Tag Archives: Prayer

The Pastoral Prayer

Sunday, August 26 2018

Scripture Mark 1:17-31

Mark: As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him,
Sunnie: “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: “You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’ ”
Mark: The man said, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” Jesus, looking at him,
loved him
and said,

Sunnie: “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”
Mark: When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,
Sunnie: “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”
Mark: And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again,
Sunnie: “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
Mark: They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said,
Sunnie: “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”
Mark: Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said,
Sunnie: “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

Sermon: Noble Heart

To download: 180826_0849 

Prayer:

Lord, when you hold us and we feel loved, we feel safe like a town nestled in a valley. You calm our fears when the night winds blow and strengthen our resolve when bullies blow hard in the day. We look out at the world and see the beauty you  created. Our hearts fill with gratitude. 

We look in ward and marvel at our own workings. How the blood gathers nutrients and oxygen to move them and deliver them where they need to go. Our hearts taking what they need move the rest of life giving blood to all our parts. We are fearfully and wonderfully made; made by you. It’s why we call you God. 

Our imaginations fill our hearts with emotions: love, gratitude, wonder, anger, jealousy, and fear. Our hearts overflow – and break – and turn to stone. Our hearts we give to you, O God and Lord and Creator and Sustainer. Our hearts move life and hold our emotions – and we give our hearts to you. Again and again. We place them in your hands; to warm, to soften, to love and cherish, and to gently mold them into a Noble heart – willing and righteous and holy. Make in us a Noble heart that distributes life and love to all. 

Lord, hear our prayer. 

Amen.

Sunday, August 12 2018

Scripture: Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear,
though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns.

The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.

“Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations,

I am exalted in the earth.”

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

 

Sermon: “Tumult”

for download: 180812_0858

Prayer:

for download: 180812_0858

 

Sunday, July 29 2018

Scripture: Various

 The choir sang the song “Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness” and the scripture readings reflect, by verse, the references in this song. Not all, but enough to give folks a reminder of what the song talks about. Here is what was read:

Scripture for July 29, 2018
Reflects the lyrics of “Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness”

Doris: In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep waters, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. And God said,
Mark: “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.”
Doris: And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

Pause

Mark: After the Red Sea, Moses praised God,
Doris: “At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up, the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, “I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.’
Mark: But the people did not remember.
Doris: “So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears, and brought them to Aaron. He took the gold from them, formed it in a mold, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!
Mark: The Lord said to Moses,
Doris: “Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it. I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are.

Pause

Doris: Joseph went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a stable, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Mark: And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last.
Doris: When the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples were in the city of Jerusalem, all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Pause

Mark: Paul repeats the words of the prophet Joel, saying, “In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.
Doris: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.”
Mark: And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.”

Sermon: A Synopsis

for download:  180729_0901

Prayer

I did not write a prayer. So you will have to listen to it.

Sunday, July 22 2018

Scripture: Matthew 6:25-34

This is another sermon done by request. “I worry first and pray later. I expect I am suppose to pray first, but doubt it will ever happen. I think of this Matthew passage.”

Sermon: “The ‘Therefore’ Is Important”

for download:180722_0902

The Anthem was “Here I am, Lord”  by: Fr. Daniel L. Schutte, S.J. It informed the prayer.

Prayer

Here we are Lord. We will go. If you lead. Lead us! Lead us to where the hungry are and lead us to love them. Lead us, not with commandments or guilt, but with the awareness of your love that has no end. Let us feel their stomach hunger for food and their soul hunger for love. It will be easy to forget the hungry can feel unlovable. Lead us with your love and we will follow.

Here we are Lord. If you lead us we will go. Where our feet cannot take us, our hearts and prayers will follow your lead. To Palestine and Jerusalem to proclaim that peace is better than hate, that the splinter in someone else’s eye is not as important as what is in one owns eye. We will go to the borders where nations like our own require guards to carry guns and ignore the golden rule. To those who hoard wealth like others hoard stacks of paper and National Geographic. We will go to the addicts of substance (legal or illegal) or with power (proper or improper) with your grace and forgiveness.

And we know that it is always us who will have to follow you to our inner couch potato who would rather watch a life of faith than walk the walk – walk the way of Jesus, our Master, Lord, Savior.

Lead, we will follow. Lead us to a new thrilling awareness of You, to the wonders of your love, to the peace that is in your Spirit, the peace that passes all understanding.

Here we are Lord.

Amen

Sunday, July 15 2018

Scripture: Amos 7:7-17

Sermon: “Grab a Plumb Line and Live”

to download: 180715_0900

Prayer:

Teach us how to pray, O Holy One. We pray for David and Maggie and for firemen, especially the one who has died in NYC. We pray for the fear of what tomorrow may or may not bring. 

Teach us how to pray to do more than say we pray about these things. Should we pray for victims of fire, flood, and famine that they survive, heal, of find again goodness in life? Should we pray only for those people we know? Should we pray for ourselves that we do more than pray with words, that we pray to be a part of their survival,healing and knowing again the goodness of life? Teach us how to pray. Should we pray for a society and culture that doesn’t seem inclined to prevent abuse of the least of your children or creation? Should we pray for the strength to prophesy?

Teach us to pray when another’s hurt or peril brings us fear of the same. Teach us to pray when there is no fix – only and maybe guilt. Teach us to pray with sighs to deep for human words. Teach us to pray without words, letting the silence of God fill our spirits and hold our hearts secure.

Teach us to pray when we are exhausted with mounting needs around us, when overwhelmed with sadness, when angered by actions and the inactions of others. Teach us to pray, Holy One, especially when all we want to do is give you words.

Teach us, we pray.

Amen

Sunday, July 8 2018

Scripture Luke 16:10-13

Sermon: “…Under God…”

for download: 180708_0856  

Prayer

Lord of the sunbeam and moon glow, God of astrophysics and the Fibonacci sequence, Holy depth of our being – hear our prayers. We have gratitude, hurts, and needs. Things that we worry about for others and for our nation. Hear our Prayers. We hold them all up and turn to you. Not as our last hope but as our first love.
We hold in our prayers Chris. Again and still and more. We hold in our prayers nameless children and parents. We hold in our prayers all that is not as we see that would not be to your pleasure.
Give us the sort of trust in you that stays with us – even when our souls feel empty – when they ache with loneliness, sadness, worry, dread, and are broken by the stories of the day. Let our faith speak to us, and for us whether our souls are full or empty. Do not let our faith depend on our mood or circumstances. But let your light be so bright, so warm that we know that it is always there, even when we cannot see it or feel it.
The beauty of this day, the people in our life and the value of this congregation fill our souls. And our souls are full – sustained and maintained by your grace and love. Our souls dance and sing in praise of you. Lord, take some small portion of our full souls and take that to those who cannot sing, who cannot dance, bring some small point of pleasure to remind them that life is not always in the darkness of a cave or captivity of a pen.
Come O Holy One, and be our God: our light that calls us forward, our light that shows us the way; not only to you, but our way to live. Come, O Holy One and be our God.
Amen.

 

Sunday, July 1 2018

Scripture: I Kings 19:9-13

Sermon: “God Is Still Speaking. So…”

for download: 180701_0851

Prayer:

Lord, give us the temperament to think about the 4th of July as more than burgers, beer, and sparklers. May we honor the integrity and bravery of those who saw injustice and fought tyranny of taxation without the voice of the many. May we give thanks to those who saw that leaders of the day cared more for power and prestige than the hard work of leading. We remember the leaders and planners who gathered others of like mind who could not abide an uncaring King. We honor equally those who fought peacefully for a land of equality and for those whose fight is memorialized in the red stripes of our flag.

We pray for Somalia, Iran, North Korea and all places ruled for the benefit of a few. We pray for all those in nations where some are captive to poverty or anger or despair of the power need of the leaders. We pray that they find mercy and safety. And freedom from oppression.

We pray for our own nation. May the founding principle that all people are created equal be ever more fully realized. May our nation find a unity of purpose, a compelling vision of fairness that forms our national character.

Hear our prayers, Lord of all.

Amen

Sunday, June 24 2018

This Sunday we had with us Suite Notes, a recorder group that has been playing for many years. The played several things, including “Simple Gifts”. I wish we had a recording of their playing. Which to my surprise I do. Please note that the recorder was in my shirt pocket and right above the Suite Notes. Here is “O Savior Sweet” and the Doxology:

For download: 180624_0903

Also in attendance were representatives from Sharon’s Masonic Lodge and Eastern Star. We got to hear a bit about Masons. The joined us because it is St. John’s Day. Masons revere John the Baptizer and this is the feast day of his birth. The scripture lesson was selected in honor of this.

Scripture: Mark 4:1-9

Sermon: “The Tyranny of Names”

For download: 180624_0903

Prayer:

God of All, teach us to be like Esther. Remind us that her star rose as she opposed the oppression of a minority, second class citizens scapegoated by a racist bully, who wanted power more than the responsibility of leading. Teach us to be brave like Esther.

Lord of heaven and earth, teach us to be like John the Baptizer. Remind us our sins are forgiven. Free us from the yesterdays of yesterday. Heal our regrets, remorse. Settle the ache that happens whenever we think of particular times, actions and even inaction. We confess we have not always done what we should. Our guilty feelings remind us we do  not feel forgiven – by you or ourselves.. Forgive us. Let us forgive ourselves.

Forgive us, so tomorrow might be a new day without the weight of the past. Forgive us, to teach us how to forgive – we don’t do that well.  Teach us to forgive ourselves – we do that most poorly – holding on to our guilt as if it is the guilt that will bring forgiveness and wholeness. Let our guilt be a sign that we have spiritual work to do – making amends, seeking to never do so again, and trusting you – that you do and will forgive. And then, Holy One, teach us to let it go. Let the sin and the guilt go and trouble us no more.

Lord we have mighty people in our faith story. Remind us to trust you and act like them. 

Amen

Sunday, June 17 2018

Before this middle section of our worship, our congregation has something we call “Becoming As a Child”: Prayers of Joys and Spirit Sightings (ways and when we have sensed God’s presence). It is a beautiful time.

This day I did not invite anyone to sit with me and had this to say. If I was to title it, it would be “Politics in the Pulpit”

for a download 180617_0843 

 Scripture Job 2:1-6

Last week the sermon was on Job – the whole thing. Obviously a lot was skimmed over. One thing skimmed was about the satan and how this was not Satan. This week I focused on the satan/Satan. The sermon is a bit teachy. The sermon is gratuitous. So, sue me.

I need and want to acknowledge two books essential for my education on this.

 Elaine Pagels, The Origin of Satan: How Christians Demonized Jews, Pagan, and Heretics (New York, Random House, 1995)

T. J. Wray and Gregory Mobley, The Birth of Satan: Tracing the Devil’s Biblical Roots (Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2005)

Sermon: “Flip Wilson Was Right”

For a download: 180617_0858

Prayer

Oh Father God, who is as far away as heaven and as near to us as our breath, Holy and Wonderful is your name to us. May you rule our hearts so that we live and follow your will and way as we travel earthly roads. We trust you will provide.

Stay with us God, as we move through this world. Be with us when life is grand – so we know who to praise and thank. Be beside us when life meets obstructions so we know we are not alone. Guide us when we would cut moral corners or think “it will be alright this time”. Lord, without you we are a noisy cymbal and a clanging gong. Bind us to our best self with your love and forgiveness.

Do not only protect us, Holy One. Free us to reach out to the unlovely and love them. The poor, tired, and huddled masses are often strangers who look, talk, and smell in ways we are not normal – to us. But we are not you. You are their maker and you hold them as normal. Your ways are not our ways, yet. So we must pray for your grace to help them, love them, travel with them on their way. Let that be our way of life. Free us to go that way. 

Amen