Prayers around the Cross
PJ: We are gathered today on the occupied territory of the Sana and Tonkawa People who have stewarded this land for generations.
Brenton: Welcome to Prayer around the Cross, a worship service with prayer, simple singing, and communion.
PJ: The songs we sing tonight are simple phrases and may be brand new to you. For each song, Ethan, the worship leader, will sing it through once at the beginning. We will repeat each song several times. As we do so, let the words deepen into your spirit and let them guide your prayer.
Gathering Song
PJ: A reading from the Prophet Isaiah — In the year of King Uzziah’s death, I saw the Lord sitting on a high and exalted throne, the edges of his robe filling the temple. Winged creatures were stationed around him. Each had six wings: with two they veiled their faces, with two their feet, and with two they flew about. They shouted to each other, saying:
Brenton: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of heavenly forces! All the earth is filled with God’s glory!”
PJ: The doorframe shook at the sound of their shouting, and the house was filled with smoke.
Natalie: I said, “Mourn for me; I’m ruined! I’m a man with unclean lips, and I live among a people with unclean lips. Yet I’ve seen the king, the Lord of heavenly forces!”
PJ: Then one of the winged creatures flew to me, holding a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips. Your guilt has departed, and your sin is removed.”
Brenton: Then I heard the Lord’s voice saying, “Whom should I send, and who will go for us?”
Natalie: I said, “I’m here; send me.”
PJ: God said, “Go and say to this people:
Listen intently, but don’t understand;
look carefully, but don’t comprehend.
Make the minds of this people dull.
Make their ears deaf and their eyes blind,
so they can’t see with their eyes
or hear with their ears,
or understand with their minds,
and turn, and be healed.”
Brenton: I said, “How long, Lord?”
Natalie: And God said, “Until cities lie ruined with no one living in them, until there are houses without people and the land is left devastated.” The Lord will send the people far away, and the land will be completely abandoned. Even if one-tenth remain there, they will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, which when it is cut down leaves a stump. Its stump is a holy seed.
(Pause)
PJ: Here, all are equal.
Brenton: There is no test to pass,
PJ: No “right kind of Christian” to be.
Brenton: All that matters is that you are here.
(Pause)
Natalie: All are one in Christ.
PJ: God is not bound by our differences.
Natalie: All are one in Christ.
Brenton: Where we push people apart, God draws us together.
Natalie: May we be grateful
PJ: For community and for people who love us, just as we are.
Natalie: May we be grateful
Brenton: That none of us are above any other.
Natalie: May we be grateful
PJ: That God believes that we are all worthy of love
Brenton: For God has loved us this far, and God’s love will carry us on.
Natalie: May we be grateful to You, O Christ, for proving God’s love to us.
(Pause)
PJ: Tonight, we are called to the cross, the symbol of Jesus’ transformation.
Brenton: We are called into an abundant life with God,
Natalie: We are called to let our hearts be changed, to be nourished, to be transformed.
PJ: Tonight, you are invited to the cross.
Brenton: When you are ready, come to the cross, light a candle, and pray.
Natalie: At the cross, you may be close to another member of the community. If you choose to pray at the cross, the members of the community that are sitting near you are invited to pray silently for you – and with you.
PJ: Before this service was done with laying on of hands and because of the pandemic we are not doing that but still praying for and with each other. All are invited to also sing their prayers.
(Pause)
Brenton: Come when you are ready, for the God who is always faithful is eager to be with you in prayer.
Prayer at the Cross (with 2 songs)
Communion: PJ
Words of institution followed by welcome to the table and directions.
Communion Song
Post Communion Blessing: PJ
Sending Song
PJ: And now a final blessing.
Brenton: May we be remember why we gather: We all needed a place to be seen, to feel heard, to believe that we are loved. So we approached a group that we thought looked like Jesus. Here we remember him and what he has done for us. For he has loved us when we did not love ourselves, and this community followed his lead.
Natalie: May we go from this place assured that we are worthy of that love. May we believe what we have been told here. And may we never forget that the same is true of all we meet along the way. Since we have been shown great mercy, inspire us to show mercy to others. Amen.
(Pause)
PJ: Stay for a while in prayer here at the cross,
Brenton: Or, take your pillow and go, joining in community with those present.
PJ: No matter if you choose to stay or to go, we ask you to do so in silence.
Brenton: And in God’s peace.
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