationsDuring this time you may visit the prayer stations or pray quietly in your seat.1. AnointingCome forward to a pastor for anointing with oil and for personal prayer. You may ask for prayer for yourself or another person and can be as specific or private as you need. Please indicate whether you’d like anointing on your hand or forehead.[Words of blessing: Restore your child, O God; make your face shine upon him/her/them, that he/she/they may be saved.]2. CandlesLight a candle in remembrance of a loved one, in solidarity with someone who is hurting, or as a representation of your own need and prayer.3. MapMany areas of our world are in need of Christ’s light to break through the darkness of war, poverty, conflict, and strife. Light a candle and place it in the area of the world where you pray for Christ’s light this Christmas.

This prayer originally appeared in "Be Not Afraid—Longest Night Service Based on Psalm 80: Fear of Darkness."Prayer of InvocationO God, our beginning and end, by whose command time runs its course: Bless our impatience, perfect our faith, and keep us from growing weary until at last the coming Christ enters the hearts of those who wait with quiet expectation for all that is good and holy and just. Amen.

This call to worship originally appeared in "Be Not Afraid—Longest Night Service Based on Psalm 80: Fear of Darkness."Call to Worship[This call to worship was designed for an evening service, but the language could be adapted for a worship service at any time of the day.]Responsive ReadingJesus said, “Come unto me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). And so we invite each other to this time of peaceful worship. Tonight we come looking for the Christ child.We bring in our hearts the hopes and fears of all the years.We come seeking relief from pain, anxiety, loneliness, and despair. With the psalmist of the Scriptures we say, “I cry to you, Lord; I say, ‘You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.’ Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need” (Psalm 142:5–6).We bring in our hearts the need and desire to rest in God.We come to worship, to sing, to pray, to be silent before our God. In the busyness of this season, in a countercultural way, we chose this evening to slow down, to remember, and to wait.I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning,more than watchmen wait for the morning (Psalm 13:5–6).Song“Wait for the Lord” Taizé

This confession and assurance originally appeared in "Be Not Afraid—Advent 4: Fear of a Ruined Reputation."Let Every Heart Prepare Him RoomSong “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” (st. 1, 3–4) Wesley Prayer of Confession Come, thou long-expected Jesus, come. Sometimes we have a hard time imagining that you would come down from the glorious splendor of heaven to be born in a Bethlehem stable with straw, mud, and animals all around. We cannot imagine that you willingly took on our broken human flesh with bodies that ache and suffer from illness and pain. You walked into our sadness, into wars, into violence and persecution, and you did this all for us. We confess that it is difficult to comprehend and difficult to believe. Why, Lord, would you do that for us? We call you Emmanuel, God with us, but how often do we live out this Christmas story with the truth that your incarnation was for us? Continue to enter in, Emmanuel. Enter into our darkness and give us light. Enter into our lives and change them for your good purposes. Enter into our hearts and still them with the words “Be not afraid.”Song “Imagine” Getty Assurance of Pardon / Guide to Grateful Living In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.—Philippians 2:5–11Children of God, this is the God who forgives our sins and calls us to obedience and love. Thanks be to God.Revised Common LectionaryYears A, B, C: Christmas—The Holy Name of Jesus

This prayer of confession originally appeared in "Be Not Afraid—Advent 3: Fear of Revision." Restore Us, O God, and Make Your Face Shine upon UsSong “Meekness and Majesty”(st. 1, 3) Kendrick Prayer of Confession with Spoken Response There is mystery in the season of Advent and mystery in the story of Jesus’ birth. God works in mysterious ways, using ordinary people like you and me to accomplish God’s plan of salvation and kingdom work. But we gather for prayer to confess that we aren’t always eager to allow God to work in us. We prefer our own ways over God’s mysterious ways. We prefer darkness over light. So we pray using words from Mary’s song (Luke 1:46–55), and we ask God to make God’s face shine on us and to open our hearts to God’s will for our lives. When I say “Restore us, O God,” please respond with “and make your face shine upon us that we might be saved.”Let us pray.Our souls glorify you, O Lord, and our spirits rejoice in you, our Savior!For you have been mindful of the humble state of your servants.You have heard our cry and saved your people.We shall be called blessed because we are called by you to be a blessing to others.Your mercy extends from generation to generation.Your mercy called Adam and Eve into being.Your mercy kept vengeance from taking Cain’s life.Your mercy saved Noah and his family from the flood.Your mercy caused Sarah’s womb to be fruitful.Your mercy gave Joseph’s dreams the power to save a nation.Your mercy heard the Israelites’ cry and called Moses to action.Your mercy charged Mary with the most special of tasks.Your mercy strengthened Joseph to care for her.Your mercy sent Jesus Christ into the world to save us from the dark of night.We give you thanks for your mercy; may it continue to shine upon us!Restore us, O God,and make your face shine upon us that we might be saved.We remember this day thosewho crave your shining face,who long for the light,who need your power to drive out the darkness:For those who live with depression or other mental illnesses. [pause]For those who cannot bring themselves to forgive others. [pause]For those who cannot forgive themselves. [pause]For those who seek refuge, but have been denied shelter. [pause]For those who seek shelter, but have been denied a home. [pause]For those who have lost loved ones in the past year. [pause]For those who have lost physical or mental abilities. [pause]For those who care for aging spouses or loved ones. [pause]For those who have been living with cancer and other debilitating illnesses. [pause]Restore us, O God,and make your face shine upon us that we might be saved.We ask that you would strengthen us as a congregation:as we serve one another and those with whom you called us into fellowship,as we seek to bring hospitality and hope to our community,as we discern where you might be leading us,as we hold in tension that which we have been with that which you call us to be,as we seek to be the best stewards of the money and gifts with which we’ve been blessed,as we search for the truth of your word and do our best to live it out in our lives,as we wait, watch, and wonder in preparation for the coming of your Son.Restore us, O God,and make your face shine upon us that we might be saved.Gracious God, on this Advent journey,may we wait with Mary’s joyful anticipationas we prepare to welcome your Son, our Savior,into this broken world in need of his redeeming.Gather us, guide us, and keep us as your people.Send us into the world so that our hands might beChrist’s own, and his mind one with ours in all thatyou would have us do.Restore us, O God,and make your face shine upon us that we might be saved.Amen.Revised Common LectionaryYears A, B: Advent—Third Sunday of AdventYears B, C: Advent—Fourth Sunday of Advent

This call to worship originally appeared in "Be Not Afraid—Advent 3: Fear of Revision." Responsive Call to Praise We have heard the story of Jesus Christ with joy and anticipation.We have come to worship. We open our hearts to prepare room for his coming.We have come to worship. We open our ears to hear the choirs of angels proclaim his holy birth.We have come to worship. We open our lives to God’s greater plans for us.We have come to worship. Through the grace of God’s Holy Spirit,we have come to worship Christ, the newborn King.