Welcome New Year - Focus (Worship and Prayer)
Worship and Prayer
I invite you to spend a moment in worship and prayer as we
enter the new year. Feel free to engage
in this study as you would.
Readings for New Year's Eve 2013- Revised Common Lectionary Year A
Ecclesiastes
3:1-13
Psalm 8
Revelation
21:1-6a
Matthew 25:31-46
Gather together your thoughts and prayers for the coming new
year. In this new year turn your focus
on Jesus Christ. May the peace of Christ
be with you.
Prayer of Confession and Forgiveness.
The Bible says that if we say we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
But if we openly confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will
forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Repent (turn to God), Believe, Focus and be Saved.
Repeat this Prayer:
Most merciful God,
I confess that I am captive to sin and cannot free myself.
I have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed,
by what I have done
and by what I have left undone.
I have not loved You with my whole heart;
I have not loved my neighbors as myself.
For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ,
have mercy on me.
Forgive me, renew me, and lead me,
so that I may delight in your will
and walk in Your ways,
to the glory of your holy name.
Amen.
Gather Us In
Eternal God, you have placed us in a world of space and
time, and through the events of our lives you bless us with your love. Grant
that in the new year we may know your presence, see your love at work, and live
in the light of the event that gives us joy forever—the coming of your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one
God, now and forever. (ELW prayer of the day).
Lord Have Mercy
Ecclesiastes 3:1-13
Taste and See
1There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
9What do workers gain from their toil? 10I have seen the
burden God has laid on the human race. 11He has made everything beautiful in
its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom
what God has done from beginning to end. 12I know that there is nothing better
for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13That each of them
may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of
God.
Psalm 8
1Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all
the earth!
You have set your glory
in the heavens.
2Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold
against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
3When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
4what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for
them?
5You have made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and
honor.
6You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their
feet:
7all flocks and herds,
and the animals of the wild,
8the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the paths of the
seas.
9Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all
the earth!
Revelation 21:1-6a
Burn for You
1Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first
heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I
saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud
voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the
people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself
will be with them and be their God. 4‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order
of things has passed away.”
5He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making
everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are
trustworthy and true.”
6He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the Beginning and the End.
A New Hallelujah
The Gospel according
to St. Matthew 25:31-46
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the
angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32All the nations will be
gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a
shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his
right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you
who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for
you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me
something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a
stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was
sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we
see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When
did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?
39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did
for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me,
you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his
angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and
you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in,
I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you
did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry
or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not
help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not
do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the
righteous to eternal life.”
Hallelujah
We have to remember that God’s timing is perfect. We may not always be prepared. Or we may want things to happen faster
according to our plans or our timing. We need to keep
the focus on God’s will. He has the plan
for us and we need to keep our eyes on Him.
We cannot improve upon creation’s story.
When we keep our focus on His plans we will be the sheep on the right
side and will be prepared to live eternal.
Make 2014 a line in the sand with your life and return your focus on
Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is for all
time and for all people.
Creed
We ask for your healing Spirit among those who are afflicted
or in pain. Bring help and healing to
those who are broken in body or spirit.
We ask for fathers to tell their sons that they are loved.
God we ask that Your Spirit is with those who feel alone and
abandoned in this Christmas season.
Look with mercy, Gracious God, upon people everywhere who
live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as their constant companions.
Holy Holy Holy
Father we pray as Jesus taught us to pray and boldly say…
The Lord’s Prayer
Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the Word and I shall be healed.
Holy Spirit
Your Presence Is Heaven
Let the Holy Spirit fill you to overflowing. Gracious God, I pray to you tonight that you
would move your Holy Spirit throughout our nation and stir renewal, return, and
revival among those who have chosen to turn away from you. Let them know that you alone are God and that
through your son they are redeemed.
Love Take me Over
May God Bless you, and keep you, and make His face shine
upon you.
God’s Not Dead
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