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.