God’s Grace

Water of Our Baptism (Matthew 28:16-23)

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We are often unprepared for the situations we find ourselves in.

No matter how many parenting books we read, no matter how many conversations we have before the birth,
no one is prepared for that moment we realize we are now the parents.
We alone are responsible for this child.
We talk about how to drive in the snow and ice,
but the first time we find ourselves sliding on the ice,
we are never prepared for that sinking feeling and the panic of being out of control.
We say that we stand up for our principles and for what we believe in.
And then we are faced with peer pressure,
opposition from those we believe have power over us,
and we give in.

You have shown us that even Jesus’ disciples faced doubt
and were unprepared at times.
Fill us with your Holy Spirit, prepare us for those unexpected moments.
Give us the strength and wisdom we will need to get
through those moments of panic.
Remind us we are not alone in those cold and lonely moments
in the middle of the night.

The water of our baptism poured into us, filled us with your grace.
Grace we cannot earn and cannot say we deserve.
But as our parents loved us,
you love us unconditionally and without reservation.
Open our hearts to your love.
Fill us again, and always, with your grace.

The water of our baptism heals us.
The water of our baptism flows to and from each of us,
connecting us as the body of Christ,
uniting us as one.
We know that you are with us now as you were with us then.
Be with those among us today who are feeling pain and need your healing touch.

As your baptized children, we know the power of prayer.
We lift our hearts to you in prayer, using the words your Son taught us,
“Our Father…”

Complete Acceptance (Mark 1:4-11)

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Father God, we confess that often our focus is on how we appear to others.

Did we say the right thing?
Did we act like we were in control?
We wonder too much about what others think of us.

Mother God, remind us that we are your children.
As your children, we are deeply loved and uniquely cherished.
Our words please you when we speak to raise others up,
Our actions please you when we work for peace and justice in this world,
Our thoughts please you when we think of ways to help those who have no power in this world,
and our hearts open to you when we take a moment in prayer.

Spirit God, you fill us with your love and grace.
Your living water washes over us, cleansing us of our sins and shortcomings.
We know that no matter how hard we try, no matter how good we are,
we will never live up to your ideals.
And, yet, we know that you accept us as we are,
you not only accept us, but you loved us before we were even born.
We are your beloved, and we are loved.

We confess that we spend too much time thinking about the material world around us,
and not enough time in prayer with you, Lord.
Open our hearts to your loving embrace,
Open our minds to desire that conversation and time of reflection with you,
Open our imagination to the possibilities that are within you,
Open our hands to the work that needs to be done in this world.

Mother God, you are with us always, loving us and healing us,
be with those among us today who need your healing grace.
We name ___
As you are with us, filling us with light and love,
open our hearts to desire this time with you,
remind us that we need to spend time in contemplation and reflection.

And, as we spend time in prayer with you, we use the words that your son taught us,
“Our Father…”

Changing the Rules (Mark 1:21-28)

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There is safety in the rules.

If you work hard, you will be rewarded.
If you don’t make a mistake, bad things won’t happen.
But we know that it doesn’t really work that way.
Our world is not always an orderly place.

Things happen no matter what we do.
Storms erupt.
Cancer strikes.
Jobs are lost.
Cars cross the center line.
Adhering to the rules will not prevent bad things from happening to us.

Things happen no matter what we do.
But your son changed the rules.
He taught us that it is not what we say,
but rather what we do.
We know that our deeds do not buy our salvation.
That is by your grace.

But it is up to us to make this world as it is in heaven.
It is up to us to strive constantly for peace and justice.
It is our hands who fulfill your plan here on earth.
It is our eyes who see the needs of those around us.
It is our hearts that open to your love and grace.
And it is you who have taught us to love one another.

Things happen no matter what we do.
But we know that you are with us always.
We ask that you be with __ as we know they need your healing grace.
We know that it is up to us to make this world as it is in your heaven.
And we use the words that you taught us, to remind us that it is our job,
“Our Father…”

What We Contribute (Ephesians 1:3-14)

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Mother God, we know that we are your children.
We know that we are each deeply loved and uniquely cherished.
We feel nurtured and blessed by your presence in our lives.
And then we face the world and are bombarded with messages.
Messages of fear.
Messages of doubt.
Messages of inferiority.
Remind us to act as if we truly believe that we are your children,
each of us equal in your eyes,
each of us given the gifts that you chose for us.
Remind us, Mother, that we are your children and that we are loved.
Give us the courage to act in ways that lead others to your love and presence.
Give us the confidence to use the gifts you have freely given us.

Teacher God, you have replaced the old laws and given us new truths and
new lessons to follow.
Through your Son, you have lavished your grace upon us
and we feel peace in your presence.
And then we face the world and that sense of peace can be shattered so easily.
Remind us, Teacher, that your lessons are as applicable today as they were back then.
You taught us that each of us, rich or poor, is equal in your Father’s eyes.
You taught us that we are to make this world more like your heaven,
to work for peace and justice.
Give us the courage to act in ways that lead others to your love and presence.
Give us the confidence to use the lessons you have freely taught us.

Creator God, you made each of us unique with different gifts and talents.
Individually, we can feel secure within our talents and capabilities.
And then we face the world and that self-confidence can be challenged
as we compare ourselves to others.
Help us to recognize and to celebrate these gifts within ourselves and in others.
Remind us that we are each uniquely special and formed in your image.
Remind us that someone else’s gifts do not detract from ours,
but that working together as your children,
our gifts complement one another allowing us to achieve your plan.
Remind us that you are with us always, supporting us and encouraging us.
We ask that you be with ___, who may need your healing power and your grace.
And we ask that you
Give us the courage to act in ways that lead others to your love and presence.
Give us the confidence to use the gifts you have freely shared with us.

Knowing deep within our souls that we are your children, we lift our voices to you,
using the words that Jesus taught us,
“Our Father…”

Reach Out to Us (Matthew 2:1-12)

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God of all Grace,
You find many ways to reach out to us.
Through our preparation for the Christmas season,
we have seen you find ways
to touch people of faith,
to touch a humble teenager in the middle of nowhere,
to touch a roaming band of shepherds,
and, now three Magi who bring gifts from afar.
The Magi were not Jewish and were from a different culture,
and yet they helped bring the news of the gift of your son.

God of all Grace,
You find many ways to reach out to us.
You reach out to us in our daily lives,
using the events of our lives to share yourself with us.
When we are fearful, you are with us to give us strength.
When we celebrate our accomplishments, you share in our joy.
When we hear devastating news, you are with us to comfort us and
to bring us hope.
When we see unfairness and injustice in our world,
you give us the strength to fight for peace and justice.
You are with us always.
Open our hearts so that we feel your presence and desire to follow you.

God of all Grace,
as our Creator, you gave us free will.
That free will allows us to make bad choices,
choices based in fear and selfishness.
Open our eyes so we can see our choices more clearly;
help us to make better choices, choices that follow your plan.
Make us more like the Magi, and less like Herod.
Help us to share our gifts freely and to listen to your teachings.
Reach out to us in ways we may not expect.
Touch us in ways that deepen our faith.
Speak to us in our dreams and in the silence of the night.
Question our choices when we fail to live up to your desired path.

God of all Grace,
You find many ways to reach out to us.
We know that you are with us always.
We ask that you be with __, members of our faith community,
who need your extra grace and healing touch.
Reach out to them, surround them with your healing light and
embrace them in your love.
Strengthen them as they face their challenges.
And, strengthen us, as your community.
We feel your presence among us.
And, as you reach out to us, we also reach out to you,
using the words your Son taught us,
“Our Father…”

For God, All Things Are Possible (Mark 10:17-31)

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For God, all things are possible.
For us, God, we know it is a little more difficult.
We focus on the wrong things.
We may cling to our status
and our possessions a little too tightly.
We try to be right all the time,
even if we’re not.

For God, all things are possible.
For us, God, we still have questions and doubts.
Remind us that the disciples also had questions and doubts.
We come together as your people,
welcoming new members and guests.
We are your community, your followers in this age.
Help us to see how our gifts and treasures can best be used
to make your teachings take life in this age.
Remind us that our bank balances do not define our true worth,
nor do dirty and unwashed clothes diminish the beauty
of the teenage runaway in the homeless shelter.
Remind us what the victims of fire, flood and earthquakes say,
when they are reunited with their loved ones.
They thank you, God, and say,
It doesn’t matter about the house, our things,
it only matters that we are safe and that we are together.
We know where our priorities should lie, but sometimes we forget.

For God, all things are possible.
So we ask you, God, open our hearts to your call.
For God, all things are possible.
So we ask you, God, open our eyes to the needs you see among us.
For God, all things are possible.
So we ask you, God, use our hands to make this world your world.
For God, all things are possible.
So we ask you, God, fill us with new ideas and new possibilities on
how to share your message with others.
For God, all things are possible.
So we ask you, God, make us generous with our treasures and with
our compassion.
For God, all things are possible.
So we ask you, God, to hear in our silence, what is most important to
us at this moment.

<silent moment>

For God, all things are possible.
So we ask you, God, to share your grace and your healing touch with
those among us who need your support.
We name ___

In God, and in our community of believers,
we know that all things are possible.
We use the words that your Son taught us,
“Our Father…”