Sermon Text: Mark 1:21-28
That we may choose the abundance, wholeness and freedom You offer
Jesus, You confront us with divine authority, leaving us amazed and silent before you. You destroy every delusion that we are sufficient unto ourselves, that we can govern our own lives in ways that bring freedom, peace and joy.
When we ignore your guidance and go our own way, we diminish and enslave ourselves. Forgive us for choosing that which sickens, weakens, fragments and destroys us and enable us to choose the life of abundance, wholeness and freedom You offer in communion with You.
By your powerful and effective word you defeat every spiritual power and deliver us from every form of spiritual bondage. Enable us to live freely by the presence of your Spirit within us. Translate the awe we feel in your presence into trusting obedience and joyful fidelity. Amen.
Thoughts, and prayers from Pastor David Antieau at St. Nicolai United Church of Christ
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Unison Prayer for Unity for January 22, 2012
Generous God, one and only God of refreshing newness, we rejoice in the abundance of your provision. Our whole life is built upon the foundation that you have created for us.
We rejoice that you have made us for each other even as you have made us for yourself. We share faith, hope, and baptism in our one calling to be your people. We rejoice that in the mystery of our reconciled unity we find amazing richness, a life watered, blessed and brightened by your constant presence.
You have given us to each other for strength and encouragement. You have enriched us with so many gifts, that each of us is able to give and receive with gladness, so that together we grow more fully into your grace and love. You have multiplied the resources that we might amass for ourselves by enabling us to share all things in you.
God of all, you have chosen us as your own. You have intertwined our lives with yours. We have no meaning; we have no life apart from you. Thank you for the great family of mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, daughters and sons you have given us in your great mercy.
May your glory be reflected upon the world through the faithful unity you enable among us. Amen.
This prayer was used in the same worship celebration and is based on the same texts as the prayer of confession posted earlier.
We rejoice that you have made us for each other even as you have made us for yourself. We share faith, hope, and baptism in our one calling to be your people. We rejoice that in the mystery of our reconciled unity we find amazing richness, a life watered, blessed and brightened by your constant presence.
You have given us to each other for strength and encouragement. You have enriched us with so many gifts, that each of us is able to give and receive with gladness, so that together we grow more fully into your grace and love. You have multiplied the resources that we might amass for ourselves by enabling us to share all things in you.
God of all, you have chosen us as your own. You have intertwined our lives with yours. We have no meaning; we have no life apart from you. Thank you for the great family of mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, daughters and sons you have given us in your great mercy.
May your glory be reflected upon the world through the faithful unity you enable among us. Amen.
This prayer was used in the same worship celebration and is based on the same texts as the prayer of confession posted earlier.
Prayer of Confession for January 22, 2012
Texts: Psalm 133, Mark 1:14-20, John 17:20-26,
Ephesians 4:1-6, Luke 18:28-30, Acts 2:42-47
Christ our Sovereign, you summon us to follow you and to draw others to you, that they may receive of your abundance and serve you with gladness.
We rejoice in your call upon our lives. We rejoice to follow you and serve you.
We rejoice that you have created us for unity with you and with each other,
and that you intercede for us so that our unity may witness of your love for the world, and reveal your glory among us.
We rejoice that you have given us great abundance in our fellowship with each other,
and that we have been awed by your presence and power as we have devoted ourselves to your instruction, the communion of saints, sacramental meal, and economic sharing.
Forgive us when we reject or forget your call to follow and serve you in unity.
Forgive us when we ignore the foundation for unity that you have created and refuse to build upon it.
Forgive us when we make faith a private matter and desire your abundant blessing only for ourselves instead of for the larger community of which we are a part.
Help us remember that true unity in you is a source of rich blessing for all of us and for many whose lives are touched by ours.
Make us one as only you can do.
Free us from our limited vision for the depths of unity to which you invite us. Amen.
Each year, the United Church of Christ observes a week of prayer for Christian unity, from January 18-25. This prayer was used for a "Service of scripture and prayer for Christian unity," with the sections read alternately by leader and congregation.
Ephesians 4:1-6, Luke 18:28-30, Acts 2:42-47
Christ our Sovereign, you summon us to follow you and to draw others to you, that they may receive of your abundance and serve you with gladness.
We rejoice in your call upon our lives. We rejoice to follow you and serve you.
We rejoice that you have created us for unity with you and with each other,
and that you intercede for us so that our unity may witness of your love for the world, and reveal your glory among us.
We rejoice that you have given us great abundance in our fellowship with each other,
and that we have been awed by your presence and power as we have devoted ourselves to your instruction, the communion of saints, sacramental meal, and economic sharing.
Forgive us when we reject or forget your call to follow and serve you in unity.
Forgive us when we ignore the foundation for unity that you have created and refuse to build upon it.
Forgive us when we make faith a private matter and desire your abundant blessing only for ourselves instead of for the larger community of which we are a part.
Help us remember that true unity in you is a source of rich blessing for all of us and for many whose lives are touched by ours.
Make us one as only you can do.
Free us from our limited vision for the depths of unity to which you invite us. Amen.
Each year, the United Church of Christ observes a week of prayer for Christian unity, from January 18-25. This prayer was used for a "Service of scripture and prayer for Christian unity," with the sections read alternately by leader and congregation.
Prayer for January 22-28, 2012
Text: Mark 1:14-20
That we may tell the freedom, joy, meaning and peace You have given us
Jesus, Messiah, we have heard your announcement that God is near and have opened our hearts to welcome You.
We have heard your call to repentance and we have turned from the various sins that have diminished and enslaved us—turned to You and obeyed your command and experienced abundant freedom and joy in your presence.
Even now, when You expose some sin in our lives, we hear and answer your call to repentance as an invitation to true freedom.
We have heard your call to believe the good news and have trusted You in the midst of many challenges. How often, when our faith has begun to cool, You have shown your presence and your power and ignited a deeper trust within us.
We have heard your call to follow You, and we have followed You through dark valleys and deep mysteries, through seasons of sorrow and joy, awaiting your guidance before turning to the left or to the right.
When we have strayed, You have called to us and reached out your hand for us, and led us back into your way.
We have heard your call to invite and draw others into your presence, and, we confess that we have sometimes been slow to speak, timid in the face of resistance and opposition whether anticipated or real.
We would follow You in this task that expresses the heart of your love for a world that is reluctant to acknowledge You. Give us boldness. Give us words to express the freedom, joy, meaning and peace we have experienced in your presence. Fill us with love for others that reflects your own great love for them. Amen.
Note: we did not use this prayer in our Sunday worship.
That we may tell the freedom, joy, meaning and peace You have given us
Jesus, Messiah, we have heard your announcement that God is near and have opened our hearts to welcome You.
We have heard your call to repentance and we have turned from the various sins that have diminished and enslaved us—turned to You and obeyed your command and experienced abundant freedom and joy in your presence.
Even now, when You expose some sin in our lives, we hear and answer your call to repentance as an invitation to true freedom.
We have heard your call to believe the good news and have trusted You in the midst of many challenges. How often, when our faith has begun to cool, You have shown your presence and your power and ignited a deeper trust within us.
We have heard your call to follow You, and we have followed You through dark valleys and deep mysteries, through seasons of sorrow and joy, awaiting your guidance before turning to the left or to the right.
When we have strayed, You have called to us and reached out your hand for us, and led us back into your way.
We have heard your call to invite and draw others into your presence, and, we confess that we have sometimes been slow to speak, timid in the face of resistance and opposition whether anticipated or real.
We would follow You in this task that expresses the heart of your love for a world that is reluctant to acknowledge You. Give us boldness. Give us words to express the freedom, joy, meaning and peace we have experienced in your presence. Fill us with love for others that reflects your own great love for them. Amen.
Note: we did not use this prayer in our Sunday worship.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Prayer for January 15-21, 2012
Sermon Texts: Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18; 1 Samuel 3:1-4:1a; John 1:43-51
That we may be disciplined for wisdom and fidelity
God of all, You know us better than we know ourselves. You know every thought, word and act of ours. We cannot conceal ourselves from You, even when we wish we could.
We take comfort in knowing that You know us completely, yet love us with unwavering love. We rejoice that your thorough knowledge of us is a feature of your continuous presence with us, and we acknowledge that our well-being is dependent upon your presence and preservation.
Yet our comfort is tinged with fear, for we are aware of our own sinfulness and we know that your judgement begins with your people.
O God, correct us as necessary. Discipline us so that we may live with wisdom and fidelity in your presence. Enable us to draw strength from your Word so that faithful service may prepare us for confident rest in your presence.
You are always with us and You are everything to us. Amen.
That we may be disciplined for wisdom and fidelity
God of all, You know us better than we know ourselves. You know every thought, word and act of ours. We cannot conceal ourselves from You, even when we wish we could.
We take comfort in knowing that You know us completely, yet love us with unwavering love. We rejoice that your thorough knowledge of us is a feature of your continuous presence with us, and we acknowledge that our well-being is dependent upon your presence and preservation.
Yet our comfort is tinged with fear, for we are aware of our own sinfulness and we know that your judgement begins with your people.
O God, correct us as necessary. Discipline us so that we may live with wisdom and fidelity in your presence. Enable us to draw strength from your Word so that faithful service may prepare us for confident rest in your presence.
You are always with us and You are everything to us. Amen.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
A Prayer of Commitment and Hope for the New Year
God of love and mercy, we worship you, at the beginning of this new year, in humility and hope.
In response to your self-giving love, we commit ourselves to nurturing deeper intimacy with you, and we give ourselves fully and passionately to you now. Help us give ourselves without reserve, each day, because we are so inclined to lean away from you when life seems too difficult or too easy.
Deepen our hunger for the Living Word, Jesus Christ, and for the written word of scripture. Let scripture shape our thoughts, inform our motives, and motivate all of our action.
As we encounter your word, reveal our destructive habits, our blind spots and inconsistencies that weaken faith, and the secret sins that must be rooted from our lives as we allow you to transform us.
Hear our cries of repentance, forgive us, and lead us in paths of faithfulness. We are unworthy of your forgiveness and care, but without your mercy we have no chance for lives of deep meaning and true joy.
Draw us more deeply into the life of prayer. Give us the courage to speak and ask boldly, as friend with friend. And give us the courage and discipline to listen honestly and to act in obedience when you call us to change or act.
Break any hold that idolatrous greed may have upon our lives.
Open our hearts, our wallets and our purses for generosity. Enable us to give extravagantly as we trust you to meet every need. Let our efforts at generosity cause others to praise you for your faithfulness.
Soften our hearts toward any people whom we may perceive as outsiders. Enable us to offer joyful and compassionate welcome with an inclusiveness that reflects your own broad love.
Help us hone each other’s faith and prod each other to utilize all of our gifts and abilities to do the good for which you have created us.
Let the good news of your salvation pour readily from our lips, so that others are drawn toward intimacy with you and into faithfulness to your generous governance of all things.
God of healing, we pray that you will restore health to those who are sick, injured or diseased (prayer for specific persons may be voiced).
God of comfort, we pray that you will accompany those who grieve, that you will heal sadness and restore joy, that you will enable us to touch those who mourn with your tenderness (prayer for specific persons may be voiced).
God of justice, we pray that you will undermine every structure of oppression, that you will oversee equitable distribution of all the earth’s resources, and that you will make us agents of your just purposes.
God of peace, we pray that you will raise up peacemakers everywhere, including among us, and that you will bring an end to the acts of terrorism and terrible wars that heighten the fears and shatter the lives of so many people around the world.
We worship you, Living God, with joy.
We worship you, Loving God, with expectant hope.
We worship you, Saving God, with deep gratitude for Jesus – our Model of faithfulness, our Redeemer and Friend, who was obedient even to the point of death on a cross.
We worship you, Companion God, with continuing gratitude for the Holy Spirit who comforts, instructs and energizes us for faithfulness in every situation. Amen.
This prayer can be used at the beginning of the Church Year - the first Sunday of Advent - or at the beginning of the calendar year, which represents a significant time for new beginnings for many people. I wrote this prayer in December, 2005, for use at St. Nicolai UCC. We used it again on January 1, 2011.
In response to your self-giving love, we commit ourselves to nurturing deeper intimacy with you, and we give ourselves fully and passionately to you now. Help us give ourselves without reserve, each day, because we are so inclined to lean away from you when life seems too difficult or too easy.
Deepen our hunger for the Living Word, Jesus Christ, and for the written word of scripture. Let scripture shape our thoughts, inform our motives, and motivate all of our action.
As we encounter your word, reveal our destructive habits, our blind spots and inconsistencies that weaken faith, and the secret sins that must be rooted from our lives as we allow you to transform us.
Hear our cries of repentance, forgive us, and lead us in paths of faithfulness. We are unworthy of your forgiveness and care, but without your mercy we have no chance for lives of deep meaning and true joy.
Draw us more deeply into the life of prayer. Give us the courage to speak and ask boldly, as friend with friend. And give us the courage and discipline to listen honestly and to act in obedience when you call us to change or act.
Break any hold that idolatrous greed may have upon our lives.
Open our hearts, our wallets and our purses for generosity. Enable us to give extravagantly as we trust you to meet every need. Let our efforts at generosity cause others to praise you for your faithfulness.
Soften our hearts toward any people whom we may perceive as outsiders. Enable us to offer joyful and compassionate welcome with an inclusiveness that reflects your own broad love.
Help us hone each other’s faith and prod each other to utilize all of our gifts and abilities to do the good for which you have created us.
Let the good news of your salvation pour readily from our lips, so that others are drawn toward intimacy with you and into faithfulness to your generous governance of all things.
God of healing, we pray that you will restore health to those who are sick, injured or diseased (prayer for specific persons may be voiced).
God of comfort, we pray that you will accompany those who grieve, that you will heal sadness and restore joy, that you will enable us to touch those who mourn with your tenderness (prayer for specific persons may be voiced).
God of justice, we pray that you will undermine every structure of oppression, that you will oversee equitable distribution of all the earth’s resources, and that you will make us agents of your just purposes.
God of peace, we pray that you will raise up peacemakers everywhere, including among us, and that you will bring an end to the acts of terrorism and terrible wars that heighten the fears and shatter the lives of so many people around the world.
We worship you, Living God, with joy.
We worship you, Loving God, with expectant hope.
We worship you, Saving God, with deep gratitude for Jesus – our Model of faithfulness, our Redeemer and Friend, who was obedient even to the point of death on a cross.
We worship you, Companion God, with continuing gratitude for the Holy Spirit who comforts, instructs and energizes us for faithfulness in every situation. Amen.
This prayer can be used at the beginning of the Church Year - the first Sunday of Advent - or at the beginning of the calendar year, which represents a significant time for new beginnings for many people. I wrote this prayer in December, 2005, for use at St. Nicolai UCC. We used it again on January 1, 2011.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Prayer for January 8-14, 2011
Sermon Text: Mark 1:4-11
That we may prepare the way for You with glad story and exuberant song
Christ Jesus, our lives are for You.
We come in many sizes and guises, but we go, at your bidding, to prepare the way for others to see and receive You by faithfully telling of your coming, your greatness, and your gifts.
Our own lives are insignificant when compared to yours. Our best efforts to serve You are feeble compared to your strength. We are unworthy of your presence or your gifts.
But You call and enable us to be your ambassadors. You use our words to call others to repentance, to invite others into the realm of your gracious government. You enable us to speak and act prophetically, even though we see nothing of the prophet within ourselves.
We rejoice in your presence. We rejoice in what You have done for us, in us, and through us. We rejoice with glad story and exuberant song. We rejoice! Amen.
That we may prepare the way for You with glad story and exuberant song
Christ Jesus, our lives are for You.
We come in many sizes and guises, but we go, at your bidding, to prepare the way for others to see and receive You by faithfully telling of your coming, your greatness, and your gifts.
Our own lives are insignificant when compared to yours. Our best efforts to serve You are feeble compared to your strength. We are unworthy of your presence or your gifts.
But You call and enable us to be your ambassadors. You use our words to call others to repentance, to invite others into the realm of your gracious government. You enable us to speak and act prophetically, even though we see nothing of the prophet within ourselves.
We rejoice in your presence. We rejoice in what You have done for us, in us, and through us. We rejoice with glad story and exuberant song. We rejoice! Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)