Prayer For April 26th Sermon "Spiritual Alms"

Glorious God, you are our most wonderful counselor of truth, our constant compassionate companion, redeemer and friend. We breathe a great sigh of recognition and relief in those moments when we are tuned in to your most gracious presence. Indeed we pray for even greater awareness, believing that you are always at work helping us make the most of the gifts you have bestowed upon us. Let us use our individual gifts to better the world we live in. Let us offer them for the benefit of people we cannot see and may never know. Help us to understand that the measure of our success is not in the accolades we receive from our peers, or the awards we receive from our betters, or the approval we receive from our loved ones and friends. Let the measure of our success be the renewal we feel within ourselves and the knowledge that we have lived by your commandment to live by love. In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.

**IN THIS SERMON THE BOOK REFERENCE IS TO "THE SHACK" by William P. Young. It is a must read for anyone who needs to re-vision God and the meaning of Forgiveness!!! I listened to the book on CD and savored every word read to me by the narrator. It remains on my IPod so I can read it again--so to speak.

April 26, 2009

Prayer and Sermon for April 19, 2009 "Breathing Sessions"

Our Gracious Lord and Sovereign of the Universe, it is right and a good and joyful thing to give you thanks and praise on this glorious morning. Our Easter elation continues, as we experience a sense of rebirth and renewal through our remembrance and recollection of the resurrection event. Let us understand clearly, dearest Lord, that NOW we are called by the risen Christ to explore the ways we are to carry on his work; NOW is when we, like the disciples, are challenged to let go of notions of being ungifted, unworthy, or ill-equipped, to minister in Jesus’ name; NOW is the time for us to hear the whispers of the Christ encouraging us to let go of shyness, insecurity and fear; NOW is the time to accept his prodding and greet the stranger in our midst and NOW is the time to receive, to take a deep breath and believe. Amen.

Prayer For Easter Sermon April 12, 2009: "No Secret Here"

Wondrous God, today we celebrate life and hope, and are overjoyed at the surprise of the empty tomb. We are humbled and awed by what we believe is your promise fulfilled Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. We must confess that had we been there on that early morning with Mary Magdalene and Salome and the other Mary, that we probably would have been as terrified as they were. But looking back in time, from our vantage point, we simply can’t hold back the smile of delight that this glorious morning brings. O how wondrously you dress your creation in the brilliant colors of spring the friendly yellows, the rich luxurious reds, the elegant oranges, the purist whites and blissful pinks. Even if we are unable to see the colors of earth’s adornments, their perfume fills the air. Dearest, Lord, You have seen to every detail and we are filled with gladness and relief. Most Holy God, on this day of days we confess anew our faith in Jesus Christ, trusting in your justifying grace. We promise to carry the glad tidings boldly and unabashedly our sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life. CHRIST IS RISEN ! CHRIST IS RISEN INDEED! ALLELUIA! …...

MY EASTER LETTER TO ALL

Beloved,
We have raced through Mark’s hair-raising gospel as if we were on a scriptural roller -coaster ride wondering what we would witness next and before we know it, we are walking through Jericho on our way to Jerusalem. I have never been much of a mountain climber, and the distance from Jericho, which lies 846 feet below sea level , to Jerusalem is a daunting 17 miles uphill increasing in elevation on the way to 3400 feet. The route is exceedingly difficult and dangerous to travel, but it is the shortest route to Jerusalem. Even though we are looking back at the events of Holy Week through binoculars from 2000 years hence, we can see ourselves among those who follow. In these days, are we not walking among the disciples, among those who’s hearts are on fire with hope and a sense that their lives are about to change? Are we not climbing the dry as a bone, treacherous, craggy mountain pass as if toward the city of David? Are we not trekking with those longing for liberation, and renewal? And when we reach the peak and begin our descent into Jerusalem, are we not among those rejoicing as the new king is hailed, anointed and crowned, the long awaited messiah? The way is prepared, and we, with the Palm Sunday people are ready for salvation. Our vision of salvation, like the crowds and the disciples, is one of triumph and a restoration of former prosperity, security, health and wellbeing, but Jesus’ vision was and continues to be a different one. He taught us about love and sacrifice. He taught us that the key to our own redemption and the redemption of the world is to love mercifully and to live sacrificially unto our own transformation. This Jesus showed us how to be merciful forgiving those who could not forgive themselves and forgiving those who mocked him and tormented him as he was dying on the cross. He taught us the meaning of sacrifice offering his own life to redeem ours. And when we were grief stricken, thinking all was lost, he rose again. The promise of Easter morning comes when we, in the company of the women disciples, find the tomb empty! We hear with them the assurance that the risen one will see us again in Galilee. We have a choice, in that moment, to let this glorious Good News sing in our hearts, to let our mourning be turned into dancing, to be liberated, renewed and “YES” transformed to live the life that God intended for us all.

Happy Easter,

Rev. Amanda

Prayer for Palm Sunday "Trimph and Trouble" April 5, 2009

Glorious and most wonderful God we are grateful for your strong, enduring and patient presence. Remind us in our most fretful moments when we are caught up in fearing the worst that you are with us; your Spirit is ever moving in and through us wherever we are. We confess that when life catches us by surprise or we make a mistake we can get thrown off kilter spiritually. We have a tendency to spend an inordinate amount of time feeling guilty, or wronged, dumb or undervalued, filling our hearts with resentment toward those strangers or friends who have not appreciated us fully. Help us Dearest Lord, to get beyond our need to feel important and beyond requiring an engraved invitation to be a part of the shared ministry of Jesus Christ. As we enter this Holy Week, marvelous Redeemer, cause us to surrender our need for recognition, our desire to be chosen, selected, singled out as special, lifted up as one among the first. May this Holy Week bring us to the realization that, indeed you have continued to choose us and to love each and every one of us beyond even our wildest imagination. Humble us, O Lord. Strip us of our pride, our arrogance and our sense of entitlement in the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.

MARCH 29, 2009 Prayer for sermon: "None So Blind"

Wondrous and eternal God we lift our voices in praise thankful always for your love and grace. We confess that most of the minutes of our day are filled with tasks to be done, errands to be run, taxiing kids here and transporting stuff. Like the disciples we get caught up with things to do, and places to go, and people to see and miles to go before we sleep. Yes, dearest Lord, we can get pretty frantic , minute by minute, hour by hour and day by day barely stopping to take a breather. Help us in the days ahead to take the time to just be in the company of a friend or loved one with no agenda or distractions just taking time to be with each other. Or instead of looking at the magazines while we wait in line at the grocery story, let us ponder thoughtfully how we might pray for, or remember or be in touch with a church member we have been missing. Help us to see those in need around us, and help us get out of ourselves for a moment. Let us experience the spirit renewing power that comes from loving another. In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.