Affirmation of Belovedness

I am a beloved child of God.

I will find my worth in God and God alone.

I am called and equipped by the Holy Spirit.
I will trust in myself and my Spirit given gifts.

I am surrounded by a community that loves me.
I will never be found alone or unloved.

I am a beloved child of God.
Nothing and no one can ever change or affect that.

May I trust all of this, may I trust I am in God's care...
For I am a beloved child of God.

- Affirmation written by The Rev. Allison LeBrun.

Suggested uses include personal use or responsive or repeat-after-me liturgy.

Responsive Prayer of Blessing for Donated Items or Offering

Ever Generous God, it is with praise and thanksgiving today that we bring these offerings before you!

Let your blessings flow!

Bless the work of our hands! Through our service may we be the hands and feed
- the body - of Christ in this world.

Let your blessings flow!

Bless the men, women, and children whose lives will be touched by these gifts.
May they know the love of Christ through them.

Let your blessings flow!

May we see the face of Jesus, the face of God, in all those we seek to serve.
May we treat each and every person as if they were our Lord.

Let your blessings flow!

Especially today we ask your blessing about the ministry of our church,
Grace United Methodist Church and upon the ministry of Genesis House.

Let your blessings flow!

In the name of our God from whom all blessings flow,

Amen.

Prayer to be examples of forgiveness and justice

In a world that ever calls for an eye for an eye

Or seeks vengeance, payment, retribution,

In a world that likes even ledgers

And a hard fist to “balance the scales” - 

Stern efforts to attempt to “right wrongs,”

In a world that confuses revenge with justice,

Help us, Lord Jesus.

Help us promoted forgiveness, mercy, and peace.

Help us by reminding your creation

that we are all recipients of more grace

and love than we ever could earn.

Help us promote true justice, Lord -

Justice that never seeks pain or punishment

But Justice that seeks reconciliation and restoration.

As followers of a God who is love,

May we be examples,

Carriers of God’s love - mercy, forgiveness and justice

To all the world, in this world, here and now.

Amen.

- Written by The Rev. Allison LeBrun

Prayer After Communion for Advent 4A

Holy God,

We give you thanks for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.

As we await Christ’s return, may we not wait to usher in God’s Kingdom here and now.

May we who are the Body of Christ in this world be agents of Christ’s love,
that we would be courageous in sharing the love of God with all the world
until that day when the love of God redeems all.

Amen.

- Prayer after receiving Communion for Advent 4A

Partially inspired by the sermon series "What Can't Wait" from A Sanctified Art. Prayer written by The Rev. Allison LeBrun

The Great Thanksgiving for Advent 4A

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

God of Love, we give you our thanks and praise even as we await Christ’s return,
as we await Christmas Day and the second coming of Jesus, the God who is Love.

When Jesus came into this world, he humbled himself and took on flesh,
God’s very presence, one of us, with us.
Jesus, God, Love Incarnate, continually showed us new ways to live -
from the manger to the cross, always filled with unfailing and endless love.

 And so, on the night before he gave himself up for us,
he was gathered together with his disciples at a table like this,
he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples and said:
"Take, eat, this is my body which is given for you,
do this in remembrance of me."

When the supper was over, he took the cup, blessed it, gave it to his disciples and said:
"Drink from this, all of you. This is my blood of the New Covenant,
poured out for you and for many, for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."

It is in awe and wonder, praise and thanksgiving, joy and love,
that we offer ourselves up as a holy and living sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s sacrifice for us as we proclaim the mystery of faith:

Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.

God of Love, pour out your Spirit on us gathered here

And on these gifts of bread and juice.

Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ

That we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed and reconciling.

By that same Spirit, make us disciples of love in this life
until all creation is redeemed through the holy and cleansing love of Christ.

Through your Son Jesus Christ, 

With the Holy Spirit in your holy church,

All honor and glory is yours, Almighty God,

Now and forever, Amen.

- The Great Thanksgiving for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year A, Love Sunday. Inspired by the sermon series "What Can't Wait" by A Sanctified Art. Liturgy written by The Rev. Allison LeBrun

Prayer After Communion for Advent 3A

Holy God,

We give you thanks for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.

As we await Christ’s return, may we not wait to usher in God’s Kingdom here and now.

May we who are the Body of Christ in this world be agents of Christ’s joy,

defiantly trusting in God, advocating for justice, and blooming in the desert of our world. Amen.

- Prayer after receiving Communion based on Isaiah 35:1-10 and Luke 1:47-55 Partially inspired by the sermon series "What Can't Wait" from A Sanctified Art. Prayer written by The Rev. Allison LeBrun

The Great Thanksgiving for Advent 3A

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

God of Joy, we give you our thanks and praise even as we await Christ’s return,
as we await Christmas Day and the second coming of the Lord of Life.

When Jesus came into this world, he humbled himself and took on flesh,
God’s very presence, one of us, with us.
The Lamb of the World continually showed us new ways to live -
from the manger to the cross, ever a joyful servant.

 And so, on the night before he gave himself up for us,
he was gathered together with his disciples at a table like this,
he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples and said:
"Take, eat, this is my body which is given for you,
do this in remembrance of me."

When the supper was over, he took the cup, blessed it, gave it to his disciples and said:
"Drink from this, all of you. This is my blood of the New Covenant,
poured out for you and for many, for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."

It is in awe and wonder, praise and thanksgiving, and with great defiant joy,
that we offer ourselves up as a holy and living sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s sacrifice for us as we proclaim the mystery of faith:

Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.

God of joy, pour out your Spirit on us gathered here

And on these gifts of bread and juice.

Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ

That we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed and reconciling.

By that same Spirit, make us curators of joy and justice in this life.

Through your Son Jesus Christ, 

With the Holy Spirit in your holy church,

All honor and glory is yours, Almighty God,

Now and forever, Amen

- The Great Thanksgiving for the Third Sunday of Advent, Year A, Joy Sunday. Based on Isaiah 35:1-10 and Luke 1:47-55 Inspired by the sermon series "What Can't Wait" by A Sanctified Art. Liturgy written by The Rev. Allison LeBrun