CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Gracious God we have dreams of living up to your expectations one day. We are determined to be people of sense and sensibility, learning from our mistakes, cultivating the spirit of willingness, building our stamina and energy to extend ourselves in generosity and love. We confess our desire to be good at being Christians as if it is a skill to be acquired. We have a tendency sometimes to think that if we just knew the bible better, could quote scripture, or knew how to pray on the spur of the moment, that we would be well on our way to being better Christians. Because we see ourselves as deficient in these and other things, we have excused ourselves as being inadequate to serve. Remind us Lord, that Jesus began his service to you with a smile, a handshake, a word, the touch of his hand on someone’s tears, an embrace, a moment of fellowship over a meal, offering love, hope and assurance. These are things we already know; teach us so to use them in the name of the Christ. Amen.
OFFERTORY THOUGHT
Matthew told me a marvelous story this week about how three wonderful men helped to support him while he was in seminary in 1945. Three Bishops J. W. Pickett, C.D. Rockey, and E.S. Jones each gave Matthew $1.00 (one dollar) a month to help him with incidentals laundry, paper and pencils, etc. His remark was, that people have no idea what even a single dollar can accomplish in a person’s life.
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