PASTORAL PRAYER - MAY 26, 2019

 Good and gracious God, 

the King of all Glory,
we thank You and call on Your name. 
We marvel in Your splendor, our God, our strength. 
You have told us to seek Your presence continually, 
and we do that now. 
You have told us to remember 
the wondrous works You have done, 
and we do that now. 
You are our God, 
and there is none like You. 
You never promise 
what You will not keep. 
You never fail, regardless of how small 
and insignificant we might appear. 
We are Your people and Your children. 

But Lord, if we are honest, we admit we have failed and doubted this week. 
We have not been who we are in Christ. 
We have loved the world, 
and we have ignored Your Word. 
We have forgotten You 
by thinking so much of ourselves. 
Forgive us, we pray, and transform our minds and hearts to continuously abide in You. 

Father, we believe You have called each and every one of us to serve You. You have welcomed every disciple into the priesthood of believers. 

We know that when we respond to the grace 
and mercy You so eagerly offer, 
we say “yes” to following You. 
We say “yes” to a life of worship and ministry. 

Just as You plucked Israel out of Egypt, 
just as you rescued David from the giant, 
just as you snatched Paul on the road to Damascus, 
You have saved us. You have redeemed us. 
Called us. Justified us. Glorified us. 
And we are Yours! And all of our hope is in You. 

God, beyond all names, 

whose presence lives in those 
You call by name, 

whose presence goes before us 
into the lives of those to whom we minister, 

we hear Your call to serve 
in a variety of ways and places. 

We pray that each one of us, 

as we serve You in our particular ministry – 

whether at work, or school, or at church - 

may we find renewed depth 
in our relationship with You; 

May we be confirmed in our call to this ministry; 

May we find our gifts and calling affirmed 
as we offer them in service; 

May we become a part of a healthy and life-giving community of faith. 

 

 

We pray all these things in the name of your son Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray saying these words…

 

Our father who art in Heaven hallowed be thy name

thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

 

 

PASTORAL PRAYER: SEPTEMBER 2, 2018

 Good and gracious God, we offer thanks for this day and for the opportunity to be here together as a worshipping community. During this time, may we be able to put aside the concerns of our daily lives, let go of all the demands that crowd upon us, and simply be present here to Your Spirit and Your words.

 

As we come before You in Jesus’ name, we, Your people, praise You with our innermost being. We praise Your Holy name. We will not forget Your benefits, and we give You praise and thanksgiving, for You have forgiven our sins and You love us unconditionally. We praise You because You have redeemed our lives from the pit and crowned us with compassion. Lord, we praise You and honor You, for You alone work righteousness for the oppressed. You are compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love.

 

Lord, as we read Psalm 100 earlier this morning, I was struck by its strong and compelling call to us to be a thankful people. It gives us such profound reasons to be thankful. It lifts us up to be truly joyful and earnest, not merely obligatory or routine, in our thanksgiving. And so, Lord, we thank You. Thank You, Lord, for being God alone. Thank You for being our Maker. Thank You for creating us. Thank You for making us Your possession, Your people, the sheep of Your pasture, the people under Your care and guidance and protection. Thank You for Your goodness, Your steadfast love, and Your enduring faithfulness. Thank You for calling us to praise You and thank You and serve You and worship You, not merely externally, not mechanically, not with lip service, not out of unhealthy compulsion, but with gladness, with joy from our heart.

 

Father, may this psalm increasingly be our own experience, individually and as a community of worshipers. Form this joyful thanksgiving and praise in us ever more deeply. Transform our mistrust of You into confidence; our complaint into praise; our self-centered demandingness into thanksgiving; our apathy into earnestness; our numbness into joy; our ingratitude into gratitude. We lean into the saving work of Jesus Christ our Lord, who perfectly embodied this psalm. We especially thank You for His life, His death, His victorious resurrection and ascension, and the hope of His return.

 

Lord, as we prepare to hear Your message through Derek this morning, may You bring peace to his heart and readiness to our ears to not only hear but to act on Your behalf. Fill us and use us, Lord. Mold us into Your community of believers, bringing us here time and again to worship and serve You.

 

As we lift these things to You, O God, we remember the words of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray by saying…

 

Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever. Amen.

PASTORAL PRAYER: July 12, 2020

Good and gracious, God,

Can we admit to You that our lives seem to have fallen into a state of chaos? 

The world around us seems to have gone crazy and lost its way.

The constant changes are exhausting! 

With each passing day, it seems as though we have become 

a more deeply divided people. 

Surely, we humans must test your patience! 

Surely, we children must infuriate You with our disobedience! 

Surely, we followers must exasperate You with our bickering!

 

O Lord, we call upon You to break through to us today.

We want to feel grounded in Your love and presence. 

We long to feel secure in Your mercy, to find rest in Your care.

 

At the top of our list, of course,

we pray for a breakthrough in medical research, 

as our world seeks to find a vaccine or cure for the coronavirus. 

 

But we also pray for the breakthroughs of our hearts…

With You, Lord, we will walk through the tension of our society - 
the suffering and sorrow,
the challenges and struggles,
the tired times and dark places.

 

We pray for a breakthrough in our own inner blindness and denial 

when it comes to our lack of understanding and empathy 

for those You call our neighbors.

 

We pray for a breakthrough in our hearts 

to create a hospitable space to be offered to one another, 

where conversations can occur 

for the purpose of deeper understanding.

 

We pray for a breakthrough in the mutual hurt and pain of our community,

for progress to be made towards finding that common ground, 

upon which we can stand, and create a flourishing and safe world for all.

 

We pray for a breakthrough in our own stubbornness and arrogance 

when it comes to what You are trying to teach us and reveal to us. 

We long to become whole.

 

We pray for a breakthrough in our fears and anxiety 

so that we are able to welcome an uncertain future, 

knowing that a non-anxious presence will do more 

to build a better world than an anxious presence.

 

We pray for a breakthrough in our own timidity around our convictions, 

so we can hold them with courage and humility.

 

We pray for a breakthrough in our false thinking that we can control the future, 

when, in reality, we can only be present to the here and now, 

and seek to respond as kindly and maturely as possible.

 

We pray for a breakthrough in our tendency to judge others 

based on our assumptions and biased attitudes. 

May we move towards seeing that of God in others.

 

To achieve these breakthroughs 

will require total reliance upon You, Lord. 

If we try to go solo on this, 

we will most surely fail. 

 

Mold us be Your change agents and breakthrough artists. 

Embolden us with courage to speak out about our faith,

to teach those around us about Your love for all people, 

and to lead by example,

showing and speaking with respect to others. 

Clear the ground of our hearts, 

break up the hard crust of our souls, 

and plant seeds of hope. 

In Your Spirit, may we nurture these seeds 

and bear the fruit of life, joy, peace, and energizing vision for our future.

 

We pray all this in the name of the One, 

who transforms us into His image, 

who makes us whole, 

so that we may be His hands and heart for the world to see. 

We pray the words that He taught us to pray:  

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. 

And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

PASTORAL PRAYER: NOVEMBER 18, 2018

 O good and gracious God, we have no words to express the gratitude we feel for all You have done. You have given Yourself to us in Jesus. You have loved us long before we were aware of You. You have been gracious to us in our failings and never held our sins against us. You have poured out the blessings of life upon us. You have given us everything we need. Our hearts overflow with all the ways You have shown Your love and shown us that we are deeply loved. We ask You to make us truly thankful followers…and to always take time to say what it has meant to us that You have shown Your goodness to us. And so, Lord, we thank You. 

We come to this place this morning to recommit ourselves to being faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. We know if we are ever going to truly follow Jesus, we will first need to truly repent of our sins. As your great servant, Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, we cannot fall prey to “cheap grace.” So we ask You, Lord, forgive us when we seek Your grace without first repenting. Forgive us when we seek grace without committing ourselves to be Your disciples. Forgive us when we seek absolution without personal confession. 

When we gather in this place Sunday after Sunday to hear preaching that will remind us that we are loved and forgiven, remind us also that we need to change our selfish ways.

When we gather to remember the way we came up out of the waters of our baptism to symbolize life abundant and eternal, remind us also to remember our immersion into the waters to symbolize death to self.

When we come to gather around a table to receive the gift of Holy Communion, remind us also to confess our sins and our shortcomings. 

When we come to this place to receive grace and love, remind us also to be encouraged to share grace and love with others. 

When we come to worship at the foot of the cross, remind us also to pick up the cross and carry it ourselves. 

When we come to worship Christ in the safety and comfort of this sanctuary, remind us also that Christ is actually alive today, present here, calling us, prodding us, pulling us to follow Him out into a risky and uncomfortable world.

O God, forgive us of our love for “cheap grace.” Help us to truly repent, turn from our wicked ways, and seek to live FOR a grace, IN a grace, and BY a grace that is worthy of your sacrificial love for us, even if it is “costly.”

May we come to this place to seek this grace Sunday after Sunday. May we keep asking, keep knocking at Your door, keep giving our lives away to You, keep denying ourselves, and keep looking to You for the strength we need to pick up our crosses and follow our Lord and our Savior wherever He leads. Because we know that this grace is the only way to true life, abundant and eternal. 

We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who taught us the very words to pray, saying… 

Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever….  Amen.

 

PASTORAL PRAYER: ARMOR OF GOD

 O Lord, You are almighty, all-powerful, all-sufficient. 

You give us everything we need. You are enough. 

Of all of the gifts and blessings You bestow upon us, 

we thank You today for the armor You equip us with 
to be present in this world.

First and foremost, we thank You for our salvation. 
Salvation at its core is being rescued
from a state of danger and restored to wholeness. 
Salvation comes from confessing with our mouths, 
and believing in our hearts,
that Jesus is Lord and that He was raised from the dead. 
This is a truth we claim! 
Thank You, Lord, for the gift of our salvation. 
Today, may we receive it in a new and fresh way from You, 
for we declare that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, 
and the place we shall ever have in Your kingdom. 

 

Lord, Your breastplate covers our most precious, vulnerable areas. 
We wear Your righteousness today against all condemnation and corruption. 
Fit us with Your holiness and purity — 
defend us from all assaults against our heart. 
May we put off our old selves, 
which are being corrupted by deceitful desires, 
and may our attitudes be made new. 
Because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, 
we can walk in righteousness -  
upright living that will align us with Your expectations. 

 

Lord, we put on Your belt of truth. 
We choose a lifestyle of honesty and integrity. 

Reveal to us the truths we so desperately need today. 
Expose the lies that we are not even aware that we may believe, 
for Your truth will help us live in freedom and light.

The Good News of Your Gospel gives us shoes of peace, 
and helps us move forward in faith. 
We choose to live for the Gospel at any moment. 
Show us where You are working and lead us to it. 
Do not let us become slack in our walk. 
Instead bring peace to our hearts and minds 
so that we will not be anxious about anything.
Build excitement in our hearts to boldly share the Gospel, 
and declare Your message fiercely. 

 

Jesus, You are a shield to those who take refuge in You. 
We lift our confident shield of faith, 
declaring that You are good against every lie 
and every assault of the enemy. 
You have good in store for us. 
Nothing is coming today that can overcome us 
because You are with us. 
May we continually grow in our faith. 

 

O Lord, where all of the other pieces of armor are defensive to protect us, 
You have given us one offensive weapon – 
the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. 
Holy Spirit, show us specifically today 

the truths of the Word that we will need 
to counter the snares of the enemy. 
Bring them to mind throughout the day 
to shun the lies and strongholds in our lives. 

 

After all is said and done, Lord, 

we ask that You would make us strong in the Spirit. 

In our own ability, we cannot stand against the temptations of the world. 

We seek to rely on Your strength, not our own. 
Therefore, we resolve to hold before us 

every defense You give us, 

so that we might stand against 

whatever opposes Your plan for Your Kingdom, 
And so we stand, braced by Your truth, 

and guarded by Your righteousness; 

enabled by the power of the Gospel 

to actively bring Your peace to this broken world.
We are safeguarded by the faith, 

for Your salvation keeps and holds us, 

and Your word dwells within us. 

In all we do, we want to be like Jesus, 

who was constantly pointing back to the Father; 

reminding us that He wasn’t living by his own agenda, 

but only by what the Father was showing Him. 

Show us, Father, as well, how You want us to follow Jesus. 

Hear us now as we follow Christ’s example in prayer, 
as we pray together, saying these words… 

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. 

And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

 

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT JESUS #33: POOLS OF BETHESDA

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT JESUS: MIRACLES

POOLS OF BETHESDA (JOHN 5:2-15) 

 

Location of Miracle: Jerusalem, inside the city walls, near the Sheep Gate

 

Set the Scene: 

o   Jesus was returning to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. 

o   The location of the Pools of Bethesda — actually a series of reservoirs and medicinal pools — is in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City, north of the Temple Mount and about 50 meters inside St Stephen’s or Lions’ Gate. At that time, the gate was called the Sheep Gate, because this was where sheep were brought to the Temple for sacrifice.

o   The Sheep Gate is the only surviving gate of five that once provided access to Trim. We see reference to its building in Nehemiah 3:1. 

o   The Messiah is the High Priest of New Covenant, who is the Lamb, who was offered for the sake of our sins. When Jesus entered through this Sheep Gate, it signified the death and offering the Lamb, which death, blood, and resurrection bring us forgiveness of sins and redemption. 

o   Fun fact: According to an ancient tradition, Bethesda is also where Jesus’ maternal grandparents, Anne and Joachim, lived — and where his mother Mary was born. The Church of St. Anne, built around 1140, stands nearby.

 

READ John 5:2-15.

 

Big Take-Aways:

 

o   The Pools of Bethesda were thought to be healing pools. The first person to enter the pool when the waters were stirred up would supposedly be cured of his or her ailment. 

o   This is one of the few miracles where the person was not healed through faith. The man was not seeking Jesus; rather Jesus found him. The man had no idea who Jesus was! When he first conversed with Jesus, he wasn’t looking to Him as someone who could heal him. In his mind, Jesus was no different than any other person present.

o   Jesus asked if the man would like to get well. This healing, then, is an example of a “gift of healing” working through Jesus. Gifts of healings operate as the Holy Spirit wills (see 1 Cor. 12:11), and faith is not necessarily a requirement for the sick person to be healed. It is a sovereign act of God.

o   Jesus later told the man He’d healed, “Stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you” (John 5:14). What can we learn from that statement? We can learn that sin can lead to God’s judgment. If the healed man didn’t repent and quit sinning, there was the possibility that he might wind up worse than he previously was. God is a loving God, but He is also holy. He will punish evildoers. We must be careful, however, that we don’t conclude that all sick people are being punished for their sins. Then we would be guilty of passing judgment.

 

 

Call to Action:

We often need signs from God to open our hearts to the gospel. Let’s pray for God to mercifully grant more signs and wonders to the unbelieving world, and that even people who have no faith would be healed.

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT JESUS #32: JESUS HEALS A LEPER & PARALYTIC

 

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT JESUS: MIRACLES

JESUS HEALS A LEPER (MATTHEW 8:2-4; MARK 1:40-45; LUKE 5:12-16) 

JESUS CURES A PARALYTIC (MATTHEW 9:2-8; MARK 2:1-12; LUKE 5:17-26) 

 

Location of Miracle: Galilee; Capernaum

 

Set the Scene: 

o   Jesus had spent quite a lot of time in and around Capernaum. He must have made it sort of a home base because Mark refers to it as “home” (verse 1). He already had a reputation as one who could heal the sick and cast out demons (Mark 2:1-12). In the parallel passage (Luke 5:17-26) we find that Pharisees travelled all the way from Jerusalem to hear Jesus speak. News spread fast that Jesus was back in town and a huge crowd gathered. People packed the house where he was staying.

 

READ Mark 1:40-45, 2:1-12

 

Big Take-Aways:

o   The crowd of people was packed about the doorway, trying to get a glimpse of Jesus. There was no way four men could carry a man through that crowd and into the house through the door. The four men probably used an outside stairway to carry their friend up to the roof. Roofs were often flat. People could sleep on the roof when it was hot. To make the roof, the builder would lay sticks close together over the beams and cover them with hard-packed clay. Sometimes a roller would be used to pack down the clay. This made for a hard clay roof. To make a hole, the men would have had to dig through the clay and remove some of the sticks. Probably the roof was so low that no ropes were needed to let the man down. People inside the house could reach up and take him as those outside let him down.

o   Jesus could see the four men had faith. They would not have done such an unusual thing if they had not believed Jesus could heal their friend. It was a common belief that sickness indicated personal sin, but everyone must have been surprised when Jesus said “You are forgiven” instead of saying “You are healed.”

o   The Pharisees have some thoughts of their own, and they are not pleasant. It is miraculous that Jesus knew what the teachers of the law were thinking. They did not speak out loud, after all. They simply thought these things to themselves. Mark tells us that Jesus knows they think He is blaspheming. They must have been shocked when Jesus confronted them. He responded by saying, “So that you might know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . .” He heals. By this one act, Jesus proves he is on equal footing with the Judge of all: God. He can forgive and heal.

 

Call to Action: 

Good friends help us follow God. 

o   Who are the friends in your life that would go to any lengths to see you healed?