Opening Prayers/Prayers of Adoration on Praise
Receive our Rejoicing, an Opening Prayer for Christ the King Sunday
Lord God, King of all Creation
Ruler of planets and peoples
Receive our rejoicing
For your abiding presence and redemptive return
Receive our shouts of gladness
For your justice, your fairness, your truth victorious
Strengthen and inspire
So we may persevere in proclaiming and praise
We labor and yearn for your glorious day
Your kingdom come
Your will be done
Amen
Receive Our Rejoicing © 2019 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia, www.revlisad.com
Psalm 8:1-2
O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.
From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise.
How can we praise you
In life’s ordinary moments,
bus, car or train,
pedestrian moments,
at home and employment,
with all those distractions.
How can we praise you?
How can we praise you
when time is so precious,
appointments and targets
distracting our focus,
muddying waters,
made clean for your purpose.
How can we praise you?
How can we praise you?
Through all of our actions,
a smile and a greeting,
a shoulder to lean on,
a word in due season,
love and compassion,
in all situations
John Birch, Faith and Worship
Inspired by Psalm 23
God our Father,
Lord our Shepherd,
Spirit of the Living God,
One in Three … and Three in One:
We praise You our Creator, Savior, and Provider.
By Your grace, we lack nothing.
You feed us in body and in soul.
You give us rest when we are weary.
You direct us on ways that are good and right.
You go with us through the dark times
so we will not walk them alone.
You protect us in Your goodness
with Your strength.
You spread before us
a banquet in the wilderness
and a feast in the face of whoever
and whatever threatens us.
You pour over us Your oils
of cleansing grace, of healing, and of gladness.
And no matter where we have wandered,
You open wide Your arms to welcome us home.
That is why we praise You;
That is why we love You;
That is why we are here to worship You today,
our God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
the One in Three and the Three in One. AMEN.
Adapted from Psalm 95:1-2 & Psalm 124:8
Come, let us sing to God;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into God’s presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise with songs of praise!
Where does our help come from?
Our help is in the name of God, who made heaven and earth.
Christ the Lord is Risen- A Prayer Litany for Easter
This prayer incorporates texts from Christ the Lord is Risen Today by Charles Wesley as a congregational response, a choral response, or a second voice. The responses may be sung or spoken. If sung, consider underscoring the prayer with continued music.
RESPONSE:
Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!
ONE:
Holy One, Eternal and Blessed
We lift our hearts to You
Your love overflows, calling the wonder of creation into being
Filling the world with beauty and goodness
Receive our thanks and praise
We join the company of heaven
and Your faithful in every time and place
in celebrating Your victory over sin and shame
Alleluia!
RESPONSE:
Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia!
Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia!
ONE:
Glory to You, God of grace and majesty
and glory to Your Son, Jesus Christ,
our Savior and Savior of the world
On the third day, You raised Jesus from the dead.
Death could not destroy him!
The grave could not enslave him!
Break the bonds of evil in us and our world
Raise us all to new life, now and forever
Alleluia!
RESPONSE:
Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where’s thy victory, boasting grave? Alleluia!
ONE:
Come Lord Jesus
And come Holy Spirit,
Abide with us and in us
So we may live each day as Your Easter people,
Whole, Holy, Alive
One with You and one with each other
Together fulfilling Your saving work
Alleluia!
RESPONSE:
King of glory, soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, Thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing, and thus to love, Alleluia!
Christ the Lord is Risen- A Prayer Litany for Easter © 2022 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia, www.revlisad.com
Holy, Holy, Holy – Father, Son and Holy Spirit: three times holy:
We love you – though we struggle to fully comprehend You.
We follow you – though we don’t know where you might take us.
We praise you – though we see only glimpses of your glory and wonder.
We trust you – because You’re worthy of our belief, trust and faith.
(Prayers of Confession)
Yet, we admit there are times our love, obedience,
praise and trust leave much to be desired.
Too often our love’s only a passing feeling and not a lasting action;
we obey only when it’s convenient;
our praise is limited to when things are going well
and our trust is more in ourselves than in you.
Forgive us, as in the quiet we tell only you
what we’re too ashamed to say before anyone else. (silence… )
and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ:
We praise and thank you today and always!
You are worthy of our praise
simply for who You are:
You are good and You are strong,
You are gracious, just and loving.
As we confront this world that lacks hope,
a world caught up in war, hunger, poverty and
spiritual emptiness,
in Your great mercy You freely give us a new birth
into the living hope
through Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.
There is no darkness so great
that your light is not greater still.
There is not conflict so disruptive
that your peace cannot quell it.
There is no death so final,
that your resurrection life
cannot break its icy grip. And, …
There is no thief so sneaky or strong
that he can steal the inheritance you give
that can never perish, spoil or fade—
kept in heaven for us.
Therefore, we rightly worship You!
However, we are quick to trust
our strength more than yours,
our wisdom more than yours,
our abilities more than yours,
our resources more than yours.
our love more than yours.
And our misplaced trust in ourselves
has led us into sin.
Great are you, O God, and greatly to be praised. Great is your love as shown in Christ Jesus. We would praise you without ceasing, for you have made us for yourself, and our hearts find no rest until they rest in you. Amen.
Taken from John E. Skoglund and Nancy E. Hall, A New Manual of Worship: New Edition, Judson Press, 1993.
God who is near at hand,
Draw us humbly into your present with the expectation you will listen and we will be heard. By the power of your Holy Spirit, soften our hearts, reminding us that we are your beloved. You are worthy of our worship, our love, and our devotion. Give us hearts and minds that are willing to offer a sacrifice of praise to your most holy name.
Through Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.
—Rachel Clark