Prayer for June 10-16, 2018 

Sermon Text: Mark 3:20-35

Open our hearts wide to the new vitality You bring

Jesus, You stood out among the prophets in so many ways, but not in this: those who were fully invested in and fully certain of their theology or politics resisted your odd teaching that offered new life.

They assumed You were crazy. They assumed You were possessed by a destructive evil spirit. Your instruction and action challenged religious control that condemned and excluded those who were on the margins of society. You challenged the common politics of power and wealth.

So . . . You were demonized. And since You posed a threat to the standard religion and politics of your day, You had to live your life under threat.

Even now, You challenge the religion of certainty and control and exclusion. Even now, You challenge the politics of power and wealth. Even now, diligent following of your way is perceived as a threat to the powers that be. Even now, we resist You.  

Soften our hearts and open them wide to receive the new vitality that You would bring among us. Amen.

Prayer for June 3-9, 2018 

Sermon Text: Mark 2:23-3:6

That we may find unity and peace together as we rest in You

God, our Creator, we rejoice that You set the Sabbath aside as a day of rest, a day to trust You for our provisions and to trust that the world will run true without our labor.

God our Savior, we rejoice that You have given us Sabbath as a day of remembrance, a day to recall your great deliverance of Israel from slavery, a day to practice equality and allow it to shape the other days of our lives.

Forgive us when we fail to see the great gift that Sabbath is to us. Forgive us when we ignore it or turn it into a slavish practice. Forgive us when we fail to see Sabbath as an opportunity for healing and renewal and when we resist the healing, life-giving word that You would speak into our lives and into the lives of our neighbors and enemies. 

Teach us to trust You enough to set aside our labor. Teach us to trust You enough to allow others to have their rest. Enable us to find unity and peace together as we rest in You and remember your mighty acts of mercy. Amen.

Note: I was unhappy with this prayer, after using it in worship, so I wasn't sure I would post it. Problem: most Christians do not actually keep Sabbath, but worship on the Lord's day. The principle of Sabbath, as rest and trust in God, as well as a practice and impetus to equality are valid for us, but the prayer makes it sound as if we are required to keep the traditional Sabbath day as a communal practice. Here is the prayer for you to make what use you can of it. - dka 6/10/2018