CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Wondrous and Unfathomable God, we are drawn to this time of focused communion with you and with our brothers and sisters in Christ, because we seek nourishment for our souls. We are assured by the nature and discipline of the Christ who prayed without ceasing, that you are ever attentive to our prayers. In these past weeks so many of our dear ones have needed comfort and relief. No matter how inadequate we imagine our prayers to be, we will continue to pronounce the names of those in need, praying on their behalf, petitions and intercessions for their healing and renewal. We shall call upon your most wondrous Spirit to embrace them, to remove all fear, to wipe away every tear, to fill them with confidence that all will be well. Amen.
OFFERTORY THOUGHT
Last Saturday morning I sat on the hotel patio looking out onto beautiful Lake Atitlan. Timoteo, a nurse came to talk to us about his project to provide scholarships for the children of his town, San Juan, in Solola, Guatemala. $75 per year pays for tuition and supplies. He allowed us to purchase his recycled jewelry creations at a discount in exchange for one scholarship. The jewelry is trash—quite literally— made from the discarded bags of Fritos, Doritos and Corn Nuts left as litter to tarnish the landscape and pollute Lake Atitlan. He figured out how to make trash beautiful. I am glad someone did.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
JULY 4, 2010 "WHAT'VE YOU GOT TO LOSE?"
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Dearest Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, all people and creatures throughout time and space, we are amazed at the wonders of the universe imagined in your thoughts, sculpted by your will. Blessed giver of all grace and good things we want to be kingdom builders working with you not for self interest, not for our own puffed up sense of self, but for sowing seeds of welcome and planting good news faith in the hearts of everyone we meet. We confess our independence. We confess our pride in it. We confess our tendency to be “laws unto ourselves” and in our confession we pray that you will teach us the way of interdependence, that always trusting in your love and goodwill for us, we will value and appreciate the efforts and ideas of one another. May what is to become our mutual efforts and work be worthy in your sight our rock and our redeemer in the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.
OFFERTORY THOUGHT
Quite often people will take a risk and try something new, like eating mint chocolate chip ice cream instead of plain chocolate chip, because doing so promises not to do any real damage or harm to the conventions they hold dear like their: opinions, political ideologies, pride, and even long held theological perspectives. In other words the risk is nebulous and requires no real investment of trust or faith. Being in relationship with God, however, demands trust and faith promising to wreak havoc on our pride because God is, quite simply, unconventional. RISK something today for the kingdom of God.
Dearest Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, all people and creatures throughout time and space, we are amazed at the wonders of the universe imagined in your thoughts, sculpted by your will. Blessed giver of all grace and good things we want to be kingdom builders working with you not for self interest, not for our own puffed up sense of self, but for sowing seeds of welcome and planting good news faith in the hearts of everyone we meet. We confess our independence. We confess our pride in it. We confess our tendency to be “laws unto ourselves” and in our confession we pray that you will teach us the way of interdependence, that always trusting in your love and goodwill for us, we will value and appreciate the efforts and ideas of one another. May what is to become our mutual efforts and work be worthy in your sight our rock and our redeemer in the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.
OFFERTORY THOUGHT
Quite often people will take a risk and try something new, like eating mint chocolate chip ice cream instead of plain chocolate chip, because doing so promises not to do any real damage or harm to the conventions they hold dear like their: opinions, political ideologies, pride, and even long held theological perspectives. In other words the risk is nebulous and requires no real investment of trust or faith. Being in relationship with God, however, demands trust and faith promising to wreak havoc on our pride because God is, quite simply, unconventional. RISK something today for the kingdom of God.
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