Sunday prayer Salty edition

Lord,
Come be the salt in our life that we then can be the salt in other’s lives.
Lord, Teach us how to not be stumbling blocks in the little one’s lives.
Lord, teach us to accept each other even though we are different in our practices and our form of worship and church government.
Lord, Teach us to be the salt that this world needs.
Lord, help us in our walk to be your disciples.
Lord remind us it is for such a time as this that you have called us to be your disciples, to spread the salt of your grace and love in this world.
Lord remind us to spread your hope in a world that sometimes feels hopeless.
Amen

crossposted at revgalblogpals.

Welcoming the children

Sunday morning I preached on the lectionary passage from Mark 9:30-37. Its about Jesus telling the disciples that in order to be the greatest they had to be last and servant of all. He then took a child in his arms, embracing the child and told them that 37“Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”

By that afternoon we were hosting over 20 adopted children from China at the church who were learning some Chinese dances. These included our three. These children remind me of the child that Jesus welcomed in that they were throw away children just as the children Jesus spoke of. Next Saturday is the New Moon Festival where they will dance and get to be with other adopted children and their families from China. So many times Zachary has been the only boy in the group. Today there was another adopted boy there. The two really hooked up and got along. I think it was good for him and we plan to get them together more often.

On Sunday evening, we had children's choirs and Faith Finders with over 87 children. I got to serve them their meals that evening, while Bob was a children's helper. I had the best time getting them their meals, and helping the little ones clean up afterwards. You know I figure if I am going to preach something I hope I can find a way of living it out in my life. And what better way than welcoming the children, being a servant and last of all.

Looking forward to being with the kids again soon. And looking forward to the New Moon Festival.

Prayer for Proper 20B

God ,
When we are hurting you welcome us as the hurting child.
When we are sad, you welcome us as the sad child.
When we are lonely, you welcome us as the lonely child.
When we have done wrong you welcome us as a forgiving God.

Lord you ask us to welcome the hurting, the sad, the lonely
and those who have done wrong just as you have welcomed us.
And so Lord teach us how to be welcoming as you are.
Teach us to love as you love.
Teach us to serve as you serve.
Lord we live in a world that demands greatnesses, demands perfection,
and demands being number one.
What a radical way of being you ask from us.
What a radical way of living you yourself lived.
And yet Lord you knew that this would change the world change people’s lives for the better.
Lord, keep changing our lives for the better.
Amen.

cross posted at rev gal blog pals

prayer for Proper19B/Ordinary 24B/Pentecost 15

Lord, what a powerful time we have been going through recently.
It has been 8 years since 9/11 and we cannot forget.
We have watched the political goings on surrounding the Health Care bill.
We have listened to people express expressed hate and frustrations in ways that have crossed lines of civility.
We are overwhelmed by the increase of the jobless, the homeless,
and those living in poverty.
We are concerend about the increase of swine flu cases.
Lord sometimes it feels like it is too much.

Lord, we pray for the healing of our land
For the healing of the hearts broken from 9/11
For the healing of the divide in our country
For the healing of those filled with hate that overcomes them
For the healing of those who have lost jobs, lost their homes and now live in poverty
for the healing of the sick and those infected by swine flu
For the healing of our own hearts.

Lord, bring your healing down for all.
Lord use us to bring your healing to this land
That all may know that you are the Messiah. Amen


cross posted at revgalblogpals.

Prayer for P 18B/O 23B/P 14/Labor day weekend

Lord of compassion, mercy and justice,
Many have come to you seeking compassion and you have graciously shown it to them.
We too come seeking your compassion
For our needs, our pains, our illnesses,
For our friends, families, and coworkers,
For our neighbors, our communities, and our world.
Lord we all need you to shower us with your compassion.

Lord many have sought you to receive mercy and you given them a multitude of mercies.
We too come seeking to receive your mercy
For our guilt, our shame, our sins,
For our family members, our neighbors,
For our churches, our communities and our world.
Lord we need you to renew us with your mercy.

Lord many is the person who has come asking for justice and you have generously provided justice in their lives.
We too come asking for your justice
For ourselves when we have we been treated unjustly.
For those who have been treated with injustices.
For those whose countries show no justice.
Lord we need you to roll down your justice for all.

Lord, let us also remember the laborers of the world on this Labor Day weekend.
Let us remember those who retired well and those who retired poorly.
Let us remember those who labor in blue collar jobs, white collar jobs and no collar jobs.
Let us remember those who labor in jobs worthwhile, and those whose jobs have no meaning at all.
Let us remember those who labor in the fields, the factories, the government, the service industry, education, health-care and all manner of labor.
Lord let us remember those who labor in free enterprise and those who work in slave labor.
Let us not forget that your son’s labor in this world was not in vain, for he brought compassion, mercy and justice to the world. Amen

cross posted at revgalblogpals