Sunday,  December 22, 2024
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Hebrews 10:5-10  | "Abolish to Establish"

Call to Worship
One: Love deeply, creating the wells of kinship,
Many: For in the Body of Christ we belong.
One: Love boldly, like the spirited colors of a rainbow,
Many: For in the Body of Christ we find peace.
One: Love joyfully, like the blissful songs in the wind,
Many: For in the Body of Christ we claim our connections.

Invocation
Holy Tapestry of Bliss,
The patches of memories are stitched together as we tell our stories with you, Loving God.  We cherish the individual pieces of our diverse stories and the beauty of narratives sewed together.  We honor the ways these Holy Threads have connected us.  May the creation from our connections be like a quilt to our souls, keeping us warm in this season of reflection.  Amen.

Prayer for Transformation and New Life
Divine Light and Love,
We have been weighed down by the heaviness of the season, the sorrows carried from the past, and the expectations of the present and future.  We hide in shadows instead of the light.  We embrace individualism instead of basking in the joy of community love.  Create a new path in our hearts so that we can find levity and grace.  Reconnect us with the Body of Christ instead of the distressing comfort of spiritual solitude.  Amen.

Words of Grace
The grace of God infinitely streams into our lives, drawing us from the shadows into the light, and reconnecting us again with our neighbors.  May the mercy of our Creator help us rediscover the Spirit of Joy in our midst.

Invitation to Generosity
We reconnect in this space and time to seek God’s call for our lives and our congregations.  As part of our spiritual journeys, we share our treasures, time, and talents, bringing God’s light into our world.  We do not give to impress God or share offerings because of our shame.  Instead, we bring our offerings to celebrate the Body of Christ.

Prayer of Thanksgiving and Dedication
God of All Joy, Holy Hope,
We delight in living in your ways as we create your Realm here on earth.  These offerings of talents, treasures, and time are not to appease you but to collaborate with you.  As co-creators, we seek your intentions and celebrate your love for us and our neighbors.  Amen.

Benediction
As we seek the ways of God and our Creator’s intentions for our lives,
May the Spirit of God enliven us as we love boldly,
May the Spirit of God strengthen us as we create paths of peace.
May the Spirit of God awaken us as we love generously and widely.
A season of birth is imminent, for God’s love is with us as we seek our renewal of life.

Abolish to Establish: Service Prayers for the Fourth Sunday of Advent Year C was written by the Rev. Michelle L. Torigian, senior pastor of St. Paul United Church of Christ, Belleville, Illinois.