Community

Be With Our Children (Romans 8:22-27 and Acts 2:1-21)

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Heavenly Mother, we are your children.
You gave us the gift of life.
You knew us before we were created and you formed us in your image.
You surrounded us with grace as we struggled to understand how to live
and how to follow your teachings.
You nurtured us and comforted us when we fell short.
You taught us what it means to be in a family.
We especially thank you for the young adults
who have spent the last year learning about their faith
and who have chosen to join us as part of this family of believers.

Holy Spirit, intercede on their behalf.
You alone know their deepest needs, their biggest dreams,
and their unique talents and abilities.
Fill their hearts with the passion of their faith.
Strengthen them when they begin to despair.
Open their eyes to how they can make a difference in this world.
Guide them through the temptations of this world and
keep their focus on following Christ and his teachings.
As your children, we want to follow your will and your teachings.
Help us to instill this same desire in our children.
Help them to instill this same desire in their own children
in the years to come.

Heavenly Father, you declared you would pour out your Spirit onto us.
You gave us your Son to show us the way.
Fill us with your Spirit, show us your signs.
As your early church did, help us to create a community of believers.
Help us to support one another.
We lift up to you, those among us we know are in need.
We name ___
We also lift up to you those who are unnamed.
Help us to be your people and to follow your ways.

As your people, we lift up our voices using the words your Son taught us,
so many years ago, “Our Father…”

Be Connected (John 15:9-17)

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It’s all about love.
The love you have for us even if we don’t deserve it.
The love your followers had for you
even if they didn’t understand you.
The love we have for you even when we don’t show it.
The love we fail to give to others
even when you have showered us with love.

We know we don’t follow your teachings, Lord.
Forgive us when we compare ourselves to others
in ways that make us superior to them.
Open our hearts to love rather than judgment.
Forgive us when we focus on our own needs rather
working to make this world a better place.
Open our eyes to love rather than self-indulgence.
Forgive us when we refuse to listen to others and
insist that our truth is the only truth.
Open our ears to love rather than intolerance.
Forgive us for clinging to our treasures
rather than sharing with others.
Open our hands to love rather than selfishness.
Remind us to love others as you have loved us.

Lord, you came to us and shared our human life.
You know our frailties and our weaknesses.
You came to us because of love.
You are with us today because of love.
You will return to us because of love.
As you have loved us and supported us,
we support those in our community.
We ask that you be with those among who are in need.
We name ___.
We also ask that you be with the unnamed,
the ones we carry in our hearts and
the ones who have not shared their need with us.
Create within us a community
where all feel willing to share their hopes, their desires and their needs.
We are your people, we are your children, and we are loved.
Help us to live our lives in love.

Lord, you taught us how to pray many years ago, and we lift our voices up now
using the words you taught us, “Our Father…”

Be Whole (1 John 4:7-21)

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We are your children, made in your image,
formed by you and loved by you.
Help us to feel that love within ourselves.
Open our hearts to accept your love freely.
Help us to love and to accept ourselves
as you have shaped us.
None of us can claim perfection or live up to your teachings.
And yet you still love us and give us grace.
Help us to feel that grace deep within our souls.
And remind us to share your grace with others.

We are your children
but we live in a world that is separated and divided.
A world where many feel unwelcome or marginalized.
A social climate that rewards materialism and
casts blame on those who are impoverished.
A political agenda that reinforces the fear of the “other.”
A world that celebrates the rich, the powerful and
the beautiful.
None of us can claim perfection or live up to your teachings.
And yet you still love us and give us grace.
Help us to reject the world around us and
to see your image in the faces of those we meet.
Jesus taught us that there is no “other.”
We are to act as one people, one community.

We are your children
and as you support us, we support those around us.
We ask that you be with ___ and share your healing touch with them.
In love, we lift up those who have gone unnamed
and have not yet realized that they are made whole in your love and grace.
We ask also that you be with us, a white congregation,
and begin to open our eyes
to the ways our society is not fair to our brothers and sisters of color.
Help us to see how our known and unknown biases
shape our interactions and our beliefs.
Take away our defenses so we can share honestly with one another.
Give us the courage and strength to have the conversations that will bring us together as one.

Jesus taught us that there is no “other.”
Gracious God, we lift up our voices today
asking for your help to make this world your world.
We use the words Jesus taught us, saying “Our Father…”

Help Us to Change (Luke 5:33-39)

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Gracious God, as new wine expands and stretches the new wineskins,
we ask that you also stretch us and help us to grow in our faith.
Help us to embrace change and not cling to old ways of thinking.
But remind us to cherish the good in our past and present.
Open our eyes to the nuances of each situation
as we attempt to live out your teachings in our daily life.
We recognize that we like rules and standard practices,
but help us to see the person and what they really need.
Help us to respond always with love, sharing your love with others.

We thank you for the teachers you have brought into our lives.
We realize now that each encounter with another
gives us the chance to share your love,
to be the change in the world that you were.
And as we change others, we are also changed.
Fill our hearts with a desire to know you more completely.
Give us the strength to live our lives in ways that put others first.
Help us to act in ways that make this world, your world,
a place of peace and justice.
As Jesus celebrated with his disciples,
be with us as we celebrate the joys in our lives.
We name ___.
And as Jesus sought to heal the sick, we also support each other.
We ask that you be with those among us
who are in need of your healing touch, your sense of peace
and your strength.
We name ___.

Jesus, we know that change is never easy.
But you brought change to our world and to each of us.
We have been changed by your teachings and we continue to change.
As your changed people,
we lift up our voices to use the words you taught us, “Our Father..”

Right, Wrong and Holy (Luke 10:25-37)

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Gracious God, we confess that we sometimes tell others,
we will keep them in our thoughts and prayers.
And maybe we do say a prayer.
But maybe we should also be doing something for them.
Help us, Lord, to see what those around us need and want.
Help us take the opportunity to provide that support,
to fulfill that need.
Help us to display your love to them through our presence.

As your followers, you told us to love our neighbor as our self.
Help us to truly see our neighbors.
In this world of divisiveness,
open our hearts so we can listen and find common ground.
Give us the willingness to talk with our neighbor,
to understand their needs, their fears and their dreams.
Give us the understanding that we are all your children,
equal in your sight, each of us deeply loved and uniquely cherished.
Help us to recognize that needing help is not a sign of weakness.
And help us to realize that when providing help,
it is important to know what help is needed.

As your followers, we have joined into your community of believers.
We come together in this sacred space to share our love for you,
to support one another and to learn from each other.
As we care for each other, we ask that you also be with those
among us who need your healing grace and strength.
We name ___.
And as a community of faith, we celebrate the joys of those among us.
We lift up ___.
We thank you for bringing us together as a community
to share in the good times and the bad.

Gracious God, we know that our situations change,
sometimes suddenly without warning.
We can be the Samaritan or
we can be the victim by the side of the road.
But we know that you are with us always,
no matter where we find ourselves.
And, we know that we are to share your good news
with others and to share your love with all.
As we celebrate your presence among us,
we lift up our voices using the words that your Son taught us,
“Our Father…”

God’s Stories (Mark 9:2-9 )

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Lord, there is much that we do not understand.
As the three did not know what to make of Jesus’ encounter
with Elijah and Moses,
we sometimes do not understand our encounters with you.
We may not hear you calling our name.
We may not recognize the opportunities you place before us.
Transform our hearts so that we are open to you.
Transform our lives so that we want to freely share your love with others.

Lord, there is much that we do not value enough.
As the three were dazzled by the encounter on the mountaintop,
we sometimes are dazzled by the glitz of this world and
fail to see what is most important.
Remind us of your teachings.
Remind us to focus less on the glory of the world and
instead help us to focus on relationships with others.
Remind us to spend time with those around us.
Remind us to cherish the simple gifts of life,
the laughter of a loved one,
the joy of reuniting with an old friend, or
the chance to accept forgiveness.
Remind us that you formed us to live in community
with one another.

Lord, there is much that we fail to see.
May the light of your teachings show us the way.
Open our eyes so that we can see the path you are making.
Open our ears to hear the needs of those around us.
As we support one another, we ask that you be with those among us
who need your grace and healing touch. We name ___.
Give us the strength to make it up the mountainside.
Give us the strength to lift up the powerless.
Give us the strength to speak up for those who are forgotten and overlooked.
Give us the strength to work for justice and peace in the world that you have given to us.

As we come together in community, we use the words you taught us,
“Our Father….”

Called to Listen (Mark 1:21-28)

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Gracious God, in today’s world, it can be hard to know who we should listen to.
Who should be our authority in a world that is too black and white?
Help us to discern the truth by listening to all sides.
As we listen to the stories of those around us,
help us to see ourselves in their stories and
help us to see you in their stories.
You should be our authority
but sometimes we allow ourselves to be pulled by the material worl

Gracious God, call us to listen to you
and inspire us to fulfill your plan here on earth.
Open our eyes to the vision you have for us here in this world.
Open our heart to your teachings.
Open our ears to the cries of those around us and
open our arms to share our talents and treasures with those in need.
We are your followers and in your authority, we share your good news.

Call on us, Lord, we are your followers.
We gather here each week in this sacred space.
We are your followers and we support one another as your family.
As we support those who are in pain or in need of healing,
we ask that you be with ___ and fill them your healing presence
and gift of grace.
As your community, we also celebrate and lift up fellow members in joy.
We lift up ___ .

Gracious God, we celebrate your authority in this world.
Remind us always that your word takes precedence over the world around us.
When we face conflicting views in our world today,
grant us the comfort of your never-changing ideals and guidelines.
Our understanding of the material world that surrounds us
may change over time, but your teachings remain constant.
Call us to understand, call us to listen, call us to fulfill your plan here on earth.

As we respond to your call, we use the words your Son taught us,
“Our Father…”

Called as a Gift (Mark 1:14-20)

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Now is the time for God’s kingdom here on earth.
Gracious God, we ask for your help in making this so.
We ask that you change our hearts
so that we can change our lives as well as
the lives of those around us.
Open our hearts to your teachings,
and inspire us to follow you.
Fill our hearts with your peace,
but don’t make us complacent.
Mend our broken hearts, damaged by the world around us,
and keep us from becoming cynical.

Now is the time for God’s kingdom here on earth.
We trust in that good news as we gather here each week.
Help us to share the good news with others
by using the gifts you have given to us.
Encourage us to recognize our gifts and
the gifts we see in others.
Remind us our gifts have value
and help us to recognize their worth.
Call on us to use those gifts freely without fear.
Give us the strength and wisdom to use our gifts
to speak for the voiceless,
to lift up the fallen,
to see the plans you have set in place for us,
and to listen for the needs of those around us.
You have called us together to be a family of your believers.
As a family, we support one another and
we ask that you be with those among us who need your healing grace.
We name ____.
As a family, we celebrate our joys and rejoice with one another.
We lift up ___.

You have called us here to this sacred place.
You have given us priceless gifts and talents.
You have loved us and shown us your grace and your mercy.
And now it is time to make this world your kingdom.
We take the first step in our call by using the words that you have taught us, “Our Father..”

Riches in Our Lives (2 Corinthians 9:6-15; Luke 17:11-19)

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Gracious and Giving God, you have given us so much.
Help us to truly see the riches in our lives.
You have placed people in our lives,
people that love us, people that challenge us,
people that nurture us, and people that test us.
Help us to see how our interactions with others
make a difference in this world and with one another.
We can choose to act in love or with indifference.
Help us to choose love.

Help us to truly see the riches in our lives.
You have given us treasures in terms of money, time and talents.
We live in a world that judges people
based on their wealth, education and skills.
Help us to truly see one another, to see your image on their faces.
Help us to accept others as they truly are
and help us to share ourselves with those around us.
Help us to come together as your family of believers and
help us to act in your image in our broken world.
Open our hearts and
give us the courage to share our hopes and fears with each other.
As we support one another, we ask that you be with those among us
who need your strength and healing grace. We name ___.
And as we look around at those who are with us today,
we lift up our thanks and praise for this community of believers.
We can choose to share our money, time and talents with love
or we can choose not to share.
Help us to choose love.

Gracious God, you have been more generous to us than we deserve.
Open our eyes to the riches you have given freely to us.
And as we lift up our voices in thanksgiving,
we remember that you gave your Son to us and we use the words he taught us,
“Our Father…”

Made in God’s Image (Romans 12:1-8)

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Creator God, you have made us in your image.
To each of us, you have given special gifts and talents.
We may not feel special, but we are uniquely made
for your purpose.
Help us to understand that purpose.
Help us to fulfill that purpose.
Help us to use our gifts and talents to their fullest.

Giving God, you have given much to us.
Remind us that our gifts are not only for ourselves,
but are meant to be shared.
Our world is full of plenty,
even when we feel in need.
Help us to recognize and to appreciate all that we have.
Open our hands and hearts to others.
Encourage us to share freely and to accept the gifts of others.
Help us to celebrate our gifts and to use them in joy.
Help us to worship you with full hearts, minds and bodies.

Loving God, you have brought us here together in this sacred space.
Remind us to continue acting in community with one another
during the week.
Help us to share your love and your teachings with others.
As we support one another, we ask that you be with those among us
who need your healing touch and your strength.
We name ___.
As we celebrate joys with each other, we thank you for ___.
Encourage us to continue to build relationship with one another,
to make friends of those who used to be acquaintances,
to make peace with those who used to unsettle us,
to comfort those who are grieving, and
to recognize and appreciate the differences of others.

As your children, we lift up our voices, using the words your Son taught us,
“Our Father…”