We acknowledge that the land on which we gather is the traditional territory of the Sana and Tonkawa peoples. It is also important to acknowledge that we are here today due to the exclusion and erasure of many indigenous people from their native land, including the land on which we stand today. We honor with gratitude the land itself and its original people.
Taizé Worship
Welcome to worship at Treehouse. Tonight we will worship in the style of the Taize Community in France, an ecumenical monastic community committed to peace. This style of worship is quiet and contemplative, with a “grand silence” in the middle for your own prayer, meditation, or reflection. Allow your spirits to settle into the mystery and stillness of this worship. God welcomes you here tonight.
PSALM: Psalm 147:1-11
1Hallelujah! How good it is to sing praises to our God!
How pleasant it is to honor God with praise!
2The Lord re-builds Jerusalem,
and gathers the exiles of Israel.
3The Lord heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
4The Lord counts the number of the stars
and calls them all by their names.
5Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
there is no limit to God’s wisdom.
6The Lord lifts up the lowly,
but casts the wicked to the ground.
7Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
make music upon the harp to our God,
8who covers the heavens with clouds
and prepares rain for the earth, making grass to grow upon the mountains.
9God provides food for the cattle
and for the young ravens when they cry.
10God is not impressed by the might of a horse,
and has no pleasure in the speed of a runner,
11but finds pleasure in those who fear the Lord,
in those who await God’s steadfast love.
GOSPEL: Mark 1:29-39
29As soon as [Jesus and the disciples] left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. 31He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
32That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. 33And the whole city was gathered around the door. 34And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
35In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. 36And Simon and his companions hunted for him. 37When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” 38He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” 39And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.
The Grand Silence
You are invited to enter into a time of silence, prayer, and contemplation. If you are unsure how to do this, you might a) try speaking to God as if speaking to a friend; b) quiet your mind by slowly repeat a phrase from one of the songs or readings from tonight; or c) allow your mind to wander back over your day, asking yourself where you felt most full of life and where you felt most drained, then considering how God was present in both of those experiences.
Prayers
God, we wait, we watch, we long for you. Renew our powers, refresh our spirits, restore our well being; for you give new strength to the faint and power to the powerless. May your church be found working among those who lack resources or rights. May we seek to care for those who cannot care for themselves. We pray for the lowly and the humiliated. We pray for relief organizations, especially…. God, be to them a tower of strength.
We pray for the great powers of the world, the strong nations, and mighty governments. May their power be used properly that the poor are protected, the weak are not exploited, and no one is oppressed. We pray too for multinational corporations who often wield more power than many governments, that in their relentless pursuit of profit they may take those steps of compassion and concern which will benefit them as well as those powerless to stop them.
We give thanks for all who have cared for us in times of weakness; for those who have uplifted our spirits and given us new hope. We pray for our friends and families, especially any who are finding life difficult at the moment. We pray for any in our community that may feel neglected or rejected.
We pray for all who are in weakness of body, mind or spirit, all who have come to the end of their tether. We think of all who are losing their mobility or agility, those who are losing their memories, and all who have lost their grip on reality; of those who no longer trust in anyone, and those who doubt the love of God; we think of all who are caring for loved ones in illness.
We give thanks that Christ is our healer and our companion on the Way; he will not allow us to be lost. We pray for loved ones departed who are renewed and refreshed in the love and light of God. May the Light of the world truly be that lamp set out on the lampstand to them. Amen.
Sending Prayer
May you run and not be weary.
May you rise up on the wings of eagles.
May you know without doubt
that the everlasting God goes with you!
