Prayer for December 27, 2020-January 2, 2021
Sermon Text: Luke 2:22-40

That we may have an urgent desire to see your love brought to fruition in all whom You love

Loving God--You who throw the net of your love wide--we worship You! We rejoice in your presence! We thank You for your many wonderful works among us! We celebrate all that You have done for us, in us, and through us, through Jesus, who embodied your goodness and love among us.

Forgive us, Merciful One, when we become narrowly focused upon our own self-interest. Forgive us when we fail to see that our salvation is not merely a private matter, but is linked to the well-being of people everywhere, and to the whole of your wondrous creation.

Expand our vision, Enlightening One. Enable us to see the connections that You created and that You are renewing in Christ Jesus. Give us an urgent desire to see your redeeming love brought to fruition in all whom You love. Move us, by your Spirit, to the places where we may see your presence most fully and participate in your mission most energetically.

We praise You as we await the final fulfillment of your promises. Amen.

Prayer for December 20-26, 2020
Sermon Text: Luke 1:26-38

That we may say, "Yes," to your call with courage and trust

God of wonders, sometimes You send your messengers to announce and ask the strangest things. They declare your favor, your good intentions for us. They tell us not to be afraid and enable us to find peace in your presence. Then they ask us to be involved in your mission in the world in ways that require that we invest our lives fully, and take significant risks as we do so.

We take those risks because we trust You. You have been faithful to us, even when we have been faithless. We take those risks because we want to reciprocate the love that we have received so continuously and bountifully from You. We take those risks because we want to participate in the new thing that You are doing as You renew your people and renew all of creation.

 

Forgive us when we are overly fearful. Forgive us when we shy away from your call upon our lives. Enable us to say "Yes," with courage, and trust You as we take the risks required to participate in your reign of peace, justice, and compassion. Amen.

Prayer for December 13-19, 2020
Sermon Text: Psalm 126

That our speech and songs will declare the "great things" You have done for us

God of covenant--You who see and judge the sins of your people as an expression of your love; You who remember your own in their time of grief, loss, and exile; You who create new futures when it seems that life has collapsed and no hope is possible--we rejoice in You because You do not forget us even when we have forgotten You.

We rejoice that You know our needs better than we do. But we also rejoice that You long to bring us home to You. You seek to create lives of fullness and joy. You flood our lives with blessing that surprises and sometimes overwhelms us.

God of mercy and grace, we rejoice that You have restored our fortunes. We rejoice that You have give us a place to live and work. We rejoice that You have seen our tears of grief and joy, and that You have enabled us to declare the "great things" You have done for us in both our speech and our songs.

We sing with joy to You, Eternal One, our only hope and joy. Amen.

Prayer for December 6-12, 2020
Sermon Text: Isaiah 40:1-11

That we may prepare your way so others may return from places of pain and exile

God of all creation, we worship You. We praise You for the many ways that You have intervened in the lives of your people.

     

We thank You that You are faithful both in judgment and in mercy. We thank You for your forgiveness. We rejoice that You rescue your people from the most desperate circumstances and lead them home from distant places of exile.

Forgive us when we forget You. Forgive us when we turn from You. Forgive us when we place our hope in things that we have created, rather than in your enduring word and glorious presence.

Enable us to prepare your way so that others may also return from places of pain and exile. Enable us to trust You, in every moment, as we answer your call upon our lives. Amen.

Prayer for November 29-December 5, 2020
Sermon Text: Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19

That we may speak and hear truth in our relationship with You

God of creation and covenant, empower us to call upon You in every circumstance. Enable us to cry out of joy and blessing, but also out of sorry and pain. Enable us to be your covenant partners when we are rejoicing and grateful for your acts of salvation, but also when we feel that You have failed us, abandoned us, or judged us unfairly.

Help us to see and speak out of the truth of our experience, but enable us, also, to hear your truth, even when it does not match our perceptions.

We have done injustice and violence. We have suffered illness. We have diminished ourselves by our own actions. But we have also been harmed by circumstances over which we had no control.

Make your face shine on us for our salvation, we pray. . . .

Indeed, we believe You have shone your face upon us, for our salvation, in Jesus, your Anointed One. We thank You that Jesus has revived us. We rejoice that Jesus has enabled us to turn to You and call upon your name. May we be abiding partners in the covenant You have established with us through Jesus. Amen.

Prayer for November 22-28, 2020
Sermon Text: Matthew 25:31-46 

That we may nurture our diverse neighbors for fruitful existence

God of all creation, we rejoice that You have entrusted us with stewardship of your vast and varied resources. But we rejoice, also, in the fact that You do not leave us on our own to depend solely upon our own wisdom for the best care and use of those resources.

Enable us to be bold and creative in utilizing the resources we have been entrusted with to care for our human neighbors, and our other creaturely neighbors, in ways that nourish and nurture all for fruitful existence.

Forgive us when we are afraid to use your resources in creative and risky ways. Forgive us when we overlook the needs of our neighbors while significant resources are hoarded or hidden away. Forgive us when we fail to use your resources to pursue your justice.

Let participation in your joy be a powerful motivator for thankful and generous faithfulness. Amen.

Prayer for November 15, 2020
Sermon Text: Matthew 25:14-30

That we may act in creative ways that glorify You, nourish the church, and preserve the world

Generous One, we rejoice that You have entrusted us with many resources, of many kinds, in order to participate in and extend your reign of peace and justice in the world.

Most of the time, we rejoice in your trust and gladly use your resources to pursue your glory. Sometimes we are greedy, lazy, or fearful, using your resources solely for our own benefit, or shelving or hiding them because we are too lazy to do the strenuous and creative work of faith.

Forgive us when we act in fearful or greedy ways. Forgive us when we let the gifts and resources You have provided go to waste. Forgive us when we do not allow our best perceptions of You to guide our actions.

Enable us to act in creative ways that bring glory to You, nourish the life of the church, and preserve the world that You have created for the sustenance and joy of a myriad creatures. Amen.

Prayer for November 8-14, 2020
Sermon Text: Matthew 25:1-13 

That we may have full hearts and a clear vision for your presence among us

You who will make all things new, enable us to live in constant readiness for You. Enable us to live as diligent servants, even when there seems to be no urgency because we do not know the day or hour when the consummation of your promises will occur. Enable us to practice compassion and generosity toward those who lack resources that we have received in good measure.

Forgive us when we are lackadaisical and want to do as little as possible in service of our sisters and brothers in faith. Forgive us when we act without compassion and look past the many needs that burden our neighbors. Forgive us when we push the presence of your reign out of our minds and focus only on the things that are most attractive to us at the moment.

Give us full hearts and clear vision for the presence of your reign among us. Enable us to stand firm, in faith, each new day. Amen.

Prayer for November 1-7, 2020
Sermon Text: Matthew 23:1-12 

That we may discern, welcome, and respond faithfully to wise instruction

God of wisdom, enable us to discern wise instruction when we receive it. Enable us to perceive when the teachings and actions of our instructors are not congruent. Enable us to follow the guidance of Jesus with glad and hopeful obedience.

Remove any inclination within us to practice our faith in ways that will draw the attention and acclamation of others. Forgive us when we seek honor from others instead of acting for your honor and glory.

Prevent us from making faith unnecessarily burdensome for others. Forgive us for smoothing the way for ourselves in ways that makes faith more costly for our neighbors.

Let us be willing servants to one another, but prevent us from coercing others to serve us.

May we follow, with whole hearts, wherever and to whomever Jesus leads us. Amen.

Prayer for October 25-31, 2020
Sermon Text: Matthew 22:34-46

That our love for You and for our neighbors will be a unified expression of commitment

Jesus, help us to follow your example by loving God with our entire being. Do not let any idol of our making or imagining disrupt or damage our relationship with God, our Creator.

Let our love for God energize us for consistent love for our neighbors. May we bring your blessing to them, and, in solidarity with them, help structure our world for peace and justice.

Let love for our diverse neighbors enrich our love for You, so that our love for them and our love for You grow stronger and deeper as a unified expression of our commitment and trust.

Forgive us when we falter in our love for You. Forgive us when we allow other agendas to diminish our love for our neighbors. May we be wholly yours as we give ourselves in thankful love to our neighbors. Amen.

Prayer for October 18-24, 2020
Sermon Text: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

That love for our diverse neighbors will enrich our love for You

Jesus, help us to follow your example by loving God with our entire being. Do not let any idol of our making or imagining disrupt or damage our relationship with God our Creator.

Let our love for God energize us for consistent love for our neighbors. May we bring your blessing to them, and, in solidarity with them, help structure our world for peace and justice.

Let love for our diverse neighbors enrich our love for You, so that our love for them and our love for You grow stronger and deeper as a unified expression of our commitment and trust. 

Forgive us when we falter in our love for You. Forgive us when we allow other agendas to diminish our love for our neighbors. May we be wholly yours as we give ourselves in thankful love to our neighbors. Amen.

Prayer for October 11-17, 2020
Sermon Text: Philippians 4:1-9

That we will contemplate all that is praiseworthy without blinding ourselves to painful realities

Faithful One, enable us to stand firm in faith, to trust You with tenacity and courage in the midst of troubling and even terrifying circumstances. Enable us to trust You and rely on your grace so consistently that we are able to live lives that are largely free of anxiety.

Let praise and rejoicing well up in our hearts, fill our minds, and flow from our lips daily. Enable us to pray with thanksgiving in every circumstance. Fill us with your peace that passes understanding, and let peace and rejoicing reinforce each other in a deepening cycle.

Enable us to contemplate all that is “excellent or praiseworthy,” but not by blinding ourselves to the painful realities of sin and injustice. Help us help each other to reconcile fractured relationships between individuals and among larger human groups. Enable us to be peacemakers, recognizing that we cannot experience the deepest depths of your peace while relationships are unreconciled and injustice is rife. 

We seek your peace, but not only for ourselves. Help us! Amen. 

Prayer for October 4-10, 2020
Sermon Text: Exodus 20:1-20

That we will not be diverted from complete faithfulness to You by any created thing

     God our Creator and Liberator, You have made us for yourself. You have released us from many forms of bondage. You have sustained us through our most difficult journeys and most harrowing trials.

     Enable us to remember all that You have done for us. Enable us to live in covenant fidelity with You. Help us to follow your guidance with tenacity and joy. Do not let us make any created thing, even those we tend to value most, into substitute gods that keep us from acting with complete faithfulness to You. 

    You alone are our Savior. You along are our God. You alone are our eternal, loving Partner. You alone fill our memories with wonders. You alone sustain us. You alone fill us with peace and joy. We give You all of our worship and all of our gifts. We put all of our trust in You. Amen.

Prayer for September 27-October 3, 2020
Sermon Text: Exodus 17:1-7

That our memories may be stoked to energize us for tenacious and joyful faith

You who deliver and sustain us, we rejoice in You. We rejoice in the many wonders You have done on our behalf. We rejoice that You have been our constant companion every step of our journey.

We acknowledge that You must lead us through barren places in order to bring us to the place of promise where we may enjoy the fullest fruits of your provision. We have learned, however, that it is in those barren places that we most fully experience and comprehend your sustenance. It is there that we see your incomparable care and compassion for your children.  

Forgive us when quarrelling, doubt, grumbling and bitterness become our primary modes of being. Stoke our memories so that we will be energized for tenacious and joyful faith. Amen.

Prayer for September 20-26, 2020
Sermon Text: Exodus 16:1-15  

That we may follow your guidance with tenacity, hope, and joy  

God, our Deliverer, your presence is not always as clear to us as a pillar of fire and cloud, but help us to move in the direction of true freedom, as You guide us. Free our minds of nostalgia related to the various forms of bondage that we have endured. Help us to remember the many ways that You have acted on our behalf, so that we respond to the challenges of our journey with robust courage and unwavering hope. 

Enable us to voice our needs and concerns, even grievances, in direct, clear ways. Do not let us become stuck in our grumbling. Do not let us give up hope when our trials seem too much for us. 

Forgive us when we fail to trust You. Forgive us when we do give up hope that You will guide us into the future You have promised. Help us to discern what is true, good, and just. Forgive us when we accuse faithful leaders of leading us to our destruction. 

Enable us to obey your instruction and follow your guidance with tenacity, but also with hope and joy. Amen.

Prayer for September 13-19, 2020
Sermon Text: Exodus 14:19-31  

That we may be free of every form of bondage as we live in covenant communion with You  

God of freedom, guide us into true freedom that is based in trusting, following, and obeying You.  

Free us from the control of the false idols that we have shaped, or allowed others to shape for us – including wealth, social convention, a particular political point of view, military power, unlimited choice, and many other things. 

Free us from oppression, or, more likely in our case, oppressing others through the predatory actions of our corporations, economy, and military forces. 

Free us from our addictions and fears.  

Free us from the sins that often control us. 

Help us remember that You are able to undo every form of bondage. Let us call on your name, boldly, to free us from every snare. Help us to realize, and constantly remember, that our truest freedom comes from living in covenant communion with You and following You into the future of peace, justice, compassion, and delight that You are shaping for us. Amen.

Prayer for September 6-12, 2020
Sermon Text: Exodus 12:1-14 

That our memory of your works of salvation may energize us for faithful living  

God of the Exodus and God of the Cross, we rejoice in You. We rejoice in the works of salvation You have done on our behalf. We rejoice in the new creation that You have done among us. We rejoice in the way that You have bound us together and in the fact that You have provided resources that we may share as we remember You. 

Stir our memory so that we are always conscious of your acts of compassion and mercy on our behalf. Let our memory of your word and your action energize us for faithful living that demonstrates that You reign among us, even though we still await the fullness of that reign. 

Forgive us when we forget about your wonderful works on our behalf. Forgive us when we forget who we are. Forgive us when we forget that we are linked together as recipients of your generosity. 

Sharpen our memory. And let us express our freedom in You in acts of worshipful remembrance that are overflowing with joy. Amen.

Prayer for August 30-September 5, 2020
Sermon Text: Romans 12:9-21

That we may draw near to the life-giving gifts and relationships You have for us

God, our God, as You mercifully transform our lives, keep undoing the attachments that allow the world to shape us by values that do not mesh with the leadership and work of Jesus in our lives. Keep enabling us, by your Spirit, to be devoted to one another, honor one another, and live in harmony with one another.

Intensify our spiritual fervor so that it shows through in many kinds of loving action. Let us constantly move away from hatred and evil and draw near to the life-giving gifts and relationships You have designed for us.

Enable us to share our resources graciously. Enable us to practice daring hospitality and bless even those who persecute us. Let us be full of sympathy, so we may rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. 

Enable us to strive for peaceful relationships, even when that is deeply challenging. We rejoice in you! We give ourselves to You as your transformed people. Amen.

Prayer for August 23-29, 2020  
Sermon Text: Romans 12:1-8

That we may live in radically compassionate and welcoming ways

     O Merciful One, continue the work of transformation that You have begun in us. We are slow learners, slow to change, but do not give up on us. Keep speaking to us in that still small voice that can both frighten and comfort. Keep leading us by your Spirit into fresh experiences of faithful witness and service. Keep reminding us of the compassionate ways that Jesus responded to others. Keep showing us the faces of our sisters and brothers in faith, and enable us to nurture and strengthen each other. Keep expanding our vision so that we see many opportunities for doing good to neighbors near and far.
     Forgive us for our complicity in selfish, hurtful, divisive ways. Wean us from systems that thrive on deadly practices, and help us to live in radically compassionate and welcoming ways that make the presence of your reign more visible to others.
     Let everything that we do be done with gratitude and with your redeeming intention for all of creation in mind. Amen.

Prayer for August 16-22, 2020

Sermon Text: Genesis 45:1-15

That in all things we may live out our identity as your children

O God, our unseen Guide, thank You for walking through our trials and suffering with us. Thank You for not abandoning us and leaving us hopeless.

When we look back over our lives, enable us to see how You have guided us, how You have given us opportunities to serve You that have sometimes arisen out of painful experiences of mistreatment or abandonment. Enable us to see that You have remembered us even when others have forgotten us.

Prevent us from being bitter and vengeful toward those who have caused us grief. Prevent us from returning evil for evil. Enable us to answer evil with good, even when it is a challenge for us to do so. 

In all things, help us to remember and live out our identify as your children.  We thank You for the help and hope we receive from You. Amen. 

Prayer for August 9-15, 2020

Sermon Text: Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28; 1 Kings 19:9-18; Matthew 14:22-33

That we may be led to the places You want us to be and do the things You call us to do

O God, disappointment, crisis, threat, and terror can arise quickly and unexpectedly in our lives. Sometimes there is no time to prepare, barely time to react. Sometimes we are just caught up in something from which we cannot extricate ourselves. At other times, there is a momentary sense of panic from which we cry out, “Help!” or “Save me!”

Sometimes the difficulties last but a moment, but sometimes they endure for long periods of time that try our patience and endurance.

All in all, we have learned that You are near. We have learned that You are able to sustain us and deepen our trust in the midst of our times of trial. Sometimes You grab us and pull us out of the chaos that threatens us, but most of the time You act in quiet, unseen ways to get us to where You want us to be in order to do what You have prepared us to do.  

We rejoice in the ways You have revealed yourself to us and the ways in which You have rescued us. Receive our praise and gratitude! Amen.

Prayer for August 2-8, 2020
Sermon Text: Matthew 14:13-21

That we may continue walking toward new and liberated life 

Jesus, we rejoice that in your compassion You ministered to God’s people, your people, by giving them bread in the wilderness. You acted as God’s agent and spokesperson, just as Moses had done for the newly freed slaves who were moving from bondage into liberated life in a place of promise. 

We cannot explain what You did or how You did it, but thousands were satisfied by your prayerful action and the obedient sharing of your disciples. 

In You, thousands heard a word from God. In You, thousands received a glimpse of the reign of God drawing near. In You, thousands were nourished for new life. 

Jesus, Compassionate One, we too have caught a glimpse of God’s reign, for which we hope and pray each day. We too have been fed and nurtured by You. We too are walking toward new and liberated life. Amen.

Prayer for July 26-August 1, 2020
Sermon Text: Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

That You will shape our lives for your pleasure 

God of glory, we rejoice that in Christ Jesus your reign has permeated our lives, and the entire world, in unforeseen, generative ways, and that it is expanding into a commodious realm of welcome and rest. 

We treasure your presence and reign and invest ourselves wholly in service to your reconciling, renewing plan for all of creation. We withhold nothing from You. You are worthy of the best that we have to offer, and we give it gladly. 

Enable us to act wisely, and passionately, with all of the resources that You have provided for following You in faithfulness. Shape our lives so that we are preserved for your pleasure in the day when You set everything right.  

We rejoice and praise You more boldly the more evident your reign becomes to us. Amen.

Prayer for July 19-25, 2020
Sermon Text: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

That the harvest of our lives may bring delight to you and extend the ministry of Jesus 

God of all, we rejoice that, in Jesus, You were bringing your reign among us and renewing your creation. You were preparing us for a harvest of righteousness that would enable many people to see your glory and for many to be touched by your love. 

May we be fruitful seed as we respond to the instruction of Jesus and the guidance of your Spirit. May the harvest of our lives bring delight to You and extend the ministry of Jesus. 

We realize that the field in which our lives now grow does not always seem right. There are weeds of various kinds. We often assume we know which ones have been planted by opponents of your reign, and we assume that we are competent to remove them. But Jesus’ warning to wait reminds us that there may be more than meets our eye. We may not discern as fully as we believe we do. We may endanger your harvest of lives if we begin removing those that do not seem right to us. 

Help us to be patient, to wait for your judgment, in your timing, to put everything right. Amen.

Prayer for July 12-18, 2020
Sermon Text: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

That we may be fully and fruitfully receptive to your word 

Holy Sower, You have scattered the seed of your word among us. You have brought the reign of God near by your presence, action, and speech.  

At times, our responses to You are blocked and interrupted by others who are resistant to the new life that You would bring among us. At times, your word cannot penetrate our hearts of stone that resist instruction and enlightenment. At times, we are so caught up in pursuing, procuring, and protecting our personal interests, particularly in accumulating wealth of various sorts, that our interest in God’s reign is quickly choked out by our many cares. 

Remove all obstructions to faithful response. Pulverize our stony hearts and turn them into receptive soil. Tear away all the weeds that divert our attention from You and choke our growth in grace. Make us fully and fruitfully receptive to your word. We know that You are able to make something beautiful of our lives. We trust You do so, for God’s glory. Amen.

Prayer for July 5-11, 2020
Sermon Text: Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

That we may learn that your way is less burdensome than others we might choose 

Jesus, we acknowledge that we are fickle when challenged by bearers of God’s word, including You. We have our own preferences for how God’s messengers will appear, how they will be deployed, and the degree of sobriety or festivity with which they approach us. It only takes a moment of irritation or displeasure for us to turn away from God’s representative and go our own way to seek another who will speak in ways that match our expectations more closely.  

Forgive us for our fickleness. Forgive us for our failure to produce deeds of wisdom. Enable us to recognize, more fully, the truth that You have revealed to us. Enable us to know our Sovereign God in life-altering ways. Help us to learn that your way is less burdensome than other ways that we have chosen or might choose now. Enable us to enter the rest that You promise to those who follow You in devoted obedience. Amen.

Prayer for June 28-July 4, 2020
Sermon Text: Matthew 10:40-42

That we may be drawn more closely into a holy network of welcome and love 

Jesus, we are grateful for the way that you welcomed us into your presence. We are thankful for the many ways that you demonstrated hospitality – to children, to poor persons, to those who were sick, blind, or controlled by oppressive spirits, to potential enemies, and to others from whom You might have turned away.

Let our hearts be as fully open to You as yours was and is to us. Let us welcome God’s presence and sovereignty in every dimension of our lives, and enjoy rich communion that enriches and energizes us for courageous faith and friendship.

As we are drawn more closely to You in a holy network of welcome and love, enable us to open our hearts more fully to the diverse people whom we encounter in our daily lives. Let us be agents of your welcoming love who draw others near to your healing and liberating presence. 

We rejoice to be near You. Amen!

Prayer for June 21-27, 2020

Sermon Text: Matthew 10:24-39 

That we will draw assurance from your promise that truth will be fully disclosed 

Jesus, help us to remember that we are dependent upon your instruction, your provision, your vision, your energy, and many other gifts, in order to carry out the mission that You began among us and called us to continue. 

Help us to witness to your sovereignty by speech and action. Help us to place loyalty to You above loyalty to our families, friends, or nations. 

Help us to draw assurance for bold and faithful witness from your promise that the truth will be fully disclosed and that God will watch over each of us with compassion. 

We give ourselves fully to You. Work in and through us to achieve your mission of renewing all of creation. Amen.

Prayer for June 14-20, 2020
Sermon Text: Genesis 18:1-15, 21:1-7

That our laughter may be the laughter of love 

God of new hopes, how often have we laughed because we were unable to believe your promises? How often have we laughed because of the skepticism and cynicism that have been nurtured by a culture of disbelief?

God, forgive us when we doubt You. Forgive us when we perceive your promises as jokes that are meant to taunt and tease us.

Forgive us when our laughter arises from cruelty, or when we laugh at the misfortunes of others. Forgive us when we laugh in arrogant pride.

Transform our laughter from the laughter of doubt to the laughter that reflects pure joy in your presence and promise. May our laughter be the laughter of love, for You, and for our many neighbors, beginning with those of our own household. Amen.

Prayer for June 7-13, 2020
Sermon Text: Genesis 1:1-2:4a

That we may trust You when threatened by chaos and despair  

God of Israel, and God of all people, we rejoice in your creation, which sustains us all. We rejoice, also, in your ability to act in chaotic times, when individual or communal lives have spiraled into chaos brought about by military aggression, natural disaster, or by our own sinfulness, idolatry and injustice.

You are not defeated by the chaos that overwhelms and defeats us.  You are not defeated by the chaos that we generate. Your abilities are not bound and limited by any circumstance that confuses, ensnares, or otherwise diminishes us.

When things seem unchangeable and hopeless, when we are tempted to despair, You are able to act to bring new life in great variety. You are able to sustain the weak and weary. You are able to gather exiles and immigrants. You are able to give release and rest.

We trust You to do new creation among us! Transform us individually and communally. May the whole earth rejoice as You do new wonders among us. Amen.

Prayer for May 31-June 6, 2020
Sermon Text: Acts 2:1-21

That we may live in generous, loving ways that are based in the unity your Spirit creates 

God of all creation and all people, we rejoice that You have kept your promises to your people, Israel. We rejoice in the new creation that You were doing at Pentecost. We rejoice that You poured out your Spirit without separating men and women or young and old.

We are thankful that your Spirit enables us to understand each other in new ways. We are thankful that your Spirit gives us energy to speak your word in witness to each other and to the world that You love so deeply.

Forgive us when we resist the guidance of your Spirit. Forgive us when we refuse the reconciliation that your Spirit is working among us. Forgive us when we withhold words and acts of witness for which the world yearns.

Let us live in generous and loving ways that are based on the unity that your Spirit has created and now nurtures among us. May everything we do bring honor to You. Amen.

Prayer for May 24-30, 2020
Sermon Text: John 17:1-11

That your Spirit will shape us for a more generous and prayerful communal life 

Jesus, You have promised and given your Spirit to the church as a gift that is not under our control. You have given your Spirit so that we may witness to the glory of God and the presence of God’s reign in all of the ways that You did during your ministry among us.

Through the Holy Spirit, You have given us guidance, comfort and energy. Through the Spirit, You have bound us together as one people in unity with You. 

Give us a fresh experience of your Spirit’s presence. Give us new vision and energy to witness to your presence and your love through our words and our works. Let your Spirit shape us for a more generous and prayerful communal life that touches the world in healing and liberating ways. Amen.

Prayer for May 17-23, 2020
Sermon Text: John 14:15-21

That our obedience may be a gift of love for Christ Jesus 

Jesus, we rejoice that You have not left us defenseless or resourceless, or otherwise on our own. We rejoice that You have given us your own Spirit to continue the work that You did among us. You have given us your Spirit to be our Advocate, Guide, and Instructor in the host of situations that challenge and tempt us. We thank You for your generous gift. 

We rejoice that, by your Spirit, You have enabled us to obey your word and live in unity with You and with each other. Our life is in You. And because You are with us in this way that is so full of mystery, we are often able to live beyond the perceived limits of our abilities. 

Receive our lives as a living offering. Receive our obedience as a gift of love enabled by your own presence and love. May your love touch many lives through us and bring them close to You. Amen.

Prayer for May 10-16, 2020
Sermon Text: John 14:1-14

That we may not be frivolous and overly focused on our personal comforts  

Jesus, enable us to see You for who You are. Enable us to follow and trust You as You incorporate us into the expanding household of God, and as You lead us into transforming service that extends your ministry in the world. 

We know that You are our Way, Truth, and Life. We acknowledge that we cannot create meaningful lives apart from your presence. We know that a life of fruitfulness and joy begins in trust.

Help us not to be frivolous and overly focused on ourselves and our personal comforts, but guide us in prayer for the resources and transformations that bring glory to God. 

We rejoice that You have drawn and kept us near You. Enable us to follow you tenaciously even when we face many obstacles and threats. We rejoice in the hope of seeing You face to face. Amen.

Prayer for May 3-9, 2020
Sermon Text: John 10:1-10

That we may stay close to You and welcome your enduring presence in our lives 

Jesus, we celebrate your presence in our lives as Sovereign and Shepherd. We rejoice that you have revealed more fully the compassionate care of God in our lives.

You have nurtured our bodies with real food and have nurtured our hearts and minds by your word. We rejoice that You have helped us realize that we are not gods, have overcome our anxious striving, and have given us rest.

We rejoice that You are continuously leading us in the way of abundant life, defeating the forces of chaos and death that often cloud our thinking and cause us to live in fear.

We trust in You. We celebrate your many gifts. We stay close to You and welcome your enduring presence in our lives. Amen.

Prayer for April 26-May 2, 2020
Sermon Text: Luke 24:13-35

That we may be inflamed with love for You and for each other 

God, we rejoice that You have raised Jesus from the dead. And we rejoice that Jesus is able to reveal himself to us, even when our understanding of your instruction is shallow and our senses are dull.

We rejoice in the gift of Jesus’ presence. We rejoice in the directness with which he challenges and teaches us. We praise and thank You for the communion that we are invited to share, with Christ Jesus, and with our sisters and brothers in faith.

You have shaped our lives so that we may receive your presence, even when You reveal yourself to us in unexpected ways. You have shaped our lives so that we may strengthen one another by our words of comfort, instruction, and witness.

We rejoice that Jesus’ presence still has the power to stir our hearts and set them ablaze. Inflame us with love for one another and for ministry in this world which You loved with such great love. Help us to give our lives as fully as Jesus gave his. Amen.

Prayer for April 19-25, 2020
Sermon Text: John 20:19-31

That we may thoughtfully exercise the authority that Jesus grants his disciples 

God, we rejoice that You have raised Jesus from death, and have defeated the powers of sin and death through him. Alleluia!

We rejoice that Jesus comes among us, in the midst of our chaos and fear, and speaks a word of peace that brings order to our lives and deepens our trust in You. Alleluia!

We rejoice that Jesus comes with scars, showing that he has lived in solidarity with us in this world of violence and injustice. Alleluia!

We praise You that Jesus has imparted your Spirit to guide and energize us for our ministry to each other and to the world that You love so deeply. Alleluia!

We praise You that Jesus has shared the authority that You gave him, so that we may speak a word of forgiveness to each other, and to our many neighbors. And we thank You that your Spirit enables us to discern the moments when it is appropriate to declare or withhold forgiveness. Alleluia! 

We rejoice that many have passed on the good news about Jesus, without ever seeing him, but because they have, we are able to take up the cry, “My Lord and my God!” and live our days with courageous faith. Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

Prayer for April 12-18, 2020
Sermon Text: John 20:1-18

That our whole lives may be shaped by our recognition that Jesus is alive

     Hallelujah! Jesus is alive!
     We rejoice that You have raised him from death, God of life.
     We share the surprise of Mary who discovered an empty tomb on the first day of the week, the first day of new creation, but didn't know what to make of it, and thought it mean even deeper loss than she had already experienced.
     Our hearts pound with those of Peter and the disciple whom Jesus loved as we race to confirm what Mary has said. Yes! the tomb is empty! We rejoice without full comprehension.
     We cry in grief and confusion, and struggle to answer when asked why.
     We cry, "Teacher!" and try to clasp You when You speak our name, and we recognize that You, who are our deepest longing and deepest joy, are standing next to us.
     We listen to your words about your return to the presence of our sovereign God and we rush to tell your closest friends and followers, "I have seen Jesus! I have seen the Lord!"
     Our entire life has been given shape and meaning by that experience and declaration: "I have seen the Lord!" We rejoice in you! Hallelujah! Hallelujah. Hallelujah! Amen.

EXCHANGES ON THE WAY: LENTEN PRAYERS
Day 40 (last day): Seventh Saturday
Mark 15:42-47

     It was over! No doubt!
     But one who hoped in God's reign removed your body so it did not hang through the Sabbath or endure prolonged exposure to weather and scavengers. You were loved even in death: removed from the cross, wrapped and interred in a rock tomb. Some of the women who loved and followed You observed it all. They saw the end, saw the stone rolled against the entrance of the tomb.
     It was over! No doubt!
     Jesus, it is hard for us to linger in this moment. We want to rush ahead to what we know. But help us to sit with the loss. Help us to know the depth of the grief, emptiness, and despair that your first disciples felt when You were crucified and buried, and their hopes with You.
     Enable us, for this moment, to lament the ways we failed You. Enable us to lament the failure of religious and political leaders who resisted and refused your way. Enable us to lament the death of dreams that did not align with God's will and God's reign. Amen.

EXCHANGES ON THE WAY: LENTEN PRAYERS
Day 39: Seventh Friday
Mark 15:33-41

     Christ Jesus, it hurts to visualize You, there, lifted up^ before vicious and scornful watchers, sinking toward death as the weight of your body took away your ability to breathe. It hurts and shames us to realize that our sins were part of the weight that was sapping the last of your strength.
     Your cry tears through our hearts. It tears through our complacency and indifference. It echoes around us. It resonates with the the deepest cords of our being: "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?"
     We have cried that cry out of our fragility, grief, and sense of abandonment. We have cried that cry in moments of hopelessness that seemed like they would never end. But we have not cried it as innocent ones. We have not cried it as the "one man" who died for the people.* We have not cried it before a crowd of ravenous watchers.+
     Forgive us for contributing to your pain. Forgive us for resisting You and choosing to be your enemies.# Forgive us for making you bear our shame. May we never forget your cry. Amen.

^ John 3:14
* John 11:50
+ Psalm 122
# Romans 5:10

EXCHANGES ON THE WAY: LENTEN PRAYERS
Day 38: 7th Thursday
Mark 15:16-32

     What a bitter and ironic coronation the soldiers gave You, Jesus: the purple robe, the crown of pain, the words of acclamation coupled with striking and spitting and false worship. At times our worship may be no less of an exaggerated act, no less ironic, and cover no less violence to the "least" with whom You identify so closely that injustice and abuse of them is violence toward You.
     Jesus, You knew the road You were taking. You knew that the way You walked and called your disciples to walk was one that included suffering and death. You knew that in order for your mission to be accomplished, You must be "lifted up."*
     And so You were. Stripped naked you were nailed to a cross You were too weak from abuse to carry. You were lifted up, in public, where all who passed by might mock and abuse You and celebrate the shame that your family and friends shared with You.
     Jesus, there is little likelihood that many of us would have acted in better ways than the politicians, priests, soldiers and passersby who brought You so much pain and grief. At the foot of the cross, most of us would have little idea about what we were doing,^ and no understanding of the result of our rejection and abuse. At the foot of the cross, we would hardly know what God had "laid upon You."#


* John 3:14
^ Luke 23:34
# Isaiah 53:6

EXCHANGES ON THE WAY: LENTEN PRAYERS
Day 37: 7th Wednesday
Mark 15:1-15

     It's always out of "self-interest" that we resist You, betray You, deny You, and abandon You Jesus. It's always out of self-interest, at least when we make a conscious decision about what we are doing. We are just as likely to slip away from You in unconscious ways because we have not allowed our hearts and minds to be thoroughly shaped by your word and your values.
     You offer to transform our lives and our world completely, but we only want a measure of your involvement. We only want to cede a portion of our lives to your guidance. We may say otherwise, but we tend to give ourselves to You spasmodically, inconsistently. Most days You do not receive the devotion of all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We are otherwise preoccupied.
     Though we haven't sued for your death, as some of your opponents did, we resist your forgiving, healing, liberating way. We resist doing justice and acting kindly to all. We refuse to love our enemies.
     Unfortunately, what we perceive as in our own self-interest often damages us and separates us from the blessing, joy, and peace that You offer. Forgive us. Help us to see ourselves clearly. Help us to see our true needs and perceive that it is by your grace that they are met. Help us to recognize our true gifts and use them in fruitful ways that transcend narrow self-interest and enrich the lives of others. Unite us fully with your mission of bringing every dimension of reality into congruence with God's will. Amen.

EXCHANGES ON THE WAYl LENTEN PRAYERS
Day 36: Sixth Tuesday
Mark 14:53-65

     Jesus, Messiah, your instruction, action, and claimed identity all elicited major resistance from those who were most certain of their faith and of their roles within that faith. We have no doubt that would be true if you were walking among us today. Even many of us who claim to know you, claim to follow your way, would be likely to reject your identity, deny the truth of your instruction, and join in the violence against You,
     Sometimes our hearts swell with barely restrained violence against people who believe differently than we do, or people who come from places that seem too foreign to us, or people that our nation and its leaders have identified as enemies. We have seen and heard many reports of violence from people who claim to be defenders of one faith or another, so it is not a great leap to imagine that something might trigger actual violence from us, though we are more inclined to let our governments enact violence for us.
     Jesus, root every weed of violence from our lives. Let the truth you proclaimed work its way deeply into the soil of our being. Let it germinate and grow within our hearts and minds. Then, cause it to burst forth with the fruits of holiness: particularly fidelity, forgiveness, reconciliation, justice, and compassion. May your Spirit lead us to depths of faith that we have not yet experienced. Amen.

EXCHANGES ON THE WAY: LENTEN PRAYERS
Day 35: Sixth Monday
Mark 14:53-65

     Jesus, your claim of a unique relationship with God and that others would see You glorified in God's presence, and in your return, certainly sounded like blasphemy to those who were trying to protect their faith. What You asked them to see and believe was challenging to the heart of their faith. And they had had enough challenge from You. They were ready to be done with You, ready to wade through false testimony in order to draw some threads together, like a web, that would hold You in their grasp and bring about your demise.
     You are a constant challenge to closely held faith or political beliefs and practices that put power and control before healing, liberation, justice and reconciliation. You are a constant challenge to those of us who believe that we are the defenders of the faith, or that we are autonomous, or that we actually exercise control over the lives of others.
     Jesus, forgive us for joining those who conspired against You by denying your authority and  ignoring your word. Forgive us for believing and telling lies about You, particularly those lies that enable us to withhold forgiveness, ignore justice and practice violence.  Change our minds about You, even if it means that we must suffer with You. Amen.

Prayer for April 5-11, 2020
Sermon Text: Matthew 26:14-27:66

That we will seize new opportunities to follow You in faithfulness 

Jesus, Messiah, we rejoice in You! Hosanna! We acknowledge You as the One chosen by God to bring redemption to your people and to all of creation. You touched the deepest hopes of your people and You have touched our deepest hopes.

We rejoice that You never gave up, but that You kept your commitment to God’s call and God’s reign with tenacity. You faced direct and sneaky forms of resistance. You endured the plots of religious leaders and the failure of politicians. Most painfully, we imagine, You endured the betrayal, denial, and abandonment of your closest followers, the ones whom You had identified as “Friends.” 

God, like many of your followers, we have failed You too. We have denied You, betrayed You, fled from confrontation, and abandoned You in times of trial. Forgive and transform us! Give us new opportunities to follow You in faithfulness. We sing your praise! Hosanna!

LENT 2020
Sixth Sunday

For Reflection:

• How do you stay alert for Jesus' presence and return?
• When, if ever, have you broken open your treasury of God-given resources in lavish love for Jesus?
• When have you been most thankful that Christ Jesus has not given up on you?
• When have you betrayed Jesus in speech or action?

EXCHANGES ON THE WAY: LENTEN PRAYERS
Day 34: Sixth Saturday
Mark 14:43-52

     Jesus, we are ashamed of the way You were treated because we know that we would have acted no differently. Even now, after years of following You, and in our fickleness, we might turn a sign of intimacy into an act of betrayal. Even now, we might flee naked into the night if we came under real threat. Even now, our faith is more often like a shallow trickle than a deep, flowing stream.
     You asked those who came out to arrest You, "Am I leading a rebellion." Of course the answer was no, and yes. You did not arm your followers for physical battle, but You did disrupt cherished structures and traditions. Your teaching challenged the ultimacy of both religious and political powers. Your actions, particularly your healings and exorcisms, demonstrated that there was power and authority at work in You that neither religious nor political leaders possessed.
     You threatened massive change that many resisted, but especially the wealthy and powerful. Swords and clubs were an expression of fear about the power that You had shown. Today, we would come with guns, but no less fear.
     We know, in the deepest part of our being, that You could not and cannot be controlled. We know that while facing powerful threat with sorrow and distress, You faced them unflinchingly. We know that if we take You seriously, then more drastic change to our personal and communal lives is demanded than we have so far had the will to undertake.
     Jesus, we still fear You in ways that we cannot fully fathom or express. Overcome our fears. Remove our shame. Align our lives more completely with yours. Amen.
   

EXCHANGES ON THE WAY: LENTEN PRAYERS
Day 33: Sixth Friday
Mark 14:32-42

     Jesus, we are thankful that You have experienced and know what it is like to be distressed and troubled. You know what it is like to be overwhelmed with sorrow. Your experience has enabled You to identify fully with us in our humanity. And You show that, like You, we may pray for release from the most troubling hardships, yet leave our lives in God's care.
     Jesus, we know that your suffering took on a quality that ours cannot. You suffered for us, so that we might more fully experience God's forgiveness and love. You suffered for us so that we might be freed from the power of sin and death. You suffered for us so that our lives might be transformed for thorough fidelity to God's reign. We praise and worship You!
     But we are saddened, Dearest Friend, that your disciples' failure to watch and pray with You heightened your sense of loneliness and abandonment. We are too much like them! We do not stay alert. We do not pray. We do not act on your behalf when it is most necessary that we do so. Enable us to be present with and for You to the extent that your Spirit may assist and energize us. Amen.

EXCHANGES ON THE WAY: LENTEN PRAYERS
Day 32: 6th Thursday
Mark 14:12-31

     Jesus, we can imagine the shock and resistance: at a high point of the year, as God's great deliverance was remembered and celebrated, You told your disciples that one would betray You, one deny You. How could it be? And how could they focus on the words when You said the broken bread was "my body," and the wine was "my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many"? Surely their minds were filled with questions and suspicions, perhaps crowding out adoration and comprehension altogether.
     Jesus, we can imagine their initial shock, but we have learned a little about ourselves, and we know, from our time on the way with You, that we are not above betrayal. We are not above denial. We have turned from You, turned against You, and denied knowing You in many ways. Our sense of self-assurance has waned as we have been shamed by our inconsistencies and outright rebellion.
     Jesus, even when You knew your disciples were going to give up on You, You did not give up on them. You shared the most intimate communion with them. You gave yourself to and for them. Don't give up on us either. We have received so much from You, but keep giving yourself to us so that we may live with faithfulness and joy as children of God's reign of peace and justice.
     We await, with hope, the day when we will drink the wine of the covenant face to face with You. Amen.

EXCHANGES ON THE WAY: LENTEN PRAYERS
Day 31: Sixth Wednesday
Mark: 14:1-11

     Jesus, we rejoice in You! We delight in your presence! We want to be near You always. We want to use all of our best resources for your benefit and your glory. We want to do everything in our power so that the good news about You, as bearer of God's reign and way of salvation, may be spread everywhere.
     We rejoice that as your hour of darkness and desolation neared, You had some source of comfort, someone who attended to the needs of your body and spirit in the same moment. We are thankful that You were touched so generously and lovingly.
     As we serve You in our various congregations and ministries, help us not to focus, always, on the bottom line of costs. Help us, at times, to break open the treasury of resources that You have provided, in order to pour out love in lavish ways. You needed it. The world needs it. Free us to respond with such liberality. Amen.

EXCHANGES ON THE WAY: LENTEN PRAYERS
Day 30: Fifth Tuesday
Mark 13:1-37

     Jesus, we don't know quite what to make of your words of prophecy. So much has been fulfilled, some of it many times over. Your people were left scattered among the nations after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. They still mourn. And many still await the messiah.
     We acclaim You as Messiah. But since You have not returned, we look for an overflow of meaning in your words. Some of us map out elaborate schemas to try to narrow the time frame in which your return may be expected. Some of us make no effort to predict the times, but attempt to live in ways that are consistent with your teaching and with the movement of your Spirit among us.
     Enable us to live with eyes wide open to the new things that You are already doing among us that we have not yet perceived. Enable us to live our faith boldly and rely on the guidance of the Spirit to speak words of forgiveness and hope. Help us to practice personal righteousness and communal justice. May our entire life be lived in acknowledgement of your sovereignty and reign. And help us stand firm in faith, no matter what confusing or frightening circumstances may arise before us. Amen.
   

EXCHANGES ON THE WAY: LENTEN PRAYERS
Day 29: Fifth Monday
Mark 12:35-44

     Jesus, we are so easily impressed and deceived by appearances, but You are not. You are able to tell when we faith leaders, and others of standing, are strutting around so that we will be acknowledged and respected by others. You see our hunger for approval. You see our greed. You know the ways that we have enriched ourselves at the cost of the most vulnerable persons among us. You know what judgment we deserve in order to realign our lives with the will that will be done on earth as in heaven.
     Teacher, we like to think we are generous as we give from the overflow of our wealth. But You consider a different form of economics in which the self-giving gifts of those who are already at a disadvantage, those who have been maligned and kept in need by our predatory economics, weigh more heavily on the scale of values of God's reign.
     Teacher, keep teaching us. Don't give up on us. Let your words penetrate to the core of our being and alter us for generosity that flows freely and enhances the lives of many. Help us to give without self-consciousness and without concern for our status and reputation, even as we work to bring about systemic justice. Amen.

Note: this is another prayer that may be most meaningful or irritating to people in church leadership.

Prayer for March 29-April 4, 2020

Sermon Text(s): John 11:1-45; Ezekiel 37:1-14

That we may be liberated from deathly powers to overflow with compassion for our neighbors

You who are resurrection and life, we turn to You in this time of crisis. We turn to You in our worry, fear, confusion and vulnerability. We turn to You because many of us, here and throughout the world, are under threat, and death looms large, casting a long shadow in our lives.

You who are resurrection and life, we turn to You, because we know that You are able to do the unexpected. You are able to heal sickness that seems beyond healing. You are able to bring order out of chaos and life from death.

We ask for healing. We ask for survival. But we also ask that you transform our individual and communal lives so that we are no longer captivated by corporate and political powers that feed on death. Free us from all that terrifies and controls us. Liberate us for courageous faithfulness that overflows with compassion for our neighbors – especially for those who are most vulnerable.

We trust in You. Overcome our fear and deepen our faith. Amen.

LENT 2020
Fifth Sunday

For reflection:

• When have you most freely given your whole self to God?
• In what ways do you hold back from loving God with total devotion? Loving your neighbor as yourself?
• In what ways do you still resist Christ's presence and leadership in your life?
• What judgments* of God may be necessary to set our personal, communal, and national lives right (in alignment with God's reign)?

* Judgment is God's work of setting things right. It does not necessarily involve condemnation. See Romans 8:1-2.

EXCHANGES ON THE WAY: LENTEN PRAYERS
Day 28: Fifth Saturday
Mark 12:28-34

     God we love You! We praise You! We thank You for delivering us from oppression and sin. We rejoice that You have led us into new life. We thank You for providing adequately, and sometimes abundantly, for all of our needs.
     Holy One, enable us to invest all that we are in You. Enable us to love You without hesitation and without stint. Divert us and draw us to yourself when we are tempted to divide our loyalty between You and some object or idea of human creation. Keep us from worshiping ourselves in the guise of the things we have made.
     As we love You, and give ourselves to You, in joyful response to the generous self-giving love You have demonstrated in Jesus, enable us to see our neighbors more clearly. Make us more sensitive to their needs and enable us to respond with compassion, generosity, and creativity that matches those needs. Enable us to love them, too, without hesitation and without stint, so that we may live in joyful communion with one another in your presence.
     You have overwhelmed us with your love. Let love flow through us every day. Amen.

EXCHANGES ON THE WAY: LENTEN PRAYERS
Day 27: Fifth Friday
Mark 12:18-27

     Jesus, life-giving teacher we worship You. We worship You in spite of our doubts or outright skepticism about resurrection and new life. We worship You with hope, even though we are inclined to imagine the life of the world to come as more of the same thing as that to which we have become most accustomed, and in which many of us have grown complacent.
     Forgive us for our doubts and skepticism. Forgive us for our resistance to You. Open our hearts to learn from You and to ask questions that express our desire to learn. Help us as we follow You on the path of suffering and death to remember that it is also the way of life. Give us a glimpse of the fullness of God's glory, that inspires and energizes our walk with You and our service in the world You created and love.
     We praise You for teaching us and revealing God's presence to us. We praise You for giving us life and for renewing all of creation. Make us fit for your enduring reign. Amen.

EXCHANGES ON THE WAY: LENTEN PRAYERS
Day 26: Fifth Thursday
Mark 12:13-17

     Wise Teacher, how often You answered those who questioned or challenged You with words that still required discernment for action. As we try to follow You in faithfulness, we still find that discernment is required for many of our choices. We count on the guidance of your Spirit to help us.
     We find questions of loyalty to our various governments particularly tricky. What commitment and loyalty do they deserve from us? Some imagine that they deserve our deepest commitment, energy and creativity. They easily usurp your place in our lives as they demand everything from us and act as though the law of the land is God's law.
     Help us to be good citizens and neighbors. But help us to discern the limits of our loyalty wisely. Do not let us make an idol of powers that call for absolute allegiance. Enable us to give all the best of our resources and our selves. to You. Amen.

EXCHANGES ON THE WAY: LENTEN PRAYERS
Day 25: Fifth Wednesday
Mark 12:1-12

     Even now, Christ Jesus, it seems likely that some of the greatest resistance and violence against You, and your way, comes from among the leaders of well-established churches. We have come to think that your church is ours. We have figured out ways to enrich ourselves that are often costly to the spiritual vitality of our congregations. We have learned to speak with such eloquence that our self-serving interests are largely hidden from view. And we are strongly and tenaciously resistant to anything that would reduce the social power that we exercise - even your presence and your word.
     Forgive us for claiming what does not belong to us. Forgive us for our selfishness. Forgive us for our refusal to serve with humility. Forgive us for our desire to exercise control over others as though they were our servants. Forgive us for the violence in our hearts.
     Overcome our resistance to You and do your work through us. Transform us so that we become servant leaders as You were. Enable us to act only for God's glory and to see God's reign more fully realized among us. Amen.

EXCHANGES ON THE WAY: LENTEN PRAYERS
Day 24: Fourth Tuesday
Mark 11:27-33

     Christ Jesus, while some responded with astonishment and trust to the authority that they perceived in your actions and instruction, others resisted.  Some of us are like those who resisted: accustomed to conferred authority and influence, wealthy, powerful, conspicuous for our holy habits, even guardians of the faith.
     We are fully settled in what we believe to be true, right and holy. And we have closed our minds to the possibility that You might still do something new among us, or that we might still live fully into a more robust and godly type of humanity than that for which we have settled. At times we are almost fatalistic about the lives we have chosen or become stuck in, thinking and saying, "That's just who I am."
     Enable us to see the newness that You can create in our hearts and minds and in other dimensions of our lives. For those of us who have grown old, enable us to see that You can still alter our lives in surprising and meaningful ways. Touch us and speak to us in ways that open us to new possibilities. Enable us to recognize your authority, as we have before, and to walk your way, wherever it leads, with renewed hope and joy. Amen.

EXCHANGES ON THE WAY: LENTEN PRAYERS
Day 23: Fourth Monday
Mark 11:12-25 (26) some Bibles will not have a verse 26, but you can follow a footnote

     Jesus, when you enacted prophetic parables it surprised and confused your followers. How much more does it confuse those of us whose lives are organized around a different set of symbols.
     We are uncomfortable with depictions of judgement, partly because they undermine our image of you as one who is always gentle and partly because we want to set aside all images of God as one who judges, and will judge. Yet your actions pointed forward to real judgment, to the termination of your nation and the center and symbol of its socioeconomic and religious life.* 
     If the demise of the nation God had chosen, and the place most closely associated with the presence of God were real possibilities, what does that mean for our nation and for our chosen symbols? In what ways might we fall under your judgment?** How might we align every dimension of our individual and communal lives in order to avoid such judgments?
     Enable us to trust You more fully. Energize us for persistent prayer that your will may be more completely lived out among us. Give us courage to live out our faith in the face of resistance, as Jesus did. Amen.

* The fig tree is a symbol for Israel; the Temple the organizing center of Israel's life.
** Since I am writing in a time of pandemic, I want to point out that I do not perceive that as a
    judgment that is specifically directed at our nation and its favored symbols.

LENT 2020
Fourth Sunday

Questions for reflection:

• How well do we listen to the cries of the sick, injured and disabled persons among us?
• What do we hope Jesus will accomplish among us? What steps do we take to live in ways that are consistent with our hope?
• What vain hopes do we need to set aside?
• Do we trust in our wealth more than we trust in Christ Jesus? When? Why?

Prayer for March 22-28, 2020
Sermon Text: John 9:1-41

That we may do the works of God in our time of crisis

     God of all people, we rejoice in Jesus' ability to heal. We rejoice that Jesus encountered the sick, diseased, and disabled without assessing blame or exercising judgement on them. We rejoice that Jesus saw, in the blind, lame, and otherwise afflicted, an opportunity to do your works, to exercise compassion that gave new life to many.
     Enable us to see and respond as Jesus did, with hearts and minds that are prepared to act courageously to provide compassionate and healing care for many who are in need of your touch.
Give us energy and stamina for as long as it takes to respond adequately to the current crisis that effects all people and has many living in deep fear and distress.
     Even as we try to act with wisdom and caution, we trust in You to bring healing and renewal on a broad scale. Only You are able to provide all the resources, wisdom, and creativity to make this possible. Amen.

EXCHANGES ON THE WAY: LENTEN PRAYERS
Day 22: Fourth Saturday
Mark 11:1-11

     Hosanna! Save us now! We bless You, Jesus, for coming as God's agent and messenger. We bless You for renewing our hopes for a life of freedom and purpose in God's realm, which is already among us, in significant measure, by your presence. Hosanna in the highest!
     Jesus, we add our acclamation and praise to that of those who witnessed your slow ride into Jerusalem. Like them, we probably don't know all that was going on as you made that journey and received your acclamation. Like them, we are probably inclined to perceive this as a grand patriotic moment that is about making our country great again.
     It is easy for us to miss the fact that this moment is deeply political and deeply spiritual. It is easy to overlook your resolute movement to challenge all powers that imagine that they are ultimate and immovable. It is easy for us to shout, "Hosanna!" and still resist God's reign of peace and justice that You brought among us in your own person. While welcoming forgiveness for ourselves, it is easy to overlook your intention to defeat sin completely and generate a community that practices forgiveness and reconciliation with such courage and tenacity that it alters the political and spiritual landscape of the entire world. Jesus, it is easy for us to overlook the fact that this arrival increased opposition to You and kept You moving toward a death by which You would defeat death.
     Jesus, we know that we do not understand You fully, even when we are tempted to think we do. But we will keep praising You. We will keep trusting You. We will keep hoping for the day when your sovereignty will be evident to all, when God's reign comes fully, on earth as in heaven. Amen.

EXCHANGES ON THE WAY: LENTEN PRAYERS
Day 21: Fourth Friday
Mark 10:46-52

     Jesus, Healer, how sensitive you were to the swirling movements around You. How attuned to the cries of those who were wounded and in need. You welcomed those whom others tried to keep from gaining your attention. You called the sick, injured, and disabled into your presence. You acted with compassion and worked healing without fanfare.
     You gave sight to blind persons. But You also healed the kind of spiritual blindness that kept your disciples setting boundaries around You, or looking for an advantage over one another as You were walking the road to suffering and death.
     Some of us have many blind spots. We do not see You clearly for who you are. We do not see ourselves clearly. We do not comprehend the vulnerability, and even suffering, that You call us to in order that we may extend your healing works. We do not share your vision for creating a world of peace by acting with generous love for our neighbors, and even our enemies. Sometimes our gaze is so thoroughly focused on ourselves that we don't even see our neighbors at all.
     Heal our vision. Enable us to see the world with the compassion that You see it. Then enable us to be agents of your healing, even though we, ourselves, await complete healing at a time that only God knows. Amen.

EXCHANGES ON THE WAY: LENTEN PRAYERS
Day 20: Fourth Thursday
Mark 10:32-45

     O Jesus, Forbearing One, even as You led the way to Jerusalem, where You knew You would be condemned, mocked, tortured, and killed, some of your disciples were jockeying for roles that they hoped would give them power and let them bask in your glory.
     We aren't much different from them. Some of us want to be near You because we see your power more clearly than we see your vulnerability, and hope to share that power. Some of us perceive your holiness and hope to be close to You so we can seem holier than others around us. Some of us believe that if we are close to You, no hard times or evil will befall us.
     Jesus, You instruct that You have no control over positions of power in God's reign. You instruct that those who follow You most closely will share the cup of suffering, the baptism of death, that You faced. You instruct that your followers are to give of themselves in service to others, just as You poured out your life in service of them, and many others.
     Forgive us for our failure to perceive, fully, the nature of the life to which You call us. Forgive us for our vain hopes for status and glory. Forgive us for our frequent reluctance to serve. And forgive us for our reticence to follow your way to its end.
     Transform us into servants who gladly follow You wherever You lead, for the glory of God and the extension of God's reign into every part of creation. Amen.

EXCHANGES ON THE WAY: LENTEN PRAYERS
Day 19: Fourth Wednesday
Mark 10: 17-31 (especially verses 28-31)

     Jesus, most of us have not left everything to follow You, but as we do follow, You lead us toward a life of sharing that challenges our tendency to accumulate and hoard wealth for ourselves and our families. You invite us to a life of generous hospitality in which we enrich others and are enriched as we participate in a broad network of faithful care.
     Many of us have not been trained to think or act with the financial well-being of a whole community in mind. We find it difficult to think beyond the needs of our isolated family units, except in spasmodic ways, when some crisis or catastrophe strikes us with unusual emotional force. We need your help, need the guidance of your Spirit, in order to overcome our habits of accumulation that expand our isolation from our communities. We need your help to overcome the fears we have about having too little and to practice deeper trust in your faithful provision from the abundance of your creation. We need your help in order to think and act in creative ways that enrich our brothers and sisters in faith, but also the communities where we live.
     You instruct that as we live within this network of faithful care and sharing, following You in service of God's reign, that we will face persecutions. We don't want that. But we do want to be close to You and live as You lived. Give us courage to live in new ways that challenge old patterns, even with the risks that involves. Amen.