...looking at laments in the Hebrew Scriptures
... Walter Brueggemann's wonderful categorizing of the psalms as Psalms of orientation (when it feels the way its supposed to be) Disorientation (To use Bono's words 'when hope and history don't rhyme) and re-orientation (when we find a deeper understanding of and trust in God), which has been of great help to me.
... choosing Psalm 5:1-3 as a call to worship (if its helpful here are the slides I used for it
...followed by that wonderful hymn and treasure of our tradition 'Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God almighty'.
I've tried to capture all this by saying in all circumstances we say Holy, Holy, Holy LORD God almighty. We acknowledge your sovereignty and your goodness.
Hopefully I've also picked up something of the fact that people coming to worship find them selves in many different places and give voice to those places. feel free to use any of this that you feel would e helpful.
Lord God to
you this morning we lift our prayers and give thanks.
In all circumstances
we say Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God almighty
We thank you
when life feels right and proper
When dawn
has come and the sun shines
We thank you
for the beauty of your creation,
For your
provision for all our needs
We thank you
for your grace and love in Jesus Christ
For sins forgiven
For the wholeness
you are weaving into our lives
For leading
and guiding us by your spirit and your word
For holding
our times in your hands
For working
your purposes for good
Holy, Holy,
Holy, Lord God almighty.
We thank you
when it feels all chaotic and churned up
When it’s as
if night has won
We thank you
for your reality,
Even when we
cannot see you
We thank you
for your constant presence,
Even when it
feels beyond our grasp
We thank you
that our prayers reach your ear
Even when it
feels as if they simply echo off the ceiling
We thank you
for your goodness even in the face of suffering
Our hallelujah’s will still ring in this night
Holy, holy,
holy, Lord God almighty
We thank you
as we find a new sense of trust and hope
We thank you
that you are here with us
We thank you
that you are sovereign
That you
hold sway over all our turmoil
We thank you
for stepping into our world
In Christ
you shared all our suffering and pain
We thank you
in Christ there is the hope of a new day
New creation,
restoration, abundant life
We thank you
for storms calmed, prayers answered
We say ‘your
grace is sufficient for us’
Holy, Holy
Holy, Lord God almighty
We come
today and confess our sin
We have done
wrong
We have left
the good you call us to do, undone,
Forgive us
Lord
We give you
thanks for fresh starts and clean slates
We ask that
you might renew us by your Spirit
Fill us afresh to praise your name
Enable us to
live for you
Empower us
to witness to the hope we have in Christ
That you may
be glorified, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Holy, Holy
Holy, Lord God almighty
Lord God to
you this morning we lift our prayers and give thanks.
In all circumstances
we say Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God almighty
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