Prayer for December 26, 2021-January 1, 2022
Sermon Text: Luke 2:41-52

That our identity may always be in You

Living God, we worship You! We rejoice in your ability to act among us in surprising ways. We rejoice that You have come near in the life of Jesus Christ. We praise You for the hope that You instill in us through the story of Jesus and by the work of your Spirit in our lives.

Loving God, we identify ourselves in so many ways. Enable us to identify ourselves primarily in terms of our relationship to You. Help us to think first, “I am God’s child. I am valued and loved. I am dedicated to God’s word. I will be obedient to God’s instruction. I must be about God’s work by continuing the ministry that Jesus passed on to his disciples.”

Let our identity always be in You, through Jesus Christ. Help us not to forget that You have created and redeemed us for yourself.

Let this day, and every day, be a day of rejoicing in all that You have done for us. May that move us to lives of abundant generosity. Amen.

Prayer for December 19-25, 2021
Sermon Text: Luke 1:39-55

That we may say "Yes" to You and glorify You in gratitude

God, our Creator and Redeemer, we rejoice in You. We rejoice because You fill our lives with your presence. You invite and enable us to participate in meaningful ways in the work that You are doing to restore all of creation through Christ Jesus.

God, we rejoice because You remember your covenant with Abraham to bless all nations through him. You keep the humble in mind and make a way for them amid the loud, competitive, and even abusive claims and actions of the proud.

God, we rejoice because You act in both subtle and dramatic ways that alter human history and individual fortunes. You act mercifully and bless widely and in unexpected ways.

Wondrous One, enable us to say “Yes” to your call upon our lives. May we glorify You in gratitude, discern your intention for our lives and for all of creation, and speak and live in prophetic ways that witness both to our neighbors and to powers that resist your life-giving ways. Amen. 

Prayer for December 12-18, 2021
Sermon Text: Luke 3:7-18 

That we may truly repent of the ways we dishonor You and devalue our neighbors

God of wonders, we worship You with hope and joy! But we also worship You with a measure of trepidation. We hear your prophet calling those who are or would be baptized with words of promise and words of warning.

We hear, specifically, a call to no easy spirituality, but to lives in which we do the work of repentance: changing acts of selfishness, injustice, and deceit into generosity, justice, and truthfulness. We hear that call as one that engages every dimension of our lives, including our work, which we so commonly treat as beyond the scope of your concern.

We hear, as well, the promise of a baptism that immerses our lives in your Spirit and in the purifying passion of your love and holiness. And we know that our repentance is barely begun unless your Spirit works in and among us. We cannot transform ourselves, but You can.

God, sometimes the “good news” sounds more like threat. But we thank You that your prophets, including Jesus, your Chosen One, pointed to the dangers of sustained action or movement in the direction of personal and communal destruction.

May we truly repent of the many ways we dishonor You and devalue our neighbors. Amen.

Prayer for December 5-11, 2021
Sermon Text: Luke 3:1-6

That we may answer the call to rearrange our lives and our world for your coming

God of all, the Voice crying in the wilderness still cries out in our day. We still hear the urgent exhortation to level mountains, fill in valleys, and straighten out crooked places. We still hear the promise that “all people” will see your salvation.

We know, God, that the exhortation of your prophet was not just about landscaping and roadbuilding, but that his words echoed those of other prophets who called out to your people, in other eras. They called your people to practice justice instead of injustice, to eliminate the vast inequality of resources that makes life excessively full for some and unbearably empty for others. We know that your prophet was calling us to lives rearranged and transformed by your forgiving, compassionate, generous, just, and peaceful reign among us. And we know that the salvation the Voice announced was preparation for and pointer to Jesus, the Christ, in whom we have witnessed the drama and glory of your salvation, and have seen the full embodiment of your love.

We rejoice in You! We rejoice that You have not abandoned us to our failed efforts to create the good life on our own and in competition with one another, but have shaped us anew for shared life in Jesus. Amen.

Prayer for November 28-December 4, 2021
Sermon Text: Luke 21:25-36

That we may stand on the day when Christ comes with "power and great glory"

God, we hope in You! We await the return of your Anointed One. And like many generations of Christians before us, we are inclined to see signs of fulfillment in the anguish-causing chaos around us. In our anxiety, we often contribute to the chaos by rash choices that we believe will protect us and conserve the well-being of our individual lives and our communities. Or we turn to the calculating efforts of those who read the Bible’s mysterious language of the end of things as though it had a one-to-one correspondence with events or trends that we observe.

Jesus, we see many signs, but perhaps we don’t see the right signs, or see them in the right light. Perhaps we fail to see as Jesus saw and as Jesus attempted to train his disciples.

Forgive us for allowing anxiety to weigh us down and control us. Forgive us for failing to observe and address life with sobriety. Forgive us for expecting salvation only for us or those whom we perceive to be most like us. Transform us into disciples who follow Jesus with courage and hope. Enable us to stand on the day of his return, when he comes with “power and great glory.” Amen.

Prayer for November 21-27, 2021
Sermon Text: John 18:28-37

That we may follow your example of compassionate and courageous service

Jesus, many of us claim to want justice, but we have little taste for the difficult truths that we must hear to open a space for justice in our own hearts. We have little desire to change our minds, or to repent in brokenness and sorrow. We have little desire to make reparations to those whom we have defrauded and dehumanized by our acts of greed.

Like Pilate, we deny the availability of truth and its claim upon our lives. But we know that your instruction is wise and true. We know that your Spirit frees us by convincing and convicting us of the truth that You embodied among us.

Enable us to see that You, as Sovereign among us, have called and commanded us to practice neighbor love, not just for our brothers, sisters, and neighbors, but for those whom we define as enemies. Enable us to recognize your wise instruction and leadership, and follow your example of compassionate and courageous service, in order to fulfill the purpose of our creation and redemption. Amen.

Prayer for November 14-20, 2021
Sermon Text: 1 Samuel 1:3-20, 2:1-10

That we may trust fully in You as we act with compassion and generosity toward our neighbors

God of creation, we rejoice in You! We rejoice that You are alert to the cries of your people. You hear the anguished voices of those who are worn down, distraught, defeated, and shamed by their circumstances. You see the needs of the oppressed and the arrogance of their oppressors.

We rejoice that You have the ability to alter our lives. You are able to lift the oppressed to places of unexpected joy. You raise from death to new life. You nourish and give strength. You remove shame and give honor.

God of creation, we rejoice that You are also God of justice. We find both hope and warning in that. Do not let us oppress our neighbor in arrogance. Do not let us take refuge in wealth and assume that it will protect us from all threats. Enable us to trust fully in You and act with compassion and generosity toward our neighbors, so that we may all, together, celebrate your generous presence among us. Amen.

Prayer for November 7-13, 2021
Sermon Text: Ruth 3:1-6, 4:13-17

That we may see You working through the trials and tragedies of our lives

God of all, we rejoice in You. We rejoice that You are often working in unseen ways behind the trials and tragedies of our lives in order to bring blessing and joy.

You have created friendships when we had lost those who were most significant to us.

You have created new homes for us when we were exiled or forced to migrate in order to escape danger or receive our daily bread.

You have surrounded us with generous people who have watched over and guarded us in the midst of our struggles.

When we perceive that You have made our lives bitter, You act in new ways to set our hearts rejoicing.

We rejoice in your life-giving ability and in your many gifts. We receive them with gladness, and join your people in praise. Amen.

Prayer for October 31-November 6, 2021
Sermon Text: Ruth 1:1-18

That the love You have created in us will give us courage to walk together in solidarity

God of all, we rejoice in You! We worship You as the One who loves and who generates love within people whose hearts are open and responsive to You.

We rejoice that the love You pour into human hearts may flow freely from one person to another. And we rejoice that the love You create between people may grow into deep love and enduring commitment to You.

Compassionate God, give us the courage to walk together in solidarity through deprivation, loss, grief, and other trials, because of the love You have created in us.

Generous God, give us voice to express our thanksgiving and praise when You have acted in unforeseen ways to bless us and to make us a source of blessing. We pray in the name of the One who lived in full solidarity with us and gave himself completely for us. Amen.

Prayer for October 24-30, 2021
Sermon Text: Mark 10:46-52

That your healing touch may allow us to follow You with new vision

Jesus, although our needs are many, we often fail to perceive which parts of our life need your healing touch most desperately. Enable us to see our need clearly. Give us courage to cry to You from that place of need, even when others would try to silence or scold us.

We know that You are able to heal us. We know, in particular, that You are able to give us new sight. You enable us to see the truth about who You are, about who we are, and about our deep and abiding need for your provision and intervention in our lives.

We need your mercy! We need your healing touch! We cry to You in hope because we know that You are able to act in unexpected ways to rescue and generate wholeness.

Enable us to trust You completely. Then, when we experience healing, give us the energy and courage to follow You on the road You have called us to travel. Amen.

Prayer for October 17-23, 2021

Sermon Text: Mark 10:35-45

Through acts of service, may we give all for God's glory

Jesus, give us a heart for service that follows after your own heart.

Enable us to put all of the resources we have been given into whole-hearted service for God’s reign and into compassionate service for the many neighbors with whom God has surrounded us.

Draw our thoughts away from gaining glory and honor for ourselves. Draw our focus away from competing with one another and controlling one another.

Jesus, it’s clear that most of us are not yet ready to endure the kind of suffering and death that You experienced and to which You called us as your disciples. Enable us to set aside every hope, every desire, that is not linked to the fullest expression of God’s reign and God’s glory among us. Through acts of service, may we give all for God’s glory, as You did. Amen.

Prayer for October 10-16, 2021
Sermon Text: Mark 10:17-31

That our lives may reflect the obedience and generosity of Jesus

Jesus, we aren’t always looking for the truth when we ask what we must do to participate in God’s reign among us. We are just as likely to be looking for words that affirm our present choices. And we are likely to resist changing patterns that are deeply entrenched in our lives, particularly related to accumulating and hoarding wealth.

We want to trust God. We want to be devoted solely to the Holy One as our source of provision and security, but we have become so deeply dependent upon our wealth that we are often unable to see that it has become a false God that hinders our full commitment to God.

And when we become dependent upon and devoted to our wealth, we are often unable to see our neighbors in their need, and unwilling to share the resources we have accumulated in ways that enhance their lives.

Look at us in love! Challenge us with your truth. Forgive us for our sins of idolatry and our failure to share with our neighbors. Transform us into people whose lives reflect the obedience and generosity of Jesus. Do not let us turn from the path of faithfulness. Amen.

Prayer for October 3-9, 2021
Sermon Text: Mark 10:2-16 

That we may trust You with the simple trust of children

Jesus, we rejoice in You! We rejoice in the wisdom and skill that You showed as You encountered diverse people during your ministry. We rejoice that You were able to discern the motivations of those who wanted to shape faith and obedience in ways that were most convenient for them.

We rejoice that You do not soften your teaching for the benefit of those who have hardened their hearts against divine instruction.

You know our hearts, Jesus. You know the many ways that we resist living our faith in consistent and courageous ways. You know that we often place our own desires over the creative intention of God. Forgive us! Transform us!

Let us be led into your presence and embraced by your love in ways that energize us to respond to You with the simple trust of children. As we come to You, do not let us hinder others who seek and desire You and long for your blessing and embrace.

May others be blessed by us for God’s glory. Amen.

Prayer for September 26-October 2, 2021
Sermon Text: Esther 7:1-10; 9:20-22

That we may be roused to risk ourselves so many may be spared the ravages of hatred and indifference

God, our Redeemer, most of us seem to be content to live with whatever forms of safety and security that we have been able to gather around ourselves. Some of us live with substantial resources, deep privilege, and an enduring sense of entitlement.

At the same time, many who dwell in our neighborhoods, and who inhabit the world You created and love, live with nearly constant deprivation and unrelenting threat.

Most of the time, we only see those with whom we have a strong personal connection as part of our circle of concern. We don’t see our connection to many people who are, like us, your creatures: people of earth, created in love, sought in love through Jesus Christ, and comforted and energized in love by your Spirit.

We don’t see our connection. And we do not act with compassion because we do not perceive that all of our lives are bound together, that our future is a shared future, and that peace and security will elude us if we do not act to shape a world of generosity and justice for everyone.

Enable us to hear words of warning and challenge that rouse us to risk ourselves so that all of your people, everywhere, may be spared the ravages of hatred and indifference that so often seem on the verge of overwhelming us. Amen.

Prayer for September 19-25, 2021
Sermon Text: Mark 9:30-37

That we may set aside competition for honor and welcome the vulnerable among us

Patient One, some of us act as though responding to your love is an invitation to live a life that is free of suffering. We ignore the way of suffering that Jesus walked and to which he called his followers.

We are inclined to think that something about faith has malfunctioned when we do suffer, whether by the words and actions of other people, or by the uncontrollable events of our lives.

Enable us to trust You as we follow the guidance of your Spirit and live with the bold love and fidelity of Jesus. Enable us to realize that You are present with us in the midst of both the most joyful and most difficult moments of our lives. Enable us to be “strong and courageous” as we recognize your presence.

Enable us, as we walk the way of Jesus, to set aside competition with each other. Enable us not to think about personal glory, but to serve each other in ways that enable us to share loss and grief, blessing and joy, in life enhancing ways.

As we set aside competition with each other, enable us to see the most vulnerable among us, including our children, and the children of our neighbors and enemies, as ones in whom we may welcome your divine presence. We pray in the name of the One who led us at great cost. Amen.

Prayer for September 12-18, 2021

Sermon Text: Mark 8:27-38

That we may give all that we are to You, for your glory

God of Israel and God of Jesus Christ, we rejoice that, in Jesus, You spoke to us, showed your glory, fulfilled many of the promises for which your people trusted You, and gave new life to multitudes who had not known You.

We rejoice in You!

We rejoice in your incomparable generosity!

Enable us to recognize Jesus’ unique role in your work among your people and within your creation. Enable us to respond appropriately by following Jesus in trust and giving ourselves in courageous ways, in order to witness to and extend the mission that Jesus began when You called him and endowed him with your Spirit.

Help us not to be ashamed to be followers of Jesus. Help us to speak his name with boldness. Help us to honor You as we honor him. We give all that we are to You, that You may be glorified and your reign may be evident among us. Amen.

Prayer for September 5-11, 2021
Sermon Text: John 7:24-37

That we may see your glory in the world, in Jesus, and in our diverse neighbors

God of newness, we rejoice that Jesus spoke and lived in ways that made new life possible. We rejoice that he spoke so that deaf ears and blind eyes were opened. We rejoice that he opened silenced voices for praise and witness. We rejoice that he opened fearful hearts to act with courage in the face of violent and deadly opposition.

God, open our eyes to see the ways that You are actively creating new life among us now. Open our ears so that we may hear the truth that Jesus, and the prophets who preceded him, continue to speak about obedience, courage, trust, justice and love. Open our hearts so that we may recognize strangers and enemies as people whom You love and whom we may welcome as neighbors and friends. 

Forgive us when we act as though violence and injustice, anxiety and fear are eternal realities that we must simply endure. Open us to see your glory in the world You have made, in Jesus who has called us beyond our fears, and in our diverse neighbors who bear your image in many surprising ways. Amen.

Prayer for August 29-September 4, 2021
Sermon Text: James 1:17-27

That your word will grow within us to enable wise, faithful and compassionate action

God of grace, You have lavished many gifts upon us. And those of us who are affluent, on a global scale, probably aren’t even aware of many of them. Make us more conscious of the way our lives are bathed in your grace and mercy so that we will live more fully from hearts of gratitude that are inclined to compassion and mercy toward our many neighbors.

Enable us to hear your word as You speak to us through the scriptures, through the needs of neighbors, and through those prophetic voices that warn of the damaging outcome of self-centered and acquisitive choices that put us in competition with and set us apart from our neighbors.

When we have heard your word, let it grow within us so that we are able to set aside destructive and evil attitudes and practices. Free us from the anger that often arises when our narrow self-interest is frustrated.

Enable us to act in consistently wise, faithful and compassionate ways. Amen.

Prayer for August 1-7, 2021
Sermon Text: John 6:24-35

That we may move beyond grumbling and accusations to walk with new energy as You lead

God of mercy and generosity, we rejoice in the many ways that You have nurtured and sustained us. Even when your provision has been a mystery to us - something that we could not identify as food for our travels - You have given us strength to endure a journey of many miles, and many years, through challenging hardships and in the face of much resistance.

We are inclined to forget the many ways You have provided for us. We are inclined to grumble when we do not get all for which we hope. We are inclined to accuse You, and the leaders whom You have called, of neglecting us, even plotting against us, when new liberties lead us into new difficulties that makes us feel helpless and trapped.

We rejoice that You are constantly giving us bread from heaven. And we rejoice most fully that Jesus Christ is the most enduring source of sustenance that You have provided for us. We rejoice that in Jesus, the Bread of Life, You nurture and energize us for continuing faithfulness in the challenges of our daily walk with You and with each other. Amen.

Prayer for July 11-17, 2021
Sermon Text: 2 Samuel 6:1-19, Ephesians 1:3-14

That we may give ourselves to You through wise disciplines and spontaneous outbursts of joy

God of grace and peace, we rejoice in the life that You have given us in Christ Jesus. We rejoice that You have sealed your promise to us by giving us your Holy Spirit as Comforter and Counselor and Source of energy for neighbor love, truthful witness, and radical justice.

Help us not to be too self-conscious as we give You praise for all that You have done for us. Enable us to throw off some of our inhibitions and let our bodies and voices declare your praise in extravagant ways. Let us abandon ourselves to You in both wise disciplines and spontaneous outbursts of joy.

We are yours. You have created and redeemed us. You have blessed us in many ways. You have provided us with many resources to carry on the ministry of Jesus in the world You love. May we do so with gratitude, generosity, and glad worship. Amen.

Prayer for June 27-July 3, 2021
Sermon Text: Mark 5:21-43

That we may trust You for change when we are inclined to give up

Jesus, how often, during your journeys, You allowed yourself to be interrupted. At those moments of interruption, You encountered people in life-altering ways. You healed, brought liberation, and generated new life. You endured mocking, but spoke and acted in ways that generated confidence in those who were inclined to be fearful.

As with many others who are inclined to be fearful, You speak your effective word of peace to us. You create new circumstances for us. You overcome the powers of chaos and death in our lives. You enable us to follow You with courage that we could not generate on our own.

Jesus, enable us to encourage each other. Do not let us be people who tell each other, "It's too late," or "Nothing more can be done," or "Why bother the Teacher anymore?"

Enable us to stretch our our hands in hope. Enable us to help others reach for You in spite of their fear and desperation. Let us follow You without wavering. Amen.

Prayer for June 13-19, 2021
Sermon Text: Mark 4:26-34

That we may share, by acts of generosity, the shelter and security that God's reign makes possible

Jesus, we rejoice in You! We rejoice that the fullness of God dwelt in You, and that You have revealed God to us through your instruction, through acts of compassion and mercy, and through your suffering, death, and resurrection.

We thank You for the fruit of faith and good works You have cultivated in the lives of others who, then, touched our lives with your love.

We trust You, even though the seed You scattered during your ministry has taken root in our lives and grown in ways that we cannot fully understand or control.

We know, Christ Jesus, that God reigns through You. We know that we cannot create or control the reign of God. Enable us to comprehend what You are doing among us. Enable us to share, by acts of generosity, the shelter and security that God's reign makes possible.

Reign in our lives today! Amen.

Prayer for August 22-28, 2021
Sermon Text: Psalm 84; Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18; John 6:56-69; Ephesians 6:10-20

That we may live in your presence in whole-hearted commitment and durable faith

God, our Creator and our Savior, we join our voices with your people of every time and place in praising You for your many blessings and your marvelous works. We have glimpsed and been astonished by your glory. Now, we long to live in your presence. We gain strength as we seek You. No desire outweighs our desire to live with You and receive what You offer as generous gifts.

We set aside every form of allegiance that interferes with whole-hearted commitment to You. We give ourselves only to You as we serve You with gladness.

We draw daily nourishment from the presence and words of Christ Jesus, as we let him lead us by your Spirit. Following Jesus, we anticipate both his presence in suffering and abundant life that is overflowing with compassion, forgiveness, gratitude, generosity, peace, joy and justice.

Enable us to stay alert to the many diversions and snares that would draw us away from loving commitment to You. Enable us to utilize all of the resources that You provide in order to keep us from capitulating to evil. Help us to remain conscious that we are struggling against deceitful and exploitive powers and not make our sisters, brothers and neighbors into our enemies. Enable us to trust You each day and stand firm in faith. Amen.

Prayer for August 15-21
Sermon Text: Psalm 111

That we may feed on Christ Jesus at Wisdom's table

Wise and knowing God, we seek You. We hear the invitation of Wisdom to dine at her table and live with the insight she offers.* We hear and know that wisdom begins in awe and reverence before You. We see, in the story of Solomon and the words of James, that You give graciously to your people when they pray for wisdom.**

So we pray for wisdom and You offer it in abundant measure for our daily choices. But we often fail to recognize that wise living requires sustained reflection and effort. Then, similar to Solomon, we turn from the wisdom You provide to make foolish choices that are based in selfishness, lust, and greed

Forgive us!

Enable us to feed on Christ Jesus, at Wisdom’s table. Enable us to walk in the way of Christ who suffered for us. Help us to understand your will and live wisely, not unwisely.

We thank and praise You for your generous gifts. Enable us to use them in ways that bring glory to You. Amen.

*Proverbs 9:1-6 (an alternative reading for today).

**James 1:5 (see in context)

Prayer for August 8-14, 2021
Sermon Text: Ephesians 4:25-5:2

That our lives may be a continuous work of praise

God of all, our life as your people is shaped by your ongoing generosity toward us. You nurture us fully so that we may be fully devoted to You and may follow your example.

     We feed upon your word.

     We serve You with reverence.

     We put our hope in You.

     We glorify You for your deliverance from fear and trouble.

     We speak truthfully, and offer forgiveness as your forgiven ones.

     We eliminate all bitterness and anger, and other behavior that divides us from one another.

     We build each other up with kind words that address each other’s needs in love.

     May our daily lives be a continuous work of praise to You. Amen.

Prayer for July 25-31, 2021
Sermon Text: John 6:1-21

That we may be more fully conscious of our dependence upon the Bread of Life

God, most of us here, today, have seldom had to wonder where our next meal was going to come from. Most of us have a supply of food that will last us for many days. So, it is not uncommon for us to take your provision for granted, or to assume that we have supplied adequately for ourselves and do not need to seek sustenance from your daily presence and provision.

We pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” but few of us are desperate enough to chase Jesus across the countryside in order to receive healing, or find liberation from the spirits that bind us, or enjoy new bread that creates wonder among us and makes us long for more.

We are as dependent on “bread from heaven” as those who wandered in wilderness places, after the exodus, and those who trailed Jesus from place to place, but most of the time we are unaware of the depth of our dependence upon the Bread of Life that You have given to us.

Focus our longing for that Bread as the relationship and resource that energizes our lives for courageous faithfulness in your enduring Presence. We rejoice in You daily. Amen!

Prayer for July 18-24, 2021
Sermon Text: Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

That we may put service to You before the enhancement of our own reputation

God of all creation, we often try to reverse our roles, imagining that we must provide something that You lack by our dedicated and creative action. Somehow, our desire to serve You and our desire to enhance our own reputation get tangled together and we forget that our relationship is based in your generosity to us.

We perceive ourselves as self-made, autonomous people and easily forget that you nurture and protect us in numerous ways. We fail to see that You are our constant companion and guide. We overlook your enduring love.

God, we rejoice that You have drawn us together with diverse people. We rejoice that You are reconciling us with You, and with all of your chosen ones in Christ Jesus. We rejoice that You are shaping our lives to be your enduring dwelling place.

May others see You through our lives as your people and be drawn to You. Amen.

Prayer for July 4-10, 2021
Sermon Text: Mark 6:1-13

That we may help those who are desperate and fearful as they reach for You

Jesus, how often, in your journeys, you allowed yourself to be interrupted. And in those moments of interruption, You encountered people in life-altering ways. You healed, brought liberation, and generated new life. You endured mocking, but spoke and acted in ways that generated confidence in those who were inclined to be fearful.

Like many others who are inclined to be fearful, You speak your affective word of peace to us. You create new circumstances for us. You overcome the powers of chaos and death in our lives. You enable us to follow You with courage that we could not generate on our own.

Jesus, enable us to encourage each other. Do not let us be people who tell each other, “It’s too late,” or “Nothing more can be done,” or “Why bother the teacher anymore.”

Enable us to stretch out our hands in hope. Enable us to help others reach for You in spite of their fear and desperation. Let us follow You without wavering. Amen.

Prayer for June 20-26, 2021
Sermon Text: Mark 4:35-41

Help us to trust that your power for life will defeat every power that threatens with chaos and death

Christ Jesus, we perceive many things as threats to our lives. We tremble in fear. We believe that we are on the verge of being overwhelmed and do not know what to do. Even though You accompany us and model calm in the midst of storm and chaos, we panic. We cry out in terror. We conclude that You are unconcerned for our well-being and survival because we expect You to protect us from difficult circumstances, not ride through them with us. We wonder if your presence and action are adequate to overcome the dangers that bind or paralyze us.

We hope in your deliverance. But our faith is weak.

Help us to trust in You no matter how difficult circumstances seem to us.

Help us to strengthen each other through prayer and solidarity. Help us to face the storms and chaos of life in confidence that You will overcome, that your power for life will ultimately defeat every power that threatens with chaos and death.

Enable us to be agents of courage and hope for others. Amen.

 

Prayer for June 6-12, 2021
Sermon Text: Mark 3:20-35

We hope in You and in what You are creating out of your great love

Loving God, we take comfort in your word. We hope in your promises. We rejoice that You have given us faith through Christ Jesus, whom You raised from the dead. And we anticipate, with joy, our own resurrection with Jesus.

Enable us to speak faithfully and boldly about what You have done for us. Enable us to live in ways that cause many to give glory to You through praise, thanksgiving, and faithful action.

In spite of the various troubles and forms of suffering that we endure, your presence and your word enable us to endure. You energize our spirits even as our bodies grow sick and weak. You enable us to see that our present troubles are insignificant when compared to the enduring life that You are preparing for us.

We hope in You and in what You are creating our of your great love for us. Amen.

May 30-June 5, 2021
Sermon Text: John 13:1-17

That you Spirit may enliven our lives in fresh ways

Jesus, some of us are drawn to You by the wonders the gospels attribute to You. Some are drawn by the compassionate ways that You responded to people who sought You in their physical need or spiritual hunger. Some trust that You are the fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel. Some of us have sought You tentatively and secretly, and have been confused by your instruction because of our concrete ways of viewing things. We hear, “born again,” “the wind blows wherever it pleases,” and “the Son of Man must be lifted up,” and often find those statements more confusing than enlightening, just as Nicodemus did.

Some of us, Jesus, are simply skeptical about anything that challenges our materialistic take on reality, suggests limits to our pursuit of wealth and pleasure, or makes difficult demands upon us.

Most of us are here because we have acknowledged You and trusted You in some measure. We know, at some level, that full and fruitful lives must be centered in your word and your ways. So, now, work within us in ways that exceed our understanding. Let your Spirit blow through us and enliven our lives in fresh ways that bring honor and glory to You. Amen. 

Prayer for May 23-29, 2021
Sermon Texts: Psalm 104:24-35, Ezekiel 37:1-14, Acts 2:1-21, John 15:26-16:15, Romans 8:22-27

That our lives may express your generosity

God of all, we rejoice that from the beginning it was your intention that we who were created from the depths of your love would be endowed with your Spirit, breathe your very breath.

We rejoice that we are sustained by your Spirit. We rejoice that your Spirit renews us and renews all of creation. We are astonished that your Spirit can enliven and energize that which seems dead and beyond hope. We are reassured to know that You are able to energize us for new life even when we consider ourselves beyond hope.

We thank You that Jesus was endowed with your Spirit and did all of his ministry with the wisdom and guidance and energy of your Spirit. We are grateful that Jesus promised your Spirit as our guide to truth in the midst of resistance and deceit.

We are awed by the way your Spirit moved among Jesus’ followers on the day of Pentecost, energizing them to speak your speech with hearts and tongues aflame with passion. We rejoice in their boundary-breaking communication and in the alternative ways their lives expressed your own generosity.

We are thankful, that when we are weak, your Spirit assists us as we pray, as we obey, and as we await the day when your will is done fully, on earth as in heaven. Amen.

Prayer for May 16-22, 2021
Sermon Text: John 17:6-19

That we may be wholly yours, as Jesus was

God of all, we rejoice that You have revealed yourself to us through Christ Jesus. We rejoice that Jesus has enabled us to obey your word and receive your wisdom. We celebrate the generous gifts that You have given to Jesus and that he has passed on to us.

As we share the gifts we have received with the world You love, protect us by the power of your name. Remind us that our identity is in You, and in your Chosen One, not in any other source. May our lives be fully dedicated and purified in order to accomplish your purpose among us. May the name of Jesus be glorified through our speech and action, even when the world hates us for clinging tenaciously to our commitment to You. As we commit ourselves wholly to You, as Jesus’ disciples, may we experience the full measure of Jesus’ joy, in spite of the various forms of opposition that we encounter.

May we be wholly yours, just as Jesus was. Amen.

Prayer for May 9-15, 2021

Sermon Text: John 15:9-17

That we may remain in your love

Jesus, enable us to remain in your love. Enable us to trust in your faithfulness and love You courageously enough to risk obedience even when there seem to be easier ways to move forward through life.

Fill us with your joy. Help us to set aside our own desires and agendas in order to lay down our lives for our friends, as You have laid down your life for us, your friends by your choice.

We rejoice that You have revealed God’s will to us through your instruction and action. Let the knowledge You have given to us energize us for fruitful discipleship for God’s reign here. Let us begin by loving You and loving each other each day. Amen.

Prayer for May 2-8, 2021
Sermon Text: John 15:1-8

That your word will be the inner voice that directs us in the path You walked

Jesus, we rejoice that our lives are inextricably linked to yours. We rejoice that the Divine Gardener is at work to remove what is fruitless from our lives. We rejoice that the fruitful parts of our lives are pruned and shaped in order to make our lives bear even more fruit for your glory.

We stay close to You, and abide in You, because we know that we are dependent upon You.

Forgive us when we pull away from You, when we cut ourselves off from You, imagining that we do not need You and that we are able to shape our own lives in meaningful and fruitful ways.

Let your word be planted deep in our hearts and minds, so that it becomes the inner voice that directs us in the path that You walked. Amen.

Prayer for April 25-May 1, 2021
Sermon Text: John 10:11-18

That the din of the world around us will not undermine our loyalty to You

We rejoice in You, Good Shepherd! We thank You for expressing the depths of God’s love by giving your life completely for our benefit and for the glory of the Holy One.

Thank You for staying near when we are under attack by deadly predators that would devour us or undermine our trust in God.

Thank You for revealing yourself to us, knowing us, and calling us by name. We rejoice in the intimacy that You have created with us.

We rejoice that You open your heart and your arms wide in order to welcome diverse people into the fullness of your presence and joy.

Enable us to hear your voice, and follow your leading, even when the din of the world around us threatens to draw our attention and our loyalty away from You.

We love You because You loved us first and fully. Amen.

Prayer for April 18-24, 2021
Sermon Text: Luke 24:36-49 

May our experience of your power and vitality energize us for life that is grounded in God's wisdom

Jesus, we praise your name! We celebrate God’s powerful work of new life, begun in You, and continuing in each of us who have been forgiven and transformed by your love. We rejoice that in You God has fulfilled many promises, and we hope in God’s continuing fidelity, which You demonstrated among us.

We know we would have been “startled and frightened,” and probably full of “joy and amazement,” too, had we encountered You after your resurrection. We know, because we are often fearful in the face of new life and transformed reality. We are often confused by the work that God does to bring newness among us when we are convinced that everything is settled and there is no possibility for change. Through You, God continuously challenges our expectations, experience, and perceptions.

Keep startling, amazing, and scaring us. Keep filling us with unexpected joy. Let our experiences of your presence and power, and of the vitality of your word, move us toward, and energize us for life that is grounded in God’s wisdom. May God’s will be declared and enacted among us in fresh ways today, and in the coming days. Amen.

Prayer for April 11-17, 2021
Sermon Text: John 20:19-31

That we may boldy and consistently acclaim You as Lord and God

Jesus, we rejoice that amidst the great grief and fear that your disciples experienced at the time of your death, You returned to them, newly alive by God’s power. You spoke peace to them. You showed your wounds. You breathed your Spirit, your life, into them. You gave them authority to offer or withhold forgiveness as your Spirit gave them discernment.

Like Thomas, some of us are unwilling to accept the witness of others that You have met them, proclaimed peace, and breathed your own breath into them. We want more and sometimes create our own criteria for belief. We even cling to doubt and unbelief as though they were badges of honor.

As with Thomas and your other disciples, You meet us in unexpected moments. Sometimes we don’t recognize your presence and action. At other times, we are overwhelmed by your presence and can only cry out, as we do in this moment, “My Lord and my God!” We rejoice in You. Amen.

Prayer for April 4-10, 2021
Easter (April 4, 2021)
Sermon Text: John 20:1-18

That we will see Jesus in the faces of those he identified with most fully

Jesus, we rejoice in You! We rejoice that God has raised You from death and given You the name that is above every name.* We rejoice that You are our Advocate** who continuously intercedes on our behalf.+

We trust in You! We hope in You! But we confess that the new life You received from God has often caused us much confusion, doubt, and fear. At no point of your life, death, or resurrection, have You matched our personal preferences and expectations. You have constantly challenged our assumptions and our beliefs, in order to draw us more completely to the place where You could reveal God’s compassion, forgiveness, liberation, justice, and peace to us.

We rejoice that creation is new in You. We rejoice that in You, God’s reign has come on earth, as in heaven. We rejoice that You represent a new way of being human and that You have called and enabled us to follow You.

Because we have seen You in the faces of those with whom You most closely identified, and in our sisters and brothers in faith, we declare, with joy, “I have seen the Lord!” Amen.

*Philippians 2:9 **1 John 2:1 +Romans 8:34 

Lenten Prayer - Day 40 - Seventh Saturday (April 3, 2021)
Gospel Reading: John 19:1-42

     Jesus, we look in sorrow and shame on the cynical coronation to which You were subjected, the piercing thorns and belligerent slaps you endured. We grieve and wonder if we, too, would have cried "Crucify! Crucify!" Our hearts answer, "Yes!"

     So many sought to exercise power over You and assumed that they had real power, even when they were acting in fear. You threatened the very framework of predatory economics and military violence by which those in power attempted to maintain control. You threatened the very framework of belief systems that generated no transformation of human life, no healing, no liberation, no new relationships based in compassion, forgiveness, and generosity.

     "Crucify! Crucify!" the words exploded over You - You who brought forgiveness, new life, healing, and liberation everywhere You went. We are haunted by those words, which may so easily have been our own. 

     In the midst of threatening chaos, You declared, "It is finished." You had answered the call. You had embodied God's character and compassion. You had finished your work. We didn't understand. In fact, we barely understand now. 

     We imagine the scene until the spear pierces your side, then hide our faces. We imagine as  your body is removed, wrapped in spices and linens and placed in a tomb. We turn away, thinking, "It is finished."

Lenten Prayer - Day 39 - Seventh Friday (April 2, 2021)
Gospel Reading: John 18:1-40

     Jesus, we hope in You! We trust You!

     We are thankful that in God's wisdom You lived among us and in solidarity with us, experiencing many of the joys and sorrows that characterize daily life. We rejoice that You identified us as "Friends." 

     But we are sorrowful when we remember that your greatest sorrow was brought about by friends who betrayed You and denied that they knew You. We have lived this experience as betrayer and betrayed, and it shames us to know that we, too, would have failed You in our time of trial, just as many of your closest friends did.

     Forgive us for our fickleness. Forgive us for allowing our personal agendas and fear of suffering to cause us to disown You when our faith is tested in severe ways. Forgive us when violence is our reflex response to fear. 

     Jesus, we grieve that leaders of your faith community conspired with political leadership in order to shame You. We grieve that apathy, cynicism, and deceit characterized the public responses to You. We grieve that your alternative to the death-dealing ways of the world was rejected in favor of continuing service to the powers of violence and death.

     Jesus, these memories leave us in a fog of confusion and regret. Help us to endure until your face shines on our lives again.* Amen.

*See Psalm 80:3, 7, 19

Lenten Prayer - Day 38 - Maundy Thursday (April 1, 2021)
Gospel Reading: Mark 14:12-26

     Jesus, You constantly gave of yourself, throughout your ministry, through preaching and teaching, through acts of healing and liberation, as well as through faithful companionship and acts of service. Now, on the night of your betrayal, You offer yourself in bread and wine, body and blood. You give these in preparation for your complete self-giving through death on a cross.

     Jesus, You amaze in many ways, but perhaps most amazing is that You give yourself completely for those who will, in your greatest hour of need, desert, deny and betray You, - your friends who know You best. 

     It shames us to realize that we, too, often return desertion, denial, and betrayal for your compassionate companionship. We have sold You. We have denied your name, to our shame. We have fled into the night to hide ourselves from danger. We have chosen our own agendas and our own security over companionship and solidarity.  

     Jesus, we are thankful that in your suffering and death, You did not betray, deny, or desert us, but acted out of great friendship and love for us. Amen.

Lenten Prayer - Day 37 - Seventh Wednesday (March 31, 2021)
Gospel Reading: John 13:21-38

     Jesus, we understand how the announcement that there was a betrayer in their midst would have shocked the disciples who were sharing an intimate and meaningful meal with You. It would have stunned us too! Like them, we would have wondered what You meant. We would have asked, "Who?" We would have been hurt and disappointed when You identified Judas by handing him a piece of bread. We may have thought, "How could he do such a thing? I never would!"

     Knowing more of the story, more of the history of the church, and knowing ourselves, we probably would not conclude that only one person was meant by your remark. Although we are sometimes smug, in our self-righteousness, we are often aware of the many failures, betrayals, and denials that have been part of our relationship with You.

     We frequently give You up for ideals that do not match your proclamation and incarnation of God's reign. We give You up for personal gain, self-protection, and sometimes because we are just too lazy to follow the narrow way that You invite us to walk with You.

     Jesus, enable us to identify with You, and stand with You, no matter how difficult the circumstances. You have laid down your life for us and given us new life by doing so. Enable us to lay down our lives for You. We are yours, now and always. Amen.

    

Lenten Prayer - Day 36 - Sixth Tuesday (March 30, 2021)
Gospel Reading: John 12:20-36

     Jesus, many want to see You. Many want to watch as You perform some work of healing or exorcism. Many want to hear a word that can calm a storm or change a life.

     But not many of us are interested in following You in the way of resistance, and suffering that You walked in those final days that resulted in your death. Not many of us want to identify ourselves primarily as servant. Not many of us are anxious to die to ourselves so that we may produce abundant fruit for the reign of God. 

     We prefer to cling to the life we have, including the abundant resources we have accumulated, and create a place for ourselves that we imagine is secure and free from chaos. We prefer to choose our own way, even though our choices often diminish and damage us, and many others around us.

     Jesus, we are sorry that You had to face the hour of suffering and death, but we are thankful that You did so. We are thankful that You were willing to lay down your life for your friends.* We rejoice that God affirmed your choice and gave You glory.

     Jesus, it is not evident, to us, that the "prince of this world" has been judged and driven out. There is so much chaos, hatred, and injustice around us that it requires deeper faith than we often have in order to believe this. But we trust in You. We believe that God has vindicated You and is still accomplishing the divine purpose through You.

     Living Light, enable us to walk in the light, confident, not in ourselves, but in You. Amen.

*John 15:13

Lenten Prayer - Day 35 - Sixth Monday (March 29, 2021)
Gospel Reading: John 12:1-11

     Jesus, we are often inclined to tone down our devotion to You because we do not want to make a spectacle that draws attention to ourselves, or misuse resources that You have provided to us for the benefit of others.

     We tend to judge those who act with extravagant devotion as foolish or childish. We tend to be overly conscious of what our left and right hands are doing+ and overly sensitive to what others might think of any extravagant display of devotion.

     Forgive us for withholding our deepest commitment from You. Forgive us for withholding our best resources from worship of You and generosity to our neighbors.

     Transform us! Free us from both internal and external constraints that hinder our ability to respond to You with our whole being, to give ourselves to You as You have given yourself to us. Enable us to perceive the actual needs of our neighbors and allow our devotion to You to generate an upwelling of love for them. 

     You provide us with endless opportunity to respond with compassion and generosity. Help us to seize those opportunities! Do not let us misconstrue your instruction by being hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward our many neighbors in need.* May your willingness to receive devotion and act with compassion, in solidarity.** shape our will and our action. Amen.

+Matthew 6:3

*See Deuteronomy 15:7-11, which provides background for this gospel reading and challenges our tendency to excuse unsympathetic responses to marginalized neighbors.

**Matthew 25:31-46

Prayer for March 28-April 3, 2021
Lenten Prayer - Sixth Sunday - March 28, 2021
Sermon Text: Mark 11:1-11 

That we may remain loyal even in the face of strong resistance and fierce abuse

Hosanna! Jesus! We acclaim You as Savior and Sovereign! We bless You as God’s Agent of blessing! We rejoice that through You God has fulfilled a multitude of promises made to Israel. Hosanna!

We praise You in this moment of joyful hope and anticipation. But do not let us turn fickle and resist the Way of the Cross that You walk and on which You invite us to follow. Enable us to trust You and remain loyal to You, even when we walk into strong resistance and fierce abuse.

Enable us to remain steadfast even when the way is too dark for us to find our way alone. We trust in You. We give our lives to You in response to your great self-giving love.

Amen.

Lenten Prayer - Day 34 - Sixth Saturday (March 27, 2021)
Gospel Reading: Mark 13:28-37

     Jesus, we know how to read some of the signs in the creation around us. We have learned the significance of some patterns of human interaction. But we are not very good at interpreting the signs of your return, signs of the full consummation of God's reign among us. We keep identifying signs of danger and doom that seem to imperil all of creation, but your people have consistently misinterpreted those signs to mean that You were returning in the very near future. 

     Some of us refuse to take responsibility for our part in despoiling creation and inflating the threats that we perceive. Some of us believe that pushing the earth toward annihilation will hasten your return. Some of us barely think of your presence because our lives are fully enmeshed in other concerns, and in devotion to other gods, that we neither think about nor desire the fullness of God's reign among us.

     Enable us to trust in your enduring word. Enable us to hear and act! Let us be alert for your presence and live with conscious commitment to God's reign among us. Help us to be good stewards of the various resources You have given to us, so that we may be considered good servants in the day of judgment, whenever that may arrive.

     Give us the energy and endurance we need for intentional, daily fidelity. Amen.

Lenten Prayer - Day 33 - Sixth Friday (March 26, 2021)
Gospel Reading: Mark 13:14-27

     Jesus, we are not always attuned to your presence and to the values of God's reign among us, so, by the Holy Spirit, enable us to discern what is truly abominable and idolatrous, and what is merely an offense against our personal or communal preferences. Help us discern when we are faced by powers that deal in death. Enable us to escape their grasp for life together as your faithful ones.

     Give us the courage and energy to resist anything that demands the loyalty that only God deserves. Enable us to remain faithful even if we experience "overwhelming distress." Help us to see through deceitful efforts to dominate and destroy us.

     May the Spirit who empowered your ministry dwell within us as we continue your ministry. Let us be alert for signs of your coming, without being overly anxious or investing too much energy attempting to predict a timetable for your return.

     May all of us be prepared for your appearance, and participate in God's reign, where God's desire will be done on earth as in heaven. Though we cannot predict your timing, we pledge to stay alert for your presence, for God's continuing glory. Amen.

Lenten Prayer - Day 32 - Sixth Thursday (March 25, 2021)
Gospel Reading: Mark 13:1-13

     Jesus, enable us to see with your eyes. Help us to understand that every edifice, real or imagined, that dominates our physical or emotional space and becomes an idol, will come under judgment. The things that we believe are most enduring will be revealed as vulnerable and temporary.

     Give us discernment about what is truly valuable and truly enduring. Enable us to commit ourselves to the people and places to which You direct our gaze and our efforts to serve. Do not let us be deceived by sales people, educators, politicians, or even pastors and priests, into believing that anything other than your presence is worthy of our most robust commitment.

     Keep us from squandering our energy by trying to create a timetable for the consummation of God's reign. Instead, enable us to be alert for your presence, wherever it is breaking through in the midst of our daily lives and relationships, as well as within the larger human systems of which we are a part. 

     Help us to remember that your love and action precede our own. Your Spirit is making a way for bold witness and service. Your Spirit gives the energy and speech that we need in times of trial. Enable us to remain firm in our trust for You, no matter how severely we are buffeted by resistance to the love and justice You desire among us. 

     We trust in You! Help us now! Help us each day! Amen.

Lenten Prayer - Day 31 - Sixth Wednesday (March 24, 2021)
Gospel Reading: John 12:44-50

     Jesus, we rejoice in You! We rejoice that when we believe in You, we believe in God our Creator. We rejoice that when we see You, we see more than a vital, fully-lived human life, but see the Holy One who sent You and whom You embody in a unique, unmatchable way. We rejoice that when we draw near You, when we hear and heed your instruction, we are drawn from chaos and confusion into the light of truth that enables us to live in faithful and fruitful ways.

     Jesus, by your Spirit, keep us from being among those who hear your instruction, but do not act upon it. Draw us toward greater fidelity in every dimension of our lives, including all of our relationships. Lead us away from the judgment and discipline that resistance to your saving presence and sovereign word bring into our lives.

     Jesus, we trust You! We pledge our loyalty to You! We seek the fullness of life that God gives through You. May the life of the Eternal One shine through us as it shone through You, for God's glory. Amen.

Lenten Prayer - Day 30 - Fifth Tuesday (March 23, 2021)
Gospel Reading: John 12:37-43

     Jesus, we know that many who heard You preach, and many who saw You do astonishing acts of healing and liberation. did not acknowledge You as anything more than a disruption of teachings and traditions in which they found contentment, reassurance, and even hope for a new future.

     We often find that your teaching and action disrupt our preferred existence. We resist your call to compassion, justice, reconciliation, gratitude, and generosity. As we resist your teaching, we frequently fail to see the wonders You do that would bring us together, in solidarity, for glad thanksgiving and generous sharing. Our own resistance blinds us to the truth that You enact among us.

     We know there is no easy move from observing healed and transformed lives to trusting You and being loyal to You. Forgive us for making the move more difficult by clinging to our doubts as though they were a badge of honor. Forgive us for resisting You when following You does not seem to provide the benefits that we want most: wealth, security, and human praise. 

     Heal our blindness. Heal our hard-heartedness. Let your Spirit blow in fresh and free ways to bring new vision and new faith among us. Amen.

Lenten Prayer - Day 29 - Fifth Monday (March 22, 2021)
Gospel Reading: John 12:20-36

     Jesus, we know that many sought You out. We know they came to You for many reasons, just like us. Some came in hopes of seeing great spectacle or sharp debate. Some came hoping to discredit You. Some came from a deep awareness of their own need for forgiveness, healing, and liberation. Some came in order to be part of a movement that transcended their personal concerns.

     Let us seek You because we know that You are the Author and Sustainer of Life. Let us seek You because we want to commit our lives fully to God and to the pursuit of God's agenda as expressed through your life among us. God has called to us, through You. Enable us to answer that call with all that we are.

     We thank You for facing your appointed hour with fidelity. We rejoice that You were able to set aside your own fear, pain, and sense of abandonment in order to fulfill God's call on your life. We rejoice that even as your mission neared completion, You were aware of the affirmation of God.

     Enable us to follow You. May we witness your victory by the renewal of our personal lives, political and economic systems, and the whole of creation. May we be witnesses as all people are drawn to You. May our own stories and acts of neighborly love and justice move others to seek You.

     May we live as children of Light and help shed your light upon this world that often seems to be plunged in darkness. Let the transformation You have begun in us contribute to the transformation of your creation. Amen.

     

Prayer for March 21-27, 2021
Lenten Prayer - Fifth Sunday
Sermon Text: Jeremiah 31:31-34

That your word will be the foundation of fidelity and good works

God of forgiveness, new life, and new covenant, we worship You. We praise You for your wondrous works of salvation. We rejoice in your daily acts of faithfulness. We celebrate your many gifts.

We rejoice that You have placed your word in our minds and written it on our hearts. Let that word provide the foundation for a life of fidelity and good works. May it move us to be a source of your blessing for neighbors near and far.

Forgive us when we intentionally cover and obscure your word and resist its call upon our lives. Forgive us when we still act willfully and allow idols of various sorts to undermine our experience of your transforming and renewing love.

You are our only source of hope. Your word, welling up in our daily thoughts, often reminds us of that. Help us not to ignore those reminders. We ask in the name of the One who fully embodied your word. Amen.

Lenten Prayer – Day 28 – Fifth Saturday (March 20, 2021)
Gospel Reading: John 12:9-19

     Jesus, in spite of raising the hopes of many, and raising the ire of some among your people, You continued to proclaim and enact God’s reign in ways that often confused, but that were consistent with God’s desire to forgive, heal, liberate, and unite God’s people to declare God’s praise and bless all nations.
     In the face of peril, You went to the cultural center of your people, and were acclaimed as rescuer, representative of God, and sovereign. For a moment, at least, you were recognized as the fulfillment of many prophecies and many dreams.
     You knew that the coming days would bring heightened resistance to the renewing work God was doing through You. You knew the fickle nature of our hearts. But you continued to pursue your objective and act in obedience to the One who sent You.
     Jesus, we acclaim You as God’s Chosen and Anointed One. We cry, “Save us!” believing that You have done so, and will do so, just as the One who sent You has done, many times, in covenant partnership with Israel. Let our moments of clarity about who You are provide not only the fulfillment of ecstatic hopes, but the foundation and impetus for the slow steady walk of friendship and obedience to which You call us.
     We acclaim You with joy! You are our hope! Enable us to follow You all the way to the cross.* Amen.

*See Mark 8:34; Matthew 16:24; and Luke 9:23, in their contexts.

Lenten Prayer – Day 27 – Fifth Friday (March 19, 2021)
Gospel Reading: John 11:55-12:8

     Jesus, as your time drew near, You were being sought by people with two radically opposed motives. Some sought you in order to test, discredit, arrest, abuse, and bring You to shame. Others sought You to share hospitality and demonstrate devotion.
     Faith in You has grown within us, but we cannot assume that we would have responded in trusting or loving ways had we lived in other times. We acknowledge that our faith, often small, is not an achievement, but a gift that flows from your presence among us. Keep us receptive to your presence and your gift. Enable us to trust You in the circumstances that we find most challenging.
     Enable us to build upon your gift by acting with the forgiveness and compassion that You showed to others. Free us to be extravagant in our devotion. And as we practice devotion to You, help us to practice solidarity with and generosity toward those who are commonly pushed to the side in our society’s idolatry of beauty, power and wealth.*
     We follow You because You have transformed us as You revealed the compassionate heart of God to us. Enable us to follow your example, and the example of God, who sent You.** Amen.

*See Deuteronomy 15:1-11; Luke 4:14-21; Matthew 25:31-46
**See Ephesians 5:1

Lenten Prayer – Day 26 – Fifth Thursday (March 18, 2021)
Gospel Reading: John 10:1-6 or 10:1-18

     Jesus, we rejoice that You have drawn near your people - your sheep – to offer care, protection, and life that is filled with your generous gifts. We rejoice that You live in intimacy with us, and with a vast multitude. And we are thankful that those who are attentive can learn to discern your voice while other voices compete with lavish enticements that lead toward danger and destruction. Give us ears to hear! Give us energy and courage to follow where You lead. 

     Enable us to walk through the door to life that You open to us by your own life and death. Enable us to trust You as we attempt to travel with each other on our pilgrimage of faith. We rejoice in the fullness we have already experienced in your presence. May we continue to welcome your gifts in order to share them with many others.
     We rejoice that You have given yourself completely for us. You have sought us, and led us, with such tenacious and durable love that we trust You as our only source of sustenance and security.

• You are the Gate to a life of freedom and fruitfulness; 

• You are our Shepherd who leads, guides, and protects. 

• You are the One who gathers us, with your other flocks, to share the benefits of God's reign.     

     We rejoice in You, and lay our lives down for You, as your Spirit enables us to do so. Amen.

Lenten Prayer - Day 25 - Fifth Wednesday (March 17, 2021)
Gospel Reading: John 9:1-7

     Jesus, Giver of Sight to the blind, help us to see.
     Help us to comprehend the massive damage that sin does to individual lives, families, communities, political structures, and the entire planet.
     Help us not to treat sin lightly. Help us not to assume that our sins are of no significance and that they do not damage or disfigure our lives, or the lives of others around us. Help us to tell the truth about our sins and allow your Spirit to transform our lives.
     Help us not to assume that all who suffer do so because of their own choices, or the choices of others who are near or dear to them. Help us not to assume we know the truth of those who suffer, so that we do not provide misguided diagnosis and counsel to them, as Job's friends did. But help us be willing to sit with them through their pain. Help us to be willing to wait for your touch and your healing command with them.
     We know that You are able to bring healing that shatters our expectations. And we know that You endured the night "when no one can work," and, by God's power, emerged into the light as Light, again. Enable us to walk in the light of your presence and shine your light into the world through acts of justice and love. Amen.

Lenten Prayer - Day 24 - Fourth Tuesday (March 16, 2021)
Gospel Reading: John 8:31-38

     Jesus, help us to hear and obey your instruction. Help us to follow in the way that You lead us. Let your life guide the shape of our discipline. As we obey your commands, show us the truth, and free us from all that binds and enslaves us.

     Do not let us use our heritage in faith, our national heritage, or any other traditions that have shaped our lives, as justification for resistance to your call to a more robust and risky faith that expresses the true freedom that You wish to create among us.

     Forgive us when we allow ourselves to be deceived by the deadly ways of violence. Forgive us when we cling to lies for our own advantage, at least as we imagine it.

     Let us live as full participants in God's family, God's reign, and honor You by the way that we heed your words and follow your example. May your Spirit give us the energy and courage we need to live as the new people God was creating through You. Amen.

Lenten Prayer - Day 23 - Fourth Monday (March 15, 2021)
Gospel Reading: John 8:21-30

     Jesus, enable us to see You for who You are. Open our hearts and minds to understand enough to respond to You in openness and trust. Enable us to discern the qualitative difference between your life and ours, to see that your life is a life of depth and mystery because of your relationship to and revelation of the Holy One.

     Forgive us when we are resistant to your instruction. Forgive us when we resist You as the most complete image of the Holy One and the most complete example of faithful human life.

     We confess that we know that You are one with the Father because You have been lifted up, before us, as the self-giving expression of God's love. Had You not laid down your life, we would still be lost, without understanding, dead in our sins.

     Let our lives be fully linked to yours, and, through You, to the Holy One. Overcome any resistance that still remains in us. We trust in You to act for our salvation and God's glory. Amen.

Prayer for March 14-20, 2021
Lenten Prayer - Fourth Sunday (March 14, 2021)
Sermon Text: Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22

That we may stimulate renewed faith, new faith, and good works as we tell of your unfailing love

O God, we give joyful thanks to You! We praise your name!

We tell our stories to one another in order to stimulate faith and good works. We tell our stories to our neighbors and to the world in order to move others to respond to your unfailing love.

Help us remember the variety of ways that You have worked salvation in our lives. Help us to remember the deliverance from oppression, freedom from prison, healing from sickness and disease, and provision of sustenance in places and times of famine and deprivation that generated new hope and new life among us.

Remind us that You heard our cries, You saved from distress, and You practiced unfailing love, even when we rebelled against You and chose foolish, self-defeating, self-diminishing ways in service of gods of our own construction and imagination.

Let our lives overflow with praise as we remember and tell of all that You have done for us. Amen.

Lenten Prayer - Day 22 - Fourth Saturday (March 13, 2021)
Gospel Reading: Luke 12:54-13:5

     God of wisdom and insight, give us understanding of ourselves and the world in which we live. Forgive us for acting as though we know it all when we find it difficult to discern the work that You are doing among us, through your Living Word, and through the movement of your Spirit, here and now.

     Help us to discern right from wrong, to see the ways that our choices and actions are part of a matrix of predatory exploitation that ravages the lives of many for the benefit of a few. Help us to recognize that when You bring judgment, You will right the radical imbalance of power and wealth that most of us accept, most of the time.

     Enable us to follow Jesus in resisting corrupt power structures that unleash violence and death instead of renewing life among us. At the same time, help us to live, individually and communally, in fruitful ways that bring health, joy, justice and peace to neighbors and nations. 

     Forgive us when we put on an act of goodness and compassion. Forgive us when we live in fruitless ways that neither glorify You nor enrich the lives of our neighbors. Keep pruning and fertilizing our lives with your love in ways that energize us to live in new ways. Amen.

Lenten Prayer - Day 21 - Fourth Friday (March 12, 2021)
Gospel Reading: Luke 12:32-40

     Help us, Generous One, to trust that You will fulfill your promise to make us participants of your reign. Help us to trust that You will provide adequately for our needs. From that trust, enable us to share the resources You have given, in thankful and generous ways, with our neighbors. 

     Enable us to value what You value. Enable us to pursue and treasure things that are enduring. May your will be done in our lives, each day, with hearts full of gratitude and joy.

     Forgive us when we are diverted by other values and chase after other gods. Forgive us when we close our hearts toward our neighbors, and refuse to share what You have given.

Forgive us when we forget the life that You have created us for and for which You provide the guidance of your Spirit, and many other resources.

     Help us to live in constant readiness for your presence. Help us to act as good stewards of the many resources You have provided in order to enrich our neighbors and renew your creation. We await, with hope, the full arrival of your reign among us. Amen. 

Lenten Prayer - Day 20 - Fourth Thursday (March 11, 2021)
Gospel Reading: Luke 12:22-31

     Christ Jesus, we rejoice in You! We welcome your instruction! We plead for your help!

     We have been conditioned to worry. Many of the messages that we receive within our families, congregations, communities, and society at large, say, "You don't have enough!" "You are not adequately supplied!" or "You are not enough!"

     We are encouraged to scramble and grasp for more. We are given goals that supposedly bring us a more complete, meaningful, and secure life. The messages and goals that pound or nag at us, day after day, typically make us more anxious. Many of us cannot sleep at night, or focus on important tasks and relationships during the day, because we are overwhelmed with worry about the things that we imagine we need.

     You bring an alternative message. You utter an alternative demand: "Don't worry! Don't settle for a diminished understanding of life! You cannot enhance or lengthen your life by worry. So stop! Trust God, who values You and provides for You and acts as Loving Parent toward You!" 

     Jesus, Teacher, may your Spirit comfort us, remove our anxiety. and enable us to trust, courageously, in the One whose reign provides in abundance for those who trust. Amen.