Category Archives: Worship Liturgy

Love Took My Hand

14 Friday Mar 2014

Posted by in Poems, Reflections, Worship Liturgy

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o-HOLDING-HANDS-facebookTwelve years ago, on the Second Sunday in Lent, at the church I was serving in Los Osos, California, I preached a sermon titled, “Love Took My Hand.” The sermon was based on the very familiar text of John 3:16, which reads, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” I have subsequently preached a revised edition of this sermon in my current church in Santa Maria, California, because so many people have responded positively to its underlying message of grace and hope!

The scripture text is almost too familiar. People of all stripes think they know clearly what it means. But my approach in the sermon was to make the words of John’s gospel very personal for myself and my listeners. I wanted us to consider how God searches for us throughout our life journeys and extends to us an inexhaustible and unconditional love. Eternal life is not some far-off, distant promise of a better future — it is the reality we know when we are embraced by our Creator and trust that we are loved, right now, right here!

A few weeks after delivering that sermon twelve years ago, one of my parishioners offered the most sincere praise one can offer. He wrote a beautiful song based on his reflections on the sermon, and sang it in his rich tenor voice for our church family. He even ended up taking the song on the road. So I offer his lyrics to you for your enjoyment and blessing!

Love Took My Hand by John Kelly

Love took my hand, and led me through my childhood,
Love held me close, and calmed my childish fears.
I felt Love in my mother’s warm caresses,
And when, with love, she wiped away my tears.
I found in Love a friend who would not leave me,
Who’d stand by me whenever I might stray.
I never knew why Love was so forgiving,
I only knew that Love would find a way.

But as I grew, I thought Love was unneeded,
I felt no need for Love to lean upon,
I turned away from all that Love could give me,
I turned away, and thought that Love had gone.
But then I found that without Love I’m nothing,
I needed Love to face a world of care,
I looked for Love, and Love had never left me,
I reached for Love, and Love was always there.

Love walked with me among the sick, the homeless,
Love walked with me when pain was everywhere,
Love said to me, “Love even these, the love-less,”
Love walked with me, and taught me how to care.
And now I know that Love will never leave me,
And now I know that Love comes from above.
And I will go wherever Love may lead me,
Because I know, I know that God is Love.

Thank you, John, for these beautiful words affirming the deep and abiding love of God for us!

God bless you, my friends, with the knowledge that God is for you and with you, and that indeed God is Love!

Grace and peace, Mark

Prayer for the World’s Children

14 Saturday Dec 2013

Posted by in Prayers, Worship Liturgy

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God who lifts up the lowly and humbles the lofty,
God who bends down to be with us in our humanity,
we pray in the name of the Child of Bethlehem
for all of the children of this vast and beautiful world.

We pray for immigrant children, street children,
neglected and abused children, at-risk children,
and children in good, stable, loving homes.

We pray for safe environments where children can be children,
with the freedom to explore their common identity
without the shadows of fear and danger hanging over them.

We pray for the safety and security of people living in places
where deep divisions exist and turmoil has taken hold.

We admit to feelings of despair and anxious thoughts
as we consider the violence on our own city streets.

We confess to a sense of helplessness and uncertainty
as we question how things will ever change for the better.

In the midst of our prayers and concerns this holy season
we come to listen anew to the wondrous story
of how you become known to us in fragile flesh,
how you enter into the very places we most fear and bring peace,
how your goodness overcomes evil and your life overcomes death.

Jesus, born in a stable under the boot of imperial rule,
lives a life in the fullness of divine grace and truth
that challenges the oppressive violence of his time.

Jesus, born to a young girl living below the poverty line,
lives a life of radical trust, deep compassion and abundant mercy.

In this holy season may we also begin to trust you more fully.

May we also resist the violent ways of the world and seek paths of peace.

May we also challenge the systems that marginalize the poor and vulnerable.

May we do more than offer charity and hand-outs.

Rather let us stretch our limited consciousness
and begin to believe in the sacred worth of each person we meet.

Let us, like Mary, seek the favor of God.

May our souls also magnify the Lord and rejoice in God our Savior.

May we do our best to walk in the way of Jesus,
who is our life and our hope, now and always.

Words (c) 2013 Mark Lloyd Richardson

Thanksgiving Eve Prayer

27 Wednesday Nov 2013

Posted by in Prayers, Uncategorized, Worship Liturgy

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First United Methodist Church, Santa Maria, CA, USA

First United Methodist Church, Santa Maria, CA, USA

I will be sharing this Opening Prayer I wrote for our 13th Annual Ecumenical Thanksgiving Eve Service in Santa Maria, California this evening. We are the host church for this annual event involving about ten congregations. If you wish to adapt this prayer for your own use in worship, please feel welcome to do so. ~ Mark

God of all creation and Source of all life,
tonight we offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving.                                        Psalm 50:14
We bring ourselves, humble and broken though we may be,
to the altar of your blessing and grace.
We bring our voices, frail and hesitant though they may be,
in joyous praise to the One who gives us a new song to sing.                  Psalm 40:3
We bring our gifts to the One who is awesome,
who inspires fear in the rulers of the earth.                                               Psalm 76:11-12
We thank you for these moments we have together
to pause from the busy pace and endless noise of our lives
and simply rest in a spirit of gratitude for all you are to us.
We thank you that as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is your steadfast love toward us,
and that as far as the east is from the west,
so far do you remove our transgressions from us.                                    Psalm 103:11-12
We thank you for your deep compassion over your creation,
and the ways in which you constantly call us back to you.
Most of all, we thank you for your Son Jesus,
who came that we might have life and have it abundantly.                       John 10:10
Christ is the morning star who rises in our hearts,                                    2 Peter 1:19
the true light which enlightens everyone.                                                  John 1:9
Christ instructs us in your holy way of love,
and invites us into that perfect love that casts out fear.                            1 John 4:18
We pray this day for people and nations the world over
who need to be blessed by the bounty of your grace.
May our thanksgiving bring others closer to you,
O Lord, our rock and our redeemer.                                                         Psalm 19:14
There is no other rock besides you, O Lord,                                             Isaiah 44:8
our fortress in whom we take refuge.                                                        Psalm 18:2
So we join the multitude from every nation,
from all tribes and peoples and languages,
and all the angels standing around the throne
worshipping you and singing,
“Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor and power and might
be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”                                                  Revelation 7:12

Words (c) 2013 Mark Lloyd Richardson

Making Our Hearts Sing

24 Saturday Aug 2013

Posted by in Prayers, Worship Liturgy

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Oceano sunset Aug 2013

Sunset in Oceano, California, August 2013

Loving God,
it is you who makes our hearts sing.

With the dawn of each new morning,
it is your melodies of love that fill the air.

In the midst of our busy days,
it is your notes of grace that sustain us.

As we lie down to sleep at night,
it is your song that whispers near our beating hearts.

Grant us this day the peace and strength
that comes with listening to your music
and singing the melodies of your love.  Amen.

Words (c) 2013 Mark Lloyd Richardson

Something Beautiful

10 Wednesday Jul 2013

Posted by in Peace with justice, Prayers, Worship Liturgy

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DSCN0054

The following Prayers for Healing are suitable for congregational worship, personal devotion, or a healing worship service conducted at a time other than Sunday morning.

Prayers for the healing of persons in body, mind, and spirit

God of mercy and strength,
Hear us as we pray for those who suffer this day.
You desire that we be whole people —
healthy in body, mind, and spirit.
You desire that our relationships with one another
be healthy and marked by wholeness.
We pray for any who are experiencing illness or disease.
We pray for any who are troubled in mind or spirit.
Pour out your Spirit upon all in need,
touch the deepest parts of our beings
with your healing mercies and strength.
Make something beautiful of our lives….

Song “Something Beautiful”

Prayers for the healing of nations and societies

God of power and love,
Hear us as we pray for the nations of this world.
For societies scarred by consumerism,
we pray for a growing appreciation
for values consistent with your message of grace.
For environments scarred by human carelessness and greed,
we pray for healing of the land and of all your creatures.
For nations such as ours, experiencing deep divisions,
we pray for the renewal of community and the common good.
Make something beautiful of our country….

Song “Something Beautiful”

Prayers for peace with justice, and the healing of the world

God of justice and peace,
Hear us as we pray for peace with justice for all people,
and for the healing of the world.
For war-torn lands, we pray for lasting and secure peace.
For corners of our world marked by corruption and callousness,
we pray for the strength to stand up in opposition.
In any place where the poor, the alien, or the needy are trampled,
we pray for the courage to work for justice.
Make us into instruments of your peace.
Make something beautiful of our world….

Song “Something Beautiful”

Words (c) 2013, Mark Lloyd Richardson

Sowing Seeds in God’s Global Garden

30 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by in Prayers, Worship Liturgy

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DSCN0050Pastoral Prayer for Summer

God of sunshine and rain,
God of foggy and clear skies,
we are amazed by the bounty you create.
In you we experience life and health.

You are the consummate gardener
sowing seeds of justice, peace, and wholeness
in hearts that are open to new growth.

Plant within us, we pray, the seeds of discernment,
that we might listen to your voice,
and comprehend your call upon our lives.

Grant that we not become discouraged
when growth is slow in ourselves or others.

In your global garden you desire us
to plant seeds of mercy, justice, and compassion.

You want us to participate in the growth of your life
among everyone we meet and serve.

You want us to remember the needs of your people
for healing and wholeness, and so we pray today for ….

You want us to respond to the needs of a hurting world
wherever hunger, pain, loss, or suffering endure.

You want us to refrain from responding in kind
to the violence and oppression we witness in the world.

You call us to a better way,
a way that sows the seeds of justice, peace, and wholeness,
spreading them widely and freely,
so that all within your global garden
might share in the abundance of your life in our midst.

May we have ears to hear and the will to act,
through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Words (c) 2002 Mark Lloyd Richardson

Prayer Changes Me

20 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by in Prayers, Worship Liturgy

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prayer-virtuous-pagans

C.S. Lewis once wrote, “I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I’m helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God. It changes me.”

Here’s a prayer inspired by the miracle story of Jesus’ encounter with the “Gerasene demoniac” in Luke 8:26-39 (Gospel Reading for Proper 7, Year C, Revised Common Lectionary).

Healing Lord,
in this world of disconnection and disrepair,
in which we often walk past each other’s pain,
you come among us as a calming presence.

At times our very identities are at risk
and we feel disoriented by waves of change.
Yet you do not remain at a distance.
You come near to reassure and remind us
that our lives are formed within your love
from which we can never be separated.

Each of us faces our own demons.
We are threatened by troubles within and trials without.
The loneliness of isolation continues to plague us.

Then your voice reaches through our restlessness,
your powerful presence casts out our fears –
rescuing us from our addictions,
releasing us from our anxieties,
reclaiming us from our wounds.

We are made whole again,
we are unbound and set free,
we are changed!

Words (c) 2013 Mark Lloyd Richardson

O Blessed Spring

12 Sunday May 2013

Posted by in Reflections, Worship Liturgy

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Rushing waters

This morning in worship at our church I included a time of prayer and silent reflection on the scripture text for the day, Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21. We had a water display in front of the altar and I preached my sixth and final sermon in a series on the book of Revelation from the very close of the book, which is also the culmination of the biblical message. Following the service, some of the worshippers asked me to share this text on my blog. So here it is:

A Time of Prayer & Reflection

“Let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.” (Rev. 22:17) God in Christ wants to quench your spiritual thirst. Christ offers living water to those who seek it. This time of prayer and silent reflection is an opportunity for you to reflect upon the words of scripture, and to ask Christ to come and renew your spirit. We begin by singing verse 1 of song #2076, “O Blessed Spring,” and between verses will pause for silent reflection and prayer.

            Verse 1, #2076 “O Blessed Spring” (from The Faith We Sing songbook,
                                                                                               Abingdon Press, 2000)

The water of life is the water of spiritual refreshment and renewal.
Reflect on where Christ is renewing you in your life.

            30 seconds of silence

            Verse 2, #2076 “O Blessed Spring”

The water of life is the water of joy in the presence of God.
Reflect on where God is increasing your joy in your life.

            30 seconds of silence

            Verse 3, #2076 “O Blessed Spring”

The water of life is the water of grace to transform you and the world through you.
Reflect on where God is forgiving you and setting you free to live by faith.

            30 seconds of silence

            Verse 4, #2076 “O Blessed Spring”

The water of life is the water of cleansing and healing.
Reflect on where Christ is meeting you in your brokenness and making you whole.

            30 seconds of silence

            Verse 5, #2076 “O Blessed Spring”

The water of life is the water of peace for those with heavy burdens.
Reflect on where Christ, the holy Vine, the living Tree, blesses you with peace.

            30 seconds of silence

Come, Gracious God. Come, Lord Jesus. Come, Spirit of Gentleness. As we receive the water of life, may we be renewed in spirit, be made whole by your grace, and be blessed with your peace.

Words and photo (c) 2013 Mark Lloyd Richardson [Permission to use this liturgy in public worship with credit noted].

God of holy surprises

30 Friday Nov 2012

Posted by in Prayers, Reflections, Worship Liturgy

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Change-the-worldThe season of Advent begins the liturgical year for the Christian Church. It is a time of inward reflection and anticipation of the coming of Christ — in the birth of Jesus, in the spiritual rebirth of Christian believers, and in the return of the Messiah in glory at a time no one can know or foresee.

“Prepare” is a central idea of this season! Prepare to be surprised by God. Prepare to open your life to divine inspiration. Prepare to listen to the stirring of the Spirit in the ordinary moments of each day. Prepare to see the glory of the coming of the Lord. Prepare for something new to break into the world!

In the Christian tradition we celebrate a meal called Holy Communion. Another term we use is Eucharist, the root meaning of which is to rejoice or show gratitude for the gifts of God.

Here is a Eucharistic Prayer I wrote for the season of Advent:

God of holy surprises,
whose dreams encircle the world,
whose wisdom enlightens creation,
whose love enthralls humankind,
be with us in this season of watching and waiting.

We are a people living in exile
in a land blinded by material comfort,
corporate greed, and military might.

We are a people living in spiritual exile
in an age confronted by rigid beliefs,
increasing intolerance, and growing unkindness.

We long for you to tear open the heavens and come down,
so that the mountains quake
and nations tremble at your presence.                                                Isaiah 64:1-2

We long for you to come at an hour or day no one knows,
and to find us awake to the possibilities your Spirit unfolds.

In the fullness of time your Son Jesus
lived and ministered upon this troubled earth –
forgiving sins,
healing broken bodies, minds and hearts,
challenging the powers that strangle and bind,
eating and drinking with sinners and friends,
loving people of every description,
walking the lonely road of authentic love.

He blessed and shared many a meal
as signs of how sacred ordinary life is.

He shared bread as his body, broken for all.
He shared wine as his blood, poured out for all.

In the fullness of time your Son Jesus gave his life,
because it is our lives – first given to us –
that are ours alone to give.

Pour out your Spirit, we pray, on us gathered here.
May we taste the sweetness of your presence.
May we be changed by the gift of your grace.
May we go from this place to be the body of Christ,
redeemed and sent out to heal and transform the world.  Amen.

Words (c) 2002 Mark Lloyd Richardson

Renew Your Church, Lord

31 Wednesday Oct 2012

Posted by in Prayers, Reflections, Worship Liturgy

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Dear Lord,
You are the Breath of life
Who from earth’s very beginning
Has enlivened all of creation
With your powerful presence.

You are the Song of freedom
Who throughout human history
Has stirred our hearts toward the truth
That alone is able to set us free.

You are the Strength to love
Even in the midst of life’s sorrows,
Knowing that beneath any suffering
We are embraced in everlasting arms.

You are the Font of forgiveness
Who grants mercy before justice, and
Calls us to become reconcilers
Amid the many conflicts of this world.

Daily our gratitude rises within us
because of your extravagant grace.

Daily we count our blessings,
believing that the life we receive from you
is life indeed and abundantly good.

Your Church, Lord, is a people,
not a steeple.

Your Church is a testing ground
for all who choose to follow you,
for all who put their trust in you
and live their lives in you.

Every day we hear your invitation –
to listen and heed your voice,
to open our hearts to compassion,
to be agents of peace in your world.

Every day our choices are opportunities –
to draw closer to you and your Kingdom,
a Kingdom of love and light!

Renew your church, Lord!

Renew our vision
for reaching new people
with the gospel of hope in Jesus Christ!

Renew our commitment
to being Christ’s body in the world –
Christ’s arms and feet,
Christ’s hands and ears –
always extending the generosity of grace
to the least, the last, and the lost!

Renew our belief
that every person we meet
is a child of God –
co-workers and caregivers,
mechanics and store clerks,
farm workers and corporate CEOs,
Republicans and Democrats,
Muslims, Buddhists, and Jews,
the neighbors we haven’t yet met,
the strangers we don’t yet know,
the enemies we can’t yet love.

Renew our spirits, Lord.

Renew our faith.

Renew our joy
in being servants of the King of kings
and Lord of lords!

By your Spirit
make us one with Christ,
one with each other,
and one in ministry to all the world,
until Christ comes in final victory
and we feast at his heavenly banquet.

May it be so, Lord.
May it be so!

Words and photo (c) 2012, Mark Lloyd Richardson