SEEKERS CHURCH
A Christian Community
In the Tradition of the Church of the Saviour

Advent 1998

Just Enough

 

“Oriyoki,” he said (the Japanese word for a begging bowl) “means just enough.”

JUST ENOUGH.  Two words.

Somewhere between the image of an empty bowl that made me feel peaceful and the too much that was driving me crazy was a moderate, balanced space of JUST ENOUGH.

What is the path from Too much to Just enough? I began to wonder.

Sue Bender. Everyday Sacred, pg 26

PRELUDE

 

ADVENT CANDLE RITUAL

 

CALL TO WORSHIP

Leader:       Holy Visionary,

here we are, crowded into this space

like pilgrims in Bethlehem,

waiting…

 

Voice 1:     Outside, the growing frenzy

drowns out holy promises we know are there

but find it hard to hear.

 

Voice 2:     And so we come, once again,

to gather, to wait together…

 

Leader:       The heavens cry out.

Can we hear the promise?

 

Unison:       Christ is coming:

A promise waiting for our welcome:

Just enough!

 

INVOCATION

 

HYMN

 

WORD FOR THE CHILDREN

 

SILENCE

 

LITANY

Leader:       In every moment somewhere

the day is turning to darkness.

 

Voice 1:     Bless those who welcome it, O Holy One.

Bless those who long for it,

 

Voice 2:     and bless those who fear it;

those who bid it quickly pass.

 

Leader:       In every moment somewhere

the day is turning to darkness.

 

Voice 1:     Bless, O Holy One,

those who touch with delight in the night.

 

Voice 2:     And those who cry out

as the shadows give way to terror,

let them also be blessed

 

Unison:       Divine Lover, make us bold in the darkness

to protect our world in its slumber.

 

SILENCE

 

PRAYERS

 

COMMON CONFESSION

Leader:       We wait in darkness and in cold.

On the streets, our brothers and sisters with their bowls,

in our homes, our children, our parents, our friends,

all wait.

 

Voice 1:     Even as we long for you,

we acknowledge that others wait for us.

 

Voice 2:     The wait is hard

and we would rather minister to ourselves

than bring the hope of your coming to others.

 

Voice 1:     We confess our desire to burrow in

and pretend that your coming

will solve all our problems.

 

Voice 2:     We confess our desire to wrap ourselves in stuff

and forget what your coming really means.

 

INDIVIDUAL PRAYERS OF CONFESSION

 

ASSURANCE

Leader:       God stands with those who welcome the wait,

watches with those who long for it,

and gives us courage in the night

to guard each other’s dreams

for this holy, wondrous universe.

 

PRAYERS OF THE COMMUNITY

 

HYMN

 

THE WORD

FIRST LESSON

SILENCE

GOSPEL LESSON

SERMON

SILENT REFLECTION

The first Sunday of each month we switch to a Communion Liturgy here.

 

OFFERING

 

SHARED REFLECTIONS

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

HYMN

 

BENEDICTION

Leader:       May the God of hope

fill you with all joy and peace in believing

so that by the power of the Holy Spirit

you may abound in hope,

and proclaim it throughout the earth.  Amen.

 

 

 

WORSHIP RESOURCES

Call to Worship:

Litany:

Confession:

Assurance:

Benediction: from Romans 15:13