OFFERINGS OFF THE WALL: March 2009

Prayer for "Disquiet in the Ranks" Sermon March 22, 2009

Loving Lord, we believe in our hearts that you know us truly. You listen closely to our every thought, our every curiosity, our every desire and our every need. We believe that your desire for us is to know joy and know it now, immediately, not at some far off time in the future. We believe that you intend for us to live abundantly with joy in abundance, love in abundance, peace in abundance and hope in abundance. Help us to recognize joy when it smiles upon us. Help us to embrace it surely when it tries to keep us company. Let us not smother hope, deny love, or curse peace. Let us not decide that because these gifts are born in the smile on someone else’s face that they are not meant to be ours. Let us embrace what is shared and treasure it in our hearts. Let us not be all the time fretters or worriers distracted and consumed by what tomorrow may or may not bring. Rather teach us to live in this moment, right now to be blessed in this moment and to be transformed by the glad companionship of our fellows in Christ Jesus in whose name we pray. Amen.

Prayer for "Tough to Chew and Hard to Swallow" Sermon March 15, 2009

Loving Lord, you are ever around, before, and within us ever encouraging us toward holiness. Our desire is to become spiritually complete, wholly Christian in our every thought and action, but we are well aware that holiness is the destination on the journey of a lifetime. Help us to remember that it is better to be on our way to holiness than to imagine we have already arrived. As we explore our place in this world help us dearest Lord, to find your way when we blunder into unfamiliar territory. Guide our steps carefully and gently that we may find the place of common ground. Let us listen and learn and when we are given the opportunity give us gracious words to speak, words that echo your love and understanding for all people. In the morning of each new day we are grateful for the opportunity to offer you thanks and praise. Thank you we say in the name of the Christ. Amen.

Prayer for "Top Dogging" Sermon March 1, 2009

Our Sovereign God, we enter these forty days of Lent with our eyes, our hearts and our minds open and ready to receive your word and will for us. We know that the 40 days which Jesus spent in the wilderness transformed him and prepared him for all that was to come. May these 40 days transform us. May they be our boot camp as we prepare and train, and re-discover our spiritual gifts and servant skills once again. When we are done we will be strong and able, fearless and unfaltering, ready and renewed followers of Jesus. Help us to remember that in community we are not alone, left to our own devices. With your help we shall support one another, lift each other up, and not tear each other down. Let our attitudes be governed by love not ego. Let our service be offered by faith not favor. Realizing that our lives are to be lived in response to your wondrous grace, dear Lord, we pray to be energized in our work celebrating every opportunity we are given to glorify your most holy name. These things we pray in the name of the one who loved us beyond measure, our savior, redeemer and friend, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Ash Wednesday Prayer

Almighty God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, we come before you on this day of ashes as those who are about to be transformed. In these days of penitent self-examination we enter a kind of spiritual basic training. Like Moses on Mount Sinai and Jesus in the wilderness, these 40 days will be for us a time of challenge and self discovery. Help us, gracious Lord, to stay the course. We seek to revitalize our calling as responsive followers of your Christ. Let us not be distracted by worry or fear. Awaken us to be engaged fully and completely in the retraining and renewing of our hearts and minds. Let us not be thwarted by weakness or doubt. May our prayerful exercises strengthen our spiritual resolve to love with the heart of Jesus, to shine forth the light of the Christ in us, and to boldly proclaim without pause or embarrassment our faith, confidence and trust in you. Indeed we believe that with you and in you, O God, all things are possible. Hear our penitent prayer we beseech you in the name of the Christ who taught us to pray saying: Our Abba 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.

Ash Wednesday February 25, 2009

ABOUT GIVING AND GIVING UP FOR LENT

The season of Lent is about looking at ourselves in a new mirror so to speak. God invites us to take another look at ourselves and our relationships most particularly with God. We are not compelled to make a list of the things we don’t like about ourselves or that need improvement, rather we embark on a journey of spiritual self discovery and renewal. Take a moment to write down on a card or a piece of paper a change in lifestyle, attitude, behavior or direction that might give you a new outlook on your life and your relationship with God. Write down whatever comes to mind first. Keep what you have written with you. Keep it close and use these 40 days of Lent to make it so.

Prayer for Sermon "How Did We Get Here?" February 22, 2009

Glorious God, your light shines around us with a brighter radiance when we are gathered together to give you thanks and to sing praises to your holy name. Admittedly, in these days, some of us feel as though we are climbing a huge mountain and we are tired and out of breath. It is an arduous climb, but we are hopeful that when we finally reach the summit we can stop for a rest, and drink in the sunshine of a new day. Remind us that we are walking in footprints left by the Christ who precedes us. Encourage our steps and steady our nerves. Let us realize, O Lord, at the end of a long day what contents us. Let us embrace it without hesitation. Whether that contentment is found in the faces of our children, our mates, our grandchildren, our dear friends or our pets let us relish the blessing of their presence in our lives. When we close our eyes to sleep, clear our cluttered minds, we pray. Let us be at peace in our dreams so we are made strong again for tomorrow. All this we ask in the name of the Christ. Amen.