CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Gracious and Everliving God, today we remember the life and ministry of Dr. Martin Luther King whose dream of justice and fairness for all people has become a permanent part of our social and ethical landscape. We confess that we, your children, have not been eager to listen to the voices of your prophets, calling us to account. Help us to understand, oh Spirit of Wisdom, that if we allow fear and ignorance to be our teachers, we will never achieve peace in our time. Lead us by your sanctifying grace on the journey of discovery, which will lead us to fulfillment as individuals, and as a congregation. We pray for the courage to speak truth to power, to work to bring about the fulfillment of the dream of justice for all people as witnesses to, and messengers of your grace. In the name of the Christ, we pray. Amen.
PREPARING FOR THE OFFERING
I wonder if you have thought that making a pledge was a step forward in your spiritual growth and maturity. I must confess that for a very long time, even as a pastor, I was terrible at making a giving commitment to the church I served. And, when I finally began to give, I wasn’t consistent. I am now. Someone asked me the other day how she should give to her church. A friend told her she had to tithe 10% of her earnings, but she didn’t think she could afford to give that amount. I said: You don’t have to start at the top, just start. Commit to giving an amount consistently and regularly so that your church can depend upon it and over time your giving will mature. Our generosity and, in some cases, our sacrificial giving, are, in themselves, statements of faith.
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