Author: cmkenlin

Sense of Perseverance (Hebrews 11:29-12:2 )

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Gracious and all loving God,
throughout the ages, your people have lifted up
their voices to you, asking why or pleading for a miracle.
We have cried out to you ourselves.
Each of us has experienced fear, pain and loss in our lives.
Sometimes our crises resolve themselves the way we want.
But sometimes, our worst fears come true.

Mother God, in our sorrow and grief,
you comfort us, mourning with us.
You sit with us in silence when there are no words of comfort.
You envelop us, surrounding us with your love and light.
You give us the strength to pick ourselves up and
to continue on with our lives, to choose another path,
and to find your presence again in our daily lives.

Father God, you gave us your Son,
Jesus, who showed us the way and who
shared your teachings with us.
He ran the race that was placed before him.
Give us the strength to follow his lead,
to follow your teachings.
Give us the courage to follow in his path,
to speak up for the people who don’t have a voice,
to give strength to the people who are powerless,
and to remain faithful when the future seems hopeless.
As we follow in his footsteps, we know that you are with us.
Be with those among us who need your healing grace,
we name ___.

By faith, we are your followers.
By faith, we are known.
By faith, we know that you are with us always,
in our celebrations,
and in our depths of grief.
By faith, we live our lives.
We are your children,
and it is in faith, that we can get through our darkest times.
It is in faith that we know it is up to us, to make this world your world.
In our faith, we know that you are with us always.

And as faithful people, we use the words your Son taught us,
“Our Father…”

Equip Us With Your Spirit (Acts 2:1-8, 12-21)

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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 yours 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 yours, 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…”

Our Sense of Faith (Hebrews 11:1–3, 8–16)

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Faith is the assurance of things hoped for,
without proven evidence.
But our faith allows us to see that evidence,
in our daily lives.
The Bible tells us about those before us,
who had faith in their interactions with God.
And we’ve heard about those who lost their faith,
and then found it again despite their doubts.

Gracious God, we confess it can be hard to keep the faith.
But then we see the signs of your connection to us,
in our daily lives
and our faith is renewed.
We feel you throughout our days,
in the people that we meet,
and in the beauty of your creation.
We realize that you are with us,
you know our hopes and our fears,
and you know us completely.
And when we live in faith, we allow our faith to grow.

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for,
without proven evidence.
Part of our hope are the words that your Son
taught us:
Thy will be done here on earth as in heaven.
We need to take our faith and turn it into action,
to step out boldly into the world
knowing that we are following your plan
and following your Son’s teachings.
Be with us as we carry out your plan.
Be with us as we share the joyful news of your love
with others.
And be with those among us who are hurting
or need your strength. We name ____.

Gracious and loving God, you are the assurance
of our hopes.
In faith, we lift up our voices using the prayer
your Son taught us, “Our Father…”

Our Sense of Selfishness (Luke 12:13-21)

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Good and gracious God, you have given us so much.
You sent to us, your Son, who taught us your teachings.
In deeds more than words,
Jesus showed us to work for peace and justice,
to treat everyone with respect and kindness.
Help us to see when we have enough in our lives.
Help us to see that our success is not guaranteed by
our material possessions.

It can be so easy to compare ourselves to others.
Remind us that there will always be people
who seem to have much more than we have
and there will be those who have much less.
Help us to see that our material worth is meaningless.
You taught us that we cannot compare ourselves to others,
because none of us is better than another.
We are each a child of God, each of us deeply loved
and uniquely cherished.
Help us to see when we have enough in our lives.

Our world is changing and expanding.
We no longer stay contained within our own small town,
but our connections are global now.
We work for companies that operate within different countries.
Our neighbors may have moved from another state or another country.
We fear hate coming into our lives
from conflict from the other side of the world.
We give into that fear and allow the changes we encounter
to make us cling tightly to our treasures and
make us distance ourselves from others.
Help us to see when we have enough in our lives.

Give us the faith to recognize that the world has always been uncertain.
Help us to see that every generation has feared the future
and questioned the path of the next generation.
We can not make this world a better place if we hide in fear,
if we refuse to share our gifts and our treasures.
Open our hands when we clench our fists and refuse to share.
Soften our hearts so that we can truly relate to someone else’s story.
Remind us that giving to others does not threaten our security.
Help us to follow the practices that Jesus taught us.

Your son, Jesus, practiced a life of selflessness.
He did not value material wealth; he valued the individual.
He did not bow to the political leader; he bowed towards peace and justice.
He taught us to share freely with one another
and the early church embodied that sense of sharing and community.
Take us back to those days and reinforce our community.
As we support one another, we ask that you be with those among us,
who need your strength and grace. We name ___.
Help us to see when we have enough in our lives.
Help us to see that our success is not guaranteed by
our material possessions.

As you open our hearts to you, remind us that our world
should be your world.
Help us to work towards that goal as we life up our voices to you,
using the words your Son taught us,
“Our Father…”

Our Sense of Hope (Luke 11:1-13)

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We look around the world today and
ask ourselves just what is going on?
How did we get to this place in time?
People are afraid and are divided, separated from others.
Parents express fear for the world their children will inherit.
Children overhearing the news ask their parents
why are people dying?
No one seems to have the answers.

Gracious God, help us to see that the world
has always been in a state of turmoil, a state of flux.
When you sent your Son to us, the world he faced,
was a world where inequality was the norm.
The fishermen who became his disciples were facing domination
and loss of income by the Romans.
Many others at that time felt alienated and abandoned by society.
But your Son showed us how to work for peace and justice,
how to welcome everyone with true hospitality,
how to show love to all and to treat everyone as equals.

As we look at scripture, the words that you inspired,
we see a God that has been with the human race
throughout the years.
We see a God that has collaborated with us,
mourned with us, and guided us.
A God who sent us his Son to illustrate fully the
intimate relationship that God desires with us, his children.
We lift our voices in prayer to God, not because our futures
are pre-ordained, but because our God wants our interaction,
our faith, and our involvement in making this world
more like God’s world.
Our God has hope in us, that his children will learn
to put his teachings into place in this world.
Our faith is also our hope, and our strength.

There is fear in the world of today.
We recognize that fear but we also recognize we can change this world.
One by one, as we stand up for peace and justice for all,
we make change happen.
As we support one another, we ask that you also support those among us
who need extra support and your healing touch. We name ___.
There is fear, but hope overcomes fear, and peace overcomes worry.
We ask that you be with us as we face the future with hopeful hearts.
We use the words Jesus taught us,
“Our Father…”

Growing In God’s Love

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Timothy 1:12-17
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

These were the words of Paul to Timothy. Paul certainly did not start out as a saint or a follower of Christ. We first meet Paul, or Saul, in Acts when he approves the stoning of Stephen. We hear in Acts 8:2-3 that “Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.” In Acts 9, Saul is converted when healed by Ananias, becomes Paul and began preaching the word of the Lord.

The grace of God changed Saul. With God’s love and mercy, he abandoned his evil ways and became Paul. How has God’s grace transformed us? How has God’s grace changed you?

We are all sinners. Our sins may not compare to Paul’s first life. But we are all sinners in some form. As you look back at the past week, what would you do differently if you had the chance? Is there anyone you should make amends to?

Paul does not take credit for his transformation. He does not take credit for the works that he does in Christ’s name. He gives all the credit and the glory to God. What gifts and talents has God given you? How are you giving back to God by sharing your gifts and talents?

Prayer:
Our world is your world, Lord.
You have given us the gifts, the blessings and the teachings
we need to change this world, to have your will done on earth as it is in heaven.
Paul changed his world after he himself was changed by your love.
When we love each other despite our differences,
when we share our gifts and talents freely with each other,
when we use the physical resources you have given this world wisely without plunder,
and when we seek to help others before ourselves,
that is when we make a difference in this world, one person at a time.
I can make a difference in this world, Lord.
You have given me the gifts, the blessings and the teachings I need.
You have given me your grace and your love.

To You, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Our Sense of Woe (1 Kings 21:1-21, 27)

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As we look back at our week, gracious God,
there were probably times
when we did not behave in a charitable manner
toward our brothers and sisters.
We didn’t kill anyone to get what we wanted, but
we may have focused more on hearing our voice
than in understanding someone else,
we may have focused more on getting our share
than in helping someone else get theirs,
we may have focused more on our wants
than in seeing someone else’s needs.
We are your children, God,
and sometimes we act like children.

We come here today to this sacred space.
We hear your teachings and
interpret them to fit our world today.
We are not ruled by kings today.
We don’t hold our land and property for tens of generations.
But we know the difference between right and wrong,
then and now.
Even knowing that difference, we can still make bad choices.
We don’t always make the right decision,
even when we think we are.
Our choices can hurt us and can hurt others.

As we look back at our week, All Knowing God,
open our eyes to where we strayed away from your teachings.
As we move forward, remind us to do better,
remind us to make better choices.
Remind us that we are forgiven and that you are always with us.
We are your children, uniquely cherished and deeply loved,
despite our failings.
Help us to see more clearly where we can fulfill your teachings
here on earth.
Help us to put our wants aside and help us to focus instead on the needs of others.
We ask that you be with __ as they
especially need your strength and healing grace.

We come here today to this sacred space.
As we look around at those among us, help us to see your image in their faces.
As we move through our world in the coming week,
help us to see your image more clearly in the faces of those we encounter.
Remind us that it is up to us to make this world into your world,
a place where your will is done, not ours.
To that end, we use the words your Son taught us, “Our Father..”

Our Sense of Compassion (1 Kings 17:8-16)

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God of human relationships, you created us as your people,
a people who come together in community.
Our choices and our actions inter-twine in the lives of those around us.
As water ripples in a pond, we touch others
even when we are unaware of their very existence.
Our lives are shaped every day by the people we meet
in the most mundane of encounters.

God of Love, you have provided for us,
giving us a world that contains everything we need.
We may not have a jar of flour that never empties,
but our God has given us all the resources that we need
and charged us to care for them wisely.
Remind us to be grateful for what we have and
to spend our time and treasures in ways that reflect our beliefs.
Remind us that the idols in our world may distract us
but they are not where our attention should be.
Remind us to live as your Son showed us,
seeking peace and justice for all.
Remind us to trust in your love and your guidance,
just as the widow placed her trust in you.

God of Compassion, allow us to feel empathy for those we meet.
We may not agree with each other, nor may we share the same beliefs,
but we are each your children.
Help us to treat each other with dignity and respect.
Help us to disagree in ways that do not demonize the other,
but rather help us to see your image in the face of others.
Help us to remember that we are each a child of God,
and remind us of your teachings and how we should practice those teachings.
You told us you would be with us always.
We ask that you be with those among us
who need your extra strength and healing grace.

God of Justice and Peace,
remind us of our duty to care for the powerless and
to speak out for those without a voice.
As your Son taught us, it is our job to make this world like your heaven.
We use the words he taught us, saying,
“Our Father…”

Our Sense of Awe (Psalm 96)

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Gracious God, we sing to you a new song and give you our praise.
As the sun rises in the east, we marvel at the creation
that you have set before us,
the new day with new potential.
The noontime sun casts away the shadows
and helps us see our world and ourselves more clearly.
We see the glory of the creation you have provided to us.
We see where we have not shared those resources fairly
and where we have not protected the environment.
We see the other idols of this world
that we have allowed to compete with our focus on you.
Yet as the sun sets in the west and
we snuggle into the darkness of the night,
we are reminded that you have provided us a sanctuary of strength and beauty.
You are our God and you alone deserve our praise.

Almighty God, we declare to everyone around us, the power of your love,
and share the good news of your teachings with our children.
We give to you all glory and honor, and lift up your name in praise.
Let everyone celebrate and help us to work
to establish your justice here on earth.
We proclaim your power and yet recognize with the gift of free will,
much depends upon us and our choices.
Be with us as we work to establish justice in this world.
Be with us as we work to make things right.
Be with us as we work to make things fair.
Be with those among us today who need your strength and protection.
We lift up the names of ___.

All Powerful God, we sing to you a new song and give you our praise.
As your people, we celebrate your teachings and know that we are loved.
You created our world, gave us life and everything that we need on this earth.
You gave us your Son who showed us how to live in a way that follows your teachings.
We lift up our voices in praise to you, using the words Jesus taught us,
“Our Father….”

We Ask for Your Wisdom (Proverbs 8: 1-5, 12-14, 22-24, 27, 30,32-35)

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Creator God, you have created us in your image,
and set before us your teachings
and yet, we see the world differently, with many interpretations.
We ask for your wisdom.
We ask that you open our eyes and give us clarity.

Our political leaders seek to control us with fear or partial truths.
The talking heads on our TV news channels spin their version of the truth
in any way that fits their purposes.
How can we decipher what is true and what is false?
We ask for your wisdom.
We ask that you open our eyes and give us clarity.

The rules for how our world operates have changed beneath our feet.
It is not always good enough to work hard and to do the right thing.
We see jobs lost,
we see unfair economic practices,
we see unfair criminal justice practices,
we see unfair immigration policies and practices.
But among ourselves, the definition of fair and unfair is in conflict.
We ask for your wisdom.
We ask that you open our eyes and give us clarity.

Help us to see what is true.
Help us to understand your teachings and how they apply in today’s world.
Remind us that we are to carry out your plan in this world.
We are your voice.
We are your people, who fulfill your plan here on earth.
We ask for your wisdom..
We ask that you open our eyes and give us clarity.

You created us in your image.
You gave us your only Son, and the Holy Spirit.
We know that you are with us always.
We ask that you be with those among us who need your extra strength.
In their time of trial, help them feel your love surrounding them.
Help them feel your healing touch as it envelopes them and provides support.

You sent your son to teach us your truth and your plans for us here on earth.
Your son taught us the words of wisdom we speak today.
“Our Father…”