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Friends, we know what it feels like to look for God.
We know what it feels like to turn our heads up to the sky,
looking for stars, listening for a voice that calls us beloved.<\/p>\n
I think that\u2019s part of why we end up here,
because we are hoping that in the midst of this messy world
we might catch a glimpse of God
that will carry us through.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Well friends, I have good news.
God is already here.
Like a mighty wind, God is moving through this room.
God is at this Table, inviting us forward.
The invitation may not be as clear as a star in the sky,
or a voice that parts the clouds,
but just as God called Jesus \u201cBeloved,\u201d God calls you the same.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So come to this Table with your questions and your doubts.
Come with your joys and your gratitude.
Come seeking, come hungry, come curious.
Come open. Come not because you have to but because you can.
Come with all of you, for there is room for you here.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This is God\u2019s Table; this is God\u2019s meal.
You are beloved, so come.
Let us pray\u2026<\/p>\n
God of today, tomorrow, and yesterday,
As we begin this new year, we once again find ourselves looking for you.
We long for the clarity of a star in the sky, or a voice in the clouds declaring your presence in our lives.
So today we ask that you would make yourself known to us.
Do what only you can do. Reach into our spirits to give us a boost of confidence that love is real and we are not alone. Remind us that we are beloved in your eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We know we\u2019re asking a lot for a group that brings very little. We don\u2019t have gold or Frankincense or Myrrh. We haven\u2019t thrown off our shoes to honor your holy ground. We haven\u2019t been baptized in the Jordan river. We haven\u2019t spent the last several days traveling here by camel. We\u2019re no Magi, Moses, or Messiah, but we\u2019re yours.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Instead, we bring ourselves to this Table\u2014to your Table\u2014in hopes of catching a glimpse of you. Speak to us in this bread. Speak to us in the cup. Speak to us through these star words. Speak to us as you spoke through the clouds at Jesus\u2019s baptism, so that these star words may be a tool that helps us look for you in the coming year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Holy God, you call us beloved. You are with us in our joy. You are with us in our sorrow. Surely, even as we pray, you are with us here as well. So with grateful hearts, we unite our voices in prayer, using the words your son taught us to pray, saying:<\/p>\n
Our father\u2026 Offered in the language and style you prefer.<\/em><\/p>\n Family of faith, the bread has been broken and the cup has been poured, which means the feast is ready.\u00a0<\/p>\n In-person Option 1 (Stars laid face down on the Communion Table)<\/em>: As you come forward to receive the elements, we invite you to draw a star from the Table.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/li>\n In-person Option 2 (Stars in baskets, passed by ushers)<\/em>: After you have received the bread and cup, we invite you to draw a star from the basket as it is passed to you.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Virtual Option 3 (Worshiping live from home)<\/em>: A member of our team worshiping live with us has a numbered list of star words. Please choose a number between 1-160 into the chat and they will reply with your star word. Or: We have mailed a star word to you earlier this week. If you received your star word, we invite you to type your word in the chat now. If you have not yet received your star word, we\u2019ll make sure you get one soon.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Virtual Option 4 (Worshiping via livestream with no chat feature)<\/em>: Use a service like ClubTexting, which allows you to advertise a five digit phone number, so that you can say something along the lines of \u201ctext the number ##### to receive a star word later today.\u201d For this option, someone would need to be logged into your club texting account on a computer, ready to respond in the inbox to each text request that comes in. If you have a large livestream audience, let them know that they may not get a response immediately, as it will be personally selected and shared by a member of your community.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Friends, we have been seeking, but God is here. Thanks be to God.\u00a0<\/p>\n After all have been served, and all have received a star:<\/em><\/p>\n God of open horizons and open roads,
<\/strong>Continue with the Lord\u2019s Prayer in the language and wording most familiar to you.<\/em><\/p>\nWords of Institution<\/h3>\n
Instructions for Receiving\u00a0<\/h3>\n
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Prayer After Communion<\/h3>\n
like the Magi so many years ago,
we are here, seeking you.
Step by step, we have wandered into this space (alt. we have wandered into this hour)
with the hope of feeling you in our midst.
Step by step, you have seen us, claimed us, and called us beloved.
Today we have drawn star words.
For some, these words are full of meaning, challenge, and invitation already.
For others, these words are a blank canvas\u2014inviting you into our lives.
So as a new year dawns, we pray that just as you have spoken to the generations before us, you would speak to us again.
Allow us to use these star words as a tool that might help us hear you more clearly.
May they guide us, as the star guided the Magi.
And in a year, may we find ourselves here, together again, with mouths full of praise for the ways in which you have been present with us.
Together we pray, with joy in our hearts.
Amen.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n