Opening Prayers/Prayers of Adoration on The New Year
Prayer Poem: God Who Brings the Cleansing Rain
God who brings the cleansing rain
saturate our thirsty bones
with the milk of mercy sweet
with the blood that brings us home
God who rules the fiery sun
kindle now our brittle hearts
set ablaze our tender lives
forge our ways till sin departs
God who sends the silent snows
quiet us against your breast
cover us with hope-filled wings
whisper soft your word of rest
God who rides the winds of change
anchor us against its wrath
set our face toward holy ends
fix our walk upon your path
God Who Brings the Cleansing Rain © 2010 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia, www.revlisad.com
O thou who art from everlasting to everlasting the living and true God, high and lifted up, inhabiting eternity, yet who art near to every soul who turns to thee, we who are creatures of a day bow before thee in quietness and confidence. Amid all the changes of life, thy faithfulness changes not. The years come and go, but there is no coming or going of thy love, but always we are surrounded by grace, even when we know it not.
O God, for whom a thousand years are as a day, how can we lay hands upon this New Year until first thou hast laid thy hand upon us, and claimed us anew as thine own. Yet thou knowest how far from our high calling we have lived, how zealous we have been for all things of this world, and how little care we have shown for our eternal souls.
Merciful God, we would not plunge on in this self-seeking, but we would be still and know that we are meant for nobler living, for thy service, and for thy love. Forgive us all that is past, and grant that here after we may serve thee in newness of life, through the merit and mediation of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
We thank thee, O God, that we are not the first to travel this pilgrimage of life, but that the faithful of all generations have been over this road and left their cheering witness to thy faithfulness. We do not know what lies before us, but we know who goes before us: Jesus Christ, our Lord. We know that he who will meet us at the end is he who will walk beside us every day,
All our prayer we would gather up in the words of All our prayer we would gather up int eh words of the old hymn:
Our God, our Help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come.
Be Thou our Guard while life shall last,
And our eternal Home.
Joseph E. McCabe, Service Book for Ministers, McGraw Hill Book Company, Inc, 1961.
O Lord who is from everlasting to everlasting the living and true God, high and lifted up, inhabiting eternity, yet who is near to every soul who turns to you, we who are creatures of a day bow before you in quietness and confidence. Amid all the changes of life, your faithfulness never changes. The years come and go, but there is no coming or going from your love, but always we are surrounded by grace, even when we do not know it.
O God, for whom a thousand years are as a day, how can we lay hands upon this New Year until first you have laid your hand upon us, and claimed us anew as your own. Yet you know how far from our high calling we have lived, how committed we have been for all things of this world, and how little care we have shown for our eternal souls.
Merciful God, we would not plunge on in this self-seeking, but we would be still and know that we are meant for nobler living, for your service, and for your love. Forgive us all that is past, and grant that here after we may serve you in newness of life, through the merit and mediation of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
We thank you, O God, that we are not the first to travel this pilgrimage of life, but that the faithful of all generations have traveled this road and left their cheering witness to your faithfulness. We do not know what lies before us, but we know who goes before us: Jesus Christ, our Lord. We know that he who will meet us at the end is the one who will walk beside us every day,
All our prayer we would gather up in the words of the old hymn:
Our God, our Help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come.
Be Thou our Guard while life shall last,
And our eternal Home.
Joseph E. McCabe, Service Book for Ministers, McGraw Hill Book Company, Inc, 1961. Language Modernized by Stuart Strachan Jr.
(Prayer of Adoration)
Most Holy God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
We celebrate Your presence
and rejoice in Your light that shines
in our lives and our world.
Thank You for Your sustaining presence in the past year;
… that we’re even here is a work of Your grace.
Thank You for strength when we were weak.
Thank You for peace amidst our turmoil.
Thank You for comfort in our anxious moments.
Thank You for wisdom when we’ve been confused,
and for guidance when we were lost.
(Prayer of Confession)
As an old year passes and a new one comes,
full of promise, hope and potential,
we pray that your Holy Light will shine on all nations,
all people and all of creation
leading us in love, peace and joy.
Joyful, joyful we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love –
Holy and wonderful are You:
Your grace is without measure,
and Your purpose sure and true;
Your power is unequaled
and You are sovereign and mysterious in all Your ways.
We thank You for the gift of this today, a new day;
a day when Your mercies are fresh, untainted and new,
and Your faithfulness again clearly visible.
(Prayer of Confession)
Yet, how often we spoil new days!
We repeat old patterns rather than live free.
We hold on to old hurts rather than forgive.
We complain when we don’t our way; and
ignore the needs of others, caught up in our own desires.
We believe lies told about others
and even the ones we tell about ourselves.
We’re complacent in the face of injustice and poverty.
And in all things, we’re better at making excuses
than at repenting and changing our ways.
Forgive us. We have sinned against you in thought, word and deed,
by what we have done and what we have left undone.
Hear now our silent prayers of confession and forgive us because of
Your great love. (Silent prayers of confession)
(Assurance of Pardon)
The Lord declares, through the prophet Isaiah, that “I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, and your sins like the morning mist” dissipated by the wind of my Spirit and melted into nothing by the brightness of my Son’s love.
Full, Full Nets
Jesus,
You call us from what we know to something new
From a life on this sea with this family
From the nets of generations before us
You call us to a new beginning
A new being and doing
You call us to follow
To move and become
Help us turn towards you
Help us follow
Help us believe and trust you fully
Immediately
Help us live into our chosenness
To lay down what we know and pick up the new
Empower us to go out with you
Across, beyond, into the deep
Bringing in your wild, shining kingdom
Full, full nets
Full, full nets
Full, full nets
Full, Full Nets © 2019 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia, www.revlisad.com