There is so much noise in our world today.
We fill our moments with this noise,
we fill our hours with the busyness of the world, and then
we lose our days to the never ending list of things to do.
Lord, help us to take a moment, to take a deep breath,
to stop and listen,
to be in the moment with you.
Whisper to us. Call us by name, as you have known us
before we were born.
You are with us always, but we sometimes focus too much
on the noise of the world around us.
Open our senses to your call, to your presence.
Lord, help us to take a moment, to take a deep breath,
to stop and listen,
to be in the moment with you.
Each of us has heard a different call,
but you have called each of us to be here today in this holy space.
Each of us is your child, equally loved and uniquely cherished.
You have called us, with a whisper, with a gentle voice, or with a shout.
Despite the how, the why is to fulfill your plan here in this place, on this earth.
Lord, help us to take a moment, to take a deep breath,
to stop and listen,
to be in the moment with you.
The noise around us can be deafening.
The world around us can be overpowering.
The pain we feel, or see in others, can overwhelm us.
Remind us that your message to us, here in Lancaster county,
is the same message that you would give to a single mother
on welfare in the inner city of Baltimore.
We are your children, each of us equal in your eyes.
We are your hands here on earth,
to make this world as it is in heaven,
to work for peace and justice for all,
to lift each other up and to support one another,
to share our gifts and talents with each other,
to treat the environment and the gifts of your creation with wisdom and protection,
and to share the teachings of your good news with all we meet.
Father, you are with us always even when we fail to listen.
We ask that you be with ___, members and friends of the congregation
who need your grace and your healing power.
We ask that you reach out to those in our neighborhoods who may not yet know you.
Open their hearts to joining us to ask their questions.
Open our hearts so that we can truly hear their questions and
help us to freely share our journey with them.
Lord, help us to take a moment, to take a deep breath,
to stop and listen,
to be in this moment with you.
As we open our hearts and ears to you, we use the words that your Son taught us:
“Our Father…”
Uniquely Cherished 