Liturgical Lights for Sunday June 21, 2015

The Narrative Lectionary leads us to pray over the words of Psalm 27 on June 21, 2015.

It happens that it’s Father’s Day but this is not a liturgical holiday. I got a lot of flack for this two months ago when I said this about Mother’s Day — but it’s still true for the dads.

There is so much wonderful imagery to ponder in this psalm that I hope our hearts and minds are led there in worship. The good people at Working Preacher suggest that these are words of disorientation. Next week, we’ll be reoriented in another psalm — but this week allows for a moment to consider what doesn’t feel quite right so that I instantly hear Barbara Brown Taylor in her book An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith asking that wonderful question: what’s saving my life right now? She answers her own question in the book by saying:

What is saving my life now is the conviction that there is no spiritual treasure to be found apart from the bodily experiences of human life on earth. My life depends on engaging the most ordinary physical activities with the most exquisite attention I can give them. My life depends on ignoring all touted distinctions between the secular and the sacred, the physical and the spiritual, the body and the soul. What is saving my life now is becoming more fully human, trusting that there is no way to God apart from real life in the real world.

But, I must admit I rather like this short video from The Work of the People that gets to the same thing. (Sadly, the video will not embed but do follow this link.)

The prayers I’ve written this morning meditate on this question from the illustrious Barbara Brown Taylor — which I imagine would lead to an extended silence where the congregation could individually answer this question for themselves. Perhaps that happens through a prayer station or maybe it simply considered in silence after a brief guided meditation.

Call to Worship (Responsive)

Light came into the world
in the beginning of creation.
It was the very first thing that God created.
And God saw that the light was good. 
When the people could no longer see
the goodness God had created,
Light came into the world in human flesh.
In that flesh was life, and the life was the light of all people.
And the people saw that the light was good.
That light, created in human flesh,
taught the people what they could not believe,
I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me
will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.
And so, we come because we can’t see the light
shining in our lives and in the world.
We can’t see how all of this has been good from the very beginning.
We come to ask and to remember,
What is saving our lives right now?

Prayer of Invocation

With the following words, I would allow for a few moments of silent reflection as the congregation moves together to seek God’s presence. I imagine doing that by saying simply:

So here we are, together,
to find the salvation we’re not even sure we need.
Let us come before God to ask
for that great and faithful love.
Let us share in silent prayer.

I would love to hear what you’ve go planned for worship on Sunday — especially as summer arrives. Does this mean a transition in your worship experience? I’d love to hear what you’re daydreaming about in the comments below. And, if you happen to use the prayers I’ve written in your worship, and I hope you will, please do offer me credit with as follows:

The prayers in our worship this morning were written by/adapted from Liturgical Lights for Sunday June 21, 2015 by the Rev. Elsa Anders Peters. Elsa is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ who blogs at revelsaanderspeters.com.