[Christ the King Sunday suddenly shifted into "Hanging of the Greens" Sunday as volunteers helped to decorate our Chapel and Sanctuary after each worship service. Pictured above are some of our church members decorating our beautiful Chapel. The church is now ready for the Advent season which begins Sunday, December 3 and lasts through the morning of December 24. Our Advent worship theme will be "Open the Gift." Click here for the Nov. 26 Christ the King Sunday sermon.]
O God we do rejoice that you
are the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Thank you for offering us a
glorious inheritance that includes your hope and your power made possible by
the resurrection of Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit.
Remind us on this Christ the
King Sunday, that our true citizenship is in your glorious kingdom, and not
simply with a certain country or political party. We confess that we often
focus more on our personal and political agendas rather than on you as our
ultimate Lord and King. Forgive us for those times when we have chosen what is
politically expedient over that which would promote your kingdom of love,
justice, and peace.
As citizens of your kingdom,
empower us to seek your justice and mercy in all that we do and say. Grant us
courage to speak out against hatred, prejudice, sexual harassment, and the
abuse of power. May your kingdom here on earth be one where all people are
welcomed, where all are treated with respect and dignity, where all have access
to the basic necessities of life, and where those who have no voice are
respected and valued. Our God and King, we long for the world that you intended
from the very beginning, a world that reflects your glorious kingdom in heaven.
Even as we pray for your
kingdom to come as it is in heaven, we also pray for those who are in special
need of you today. We lift up to you those who are ill and who are facing
medical challenges. We pray for those who are looking for work and who are
struggling to get by each week. We pray for those who are experiencing
physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual pain. Grant to these a renewed
awareness of your resurrection hope and power. Remind them that they are
citizens of your kingdom and recipients of your glorious inheritance.
In these beginning weeks of the holiday season when it can be so easy to get caught up in the busyness of this time of year and forget to take time for ourselves, remind us of the words of good news from one of the verses of our prayer hymn that we just sang, “Jesus the Savior reigns, the God of truth and love; when he had purged our stains, he took his seat above.” It is in his name that we pray the prayer he taught his disciples and teaches us to say together, “Our Father, who art in heaven”
In these beginning weeks of the holiday season when it can be so easy to get caught up in the busyness of this time of year and forget to take time for ourselves, remind us of the words of good news from one of the verses of our prayer hymn that we just sang, “Jesus the Savior reigns, the God of truth and love; when he had purged our stains, he took his seat above.” It is in his name that we pray the prayer he taught his disciples and teaches us to say together, “Our Father, who art in heaven”
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