September 23, 2012 "ON BEING KINDLY WISE"

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Faithful God, we are grateful for this glorious day, for this opportunity to commune with you and with our family of faith. Let us remember today when and where we first heard your name. Did our parents whisper it to us in the words of a loving lullaby, or in a goodnight prayer spoken as they tucked us safely into our beds? Did we hear your name in a blessing or a curse? Where were we when we first spoke your name. Was it in a prayer? When was it that the name of Jesus first fell from our lips spoken as if we had always known him? Who was the dear, dear one who gave us your name and the name of your son? It has been many years since some of us have thought about our first words of faith, or the first hymn we sang, or the first prayer we uttered. Let us never forget that these first things —second nature to us now —were taught to us so we’d know you loved us no matter what and would forgive us often through our lifetime. We pledge, today, to teach our children well these first and most important things, in the name of the Christ. Amen
PREPARING FOR THE OFFERING
At our Ad council meeting the church leaders had all sorts of great ideas about how to stimulate folks to join in the giving frenzy that is supposed to take place when the offering plate is passed. Some folks who give electronically are not seen to be putting anything in the plate on and so visitors or newcomers may be following their lead or lack of it. There are folks who give when the mood strikes them, and there are those who don’t give because they consider what they can give to be too meager to matter. It isn’t the amount you give that is important. Look at it this way, you are sharing your assets in support of the work of the church and It is meant to be a habitual practice.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Glorious God accept our tithes and offerings as they support the work of the church in the world feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, educating the poor, giving comfort to the broken. Let faith and trust abide in our hearts as we seek to live in response to your never ending and abundant grace. Empower us, further, O Lord, to continue our ministries of care to those in need in our community and around the world spreading the good news through the work of our hands and the commitment of our hearts. In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.