Worship Materials Archive
Moments from Worship
Pastoral Prayer 10/30/11 given by Rev. Stephanie Moon McCormick
As we enter into a time of prayer, we remember those who are on our community’s prayer list, particularly those who are sick, hospitalized, or experiencing difficulty. We also open our hearts to those in the nation of Syria who continue to experience political unrest, those in Thailand affected by severe flooding, and the citizens of Turkey affected by a recent earthquake.
Please pray with me:
Good and Gracious God,
Hear your children praying this day. We come to you thankful to live in a world that is diverse and beautiful. Each day we are able to feel your presence in cool, crisp days, sun-filled skies, and trees that majestically alert us to changes by the bright display of leaves. As we revel in this glory, may we take seriously our relationship with creation, that we are good stewards of what has been given to us. We thank you that you are mindful of us, that each was created with unique gifts and with opportunities to thrive. Mold us and use us for your service in a world that needs to know your love.
As we are thankful of what we have received, we are also saddened by a world in which humans do not share the abundance of resources. We have persistent and systemic poverty, greatly affecting children who have no way of caring for themselves. We fight wars that endanger many people creating states of near-constant fear. We see so many suffering from preventable disease. Grant us pardon for being complicit in acts that destroy, denigrate, or cause suffering. Give us peace as we struggle with why the world is not what it could be.
We know that you are a God who can handle such questions, who is with us as we struggle to understand. Renew your people to see the world through the lens of the kingdom; the way life can be. Help us realize that, although we are limited in power, we are powerful when we put our hope in you, when you show us lives that are meaningful, lives that when communities empower one another not to settle for lives that are barren or fruitless.
Give us passion, most Holy God, to live boldly into the word. Let us show radical love to all we encounter. May others encounter a glimpse into the kingdom when they meet us as individuals, but most importantly when they experience us in community. May we take seriously the new commandment to love our neighbors as self, and may this be the sign by which we are known.
We ask these things in the name of the one who taught his Disciples to pray by saying:
Our Father, who art in heaven. Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
We are entering an autumn season. As the landscape around us changes, may we feel your invitation to transformation as well. We ask you to work dramatic change on us, here at this table. May we surrender to you.
The bread and the cup are powerful symbols of sacrifice, forgiveness…and of Your grace. At this table we share an experience of unconditional love none of us have ever known before. As we eat this bread and drink this wine, we express our desire to die to our old selves…our old Adam…our old Eve. We find new life here, in You. Help us to become of one mind and of one heart…with each other…with the world…and with You.
As we are so graciously forgiven by You, let us forgive others. As we are so lovingly adored by You, let us adore others. Help us to live out our faith, live out our gifts and to fill our role in your Body…the Body of Christ. When we leave here, we pray to see you in the world…in the beauty of creation and in the face of each man, woman and child we meet. Let us be a mirror…a reflection of Your love and compassion.
Amen.
CCC; 03/09/11
12:15pm
We have gathered on this day to mark the beginning of a forty-day journey that we call the season of Lent. In the life of the church, Lent is a time of solemn reflection and preparation for our encounter with the risen Christ on Easter day. And today we begin to prepare ourselves in this way. First, by recalling the words of the creator that have echoed throughout the whole of the human story: ìyou are dust, and to dust you shall return.î We are reminded in those words of the limits of our humanity, of our fragile mortality, and of the transient nature of our lives in the world of flesh and blood. In a few moments, when the ashes are imposed on your forehead, let them be a reminder that it is the Spirit of God alone that gives you life and sustenance.
But perhaps above all else, in this season, we are reminded of our utter dependence on the grace and mercy of God. The time is right for us to deepen our awareness of the fact that we live lives fractured by sin and separation from God and from our neighbors. Thus we remember the words of the prophet Joel (2:12-13), who reminds us that the kindness of God leads us to repentance, saying, ìYet even now, says the LORD, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.î
When the ashes are imposed on your forehead in the sign of the cross, let them be a reminder that just as death must precede resurrection, the path to new and abundant life begins with the death of the old self. As the Apostle Paul (Rom 6:3-8) writes, ì3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For whoever has died is freed from sin. 8 But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.î
As we find our way together through this penitential season, let those words resonate in your heart and mind as a promise of water on a wilderness journey. The ashes that will mark us today have been prepared from the palm branches that we waved triumphantly last year on Palm Sunday. That is a reminder that in the Christian story, Godís victory over sin and death comes uniquely through a crucified and risen Lord, creating an organic connection between suffering and triumph. And at the same time, the fact that these are ashes of palms might be a reminder to us that Godís promise is sureóthat in due time we will emerge again from the Lenten valley with shouts of hosanna.
Loving God, your steadfast love draws us into your embrace,
and your grace sustains us daily.
We lift up our voices in song and prayer and praise to declare your goodness to all the earth,
yet our words fall short of expressing the fullness of your being.
as individuals and as a community of faith, we have not always professed the truth of the Gospel and the nearness of God’s reign in word and deed.
Strengthen us for the journey of life, for the challenges we face daily.
We recognize that many among us are broken in mind, and body, and spirit. We lift up those
in our own families, in our community of faith, and throughout the world who long for restoration and wholeness, for comfort and security, for freedom and hope.
we remember that more than one in ten of our friends, family, and neighbors are without work.
They wonder how bills will be paid, how children will be fed, and they forget that their worth is
tied to nothing more and nothing less than their creation in your very image.
Many have known the violence of words like downsizing and cost cutting and laid off.
And yet more—indeed, some of us—live in fear that such violence will come to us.
In the face of these fears, sustain us as a courageous and compassionate people so that we may
demonstrate your love for all people and testify that our trust is in you.
and knows the concerns of our hearts.
Pastoral Prayer by Jake Caldwell on 08/23/09
Abundant God,
For your gifts of life and love and sustenance we give you thanks;
In awe of your righteousness and holiness and loving kindness,
we lay the gift of our worship at your feet.
With hope we ask you to receive our words of prayer and praise.
Bathe us in your presence and bend us in your way, O God, that we might know you more
deeply and be changed for the sake of your world.
celebrated a year gone by and anticipated a year to come.
We gained an image of the re-membered body of Christ; the many parts joined in unity.
You showed yourself to us in the fellowship of tables, in the sharing of burgers and dogs, in the
delight of playing children, in the sound of joyful music.
We ate and drank, most of us more than we needed, and yet there was more left over.
cognitive limitations, for estrangement, for fear, for the threat of violence, for whatever else,
do not know the joy of sacred community.
They live on the other side of our street and the other side of the world, some we know well and
some we know only from stories and images of faraway places, yet we are connected to them
all.
Absent were those who you have called into the body of Christ to make us a better, stronger
body;
Absent were those who you have called us to include, but we have not, on account of our fear,
our pride, our unyielding self-interest, our failure to see the world through the lens of your
promises.
Hope that your work in and among us is unfinished;
Hope that we may partner more closely with you in your mission to bring wholeness;
Hope that you will release us, regenerate us, revive us, and reinvigorate us;
For we are reliant on the gifts of forgiveness and transformation you have offered us through the
life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth—the Christ—the one whose body we have
mystically become—the one who taught us to pray saying:
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
Cleansing Breath, June 14, 2009
Will all who are able please join me in breathing a cleansing breath.
Please inhale deeply through your nostrils and then exhale through your mouth.
Inhale…..now exhale
And also with you
Let us pray
Breath of all humanity, you are present when the waters come up to our necks and we sink in deep mire.
You breathe and we come to life.
We pray for those
Who savor their breath in the freshness of morning;
Who count their breaths as they cross the threshold of meditation.
Who catch their breath in the heat of labor;
Who gasp for breath in the throes of suffering and death;
Who share their breath when a life hangs in the balance;
Who snarl their breath with hatred;
Who shout their breath at those people and systems that prey upon the poor and vulnerable;
Who whisper their breath to bid farewell;
Who sing their breath in a voice of welcome.
We are grateful for your breath of life when we grasp for the wind of an uncertain future.
We give thanks for your ministry of absence, O empowering breath, as you trust us
to breathe your breath of life
in the name of the one who committed his spirit to you and
whose breath taught us to pray together, saying…
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
Steve Monhollen
Prayer for May 24, 2009 by Rev Carolyn Richart, Minister of Faith Formation for Adults
Holy God,
High above us yet present within us, assist us in drawing close to you. May we sense the awesomeness of the one beyond and at the same time feel the warmth of your light within.
In your presence may we feel your tender love,
your guiding hand, and
your challenging word.
Quiet our anxious minds - free them from all fear and worry - so that we may be fully present to your Spirit in this time of worship.
This time of the church year, we are reminded that the power and comfort of the Holy Spirit is in our midst to lead and to empower us to follow the way of Jesus. We rejoice that we have been called as a people to live in holy covenant with each other and with you, O God.
So, we pray for the church.
We ask that your Spirit will lead us to be a people who love and forgive each other AND that we show and share the love of Christ to the world. The church, we have been told is to be your body on earth, and so we pray for the universal church with all her influence. With new revelations from the church in Ireland, we pray for live that are horribly changed and broken through the abuse of people in positions of power and authority. Give your people the wisdom and the will to say to any seat of power, whether it be in business, political, or religious power, never again! May we now and forever more offer protection to all but especially to the most vulnerable of your children. Hear our prayers of sorrow for all whose lives are broken because of war, hatred, famine & prejudice. We pray that day will come when all the peoples of the earth - no matter their color, religion, nationality, will live peacefully and respectfully. Until that day help us be forces of healing reconciliation with helping hands.
Faithful God, deepen our trust in you. Ease our doubts, fears & discouragements when we are vulnerable - remind us that you are our safe haven.
Help us be evermore rooted in you so that our ears may be opened, our hearts may be stirred and our hands may be helpful.
Come Holy One
and fill our lives
so that we do and all that we are are reflections of you. May we be so moved that from this day on to be your Disciples committed to sharing the Good news of Jesus Christ to all the world.
For it is in his name that we pray the prayer he taught us to pray saying...Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
Pastoral Prayer given by Rev. William Adams on Sunday, February 15, 2009
Heavenly Parent, it is good for us to be in this house of worship this morning, a holy place, so that together as a community of faith we can celebrate your patience, faithfulness, and generosity and where we might feel the precious warmth of your Holy Spirit. Most glorious Light, as we gather together this morning we are reminded of the brightness of your light of love. As sure as the sun rises and shines every dawn so shines into every corner your unconditional love for all your children, a love that never diminishes or hides in the shadows. Help us O Lord as we journey through the wilderness to always look for and see the light, a light present in everything in your creation. And help us to someday become the light so that others may see reflected in us the joy that we receive from you.
Mighty God, we admit we create and worship false gods and we confess that our life choices often mock your lights of wisdom, justice, and mercy. We ignore your will for your children spoken through the words and seen in the life pattern of Jesus. We choose to go our own road and to not follow your paths. Lord, have mercy upon us and forgive our foolish ways.
We thank you gentle God for so richly blessing us with material things but also for blessing us with valuable things that money can not buy. For family members that continue to love us even when we do very unloving and sometimes downright hateful things, for mentors that help us in times of stress and who have big shoulders and wise advice, for employers who saw something special in us and gave us the benefit of the doubt and taught us the ropes, for teachers that said that special thing that helped us develop self confidence and high self esteem, and for a true friend who said to our face what we did not want to hear but what we needed to hear. Thank you God!
We pray for healing and comfort and relief from pain and grief for those mentioned this morning as well as for those known only to you. We ask your blessings on their caregivers and families. We know they are not alone for you are with them. Thanks be to you, O Great Physician!
Again we pray for peace and justice in our homes, our school s, our nation, and the world. We pray for those that serve in the military, and the loved ones from whom they are separated. We pray for all of us who keep on keepin’ on and try to maintain hope and a positive attitude through these difficult days. Lord, we pray for the success of those trying to put our national and world economies on firm footing. We pray that the dreams of so many not go unrealized due to our dire economic situation. We pray that hopes for college not be permanently abandoned. We pray that the last homes have been foreclosed upon. We pray for the day when no more jobs are lost due to plant closings. We pray that all receive the vital healthcare that we all need sooner or later. And we pray for the innocent children that are dealt the harshest hand of all in the time of war and economic downturn, the children of Afghanis and Iraqis and Americans and Palestinians and Zimbabweans, Mexicans and Israelis, and on and on.
Remind us Lord that those that serve you shall have their strength renewed, and they shall mount up with wings as eagles, and they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint.
Hear our prayer, for it is prayed in the name of the Prince of Peace, who was born in a stable and died on a cross for our sake, and who taught us to pray, saying, “Our Father……”
We live in a world where division thrives, disaster propels our newscasts, and fear motivates our actions. We are victims of violence, and we create victims of violence. We are in conflict with our brothers and sisters. We often hate one another’s differences. We are rejected, and we reject others. We are broken and divided people. This is our reality.
And, yet, another part of our reality is our coming to this table each week. We come to this table because as Christians we strive to live in hope for something beyond our brokenness; we endeavor to be healthy and whole, to live well with our neighbors and be God’s grace in this world.
On this Sunday, when Christians throughout the world come together around the Lord’s table, we see a glimpse of the loving Kingdom for which we hope.
The incredible thing about the celebration of World Communion Sunday is that though we have not yet been made whole, we celebrate that we are not alone in our worship of God, we are not alone in sharing the bread and cup, and we are not alone in our hoping for reconciliation and salvation…
we can be sure that our differences are celebrated here and our brokenness accepted; and that we will eat together at this table until one day we are whole.
God of mercy, we know that we do not always love one another, and that we do not always care for your creation. Forgive us merciful one. And humble us to be mindful of your call to us to cultivate life and love.
We pray that on this Communion Sunday we will be reminded to strive for true community with all your children. We know that in your creation there is discord and strife, and we pray that you render us silent in times when we contribute to violence, and compel us instead to live out the message of the broken bread and cup. God of relationship, grant that we might be agents of peace in this world even in the midst of tension and warring. May we give bread to the hungry and water to the thirst; may we be sources of healing for the sick and hope for the distressed; may we be to your world a light. And may we be graced to know your abiding presence in all we do.
If
somebody mentions the name, Michael, whom do you think in your mind
right away? If it is Michael Mooty or Michael Rintamaa, you are truly
attached to the church. But, I think, to many people, it is Michael
Phelps. Olympics! I know some of you stayed up late the last
night to watch the Olympic Games on TV. Everyone now talks about how
Michael Phelps and Shawn Johnson did great jobs.
What
is the nature of the Olympic Games? Some of you might say it is the
challenge and achievement. Probably, there is encouragement for each
others. I believe, however, that the very basic nature of all kind of
games is competition based on comparison. You can have a gold medal if
you are better than others through the competition.
Since
I am a Korean, I watched a lot of Korean games through the internet. I
am sorry, but I was rooting for my country’s team when the USA baseball
team and Korean team had a game, and I was so happy about the result.
While watching the game, there was a Korean commercial about the
Olympics in the middle of the game. One athletic showed up saying:
“Nobody came here only to participate in the Olympic Games because they
believe participation is what is important.” That mention implies no
medal, no glory. Probably, that commercial is very sarcastic and just
wants to say, “Hey, a game is a game.”
My
country is such a small country and has been trying to survive among
other big and well-developed countries. So my parents’ generation has
always taught us to be number one saying, “nobody remembers the second.”
Take
it easy now. You can relax here at this table. Be yourself. There is
neither the first, nor the last. Take a deep breath. Throw all tensions
away. Unfold your fists. Let’s just take a moment to look at our host
smiling at us and opening his arms wide to us. Here at the table, we are
just God’s children!
Come;
come to the table where there is only one rule: Grace!
Gracious God, Creator of the universe and Giver of all life,
as your people, we have gathered
this morning to worship you.
You formed us in your image and called us to abide in your
infinite love.
You shaped nature with your love and commended it to live in
organic relationship.
We thank you for teaching us to
live together in the unity.
However, we sometimes fail to honor your image in nature and in
one another.
Even sometimes, we abuse our relationship with others, violate
your creation, and force others to follow our will.
We sometimes do not see the goodness in the world around us.
O, God, we often lose the sense of your love.
Hurricane and stormy winds blow and sweep everything away that we
have cultivated.
People we love so much suffer from cancer, stroke, and lose their
health.
Some of our friends even leave us.
We do not know why something sad and bad happens to your people.
Where is it from, O God? What is
purpose for that?
We do not know, O, God, why we experience famine, disease,
poverty, war, and natural disaster.
Why do we encounter evil in this world every minute?
Why do we embrace death at the end of our life?
We want the answers to these questions, O God.
Yet you, who give and sustain our breath, seem to be in silence.
In the tunnel of darkness, we cannot hear anything, and there is
not even a howling sound of darkness.
From the place where only emptiness exists, our fear and anxiety
emerge.
Lord, hold our trembling hands and embrace us.
When we shake our heads and sit up in the middle of darkness, let
us hear your voice: drink at my well and abide in me.
Let us know you never cease to care for us, and prepare the way
for redemption for all nations and people.
O, Living Water, give us water so that we may not be thirsty
again.
O, Living Bread, feed us with your bread and wine at your table
so that we may go to feed others with two fishes and five loafs of
bread.
O, Everlasting Light, give us your everlasting light so that we
may be a glowing of a firefly to one another in the dark.
O, Good Shepherd, gather and lead us to your way so that we may
lead others.
This morning, we pray for the sick and the suffering, travelers
and those on vacation, prisoners, captives, and their families, and all
those in danger and need.
Lord, have mercy on them.
Lord, remember students and teachers, and all those returning to
their studies.
Lord, as we pray, be present with us and dwell in our hearts.
With your light and your Spirit, guide our souls,
our thoughts, and all our
actions.
Lord,
Provoke us! We are dreamers imagining a world where we might live as one.
Yet, the dream has not become a reality. Hunger and grief cannot sustain life. Fear and prejudice cannot unify. Power and control cannot comfort.
Let us remember those fallen in Georgia, 1,500 lives a result of tensions that could not be overcome. Bring assurance to those encountering trouble, need, or anxiety.
Especially families living in poverty and oppression both at home and abroad.
When we are confronted with hate
Help us love.
When new babies are born
Help us love.
When we are attacked
Help us love.
When we hurt ourselves
Help us love.
When our differences divide us
Help us love.
When we are enduring War
Help us love.
When there is nothing left
Help us love.
For everything good comes out of your love that is freely given to all your children.
Let us imagine.
Let us dream.
But with the hope that when wake we will embrace your grace and fill our hearts with purpose.
By inclusion may we experience your unconditional love By grace may we find healing in you And by recalling the memory of your Son Jesus Christ who By his actions revealed your compassion to all children, we pray...Amen.
(Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak p. 72)
Our loving and
gracious God, the source of life, we come to You this morning in the
name of Jesus, our Lord. We come, not as strangers or foreigners, but as
Your children. You are our parent. We celebrate
this morning that we’ve been born again as Your children and made part
of Your family.
We thank You today for
Your presence in our lives. We know that Your presence is most precious
than any other reward that you can give us. In our troubles and
sufferings and when the road seemed long, You’ve been always with us and
helped us get through. Oh, Lord, this morning, we give You thanks and
praise.
Oh, Lord, we want to
follow the footsteps that Jesus showed us. But we do not know that we
really follow your will, even when we try to do so. But we believe that
the desire to follow your will in this world does in fact please you,
and we surely know that Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
So we want to do our best in following your will because Your will will
be done through us. Make us your faithful servants. Lead us to your way.
We pray for the needs
of our people this morning. Some people are in the hospital looking for
your healing. Some people are in troubles looking for your help. Some
people are suffering from loss of their loved ones and they need your
comforts. Some people are suffering from struggles and burdens that
nobody knows. But we know You know all about them and you are already
reaching out to them. Oh, Lord, touch us by your Spirit and make us stay
in your presence no matter what we do and no matter where we are.
We pray for those who
are oppressed and those who are suffering from violence in the world. Oh, Lord, give them the strength to overcome the
violence. Please, set them free from any sources of oppression.
“We pray for peace in
our hearts, in our homes, in our nation, in our world; the peace of your
will, the peace of our need (chalice Worship, p.376).”
Lord God, Creator of the universe
Father and Mother of all people
With you all things are possible
We remember Sept. 11 with great sorrow.
Our hearts are heavy still
because of war, genocide, poverty, hunger, and hate.
As we remember Jesus with the bread and the cup
We wait with hope for Your healing of the world,
Peace between and within all countries and people
May we reflect Your love to people of all nations and religions