Sunday Prayer
God of life, as the rain falls around us this weekend we are grateful for the nourishment it provides to the soil and our bodies. Without the water of life we would be dry in our hearts and our souls, and so we give thanks for the water.
But just as though the water gives us life, there are times when the waters of life are overwhelming. The waves crash against the side of our boats spilling into our small vessels as we frantically grab a bucket, cup or even a spoon just to stay afloat. For the times in our lives and the people in our world who are frantically working to stay afloat, we pray for peace in their lives so they might enjoy the calm waters of life.
There are people in this world and times in our lives where the waters calm and the skies open to reveal a blue above and below us that cannot be described with language so we dance. The air is so pure and sweet that prose cannot embody it so we sing poetic songs of joy. For these times we give thanks. Encourage us to embrace these moments as they come for they are sometimes less frequent than we would like. Remind us that not all life is lived in the peaceful waters, because sometimes there are times when we need the waters of repentance to wash over us to renew our lives. Forgive us all for the times in our world and lives when we remain too focused on the tear in our own sail only to ignore the massive breach in the hull of our neighbor, community and world. As the rain falls, remind us of the need we have for your grace in our lives and how that grace is to be shared with others and not stowed away for our exclusive use.
So this morning, weather we find ourselves in the rains of nourishment, the storm of life, the peaceful bay or a river of repentance, we gather together as the body of Christ to give thanks, seek comfort, rejoice and repent. All of this we pray in the name of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit and collectively with our sisters and brothers around the world as we join in the unending prayer, our father…
Prayer
We pause in these quite moments to center our hearts, thoughts and lives on you, O timeless God. Your movement in our lives is more vital than the blood in our veins and air in our lungs. We give thanks that we have the ability and the privilege to help transform this world into a place of love, peace and reconciliation.
God sometimes it is overwhelming. There is so much hate in the world. There is so much pain in the world. There is so much evil in the world, that at times it is overwhelming, immobilizing and drains our hope. We hear words of hate and destruction. We see bloated stomachs of starving children. We read of bombings of schools and hotels. We are inundated with so many images that it overwhelms us and we are left feeling hopeless and lost.
And yet, God, sometimes it is empowering. There is so much peace in the world. There is so much joy in the world. There is so much love in the world, that at times it is empowering, energizing, and ignites the deepest parts of our souls that we cannot help but sing and dance. We hear words of reconciliation. We see differences resolved. We read of people putting down their weapons. We are inundated with so many images that it empowers us and we cannot help but dance to the song you have placed in the world.
This is the world we live in; a world of paradox. This is the world you created and called “very good.” Just as there is much about this world we do not understand, so to there is much about you that we do not understand. But we give thanks for that which we do know that you have revealed to us through your Word, especially as it is embodied in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. And so we strive to be like Jacob who actively sought reconciliation with his brothers and neighbors. Embolden us to actively seek to reconcile the paradoxes we find ourselves in so that we might be able and willing to share the Good News that your grace surpasses logic and understanding. We join our sisters and brothers all sinners and saints as we pray.
Prayer
Constant God of Grace we have gathered in this place to give thanks and sing praise for the gifts and graces we have in our lives. For the strength to stand up this morning, we give thanks. For the food that came to us and will nourish us this day, we give thanks. We even give thanks for the breath we just took and the breath we are taking right now. Your presence not only makes life possible but it makes life worth living.
But life does not come easily sometimes and often due to the actions of ourselves and our sisters and brothers. Just as we recognize that it if your presence that makes life available to us, we recognize the times when we have taken life for granted. Our self-centeredness manifests in many different ways from greed to envy, from passive aggression to active violence. Forgive our self-centeredness in all its manifestations so that we might be able to become the people of reconciliation and grace living without guilt, shame or fear.
We seek these things not for ourselves alone, but for the world. We live in a world were guilt is plastered on television, shame is on the cover of every magazine and fear is sold to us in the evening news. While the culture moves to generate guilt, shame and fear so that people might be exploited and marginalized, you have called your Church to be a people moving to generate a different culture. A culture built not on guilt, but forgiveness; not shame but dignity; not fear but faith. We know we cannot build this culture, your kingdom, on our own. You have given us models to guide us: prophets, poets, mystics and sages. These saints have shown us so many paths which bring us closer to you and your desires. And while we are not there yet, we continue to move in that faithful direction. So give us the strength to stand in the morning and the food to nourish our bodies and the breath to keep our hearts burning for the peaceable kingdom.
Prayer
God of distributive justice, throughout Scripture we are old of your vision of an equal and just creation. Woman and man were created in your image, slaves are to be set free, and grace is give in abundance to all of creation. As we celebrate the life of this country, we are reminded of the ideals which we have set up for ourselves: that all people are created equal and are to be given equal rights to life, liberty and happiness. And yet, even as we say these words we know that we have fallen short on even these goals. There are people who are not given equal status and are victims of sexism, racism, heterosexism or any other ism which is used to marginalize people. So while we hold these ideals up and strive for them, we repent for the times where we have stunted their development. Give us the strength to stand up for not only for our rights but for the rights of others. For we know that it is only in the giving that we receive, it is only in the dying that we live.
Providing God, in our neighborhoods and around the world there are people who are homeless, hungry and alone. Empower us to work with your Holy Spirit to find solutions for these problems. In cities and in nations there are people enslaved to consumerism, greed, and oppressive governments. Empower us to work with your Holy Spirit to rid these evil powers and help usher in a kingdom of generosity, selflessness and grace. We admit that we cannot do this alone, we need you, and at the same time we recognize that you need us to be your hands and feet. We celebrate that you call us to be your coworker in this world and on this day we renew this call on our lives. Give us the courage to live our lives as our great teacher Jesus, your Christ lived. Give us the courage to stand up against the evil in the world and encourage us to work to share the greatest power of all – Love. Finally, we give you thanks for the ability to worship in a country which gives us the freedom to do so.
Prayer
God of hope and justice, we pause and give you thanks for these moments to come together as your gathered children. We gather this day to celebrate your presence in our lives and throughout creation. You are present to us in countless ways: a sun set, warm embrace, a song, and even in a mundane cup of shared water. You are always and everywhere present to us, and for this great gift we give you thanks.
Redeeming God for as present you are in our lives we are often not present in the lives of others. Forgive us when we spend more time in reality shows than in the reality of those in need or when we are full of other priorities when asked to give time to our neighbor but always have time to surf the internet fulfilling our personal desires. Forgive us of our own idolatry when we treat celebrities, cell phones, and even ourselves as gods. Give us the strength to say no to these gods so that we might be able to say yes to you the God of Life.
Providing God, in our neighborhoods and around the world there are people who are homeless, hungry and alone. Empower us to work with your Holy Spirit to find solutions for these problems. In cities and in nations there are people enslaved to consumerism, greed, and oppressive governments. Empower us to work with your Holy Spirit to rid these evil powers and help usher in a kingdom of generosity, selflessness and grace. We admit that we cannot do this alone, we need you, and at the same time we recognize that you need us to be your hands and feet. We celebrate that you call us to be your coworker in this world and on this day we renew this call on our lives. Give us the courage to live our lives as our great teacher Jesus, your Christ lived. Give us the courage to stand up against the evil in the world and encourage us to work to share the greatest power of all – Love. Finally, we give you thanks for the ability to worship in a country which gives us the freedom to do so. For things spoken and those things on our hearts which remain unspoken, we pray.
Prayer from Sunday
I do not think that I am a good prayer, especially in church. There is a lot of pressure to do that pastoral prayer to get it just long enough but not too long and not leave too much out but not be too specific. It is like walking on a stick of butter.
Anyway I get asked for copies of what I pray on the Sunday’s I get to do the pastoral prayer and each time I forget to make copies. I am tired of tired of not having copies. So I am just going to post a prayer anytime I get asked for a copy of it so that I will have a place to direct people.
This was last Sunday’s prayer asked by a few people.
Constant God of Grace we have gathered in this place to give thanks and sing praise for the gifts and graces we have in our lives. For the strength to stand up this morning, we give thanks. For the food that came to us and will nourish us this day, we give thanks. We even give thanks for the breath we just took and the breath we are taking right now. Your presence not only makes life possible but it makes life worth living.
But life does not come easily sometimes and often due to the actions of ourselves and our sisters and brothers. Just as we recognize that it if your presence that makes life available to us, we recognize the times when we have taken life for granted. Our self-centeredness manifests in many different ways from greed to envy, from passive aggression to active violence. Forgive our self-centeredness in all its manifestations so that we might be able to become the people of reconciliation and grace living without guilt, shame or fear.
We seek these things not for ourselves alone, but for the world. We live in a world were guilt is plastered on television, shame is on the cover of every magazine and fear is sold to us in the evening news. While the culture moves to generate guilt, shame and fear so that people might be exploited and marginalized, you have called your Church to be a people moving to generate a different culture. A culture built not on guilt, but forgiveness; not shame but dignity; not fear but faith. We know we cannot build this culture, your kingdom, on our own. You have given us models to guide us: prophets, poets, mystics and sages. These saints have shown us so many paths which bring us closer to you and your desires. And while we are not there yet, we continue to move in that faithful direction. So give us the strength to stand in the morning and the food to nourish our bodies and the breath to keep our hearts burning for the peaceable kingdom. For these prayers, spoken and unspoken, we join our neighbors, our fellow sinners and saints in the prayer which our Lord taught us to pray saying, Our father…
Is confession needed before we come to Christ???
Prior to the UMC’s communion liturgy we have these words that says, “Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin and seek to live in peace with one another. Therefore, let us confess our sin before God and one another.”
We then have a prayer of confession which is said as a community.
No big deal, right?
However, I was in class last week and one of the professors said there was a scholar she read who says something to this effect:
What makes Jesus different from other teachers of his day is that Jesus does not require people to repent prior to being in his presence. When someone wants to see him or be healed, Jesus does not require that person repents and then that person can eat or becomes healed.
This idea was powerful for me to consider how we “do” communion, conversion, and evangelism. We require that people first repent of their sin – the prayer in a communion liturgy to the “sinner’s prayer” on a Biblical tract. Then AFTER repentance are you in communion with or move closer to Jesus.
But is this backwards?
Requiring people to repent makes the Christian life look like a religion of requirements in order to get grace. Rather than a religion which promotes grace and out of grace we repent.
When that person encountered Jesus, that is encountered grace from God, they repented out of that experience. Perhaps that repentance meant more to the person as it was a response to the overwhelming grace they experienced even as a person who is “unclean”, “sinful” or “outcast”.
I don’t know, but what would it look like if the prayer of confession in the UMC communion liturgy came after communion rather than a prayer of thanksgiving?
Reflection on a Mother Theresa prayer
Mother Theresa of Calcutta:
Make us worthy, Lord, to serve your children throughout the world who live and die in poverty and hunger. Give them, through your hands, this day their daily bread, and by our understanding love, give peace and joy. Amen.
The opening words, “Make us worthy to serve” stick out to me.
It seems to that in order to be worthy to serve the poor I need to have a relationship with the poor. I think the voice of loved ones is more “worthy” than the voice of a stranger because I have a relationship with them. I understand that in order to be worthy to serve someone I must be in relationship with them.
But how do I get in relationship with someone? I spend time with them.
I spend time with them to become worthy and in becoming worthy I am able to serve others. And the more I serve the more time I send with others and the more time I spend with others the more the relationship becomes worthy.
It is a paradox.
I think it is a chicken and egg paradox, what comes first the relationship or worthiness?
Just because we have we think we have an obligation to serve others. This does not mean that we are worthy of service. Otherwise the prayer would say something like, “Allow us to serve your children” and not “Make us worthy”.
In America when you graduate you are not given a job as you walk across the stage.
A job is something you have to earn. You build a resume, gain experience, and solicit references all in an attempt to prove you are worth to gain employment.
Just because you and I have fish on our bumpers, crosses around our necks and give an hour of worship on Sunday doesn’t mean we are worthy to serve the poor.
Christianity is built on paradox. God said to Moses, I am what I am or I will be what I will be. Jesus said faith as a mustard seed can move mountains. Jesus also said, gain your life and loose it, loose you life and gain it. Paradox runs throughout our faith and it is dominate in this prayer.
How do you and I become worthy of serving the poor? The next line says it – we go and work with the poor.
Only in working with the poor do we become worthy enough to work with the poor.
It is a paradox. What comes first?
We do not sit and wait for a divine moment which confers on us the privilege to work with the poor. We are worthy only in serving, and we serve to gain worthiness.
Paradox.
The question that has stayed with me is, “Are we worthy to serve the poor?”
Prayer for consideration…
I get to share a bit of reflection on this prayer tomorrow at worship. I am curious to know if there is anything in this prayer which stands out to you? Does this prayer say anything to you? Is there anything you would want to talk more about?
Mother Theresa of Calcutta:
Make us worthy, Lord, to serve your children throughout the world who live and die in poverty and hunger. Give them, through your hands, this day their daily bread, and by our understanding love, give peace and joy. Amen.
Praying at restaurants, dining at church…
In NYC there are prayer spaces for Muslim men, many of whom are taxi drivers, located in private businesses. These spaces allow for prayer, fellowship and even a bit of food because many of these spaces are in restaurants. These spaces allow for Muslims who are on the go and allow these men to nourish their soul.
What if these spaces were open to Christians? What if a restaurant has a prayer space for anyone to pray and study?
Even more than that, what if churches (which have prayer spaces) opened up their space and had food, coffee, wi-fi, etc. to give people the opportunity to eat lunch and then give them an opportunity to nourish their soul? Is this possible to do in churches? How could this be done?
