Prayer of confession

From the prayer of confession at Seward Memorial United Methodist Church today:

God, you call us to proclaim a gospel we find difficult to practice at times.  You ask us to love as we have been loved.  But our understanding of love is clouded by the experience of failed love, broken love, selfish love.  Remind us of the love you pour out in the act of creation, in the gift of redemption, in the power of inspiration.  And help us to love.  Forgive us for unloving thoughts, words, and deeds, O God whose name and nature are love."

Prayers

Prayers for Mary Beth, a young woman having brain surgery, may God strengthen her and be with her, her family, and the doctors and nurses;
Prayers for those traveling, particularly my friends Maria and Peter;
Prayers for those in need, in our own communities and throughout the world.

Prayers

Prayers for Dennis for a successful surgery, which reminds me to be grateful for having access to wonderful health care, a blessing not shared by many people in the world and sadly not shared by some in my own nation;
Prayers of gratitude for a roof over my head and a warm place to call home, another blessing not shared by many people in the world and sadly not shared by some in my own nation;
Prayers that God would help remind me that all of the material blessings I have received all come from God and that all I have is truly God's.

Prayers

For those pursuing ordination; that all would feel God's guiding presence;
for those who work with the poor and those in prison; that they might be Jesus to the people in their midst;
for those who feel marginalized in the church; that they might know that they are loved and appreciated;
For our pets as many of them are blessed this day; for the unceasing love and companionship they provide for us.

Prayer

For my friend Maria who is traveling, and for all those traveling for a safe journey;
Thanksgiving for the rain, which while I don't enjoy walking in it all that much, provides many abundant blessings!

Prayers

For creation and all the blessings we receive from it, and that we might be good stewards of the earth and its resources;
Thanksgiving as I watch the snow line march down the mountains;
I pray for a grateful heart for all the blessings God has given me, and for a clarity of vision to see those many blessings I miss in my life.

Prayers

Prayers for my friends Sue and Dennis, one just recovering from hip surgery and one just getting ready to have it; and for all those in hospitals and for those who care for them;
Prayers of thanksgiving for a wonderful summer here in Alaska;
For our pets and all animals; thankful for the blessings they bring into our lives;
For my friends Hank and Karl and for all those in prison.

Prayers

For those without access to health care, but in our own country and the world;
For those who have lost their jobs;
Asking God to make us mindful of the blessings we have received in our lives;
For those in prisons and for those who visit and minister to them.

Prayers

For those whose lives are in danger in the service of our country, that God will protect them;
For those whom we could call enemies, that we might treat them as Christ would treat them;
For my light in our lives, that we might shine forth the love of God in the world;
For those who serve the marginalized, that God would bless them and give them strength and courage in their work.

Prayers

Continued prayers for Mark after the loss of his beloved Nikoli, and prayers for all the bereaved;
For those in the flooded areas of our country, and for those in other parts of the world suffering drought;
For those who went to sleep last night hungry;
For those exposed to danger in the war torn areas of our country;
For God to awaken our hearts to the places where we can best serve and the strength and will and compassion to do so.

Prayer of Confession and Assurance

from the service today at the Seward Memorial United Methodist Church.

Emptier of tombs, roller of stones, sender of angels, wiper of tears, breaker of bread, sharer of cup, bringer of grace, inspirer of beauty, source of wisom ... God of Easter, we draw near to you in prayer.

Lord, hear our prayer.

Look into our hearts and see the places where we need you the most... the places of regret and guilt, the places of fear and sadness, the places of sin and selfishness, the places of loneliness and despair.


Lord, hear our prayer.

Look into our hearts and see the places where we often forget you...the places of joy and accomplishments, the places of wonder and awe, the places of welcome and forgiveness, the places of learning and beauty.


Lord, hear our prayer.

Lord, we need you in good and bad...help us to trust in the names by which we know you, in the faith that proclaims our God to be a God of Easter, of renewal, of possibility, of promise, or life.


Lord, hear our prayer.

Not everything has been revealed to us, but this we do know: as God's children, we are blessed, we are loved, we are forgiven!

Our lives are transformed by the abundance of love that flows from Easter's empty tomb. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Prayer

This Prayer of Dedication was used at the Seward Memorial United Methodist Church yesterday. It is very powerful and moving! I can only imagine how much I would be transformed if I could live it out in my life and how much the world would be transformed if many of us live it out.

Let us pray so much that we become Prayer.
Let us laugh so much, O God, that we become Laughter.
Let us sing so much that we become Song.
Let us give so much that we become Gift.
Amen.

Church Shooting

Keep the folks in Knoxville, TN in your prayers after the terrible church shooting this evening.

Read it all here.

Prayers

As I have mentioned previously I'm reading through the book "The Dark Night Of The Soul" by Gerald G. May, M.D. He made a great observation about the tendency in many churches to start a meeting with a prayer which includes something along the line of asking for "God to be with us". And then once we finish the religious business of prayer move on to the "real" business of the meeting as if God is no longer involved.

The thought made me ponder if I all too often live my life in that very same way. it is not the sort of thing we do on purpose of course! But I have to think that too often in my own life, I'm praying for God's presence and guidance, and then getting up and attending to the "business" of my life as if God no longer matters, or at least was no longer of primary concern.

I think I want to start working on making sure that I acknowledge and seek God's presence more and more in my life in all my decisions and actions.