Luke

No Prophet Welcome in His Hometown (Luke 4:21-30)

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There is no one who knows us better than our families.
And, yet, do our families really know us or do they know who we used to be?
Do they know how we have changed over time?
Or do they only know us how they want us to be?
You know us, Father, you knew us before we were born
and you know how we have grown since then
and you know how we still need to grow.

As we grow in this life, help us to see what is important in life.
Give us the strength to speak up as Jesus did when he spoke up for inclusion.
Today, many say that being inclusive is a sign of political correctness,
something we should not tolerate, something that makes us weak.
Remind us, Father God, that your Son taught us to include everyone,
to value everyone, without judgment.
Remind us, Mother God, that we are all your children,
each of us loved and each of us uniquely cherished.
When we respect each other, when we celebrate and accept our differences,
we are respecting you and acting as you taught us.

We may not have the strength or the character to live our entire lives as did Nelson Mandela,
but we can stand up in individual moments of oppression and speak up for the powerless.
When we see a bully taunt their victim,
encourage us to stand up in protest.
When we hear a racist joke,
encourage us to stand up and say we will not listen to hate.
When we notice inequality in social programs,
encourage us to ask our politicians why and to demand change.
When we see someone being ignored,
encourage us to reach out to that person and raise them up.
When we see a child without the ability to receive a quality education,
encourage us to ensure that all receive an education regardless of their school district.
When we see cities without safe drinking water,
encourage us to ask ourselves why lower-income populations are treated less fairly than those with wealth.

Give us the voice to speak for those without a voice.
Give us the ability to hear the cries of those around us in pain
and to find ways to provide comfort to them.
Give us the strength to be your children, to be your body of Christ.
Give us the courage to stand up to the majority
when we know that the minority is in the right.
As your children, we support those among us who are in pain and in need of your healing touch.
We ask that you be with ___ in particular.

We are your children, Lord.
We are your family, the body of Christ.
As your family, open our eyes to see each other,
to see each other as we really are.
And as your children, we use the words that your Son taught us,
“Our Father…”

Year of the Jubilee (Luke 4:14-21)

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This is the year of the Lord’s favor,
the year of the Jubilee,
when captives are released,
and debts are forgiven.
Help us to see, Lord, where we are held captive.
Where in our lives are we feeling bound?

*silence*

What debts do we owe to others?
What debts do we owe to ourselves?

*silence*

Are we able to forgive ourselves
as easily as we forgive others?

*silence*

This is the year of the Lord’s favor.
What would he say to us today?
As we look at our lives,
are we living our lives the way we should be living?

*silence*

Are we walking in your footsteps, Lord?
Are we making this world your world?

*silence*

Help us to see, Lord, where we are held captive.
Help us to see when we choose not to act
because we think that we cannot make a difference.
Help us to realize that we can make that difference.

*silence*

This is the year of the Lord’s favor
the year of the Jubilee.
Forgive us our debts as we forgive others.
We start afresh from this point forward.
As we move into the world feeling free from our burdens,
how will we change the world?
As we forgive those among us,
how does that free us?

*silence*

Help us to see that freedom.
Help us to use that freedom.

*silence*

This is the year of the Lord’s favor.
The Scripture has been fulfilled in our hearing.
We are your people, Lord.
We gather here each week to fulfill your promise.
We make up the body of Christ and carry out your teachings.
As the community of believers we support each other in our trials,
and we ask that you be with ___in particular as they need your healing grace and strength.
Remind us that in most cases, the chains that are holding us prisoner were created by ourselves.
Give us the strength to free ourselves,
give us the strength to achieve your plan.

This is the year of the Lord’s favor.
As your people, we listen to your teachings.
We follow your teachings, and we use the words you taught us,
“Our Father…”

People of the Resurrection (Luke 24:36b-48)

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Today, we heard the story of your resurrection from Luke.
Huddled behind locked doors, their minds closed to what might be,
the disciples were scared and afraid of you at first.
Remind us, Lord, that we are the people of the resurrection.
Remind us to see you fully and completely in our lives.
Take our fears and uncertainties from our hearts.

We can’t understand fully the resurrection.
It defies our belief of the natural world.
Remind us, Lord, that we are the people of the resurrection.
Remind us to see you fully and completely in our lives.
Open our hearts to the truth of your teachings and
remove our doubts.

Our focus on the world around us sometimes causes us to miss the simple joys in life.
A moment with a friend,
the joy of a child taking their first steps,
the spring flowers emerging from the cold snows of the winter,
the laughter shared among family remembering memories of the past.
Remind us, Lord, that we are the people of the resurrection.
Remind us to see you fully and completely in our lives.
Open our eyes to your presence in our daily lives.

We are the people of the resurrection, your children,
brothers and sisters in the community of your church.
As such, and because of your teachings,
we are your witnesses.
Remind us that we are the people of the resurrection
and it is up to us to share the good news.
Give us the courage to tell others how your love has changed our lives.

We admit we don’t have all the answers.
We admit we have questions.
But we gather here today, as a community,
as your children, to say publicly that we believe.
We are the people of the resurrection, your people,
and you have changed our lives.
We know that you are with us always and we ask that you be with ___.

As the people of the resurrection, we are your witnesses.
Your original disciples recovered from their fear and doubts,
we learned your story from them.
Today we accept the cost and joy of your discipleship and know that
we are now to share the good news with others.
As we prepare to share that news, we use the words that you taught us,
“Our Father…”

Imagining the Future (Luke 24:44-53)

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Jesus, you came to us as a baby,
a child of Mary and Joseph,
but also the Son of God.
As parents, we look at our children
and imagine their futures.
Mary and Joseph could not have imagined your future.
A child of man, a child of God.

Our church today, formed __ years ago,
was once an infant,
full of promise and potential,
full of hopes and dreams for the future.

Jesus, you came to us as a man,
a man who shared the teachings
and the love of his Father.
As your followers, we look to you
and imagine our futures.
Your disciples could not have imagined your future.
A child of man, a child of God.

Our church today has nurtured and taught us for the last __ years.
We celebrate the teachers among us, past and present.
We remember and honor those who saw the promise and the potential,
who faced their fears and set aside their own desires,
to fulfill their dreams of the future.
Could they have imagined the future that came to be?

Jesus, you were crucified and resurrected,
you left your disciples and ascended into the heavens,
changing our view of God forever.
As your followers, we know that it is up to us
to make your will be done here on earth as it is in heaven.
It is up to us
to share your love with those we meet,
to speak up for the voiceless,
to feed the hungry,
to share your teachings,
and to work for peace and justice in this world.

Father, we are your children.
Each of us uniquely cherished and deeply loved.
We are here in this place and time, by choice.
Our church has helped to shape us into the people we are today.
We celebrate one another and thank each other, and you,
for our history and for our future.

Our church today, formed __ years ago,
is still full of promise and potential.
We have hopes and dreams for the future.
We ask that you be with us to help us follow your plan,
your teachings.
We know that you are with us.
We know that you have shared our world
and that you know our pain and worries.
We ask that you be with ___ and
grant them your healing peace and strengthen them

As your followers, and as members of the body of Christ,
we lift our voices together using the words you taught us,
“Our Father…”

Remembering Our Baptism (Luke 3:15-17, 21-22)

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As we enter into a new calendar year and the church season of Epiphany,
our expectations are high.
We have made resolutions and plans for the upcoming year.
But some of our resolutions have already been broken.
Some have been forgotten and
we have already made excuses for why we will not be able to keep others.
Our willpower can be weak and we know that we are not worthy.

And yet, All Loving and Personal God, you know us to our very depths.
You know our strengths and our weaknesses.
And you love us anyway and in all ways.
You see who we are today and who we could become tomorrow.
You know our thoughts, our deepest desires and our darkest fears.
We are your children, Lord, and as such,
we are deeply loved and uniquely cherished.

Lord, you chose to be baptized within a group, sharing in their sense of community.
We have joined your community, with our baptism, with our confirmation,
and with our pledge to be your disciple.
We ask that you be with us in our journey,
that you help us to see what needs to be done here to make this world your world.
We ask that you give us the strength we need to carry out your plan.
We ask that you support us in our desire to be better people,
to help us to keep our New Year’s resolutions, but most importantly, to be your people.
We ask that you remind us of our baptism, remind us that at that time,
we joined your universal church, the body of Christ.
And as the body of Christ, we support each other and raise each other up in prayer.
We ask that you be with those among us who need your healing touch and sense of grace.
We name ___.

In the act of baptism, we know that you are with us.
You give us the power of forgiveness.
You renew our spirits.
And, you call us to be your people, always.
As your people, we use the words your Son taught us,
“Our Father,…”

Turning Our World Upside Down (Luke 1:26-45, 56)

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Father, your love for us knows no bounds.
Your grace is freely given to us,
no matter our failings.
In your love, you sent the angel Gabriel
to an ordinary teenager living in the middle of nowhere.
Do not be afraid, said Gabriel.
Fear not, but I am going to turn your world upside down.

Father, today we are feeling like our world has been turned upside down.
In this Advent time of joy and preparation,
we are faced instead with events
that make us fearful,
that divide us, and
that cause us to question our very core.
We are a fearful people, at times.
We’ve heard your message: Fear not, for I am with you.
And yet, in the dark of the night, when all is quiet,
those worries and fears can echo loudly in our ears.
When we read the news and watch the pain and devastation in real-time,
we can allow our fear to overwhelm our sense of balance.
We let fear harden our hearts against those who need our help the very most.

Father, your love for us knows no bounds.
We are your children, each of us precious in your sight.
Each of us is deeply loved and uniquely cherished.
And in your love, you sent us your Son.
In this season of Advent, we wait and prepare,
for the gift that brings us closer to you.
As we wait, walk with us on our journey,
remind us that you are with us when our thoughts turn to worry,
unclench our hands when our fears make us anxious and angry,
open our eyes to the power of your love in our lives,
allow us to hear each other without judgment,
show us your truths,
and teach us to work together for the good of all your people.
As Mary said, Let it be with me according to your word,
open our hearts so that we also say, Let it be with me.

Father, your love for us knows no bounds.
In this season of Advent, help us to replace our fear with the joy of your love.
Let it be with us according to your word.
In this season of Advent, help us to show that love to others.
Let it be with us according to your word.
In this season of Advent, help us to teach your word to others.
Let it be with us according to your word.
In this season of Advent, help us to lift up those around us.
Let it be with us according to your word.

And, in this season of Advent, as we wait for the renewing celebration of the gift of your son,
we use the words he taught us,
“Our Father…”

You may have the congregation respond using the words in bold text.

Looking for a Sign (Luke 2:8-20)

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We often ask for a sign that we are doing the right thing.

We want to see things in black and white, but often our world is full of grays.
The answer so often is, “It depends.”

You may not send us a multitude of angels in song,
and, yet, the signs of your presence are all around us.
We know that you are speaking to us
when we find ourselves in a position to help someone else,
when we realize a recurring theme in our daily encounters,
when we meet those who make the biggest difference in our lives,
and, when our ideas crystalize in ways we did not initially imagine.
We see your face in the people that we meet.
We hear your voice in the backdrop of our conversations.
We feel your touch as we embrace our family and friends.

We often ask for a sign that we are doing the right thing.
Remind us that we already know what you want us to do.
Remind us that you have given us the gifts and talents
we need to make your plan come to life here on this earth.
Nudge us when we go astray and help us see the signs you have given us.
You are with us when we open our eyes in the morning’s light.
You are with us as we make our way through our day.
You are with us as we close our eyes at night.
As you walk with us, we ask that you make your signs to us more visible.

The shepherds received your sign and glorified in what they saw.
They were wanderers, making a community among themselves.
We are your church, your followers.
We have made a community with each other.
We come together to support one another, knowing that you are with us always.
We ask you to be with those among us who need your healing touch.
We name __.

We often ask for a sign that we are doing the right thing.
We want to see things in black and white, but often our world is full of grays.
The answer so often is, “It depends.”

And yet we know that we can depend upon you.
We know that we are your children, deeply loved and uniquely cherished.
As we wait for the arrival of the infant Christ,
we use the words he taught us,
“Our Father….”