Author: cmkenlin

People of the Resurrection (Luke 24:36b-48)

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Today, we heard the story of your resurrection from Luke.
Huddled behind locked doors, their minds closed to what might be,
the disciples were scared and afraid of you at first.
Remind us, Lord, that we are the people of the resurrection.
Remind us to see you fully and completely in our lives.
Take our fears and uncertainties from our hearts.

We can’t understand fully the resurrection.
It defies our belief of the natural world.
Remind us, Lord, that we are the people of the resurrection.
Remind us to see you fully and completely in our lives.
Open our hearts to the truth of your teachings and
remove our doubts.

Our focus on the world around us sometimes causes us to miss the simple joys in life.
A moment with a friend,
the joy of a child taking their first steps,
the spring flowers emerging from the cold snows of the winter,
the laughter shared among family remembering memories of the past.
Remind us, Lord, that we are the people of the resurrection.
Remind us to see you fully and completely in our lives.
Open our eyes to your presence in our daily lives.

We are the people of the resurrection, your children,
brothers and sisters in the community of your church.
As such, and because of your teachings,
we are your witnesses.
Remind us that we are the people of the resurrection
and it is up to us to share the good news.
Give us the courage to tell others how your love has changed our lives.

We admit we don’t have all the answers.
We admit we have questions.
But we gather here today, as a community,
as your children, to say publicly that we believe.
We are the people of the resurrection, your people,
and you have changed our lives.
We know that you are with us always and we ask that you be with ___.

As the people of the resurrection, we are your witnesses.
Your original disciples recovered from their fear and doubts,
we learned your story from them.
Today we accept the cost and joy of your discipleship and know that
we are now to share the good news with others.
As we prepare to share that news, we use the words that you taught us,
“Our Father…”

You Are Our Shepherd (John 10:11-18)

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We are your children, Lord.

You watch over us as a shepherd watches over his flock.
We have come together to this place.
We have come from different backgrounds,
from different flocks.
But we have joined together as your people.

Remind us that it is
our job to look after those who need protection,
our job to look for the wolf and to speak out for those in danger,
our job to pick up those who stumble and to seek out those who get lost.
You are our shepherd, Lord, but we act as your shepherds here on earth.
We share your teachings in order to gather others into your flock.

We are your children, Lord.
We celebrate the gift of your life.
Like you, we would gladly give our lives for our children.
Remind us to live our lives every day to honor you,
to reflect your teachings in our actions and in our thoughts.
Remind us to dance with joy as our hearts are filled with your love.
Remind us to share your love with everyone we meet,
even if we don’t really like them.
Remind us that you are with us always, watching over us,
embracing us with your grace and your love.
We ask that you grant your healing touch and your strength to ___.

We are your children, Lord.
Remind us that our membership
in the body of Christ is a full and complete membership.
We are not hired hands who will run at the first sign of trouble.
We are your disciples, your followers.
We have come to this holy place for a purpose.
We gather strength from one another,
from this community of believers.
We share our doubts, our fears, our worries,
and we celebrate our births, our joys, and our celebrations.
We are your followers, your flock of believers,
and we know it is up to us to share your good news with others.

As your followers, we use the words that you taught us
“Our Father..”

I Am (John 15:1-8)

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Lord, in your teachings to us, you often use the words “I Am”
You are the bread of life.
You are the light of the world.
You are the gate for the sheep.
You are the resurrection and the life.
You are the vine and we are the branches.

We are part of you and you are part of us.
Your teachings have shaped us,
molded us, and guided our growth.
The way we live our lives,
the way we reflect your teachings in our lives,
is the fruit on the branches.

Remind us to use those same words in our lives.
“I am” a member of the body of Christ.
“I am” a follower of Jesus.
“I am” determined to share your teachings with the world.
“I am” willing to share my gifts and talents with others.
“I am” trying to love others as I love myself.
“I am” not afraid to speak up for those who are less powerless.
“I am” sure I do not have all the answers,
but “I am” asking the right questions.
“I am” a child of God and “I am” loved.
“I am” loved unconditionally.

Lord, you are the bread of life.
We celebrate the community around us,
as we come together at your table.
Lord, you are the light of the world.
We celebrate how your teachings illuminate
the dark corners of our world.
Lord, you are the gate for the sheep.
We celebrate that you are always with us,
guarding us, protecting us.
We ask that you be with those among us
who need your grace and your healing touch.
Be with ___
Lord, you are the resurrection and the life.
We celebrate your resurrection and we are the people of the resurrection.
Lord, you are the vine and we are your branches.
We celebrate that you are with us and we are with you,
intertwined with you and with one another.

You taught us to be your community,
to be brothers and sisters in Christ,
to make this world as it is in heaven.
You taught us the words we use today,
“Our Father…”

Love Joy Choice (John 15:9-17)

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Love, Joy, Choice.
You have loved us since before we were born.
You have joy in us, each of us uniquely loved and cherished.
You chose us and we have chosen you.

Love, Joy, Choice.
As we love our children, you have loved us.
As we have joy in our children, you have joy in us.
As your chosen people, you have shared your teachings
and your love with us.
As your disciples on this earth, we, in turn, share your teachings
with others.
As your followers, we share your love with those around us,
and we use ourselves to fulfill your plan in this world.

Love, Joy, Choice.
You called your disciples your friends, your followers.
We have chosen to follow you, to be your disciples on this earth.
You found joy in your disciples.
We are the people of the resurrection,
and we share our joy with those around us.
We choose to follow you.
Our hands are yours to use to do your work.
Our feet are yours to walk in your desired path.

Love, Joy, Choice.
You love us completely as we love you.
Our lives give you joy and we celebrate the joy you have given us.
We choose to be here today, in this congregation, in this community of believers.
We know that you are with us, and we ask that you be with those among us
who need your strength and healing grace. ___

Love, Joy, Choice.
You have shared your teachings and your love,
and in love, and in joy, and with complete choice,
we lift our voices and our hearts to you, sharing the words that you taught us,
“Our Father….”

Imagining the Future (Luke 24:44-53)

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Jesus, you came to us as a baby,
a child of Mary and Joseph,
but also the Son of God.
As parents, we look at our children
and imagine their futures.
Mary and Joseph could not have imagined your future.
A child of man, a child of God.

Our church today, formed __ years ago,
was once an infant,
full of promise and potential,
full of hopes and dreams for the future.

Jesus, you came to us as a man,
a man who shared the teachings
and the love of his Father.
As your followers, we look to you
and imagine our futures.
Your disciples could not have imagined your future.
A child of man, a child of God.

Our church today has nurtured and taught us for the last __ years.
We celebrate the teachers among us, past and present.
We remember and honor those who saw the promise and the potential,
who faced their fears and set aside their own desires,
to fulfill their dreams of the future.
Could they have imagined the future that came to be?

Jesus, you were crucified and resurrected,
you left your disciples and ascended into the heavens,
changing our view of God forever.
As your followers, we know that it is up to us
to make your will be done here on earth as it is in heaven.
It is up to us
to share your love with those we meet,
to speak up for the voiceless,
to feed the hungry,
to share your teachings,
and to work for peace and justice in this world.

Father, we are your children.
Each of us uniquely cherished and deeply loved.
We are here in this place and time, by choice.
Our church has helped to shape us into the people we are today.
We celebrate one another and thank each other, and you,
for our history and for our future.

Our church today, formed __ years ago,
is still full of promise and potential.
We have hopes and dreams for the future.
We ask that you be with us to help us follow your plan,
your teachings.
We know that you are with us.
We know that you have shared our world
and that you know our pain and worries.
We ask that you be with ___ and
grant them your healing peace and strengthen them

As your followers, and as members of the body of Christ,
we lift our voices together using the words you taught us,
“Our Father…”

Filled by the Spirit (Acts 2:1-21)

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Creator God, you equipped those who followed you with the gifts that they needed,
you gave them the words that they needed to share your teachings,
your spirit marked them and filled them with prophecy,
with visions and dreams.
Fill us today with your prophecy.
Mark us as your’s and remind us of the gifts you have freely given us.

We come here each week to gain strength from one another,
to learn from one another,
to care for one another.
Mark us as your’s, fill us with your dreams and visions,

Your early church was at first afraid and stayed huddled together.
But your Spirit filled them, gave them strength, gave them courage and wisdom.
Your Spirit fills us, draws us here each week.
Strengthen our faith, give us the courage to share your teachings with others,
give us the wisdom to understand your plan for this church,
open our hearts to your desire for us and for this congregation.

The Spirit descended upon your followers in the past,
descend upon us now today and in our future.
Father, Son and Holy Ghost, you are with us always.
You provide the strength we need in today’s chaotic world,
you encourage community and taught us to work together to fulfill your plan.
We ask that you be with ___ and fill them with your healing grace.

Your early church gained strength and spread out across the world, carrying your word.
Give us the strength to open our hearts to those we encounter in our daily lives,
help us to share the story of our faith with others.
Open our minds and hearts to where you are calling Church of the Apostles today and in the future.
We have accomplished much in forty years.
Stir our imagination for what should take place in the next forty years.
Fill us with your Spirit, your visions, your dreams, and your prophecy.

Creator, you equipped those who followed you with the gifts that they needed,
you gave them the words that they needed to share your teachings,
We use the word your Son taught us,
“Our Father…”

Born of Water and Spirit (John 3:1-17)

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We are the children of God, born of water and of spirit.
We come together as your church, as your body.
Fill us with your spirit, open our hearts to your will
and help us to trust your plan for us.
Stir up our lives as the wind stirs up our world around us.

We are the children of God, born of water and spirit.
We were born of the flesh,
but have become born again of the spirit
through your teachings.
We open ourselves to your spirit,
we allow ourselves to be blown about according to your will.
Stir up our lives, excite us with your passion and your desires.

We are the children of God, born of water and spirit.
And yet, our vision of our Father, our understanding of You,
is lacking in comprehension.
We know we are loved and uniquely cherished by you,
but we are still full of questions and sometimes doubts.
You understand our fears, our concerns, and our questions.
Your wind whispers to us, coaxes us, convinces us, and
pushes us in directions we may never have considered.

We are the children of God, born of water and spirit.
Remind us that we are your hands here on earth,
our voices are to speak for the powerless,
our gifts are to be used to feed the hungry,
our feet are to follow your path and your plan,
and it is up to us to share your teachings with those around us.
We are your children, and we know that you are with us always.
We especially ask that you be with ___ and grant them your healing touch.

We are the children of God, born of water and spirit.
We are your church, your community.
Your spirit, like wind, flows through us, moves us, and shapes us.
Father, Son and Holy Ghost, we feel your presence among us.
We open ourselves to your teachings and to your desire.
Open our hearts to your plan here on earth for us,
for both the people within and outside of your church.

We are the children of God, born of water and spirit.
We use the words that your son taught us, lifting up our hearts and voices to you,
“Our Father…”

What We Hear (1 Samuel 8:4-20)

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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…”

What We Perceive (1 Samuel 15:34-16:13)

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As a child, we see things in black and white.

Our world is very clear, and our boundaries are established.
A child can easily tell you if an act is right or wrong.
The world can become more gray as we get older.
Father, we have more doubts now and
sometimes we ask more questions than a two year old.

Why do we act selfishly at times?
Why do good people die before their time?
Why does a tornado hit one house and not another?
Why do I feel alone even when surrounded by many?
Why are there people in our neighborhoods who go to bed hungry?
And, why does evil sometimes seem to flourish in our world?

As adults, we see the world in shades of gray.
When asked if an act is right or wrong, we may answer, “It depends.”
We view the world based on our experiences, our biases, and our fears.
Father God, we ask that you open our eyes to your choice,
to your plan.
Open our hearts so that we can follow you without hesitation.
Mother God, comfort us in our doubt and confusion,
as a mother soothes her child.
Reassure us that while our world is sometimes lacking balance
and fairness, you are with us always.
Remind us that it is up to us to make this world as it is in your heaven.
We are to act now, to live out your word now, in this place.

Holy Creator, you have shaped us, formed us, and known us.
You see beyond what the world sees in us, beyond what we share with others.
You know us completely and you love us as completely.
We ask that you give us the faith to follow your plan
using the gifts and talents that you freely given us.
Allow us to see ourselves as you see us, each of us deeply loved and uniquely cherished.
As your children, we are to support one another in this world.
We know that you are also with us supporting us in the chaos of this world.
We ask that you be with ___ granting your comfort and peace.

We may still have questions, we may still doubt what we see around us,
but we have faith in the words your Son gave us.
We lift our hearts and our thoughts to you, using those words,
“Our Father…”

Fill Us With the Faith that David Possessed (1 Samuel 17:(1a, 4-11, 19-23),32-49)

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Heavenly Creator, fill us with the faith that David possessed.
Remind us that we are your beloved children and that you love us completely,
without reservation and without regret.
That should be enough for us,
but we sometimes allow the world
to fill our minds with self-doubt,
to fill our hearts with greed and jealousy,
and to fill our hands with shiny treasures.

Creator of Light and Love, fill us with the faith that David possessed.
Remind us that you sent your son to us, not to give us a religion,
but to give us a faith.
You sent your son to us, not to give us a set of rules to follow,
but to give us guidelines of how to share your love with everyone.
Your son was a living example of what you want us to do here on earth.
Help us to be the same example to others that we meet.

Maker of all that we see and know, fill us with the faith that David possessed.
Remind us that we don’t need the trappings of the world around us.
We know that in the moment we are given terrible news,
our first thoughts are not about our things,
but rather about our families and our friends.
We know that when given a second chance, our priorities change.
Keep our relationships in front of us.
Help us to build the community here that your son built with his followers.

All-knowing and All-Loving God, fill us with the faith that David possessed.
Remind us that our actions here in this earth shape the world that we experience.
It is up to us to make this world your world.
Our choice to follow you does not mean
that our way will be easy or that we will always succeed.
There is no doubt that we will face giants that appear to be more than we can handle.
Remind us that as your united community, we can tackle those challenges together.
And, we know that you are with us as we make our way through this world.
We ask that you be with those among us who may need your extra guidance and
your strength.
Remind us to follow your son in actions as well as in words.

Teacher, fill us with the faith that David possessed.
As we follow your teachings, we use the words you gave us,
“Our Father…”