Lord, guide us to respond to the movement of Your Spirit and not resist it. “What we are not, make us. What we know not, teach us. What we have not, give us… (Teach us) “about hope instead of weariness; love instead of fear and (reveal) the power of amazing grace instead of evil and hate – hold nothing back” (Rev. Zelda Kennedy).
Give us the courage to examine ourselves and “allow us to see where we have been blind” (Obama), blind to the pain of those around us, and blind to our shared humanity. Let us be the sanctuary from a harsh world. Let our actions tell those we meet, that their lives matter. Let grace surround us. Let light restore us and let love unite us as the body of Christ.
“Don’t let us slip back into comfortable silence and avoid the uncomfortable truth that plagues our society” (Obama). “Our calling, is not just within the walls of this congregation, but the life and community in which it resides” (Rev. Clementa Pinckney). Break the cycle of repeating the same mistakes of the past and open our hearts to the revelation of God’s Word that “the church is freedom, freedom to worship, freedom to be fully what God intends us to be and have equality in the sight of God” (Rev. Clementa Pinckney).
From Northwest Community Church UCC in Las Vegas, NV
Great physician, bring healing to all that are here today. We cannot heal our selves so let Your Spirit wash over the wounds of our hearts and minds. Fade away the anger, the resentment and the ignorance that we’ve allowed into our lives. “Take the mess of our past and turn it into a message” (Christine Cain) by shifting our hearts and minds into a new chapter where ordinary people do extraordinary things. Write our destiny so that we can make Grace real to everybody and that all people can live in the full experience of humanity, dignity and respect.
Nothing in creation can make us any less human. We are all sinners redeemed by the same loving Creator. So “let us find words that comfort rather than congratulate. Let us seek to be a community of grace and forgiveness rather than of protest. Let us use our hands not to (applaud) but to wipe away every tear” (UCC General Synod) from the brokenhearted people right next to us. Let us be heroes and champions of the gospel and not it’s opponents.
Creator of all, we come in through these doors because we need You to reopen the doors of our hearts and community onto the mission of Christ. Let this church be reborn and let the Holy Spirit unleash the power of healing that resides within all of us. Teach us to not just communicate with each other but to commune with each other.
As generations and cultures crash into each other, shift our thinking to rediscover the ancient unity of all sinners that was revealed on the cross at Calvary. Strengthen us to hold onto this union, this commonality, that we all share as children of God. Remind us, that even through the greatest storms of life, we are never alone.
“Faith does not eliminate questions. But faith knows where to take them” (Scott and Kelli KLOVE). For those of us celebrating with our families today, we give thanks to God. For those of us grieving the loss of a loved one, we pray for compassion and understanding that “grief never ends…it changes. It’s a passage, not a place to stay. Grief is not a sign of weakness, nor a lack of faith…It is the price of love” (Scott and Kelli K-LOVE).
Lord God, the broken come to You today because “no stone, nor steel, nor diamond is so hard as the impenitent heart of man(kind)” (Martin Luther). Soften our hearts and open our vision to a world larger than ourselves. Anchor our lives in the steadfast truth of Your love so that we will know that “a few bad chapters does not mean that our story is over” (TobyMac). Remind us that we were meant to be human and that we all fall short of the glory of God. Give us the wisdom to just pause and be silent, so that the truth of God can be heard.
Yes, there will always be disagreements within the body of Christ, here on earth, but there is one thing that we can always agree on…love. “Love is God manifested. To lead with Love is to go with God” (Claire Danna). “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can” (MLK). The world can change and it will. And as it changes, let us respond with the same Love that was first given to us when God was crowned and crucified by an angry mob.
Cross at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Mounds, Minnesota
Lord God, “be in our head and our understanding” (Sarum Primer, 1558), for You are not so much the object of our knowledge as you are the cause of our wonder” (Kallistos Ware). Let Your good news come crashing down into the deserts of our hearts and invite us to join in the flow of the Holy Spirit.
Like a wind, take us to where it is that You go, so that we can live beyond ourselves. Communicate to us the mystery that is God and the truth that we don’t have all the answers. Give us the strength to dream and the courage to inspire others on their journey towards salvation and everlasting life.
You give us the gift of living in between the now and eternity. Let us dare to fight for the weak, poor and the forgotten. Jesus extends grace, love and mercy for all people. So shall we. Jesus identified with the outcast, the lowly and the despised. So shall we. Jesus gave healing and forgiveness. So shall we. Lord, “don’t let us transmit our wounds unto each other, but instead help us to transform others and to change the world” (Rev. Ed Bacon).
Almighty God, You are the engine that caused creation and life. Out of chaos you stepped into our experience so that we could experience You. Move in us today and help us to sense the prompting of Your Spirit so that we can go above and beyond what is expected.
Usher us into a vision larger than just our egocentric view, so that we can share in the perspective of the whole and not the few. Give us the words to speak across boundaries and the mind to transcend our differences. Don’t let us ever place ourselves above others. Let us always be led by the truth of God’s amazing and radical grace for all.
You forgive us and give us the power to forgive. “There is no future without forgiveness” (Desmond Tutu) and “the work of God is never static” (Dr. Amy Butler). “With the Holy Spirit by our side, we can do so much more than what we could have ever hoped for by ourselves” (Rev. Ed Bacon).
Lord God, You are forever creating something new and unexpected each and every moment of our lives. Let the “wind of Your Holy Spirit blow through (the walls) of staid tradition… (and) spin us around to see our circumstances in ways that we’ve never seen before” (Rev. Dr. Amy K. Butler, Riverside Church). Let us respond and react to Your Word now because life is too short to wait to be captivated by the heart of God.
Stop us from fighting each other so that we can start fighting for each other. Let us stand up for the sick, the poor, the needy and the marginalized. For as long as there is one person in need of kindness and compassion then the ministry of Christ is far from over.
Let us not close our eyes to the brokenness of this world or shut our ears from the truth of God. Because the way that we live our life can be seen by the blind and heard by the deaf. Let us live and love with the same mercy and grace that was given to us by God’s only Son.
God of everything seen and unseen let Your infinite love flow through us as members of one community, one body, and one church. Flush out the fears that linger in our minds by breaking down all of the barriers so that we can see each other as You see us: forgiven sinners redeemed by the same God.
Lord, transform our potential into Your now. Interrupt our routine, interrupt our life, interrupt our religion and lead us into radical growth so that we can fall in love with life again and make decisions based on integrity, respect and grace.
Your ascension into heaven is our glory and our hope. You lead us into eternity and we follow You into the new creation, the new covenant, between us and our Creator, so that all will know that life is not meant to be endured. It is meant to be enjoyed, and it is meant to be lived within and surrounded by the loving arms of God.
It is hard to believe that a year has gone by since my church’s 10th anniversary concert last year. This year’s production will focus on reaching out to people beyond the walls of our church building and the confines of our community.
I have been a part-time adjunct faculty member for the Musical Theater department at the local high school for the performing arts for the past 3 years. I work with the most talented students and staff in the district. Two years ago, I was shocked to find out that one of the students that I worked with was homeless. This news forced me to face the reality that this issue affects all of us.
It is easy to say words of faith but it is harder to live by them and to follow the greatest commandment that Jesus gave us “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’38 This is the first and greatest commandment.39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40)
This year our church is joining forces with a local non profit that supports homeless youth because we stand united as one community to eradicate this problem that plagues our city. As the body of Christ, we have to make a difference in the lives of our children and community because no one else will. This life isn’t meant to be routine, and in the blink of an eye everything can change. But the Son of God reveals to us who we are and whose we are because He makes everything new.
It is through our faith in God, God’s word and God’s grace that we know that God so loved us all that God redefined what love is in the life, death and resurrection of His only Son. Love is sacrifice, messy and painful. But in the end love wins.
So as another year passes, I pray that we will all understand that the way in which we live our lives could be the only bible or church that the people around us will ever experience. So I pray that we will all live a life full of the joy and the hope that comes only from an authentic relationship with the Savior who gives us the gifts of His grace, mercy, forgiveness and love. Through Him all things are possible.
Lord, every good gift comes from You. “Direct our footsteps according to Your word, and let no sin rule over us.” (Psalm 119: 133) Push us out into the world of the living and push life back into us. Let our faith be bigger than our fears, so that we can represent You and glorify You in all that we do, because we only get this one life to make a difference.
Because of You, we are strong enough to carry each other through the long twisted turns of life. So take our faith to another level. A level of doing, and not just empty words, because what we allow is what will continue but “where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17) to do all that God has planned for us.
“In the blink of an eye everything can change…Life is short” (Zig Ziglar) so let us truly live it. Because “when we leave this earth, we can take with us nothing that we have received (and) only (carry) what we have given: (so let us continue to give) a heart enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.” (St. Francis of Assisi)
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