Prayer for April 21-27, 2019

Sermon Text: John 20:1-18; Acts 10:34-43; 1 Corinthians 15:19-26

Hallelujah!

     God of new life, we rejoice in You! Hallelujah!

     We rejoice that You raised Jesus from death. Hallelujah!

     We rejoice that You made him who was rejected by so many the cornerstone of your plan to reconcile all creation to yourself. Hallelujah!

     We rejoice that You have defeated sin and death through Jesus. Hallelujah!

     We rejoice that You have given us new life in Christ Jesus. Hallelujah!

     We rejoice that in making Jesus the “firstfruits” You have given us hope of being part of a great resurrection harvest when he comes again. Hallelujah!

     We sing and pray and offer all our worship with deep delight in You.

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! HALLELUJAH!

PRAISE AND GLORY: PRAYERS OF PRAISE ENGAGING THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST STATEMENT OF FAITH

DAY 40 - SATURDAY

Blessing and honor, glory and power be unto God.  Amen.

There is no glory like yours –

God of Israel and God of Jesus Christ –

whom we serve with gladness and worship with joy.

You are incomparable in your creative ability

to shape form from nothingness and establish order out of chaos.

You are incomparable in power, shaping Creation and human history

in order to achieve your purposes.

You are incomparable in justice and righteousness,

rescuing the poor, weak, disabled, exiled and imprisoned

from brutal structures and harsh exploitation.

You are incomparable in love,

giving of your very identify in order to seek us

and invite us into lasting fellowship with You.

You are incomparable in forgiveness,

covering our sins and hurling them away,

giving us an advocate and removing our fear of condemnation.

We bless your name, God of our many fathers and mothers in faith,

and our God too.  Amen.

Scripture: Genesis 1:1-2; Exodus 9:13-26; Luke 1:46-55; Psalm 146; John 3:16; Micah 7:18-20; 1 John 2:1-2; Romans 8:1-4

PRAISE AND GLORY: PRAYERS OF PRAISE ENGAGING THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST STATEMENT OF FAITH

DAY 39 - FRIDAY

Blessing and honor, glory and power be unto God.  Amen.

God of Jesus Christ, and God of all Glory,

our hearts overflow with praise and we bless your name

as we consider your sovereign action.

You have created a universe of such vastness and complexity

that we cannot plumb the mystery of all we see

or imagine all that lies beyond the reach of our senses.

You feed us, and all other creatures,

from the abundance of your generosity.

You water the earth with rain and snow.

You preserve life.

By your own choice, you came among us, in Christ Jesus,

serving in humility, enduring death, and defeating all powers.

You invite us to intimacy and adopt us as your children.

You forgive all of our sins.

You instruct us in truth.

You enable us to enter deep communion

with others whom You have raised to new life.

You give us spiritual gifts to strengthen each other.

You comfort and encourage us,

and instill hope for eternal communion with You.

We praise You with exuberance,

You whose action has shaped and given meaning to our lives.

We honor your name by our worship and obedience.  Amen.

Scripture: Psalm 147; Genesis 1-2; John 1:1-14; Colossians 2:13-15; Revelation 3:19-22; 1 Corinthians 12; John 3:16;

PRAISE AND GLORY: PRAYERS OF PRAISE ENGAGING THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST STATEMENT OF FAITH

DAY 38 - THURSDAY

Blessing and honor, glory and power be unto God.  Amen.

O Enduring One, You who are called Ancient of Days,

You who make all things new, You who are the First and Last,

the Initiator and Fulfiller of all things,

we worship and praise You with one voice.

We bless your name for we have been abundantly blessed by You.

We have seen grace multiplied by grace and we rejoice in You.

We give You honor, knowing that only You are worthy,

only You have shown yourself wholly true and wholly faithful.

Your glory endures, outweighing all other glories,

shining forth in your creation and in the merciful acts

by which You have shaped us as your people,

who once had been no people, who were,

instead, enemies with hearts hardened against You.

By your own choice and action, your effective ability,

You have whirled words into worlds,

built and toppled dynasties, shaped history for your purposes,

defeated all opposing powers at the cross,

and brought forth your Chosen One as firstborn from the dead.

We rejoice that by that resurrection power

You raised us to new lives of faithfulness.

We cannot praise You enough,

but we sing and say our praise with endless gratitude.  Amen.

Scripture: Daniel 7:9-10; Revelation 21:1-7; John 1:14-18; 1 Peter 2:9-10; Romans 5:1-11, 8:29; Genesis 1:1-2:3; 1 Corinthians 15:50-58; Colossians 1:15-21

PRAISE AND GLORY: PRAYERS OF PRAISE ENGAGING THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST STATEMENT OF FAITH

DAY 37 - WEDNESDAY

God promises to all who trust in the gospel eternal life in that kingdom which has no end.

You who are Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End,

we praise You for your faithfulness, from age to age,

as well as for the newness that You bring, in surprising ways,

to situations that seem changeless.

Because You are faithful and because your imaginative creativity

eclipses all that we can imagine,

we cling to your promise of eternal life

with a mixture of dread and delight.

We taste a bit of your eternal realm now,

in the life of the Church, as we worship You

with people who are diverse in many ways,

yet are united by your Spirit in a single body that lives for your glory.

We anticipate the full revelation of your glory.

We rejoice that You will abolish sorrow and tears,

and that You will dwell among your people

in unbroken fellowship, with great feasting

and jubilant song and unending love.  Amen.

Scripture: Rev. 5:9-10, 7:9-12, 19:1-10, 21:1-7; Isaiah 43:14-21; Lamentations 3:22-24; Ephesians 4:1-6

PRAISE AND GLORY: PRAYERS OF PRAISE ENGAGING THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST STATEMENT OF FAITH

DAY 36 - TUESDAY

God promises to all who trust in the gospel the presence of the Holy Spirit in trial and rejoicing.

Always faithful God, we take courage from Jesus’ promise

that he will never leave us or forsake us.

Indeed, we praise You because your Spirit has been

our constant companion and guide

for all the days and all the miles of our journey in faith.

In your presence

we have faced even the darkest valley with boldness.

In your presence we have discovered comfort

in the midst of crushing circumstances that pushed us toward despair.

In your presence we have found clarity

when everything seemed chaotic and confusing.

We have also known overwhelming joy

as You have given us moments

of heightened awareness of your nearness,

and as we have walked and worshiped

with other companions on the journey

whose faith nurtured and challenged our own.

O Faithful Companion, in your nearness You have given us

the deepest desire of our hearts.

We will never cease worshiping you,

But will glorify your name with the best of our energy.  Amen.

Scripture: Hebrews 13:5; Matthew 28:20; Psalm 23, 37:4, 145:19; 2 Corinthians 1:3-11

PRAISE AND GLORY: PRAYERS OF PRAISE ENGAGING THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST STATEMENT OF FAITH

DAY 35 - MONDAY

God promises to all who trust in the gospel courage in the struggle for justice and peace.

God of justice and peace, You have shown your great compassion

in your desire for justice for all people,

but particularly for the poor among us.

We thank You that in the midst of many circumstances

You have declared, “Be not afraid!”

and have calmed our fears, declared your peace to us,

given us a peace we did not expect and cannot explain,

and called us to be makers of peace.

Even now, You help us to “Be not afraid,”

so that we may work for justice

alongside all who are oppressed and who cry out to You

for mercy and justice. 

By the presence of your energizing Spirit,

You have made us sources of friendship and hope

for all who live in poverty,

for all who grieve without someone to comfort them,

for those who are sick, diseased, injured or disabled,

for those who are in prison,

for exiles who live as strangers in strange lands,

and for many other people who are treated

as though they are less than fully human.

You encourage and energize us for advocacy,

So that by speech and communal action

we are able to work for change

of the many structures that increase poverty,

aggravate grief, prolong incarceration,

intensify the impact of physical ailments

and permanent disabilities, and further silence those

who have already been silenced and sent away.

O God, you enable us to dream of a world

in which justice and peace become reality.

And you give us endurance to work on, in hope,

when the results of our efforts seem invisible

and change seems impossible.

O God, bring glory to yourself as You bring peace and justice

that overturns the great inequities we see at every hand.  Amen.

Scripture: Luke 1:5-13, 2:6-38, 2:8-12, 4:16-21; Isaiah 58:1-12; John 14:27; Philippians 4:4-7, Matthew 5:9

Prayer for April 14-20, 2019

Sermon Text: Luke 19:28-40, 23:1-49

We rejoice that You are the answer to our deepest hopes

Jesus, because of the testimony of the multitude of your followers who have preceded us, and because of your presence and action among us, we acknowledge You as our Sovereign. You are the answer to all of our communal and individual hopes! Hosanna!

We rejoice because You have come in peace. You have not conquered us by violence or wrested our allegiance from us against our will, but have offered yourself to us for our salvation and enrichment. Hosanna!

We are saddened that your mission of compassion and renewal was so bitterly rejected by many. We are saddened that You had to endure deep pain and suffering in order to fulfill your role. We are grieved that many of us would have joined with those who demanded that You die.  

No one expected God’s Chosen One to endure such things. You acted in ways that no one could predict in order to bring God’s forgiveness, healing, and liberation to us. We wish some things had not had to be as they were, but we rejoice that your obedience has been the source of new life for us. Hosanna! Amen.

PRAISE AND GLORY: PRAYERS OF PRAISE ENGAGING THE UNITEDCHURCH OF CHRIST STATEMENT OF FAITH

Sixth Sunday

Read or pray one of the UCC statements of faith at http://www.ucc.org/beliefs_statement-of-faith#DOX, or the statement of faith of your own Christian communion, or one of the historic statements like the Apostles' or Athanasian Creed.

PRAISE AND GLORY: PRAYERS OF PRAISE ENGAGING THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST STATEMENT OF FAITH

DAY 34 - SATURDAY

God promises to all who trust in the gospel fullness of grace.

O Generous One, You who give constantly and deeply of yourself,

we rejoice in all that You have done for us,

and delight in the many ways that your generosity

has unfolded in our lives as your people.

You have given us the grace of your companion Spirit

who dwells within us, imperceptible,

yet close as our own thought or pulse or breath.

By your Spirit, we see Christ’s glory,

are transformed in Christ’s likeness and receive Christ’s mind

that enables us to live in great freedom

and serve one another with abundant joy.

You have given us many gifts to nurture our life together,

so that our practice of faith and love

become fuller expressions of your presence within us,

and so our lives become more firmly stabilized

against forces that would push or lure us away from You.

You have called us and made us your holy ones

by your own gracious choice.

We rejoice in You and worship You only.  Amen.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:4-9; 12:1-31; 2 Corinthians 3:7-18; Philippians 2:1-11; Ephesians 4:7-16; Leviticus 19:2; 1 Peter 2:1-10

PRAISE AND GLORY: PRAYERS OF PRAISE ENGAGING THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST STATEMENT OF FAITH

DAY 33 - FRIDAY

God promises to all who trust in the gospel forgiveness of sins and fullness of grace.

God of Mercy,

You who are incomparable in your practice of forgiveness,

we rejoice in your great love.

We thank You for your patience in drawing us to You

and in forgiving us our many sins.

Without your forgiveness our lives

would be characterized by barrenness and brutality.

Because You forgive us, new possibilities arise before us.

You free us from the burden and control of past rebellion

and even from the shame

of common failures that plague us so often.

You release us from our dreadful fear of condemnation

to live courageously in a world of hard choices.

You provide an Advocate who intercedes for us

when we do sin, and who enables us to remain in your friendship.

You energize us to practice forgiveness

toward our sisters and brothers

so that the Church of Jesus Christ can live in freedom

from manipulation and coercion, grow into the freedom you intend,

and perceive a measure of your glory among us.

O great and loving God!  There is none like You!

You are all our hope and joy.  Amen.

Scripture: Micah 7:18-20; Galatians 5:1; Romans 8:1-2; 2 Timothy 1:3-7;

1 John 2:1-2; Matthew 6:9-15, 18:21-35

PRAISE AND GLORY: PRAYERS OF PRAISE ENGAGING THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST STATEMENT OF FAITH

DAY 32 - THURSDAY

God promises to all who trust in the gospel forgiveness of sins and fullness of grace.

God of Covenant, our Father and Mother,

before we knew of You, You loved us.

Before we turned our thoughts to You, or sought your face in faith,

your word of promise had begun to shape our lives

so that we could receive You and acknowledge You as our God

and walk in faithfulness with You.

Our lives are deeply formed by your many promises –

that You forgive those who repent and turn to You;

that we need not fear condemnation as we trust in You;

that You will never leave us or forsake us,

but give your own Spirit to teach us, comfort us

and empower us for service, even as we are transformed

in your image and reflect some of your glory;

that in all things You are at work

to bring about good for your children

to whom You love to give good gifts;

that nothing in all of creation can separate us from your love;

and that we may dwell in your presence, as your people,

without tears or sorrow, for all eternity.

O God of Promise, we trust in You

and hold fast to your word as we act in faith

in the face of many challenges.  Amen.

Scripture: Genesis 9:8-17, 15:1-21; 2 Samuel 7; Jeremiah 31:31-34;

Hebrews 8:1-13, 12:14-24, 13:20-21, 1 John 1:9, 4:16b-21; Romans 8:1-2, 38-39, 12:1-2; John 14:26, 15:26-27, 16:12-15, Matthew 7:7-11; Psalm 23; Revelation 21:1-7

PRAISE AND GLORY: PRAYERS OF PRAISE ENGAGING THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST STATEMENT OF FAITH

DAY 31 - WEDNESDAY

God calls us into the church to join Christ in his passion and victory.

O Crucified and Risen Savior,

You who are worthy of our adoration and praise,

You to whom every knee shall bow,

we worship You with hearts swollen in gladness.

You call us to follow You in a dangerous path –

the way of the cross –

a path of service and suffering, of rejection and opposition,

of death and new life.

Here, we constantly lose our lives in order to discover

the life of free service you have modeled for us.

We follow by imitation and imagination, by giving fully of ourselves

as You have given yourself fully to us.

We rejoice that in your presence we are able

to endure distrust, endure darts of envy

and daggers of bitterness and rage.

O God our Redeemer, we rejoice that You have not left us alone

in this difficult journey, but that You walk side by side with us,

and when we are most in need, carry us through our trials,

and receive the glory we would give You

as we are raised again and again from death to new life

as your people, only yours.  Amen.

Scripture: Philippians 2:1-11; Mark 8:34-38; John 14:18-24, 15:18-25;

1 John 4:16b-21; Romans 8:28-30; Colossians 2:13-15

PRAISE AND GLORY: PRAYERS OF PRAISE ENGAGING THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST STATEMENT OF FAITH

DAY 30 - TUESDAY

God calls us into the Church to eat at Christ’s table.

Self-Giving and All Sustaining God -

You who nourish and energize us for daily faithfulness –

we give You all thanks and praise.

As we receive bread from the one loaf,

we remember the broken body of Jesus,

suspended on a cross, in brutal agony,

as he died in obedience and love,

redeeming us from captivity and sin

and enabling communion with You through the Holy Spirit.

We rejoice in the intimacy to which You have invited us.

As we receive the bread in thanksgiving,

we perceive, by your grace, that there is only one body of Christ

and that all who have received your Spirit

and who share in this communion

are no longer strangers and aliens to each other

but are united as one.

We celebrate the community You have created for us.

As we drink the cup of wine,

we remember the blood of Jesus Christ

which was poured out for our forgiveness,

so that the cup of bitterness has become a cup of blessing.

We rejoice in your salvation.

As we eat the bread and drink the wine,

we celebrate Christ’s victory over sin and death,

in which we share because of your great mercy.

We praise your name, O God,

and give glory to You with enduring joy.  Amen.

Scripture: Matthew 6:9-15, 36-46; Mark 14:22-25, 15:1-39; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, 11:23-34, 15:54-58; Philippians 2:1-11; Acts 2:42-47; 

PRAISE AND GLORY: PRAYERS OF PRAISE ENGAGING THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST STATEMENT OF FAITH

DAY 29 - MONDAY

God calls us into the Church to eat at Christ’s table.

O Bread of Heaven, our Hope and Sustenance,

we praise You for your consistent generosity and care.

You have fed our spirits by the presence of your own Spirit.

Our lives are fully nourished

by your forgiveness and inspiring presence.

As we share the bread and cup that You prepare for us

in the rest between our days of labor,

we are reminded of your great sacrifice,

your agony and victory, your immeasurable glory,

and your loving passion that precedes any choice

or act of faith on our part.

We have eaten the bread with great sorrow and deep gratitude.

We have drunk the fruit of the vine

in painful shame and indescribable joy.

We rejoice in your hospitality.

We rejoice in every provision that You have made

for our salvation and for our faithful discipleship.  Amen.

Scripture: Matthew 26:26-29; John 6:35-58, 15:1-11, 19:16b-30; 1 Corinthians 11:23-34;  Romans 5:1-11; Luke 23:26-49

PRAISE AND GLORY: PRAYERS OF PRAISE ENGAGING THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST STATEMENT OF FAITH

Fifth Sunday

Read or pray one of the UCC statements of faith at http://www.ucc.org/beliefs_statement-of-faith#DOX, or the statement of faith of your own Christian communion, or one of the historic statements like the Apostles' or Athanasian Creed.

PRAISE AND GLORY: PRAYERS OF PRAISE ENGAGING THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST STATEMENT OF FAITH

DAY 28 - SATURDAY

God calls us into the Church to share in Christ’s baptism.

God of life, You who bring newness out of nothing,

out of chaos and death, we worship You with gratitude and joy.

Because You called to us in love and invited us into a new life

of deep and mysterious intimacy with You,

we have entered the waters of baptism

to die with Christ Jesus and to emerge again

as new creatures for whom all of Creation is renewed.

Baptized in many waters, we rejoice that we have all

been baptized in one Spirit who shapes our life

as a single body with diverse gifts

and a shared hope of glory in your majestic presence.

O Giver of Life, we rejoice for what You have made of us,

and we rejoice that the waters of your Spirit

flow over us for ongoing renewal in your image.  Amen.

Scripture: Genesis 1:1-2; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, 15:35-58; John 3:1-21; Romans 6:1-11, 8:12-17; 2 Corinthians 5:17

PRAISE AND GLORY: PRAYERS OF PRAISE ENGAGING THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST STATEMENT OF FAITH

DAY 27 - FRIDAY

God calls us into the Church to resist the powers of evil.

O Good and Gracious God,

of whom angels declare, “Holy, Holy, Holy,”

we worship You with our whole identity

and rejoice that You have called us to be like You,

to imitate You as beloved children,

and to perfect love toward our enemies

even as You loved us when we were your enemies.

As your people we rejoice that you enable us

to discern idolatry and injustice and uproot them from our lives.

We praise You for empowering us to stand as prophetic witnesses

against every structure of power that profits or thrives

by practicing strategies of death that heighten fear,

undermine courage, paralyze

or otherwise diminish and devalue the lives

of people created in your image and for your glory.

We thank You, Holy One,

that You give us patient endurance in this struggle

and that the defeat of every form of evil

has been assured by the victory You won

through the cross of Jesus the Christ.  Amen.

Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-8; Deuteronomy 6:1-9; Matthew 5:43-48, 22:34-40; Ephesians 3:7-11, 5:1; Romans 5:10; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

PRAISE AND GLORY: PRAYERS OF PRAISE ENGAGING THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST STATEMENT OF FAITH

DAY 26 - THURSDAY

God calls us into the church to proclaim the gospel to all the world.

Living and Victorious One,

You who have been given all authority in heaven and on earth,

You who have called us, as your followers,

to welcome and instruct others in your ways,

we celebrate and share good news

while we worship You in wonder and praise.

We rejoice that You have made us part of your story,

and that You instill us with hope and energize us for speech

that challenges, convicts, comforts, convinces and invites.

We thank You for opportunities to declare

what You have done to lead your people,

from bondage in sin, to freedom, holiness, justice and peace.

We rejoice that your Spirit gives us the words that we need

to witness and instruct as those opportunities arise. 

We rejoice that You seek to save all people from sin

and to welcome all into your fellowship. 

As others perceive your glory through our speech,

may we be united together in continuous praise.  Amen.

Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 1:1-8; Mark 13:9-11; Luke 12:8-12; Romans 8:1-4

PRAISE AND GLORY: PRAYERS OF PRAISE ENGAGING THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST STATEMENT OF FAITH

DAY 25 - WEDNESDAY

God calls us into the church to proclaim the gospel to all the world.

O Passionate God – You who are unwilling that any should perish,

You who call all to repentance,

You who have offered yourself completely in Jesus of Nazareth whom we acclaim as your Christ and our Savior –

we celebrate with thanksgiving

the good news of the broad scope of your love.

You claim those who are economically

and spiritually impoverished as your own.

You give an inheritance to those

who refuse power plays and grasping for gain.

You comfort those stricken with grief

by journeying with them on the day of trouble.

You satisfy those who cry for justice

in the midst of their hard oppression.

You name as your children all who choose to work for reconciliation

instead of perpetuating vicious cycles of retaliation.

We rejoice that You have given us dazzling glimpses of your glory.

We rejoice that You have adopted us as your own,

that you have given us new life

that spills out like a fresh spring on dry ground.

We rejoice that You have commissioned us

to bear witness to your wide love for neighbors far and near.

We thank You for the Spirit who instructs us in truth

and energizes our speech so we may declare our hope in You

with glad hearts and compelling words.  Amen.

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:8-10; Acts 2:37-39; John 3:16, 16:12-15; Matthew 5:1-11, 28:16-20

PRAISE AND GLORY: PRAYERS OF PRAISE ENGAGING THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST STATEMENT OF FAITH

DAY 24 - TUESDAY

God calls us into the church to be servants in the service of the whole human family.

Mighty God who melts the barriers we erect between each other,

by the heat of your passionate love,

we rejoice that You have taught us to serve

through the example of Jesus

who claimed as his own the role of servant.

You, our God, give us willing hearts when other voices urge us

to get what we can at the cost of others.

You help us see our neighbors, in their need,

as bearers of Christ, whom we may welcome and assist

in obedience and love, and in hope for lasting community.

You enable us to set aside our own interests

in order to be available to bear the burdens of others

during their times of weakness or trouble.

You, who have come to us in our need

and laid aside your glory, in order to be servant of all,

we rejoice in you.  We praise and adore You without ceasing.  Amen.

Scripture: Ephesians 2:11-22; John 13:1-7; Luke 22:24-30; Philippians 2:1-11; Matthew 25:31-46; Galatians 6:2

PRAISE AND GLORY: PRAYERS OF PRAISE ENGAGING THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST STATEMENT OF FAITH

DAY 23 - MONDAY

God calls us into the church to be servants in the service of the whole human family.

You who came not to be served, but to serve,

You who stooped before your disciples and washed their dusty feet,

we are astonished by your humility

even as we offer You the praise and glory You are due.

You have summoned us to follow you, and so we do,

knowing that you have called us to the same kind of obedient service

that characterized your own ministry.

You have created us for each other and you have gifted us to serve

brother, sister and neighbor from the fresh spring of love

that flows forth from your generous spirit.

You enable us to serve with glad hearts,

with patience and attentiveness.

You enable us to serve with no expectations

of thanks and praise or heightened reputation.

You prepare us to give ourselves

as fully as you have given yourself to us, by giving us your mind.  Amen.

Scripture: Luke 22:24-27; John 13:1-20; Mark 1:16-20, 8:34-38; Philippians 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12:1-8