CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Glorious God, It is a pleasure to lift our voices in prayer this morning. It is a pleasure to be able to address you, to speak your name openly for all to hear, never having to hide in the dark or be secretive about our faith. We confess that if we thought more about those obliged to worship in secret, we would relish the freedom we have to pray aloud, to our heart’s content and would do it. Let us never be timid in prayer, whether we offer thanks or ask for your mercy. Let us never hesitate to speak because we think we don’t know the right words to say. As we did when were children, cause us to make lists of those we ought to remember in our prayers. Teach us to remember supporters and opponents, friends and foes, the lost and the found. Help us to follow the example of the Christ everyday and find a place to pray. Amen.
PREPARING FOR THE OFFERING
I love reading the novels of James Lee Burke. He puts words together on a page like no other author. One of his characters, Clete Purcel, uses some slang, which is beyond my vocabulary so I am obliged to look it up in order to understand what it means. Clete who drinks hard and gambles often uses the word “vig;” it is short for vigorish, which is a Yiddish word that comes from the Russian “vyigrysh.” The vig —also the juice, the cut or the take — is the fee your bookmaker charges you, the bettor, for his services. You pay the vigorish whether you win or lose, minimizing your bookies risk since he always collects his commission from the vigorish. I suppose one’s 10% tithe to the church could be called the church’s “vig” but in this case it’s a sure bet.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Gracious God keep us mindful of your part in our lives. Remind us that these gifts are not controlled by our will, but yours. Bless them O God. Empower these gifts for greater deeds, deeds of kindness, compassion and mercy. We pray in the name of the Christ. Amen.
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