CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Gracious God on this Labor Day Sunday we are reminded that glorifying your name is not only done with the words spoken from our hearts, but through the work of our hands. Today we re-commit ourselves, our prayers, our creative thoughts, our hearts and our hands to laboring in this vast vineyard, cultivating the ground, nourishing the soil so that the vines may flourish and bear fruit worthy of your kingdom. Remind us always that laboring for the well-being of your creation is honorable work. You have given us the gift of life so that we might eat and drink and take pleasure in our toil. We humbly acknowledge, O Lord, that whatever You do, endures forever. Nothing can be added to it nor anything taken away. You have done this so all should stand in awe before You and yet there is nothing you want more for us than to be happy and to have joy in this life. When we understand this truth we shall be tireless in our endeavors. In the name of the Christ we offer you thanks and praise. Amen.
OFFERTORY THOUGHT
Remember when you needed a written excuse from your mother if you were absent from school because you were sick or had to go to the dentist? There were before and after excuses. Mom always wrote my excuses on her best stationery. If such a document was forged in a fit of delinquency by a felonious child, the school authorities always seemed to know. The formal excuse has been replaced by something called the “No show.” Perhaps the “No Shows” think they won’t be missed. NOT!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
August 29, 2010 "ENTITLEMENT ISSUES"
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Glorious and every creating God, bless us with your presence this morning as we focus our minds and hearts in worship. You have bestowed upon us immeasurable love and endless mercy particularly when we believed we didn’t deserve it. We confess our moments of fear and frustration, our self-centeredness, and our lack of spiritual stamina. We have neglected to nourish our faith fully, failing to partake of all of the means of grace set before us. Inspire us to ruminate on your word and to indulge in prayer, sating our hunger and quenching our thirst for righteousness. Give us the strength to put our faith into action not only for the comfort, care and benefit of others, but for the comfort and care of our own souls. Carry us ever forward, dearest Lord, moving us through life’s griefs and disappointments to that place of blissful assurance, which has always been your delight to give to those who love in the name of the Christ. Amen.
OFFERTORY THOUGHT
In chapter 12 of Luke’s gospel Jesus is requested to adjudicate—arbitrate between two brothers who are arguing over the family inheritance. Jesus warns the man: “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” How do we form attachments to objects? Someone said the things we collect are only valuable if someone else wants them. How do we measure abundance? How do we measure enough? What, If anything, is actually ours?
Glorious and every creating God, bless us with your presence this morning as we focus our minds and hearts in worship. You have bestowed upon us immeasurable love and endless mercy particularly when we believed we didn’t deserve it. We confess our moments of fear and frustration, our self-centeredness, and our lack of spiritual stamina. We have neglected to nourish our faith fully, failing to partake of all of the means of grace set before us. Inspire us to ruminate on your word and to indulge in prayer, sating our hunger and quenching our thirst for righteousness. Give us the strength to put our faith into action not only for the comfort, care and benefit of others, but for the comfort and care of our own souls. Carry us ever forward, dearest Lord, moving us through life’s griefs and disappointments to that place of blissful assurance, which has always been your delight to give to those who love in the name of the Christ. Amen.
OFFERTORY THOUGHT
In chapter 12 of Luke’s gospel Jesus is requested to adjudicate—arbitrate between two brothers who are arguing over the family inheritance. Jesus warns the man: “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” How do we form attachments to objects? Someone said the things we collect are only valuable if someone else wants them. How do we measure abundance? How do we measure enough? What, If anything, is actually ours?
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
August 15, 2010 "WHAT? ME WEARY?
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Dearest Lord, we thank you for yet another sunrise, another morning, another opportunity to embrace the day, embrace life and embrace grace. Should we ask ourselves if we take for granted the fact that our lungs took in breath and eyes opened? Did we, in the moment of our waking, begin to obsess about the day, the hours and the minutes that lie ahead of us awaiting our decisions about all that must be accomplished. Are we able to understand the invitation to participate in the Sabbath...rest? In this sacred time let our thoughts meander through your spiritual realm, pondering the eternal, lingering gently in the ethereal, wondering and smiling always at the extravagance of your love. Teach our bodies and our minds to rest and take their repose in You, O Lord, in the name of the Christ we pray. Amen
OFFERTORY THOUGHT
I confessed it, out loud in front of witnesses just the other day: “There is one thing that can panic me and make lose my cool and that is a “zero” balance in my bank accounts...savings and checking.” I won’t dare to say “we have all been there,” but I am sure I am not alone in this heart dropping, eye popping, throat gulping, cold sweat producing experience. Indeed I only had a few table scraps to feed the yowling monster to tide it over for a day or two until other resources arrived. In sympathy I offered up a prayer for the church’s Financial Secretary and Treasurer who I am pretty sure break into a cold sweat every week of the long hot sparse offering summer.
Dearest Lord, we thank you for yet another sunrise, another morning, another opportunity to embrace the day, embrace life and embrace grace. Should we ask ourselves if we take for granted the fact that our lungs took in breath and eyes opened? Did we, in the moment of our waking, begin to obsess about the day, the hours and the minutes that lie ahead of us awaiting our decisions about all that must be accomplished. Are we able to understand the invitation to participate in the Sabbath...rest? In this sacred time let our thoughts meander through your spiritual realm, pondering the eternal, lingering gently in the ethereal, wondering and smiling always at the extravagance of your love. Teach our bodies and our minds to rest and take their repose in You, O Lord, in the name of the Christ we pray. Amen
OFFERTORY THOUGHT
I confessed it, out loud in front of witnesses just the other day: “There is one thing that can panic me and make lose my cool and that is a “zero” balance in my bank accounts...savings and checking.” I won’t dare to say “we have all been there,” but I am sure I am not alone in this heart dropping, eye popping, throat gulping, cold sweat producing experience. Indeed I only had a few table scraps to feed the yowling monster to tide it over for a day or two until other resources arrived. In sympathy I offered up a prayer for the church’s Financial Secretary and Treasurer who I am pretty sure break into a cold sweat every week of the long hot sparse offering summer.
Monday, August 9, 2010
August 8, 2010 "DOING THE WALK OF LIFE"
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Glorious God, Sovereign of the Universe, Giver of light and life, we are glad to lift our voices as one to praise your most Holy name. We have longed to walk in right paths, guided by your Spirit, but we must confess that we are, too often, halted along the way by our own fears and prejudices. Help us always to rejoice in the good, which moves us ever forward. Teach us to listen in love reminding us that You alone are equipped to judge the merits of humankind. Cause us to know that You are not one to place obstacles before us as we walk through life; you present us with opportunities. We are awed by moments and occurrences in our daily existence when we recognize your intervention, your indelible mark, your unmistakable footprint, amazed at your attention to the details of what we need to see, to learn and to experience. Thank you, in the name of the Christ. Amen.
OFFERTORY THOUGHT
In 1985 Dire Straits released “The Walk of Life,” a song dedicated to the London subway storytellers, singer, guitar players called “the tunnel buskers.” Johnny down in the tunnels trying to make it pay. They are doing the walk of life , the traditional journey of a storyteller, carrying their stories from town to town turning people’s dark nights into brighter days. “Here comes Johnny and he'll tell you the story. Hand me down my walkin' shoes. Here come Johnny with the power and the glory. Backbeat the talkin' blues. He got the action he got the motion. Yeah the boy can play, dedication and devotion turnin’ all the night time into the day.” He do the walk, he do the walk of life.” Wow! What a concept—bringing folks stories that turn their darkness into light.
Glorious God, Sovereign of the Universe, Giver of light and life, we are glad to lift our voices as one to praise your most Holy name. We have longed to walk in right paths, guided by your Spirit, but we must confess that we are, too often, halted along the way by our own fears and prejudices. Help us always to rejoice in the good, which moves us ever forward. Teach us to listen in love reminding us that You alone are equipped to judge the merits of humankind. Cause us to know that You are not one to place obstacles before us as we walk through life; you present us with opportunities. We are awed by moments and occurrences in our daily existence when we recognize your intervention, your indelible mark, your unmistakable footprint, amazed at your attention to the details of what we need to see, to learn and to experience. Thank you, in the name of the Christ. Amen.
OFFERTORY THOUGHT
In 1985 Dire Straits released “The Walk of Life,” a song dedicated to the London subway storytellers, singer, guitar players called “the tunnel buskers.” Johnny down in the tunnels trying to make it pay. They are doing the walk of life , the traditional journey of a storyteller, carrying their stories from town to town turning people’s dark nights into brighter days. “Here comes Johnny and he'll tell you the story. Hand me down my walkin' shoes. Here come Johnny with the power and the glory. Backbeat the talkin' blues. He got the action he got the motion. Yeah the boy can play, dedication and devotion turnin’ all the night time into the day.” He do the walk, he do the walk of life.” Wow! What a concept—bringing folks stories that turn their darkness into light.
August 1, 2010 "THAT OTHER HALF"
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Our most glorious and loving God, we lift our voices in prayer, to offer, first our thanks and praise. In these first moments of prayerful connection we remember to rejoice in your love and persistent patience with your creation. Our thoughts are full of our appointment calendars; our i-phones, cell phones messages, i-pods, and facebook pages are crammed full with messages and information. Sometimes if feels like we are being turned on a spit basted, prodded, inundated, stimulated, percolated, and saturated hourly. But, here, gracious Lord, we can embrace moments of peaceful communion being reminded, as we contemplate your word, what is truly important. Let us be those who cull from every encounter and every conversation, new insight into what it means to be a Christian. In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.
OFFERTORY THOUGHT
My Father always said: “It’s important to see how the other half lives.” I knew the point he was making. Not everyone in the world possesses what we possess and realizing that might make me a better person. For those of us who see ourselves in the middle between the rich and the poor, it’s not about halves, it more like 3rd’s; the third that is fiscally above me and the third that is fiscally below me. But it can’t really be 3rd’s either, because 80% of the world’s population lives on less than $10 per day. I guess that puts all of us in the other 20%.
Our most glorious and loving God, we lift our voices in prayer, to offer, first our thanks and praise. In these first moments of prayerful connection we remember to rejoice in your love and persistent patience with your creation. Our thoughts are full of our appointment calendars; our i-phones, cell phones messages, i-pods, and facebook pages are crammed full with messages and information. Sometimes if feels like we are being turned on a spit basted, prodded, inundated, stimulated, percolated, and saturated hourly. But, here, gracious Lord, we can embrace moments of peaceful communion being reminded, as we contemplate your word, what is truly important. Let us be those who cull from every encounter and every conversation, new insight into what it means to be a Christian. In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.
OFFERTORY THOUGHT
My Father always said: “It’s important to see how the other half lives.” I knew the point he was making. Not everyone in the world possesses what we possess and realizing that might make me a better person. For those of us who see ourselves in the middle between the rich and the poor, it’s not about halves, it more like 3rd’s; the third that is fiscally above me and the third that is fiscally below me. But it can’t really be 3rd’s either, because 80% of the world’s population lives on less than $10 per day. I guess that puts all of us in the other 20%.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
July 25, 2010 "THE MEANS FOR MERCY"
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.
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 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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