A Service of Prayer for the Beginning of day for December 30, 2020

Praise the LORD from the earth,
you sea monsters and all deeps,
fire and hail, snow and frost,
stormy wind fulfilling his command! 

Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
Wild animals and all cattle,
creeping things and flying birds! 

Psalm 148:7-10

  Today our hymns and readings today are filled with praise, light, life, and hope. A welcome change from previous weeks.

DIALOGUE

O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall declare your praise.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Alleluia.

PSALMODY

Give glory to God, our light and our life.
Oh, come, let us worship him.
Oh, come, let us sing to the Lord; let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God and a great king above all gods.
In his hand are the caverns of the earth; the heights of the hills are also his.
The sea is his, for he made it; and his hands have molded the dry land.
Oh, come, let us bow down and bend the knee, and kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen

Give glory to God, our light and our life. 
Oh, come, let us worship him.

Psalm 148

Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his host!

Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars!
Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for he commanded and they were created.
He established them forever and ever;
he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.

Praise the LORD from the earth,
you sea monsters and all deeps,
fire and hail, snow and frost,
stormy wind fulfilling his command! 

Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
Wild animals and all cattle,
creeping things and flying birds! 

Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
Young men and women alike,
old and young together! 

Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
his glory is above earth and heaven.
He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for all his faithful,
for the people of Israel who are close to him.
Praise the LORD!

 HYMN
Let the Whole Creation Cry

1. Let the whole creation cry
"Glory to the Lord on high!"
Heav'n and earth, awake and sing,
"Praise to our almighty king!"
Praise God, angel hosts above,
ever bright and fair in love;
sun and moon, lift up your voice;
night and stars, in God rejoice.

2. Servants striving for the Lord,
prophets burning with the word,
those to whom the arts belong
add their voices to the song.
Pow'rs of knowledge and of law,
to the glorious circle draw;
all who work and all who wait,
sing, "The Lord is good and great!"

3. Men and women, young and old,
raise the anthem loud and bold,
and let children's happy hearts
in this worship take their parts;
from the north to southern pole
let the mighty chorus roll:
"Holy, Holy, Holy One;
glory be to God alone!"

Text: Stopford A. Brooke, 1832-1916, alt.

READINGS
1 Kings 3:5-14

At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask what I should give you.” And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?”

 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor all your life; no other king shall compare with you. If you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your life.” 

Silence for meditation.

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets,
but in these last days God has spoken to us by the Son.

GOSPEL
John 8:12-19

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” Then the Pharisees said to him, “You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid.” Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid because I know where I have come from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is valid; for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. In your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid. I testify on my own behalf, and the Father who sent me testifies on my behalf.” Then they said to him, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”

Silence for meditation.

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets,
but in these last days God has spoken to us by the Son.

MESSAGE

Our hymns and readings today are filled with praise, light, life, and hope. A welcome change from previous weeks.

In our first lesson Solomon has a dream at Gibeon, the nation’s “most important high place.” We see two competing patterns of kingship set before Solomon. The first is a kingship of glory and the second is a kingship in the spirit of Deuteronomy. God asks Solomon what he would like to be given. Solomon’s answer was pleasing to God because he doesn’t ask for long life, the trappings of glory, worldly success, or death to his opposition. Rather, Solomon chooses the pattern of kingship under the law. According to this pattern, the king is God’s servant and a loyal vassal in a covenant relationship. Solomon seeks the kind of kingship that cares for the welfare of God’s people, not glory for himself. In order to govern (literally “judge”) the people, as a servant king, he needs the talent for which he asks: an understanding mind to govern your people and the ability to discern between good and evil. So, God grants Solomon a wise and discerning mind— greater than any other. God also grants him both riches and honor throughout his life. God tells Solomon that if he walks in God’s ways, keeping his statutes and commandments, as his father David dld, then he will live a long life.

The first verse of the gospel lesson (John 8:12) is one of my favorites. Having gone through periods of darkness over the course of my life, I found this verse life-giving. For me, darkness symbolized deep sadness and light symbolized joy and life. But, taken in context this verse has a deeper meaning. In the gospel of John light is the light of creation or word that spoke creation into being. Jesus identifies himself as the light during the celebration of Tabernacles. Jesus speaks to the Pharisees saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” This statement is made within the context of a feast in which the Temple became the light of Jerusalem. In addition the Torah was considered as the light that was to be given to the world in Jewish wisdom traditions. The presence of the light calls for a decision. One can remain in darkness or walk in the light of life.

But, of course the Pharisees have an issue with Jesus’ claim. It presents a problem for them because it has consequences. On the one hand Jesus perfects the liturgy of Tabernacles; on the other hand, his revelation of light brings judgment. The acceptance or refusal of Jesus’ revelation of the Father is at the heart of the discussion that follows. The Pharisees attempt to understand and control Jesus by means of their legal system, but by doing so they miss the point. Jesus is claiming to be the unique revelation of God in the world . What the Law once was to Israel, Jesus is now to the world. Jesus’ witness cannot be measured by traditional norms—Mosaic Law. The Pharisees simply are not open to his words or his origin and his destiny with the Father, a reality beyond their sight and control. On the other hand, Jesus judges no one on the basis of his own authority. Judging flows from the union he has with the one who sent him, the Father. The Pharisees see Jesus through the lens of appearances. He is just and ordinary man making outlandish claims. If they were open to the light, they could see through the lens of reality—that is, who Jesus truly is and that through him they would see the Father.

To sum this up. To follow Jesus, the light of the world, is to be a disciple, to live as a disciple. The light of the world reveals who and what God is through Jesus who is the light and is one with the Father.

In Christ, 
Pastor Harkness

THE GOSPEL CANTICLE

Refrain:
In the tender compassion of our God the Dawn from on high shall break upon us.

Blessed are you, Lord, the God of Israel,
you have come to your people and set them free.
You have raised up for us a mighty Savior,
born of the house of your servant David. Refrain

Through your holy prophets, you promised of old
to save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us;
you promised to show mercy to our forebears
and to remember your holy covenant. Refrain

This was the oath you swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship you without fear,
holy and righteous before you, all the days of our life. Refrain

And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way,
to give God's people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins. Refrain

In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace. Refrain

PRAYERS

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

Let us pray,
Mighty God of mercy, we thank you for the resurrection dawn, bringing the glory of our risen Lord who makes every day new.
Especially we thank you—
for the sustaining goodness of your creation . . .
for the new creation in Christ and all gifts of healing and forgiveness . . .
for the gifts of relationship with others . . .
for the communion of faith in your church . . .

Merciful God of might, renew this weary world, heal the hurts of all your children, and bring about your peace for all in Christ Jesus, the living Lord.
Especially we pray—
for those who govern nations of the world especially our leaders . . .
for the people of our country, for the restoration of peace, and for justice . . .
for the people in countries ravaged by strife or warfare . . .
for all who work for peace and international harmony . . .
for all who strive to save the earth from carelessness and destruction . . .
for the church of Jesus Christ in every land . . .

Almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us in safety to this new day. Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor be overcome in adversity. In all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. 
Amen.

Let us bless the Lord
Thanks be to God.

BENEDICTION

Almighty God, the Father,  ☩  the Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless and preserve us. Amen

HYMN
I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light

1. I want to walk as a child of the light.
I want to follow Jesus.
God set the stars to give light to the world.
The star of my life is Jesus.

Refrain
In him there is no darkness at all.
The night and the day are both alike.
The Lamb is the light of the city of God.
Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.

2. I want to see the brightness of God.
I want to look at Jesus.
Clear Sun of righteousness, shine on my path,
and show me the way to the Father.  Refrain

3. I'm looking for the coming of Christ.
I want to be with Jesus.
When we have run with patience the race,
we shall know the joy of Jesus.  Refrain

Text: Kathleen Thomerson, b. 1934

Text © 1970, 1975 Celebration.

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