John

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….”

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…”

Do Whatever He Tells You to Do (John 2:1-11)

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Do whatever he tells you to do.
That’s what Mary told the servants to do at Cana.
Lord, help us to have the same faith and the same discipline.
Help us to follow you and to do what you tell us to do.
Open our ears to your directives.
Open our hearts to your love.
And, open our eyes to your plan.

Your mother, Lord, had faith in your ability to make a difference in this world.
You gathered disciples from unlikely candidates
and they also had faith in you.
They carried your story forward and have made disciples of us.

We are your followers, Lord.
We gather here each week
and make up the body of Christ in today’s world.
Strengthen us,
Use us,
Teach us,
Lead us,
We want to do whatever you tell us to do.

Remind us that there is abundance in this world.
As you changed over a hundred of gallons of water into wine for a wedding,
help us to see that we live in a world of plenty.
We may feel there is not enough, but you have given us more than enough.
Unclench our fists as we try to hold onto more than our fair share.
Encourage our generosity.
Open our eyes to the needs of those around us, locally and globally.
As you have blessed us, we need to also bless those around us.
As your disciples learned from you, help us to also learn your teachings
and help us to share those teachings with others.
As your community shared with one another, and supported one another,
we support each other.
We ask that you be with __ .

Do whatever he tells you to do.
That’s what Mary told the servants to do at Cana.
You have told us what to do.
We know what we are to do and we ask that you give us the strength to do so.
You have given us the words to say and we use those words today,
“Our Father…”

The Lord’s Prayer (John 18:33-37)

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You gave us the Lord’s Prayer,
a prayer we say every week,
perhaps every day.
Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Lord, you told Pilate that your kingdom
is not from this world.
You were right.
You came to us and shared our humanness.
Your kingdom did not come from here rather
you came to us to give us your kingdom.

Your teachings showed us that you are the way.
We are to make this world like your kingdom.
Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
The kingdom you sought to make here on earth
was not a violent world.
You taught us peaceful resistance.
You taught us to speak for the powerless and
to love the unlovable.
You taught us to care for the sick,
to strengthen the weak, and
to always speak the truth in love.
In your teachings, you showed love at all times.

Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us the courage to stand up for those without power.
Give us the wisdom to see the plans you have for us here on earth.
Give us the strength to follow your teachings and
to open our hearts to your love.
We have come together to make this your community.
We support each other and we know that you are with us always.
As your children, Father, we ask that you be with those among us
who need your support and healing grace the most.
We name __.

Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
This is your world, this is your kingdom.
Help us to make this world your world.
Help us to truly be your people,
to be your church in this world.
We use the words that you taught us, Jesus,
the words that make us your followers,
“Our Father…”

Be The Church (John 18:33-37)

cmkenlinLeave a comment

You gave us the Lord’s Prayer,
a prayer we say every week,
perhaps every day.
Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Lord, you told Pilate that your kingdom
is not from this world.
You were right.
You came to us and shared our humanness.
Your kingdom did not come from here rather
you came to us to give us your kingdom.

Your teachings showed us that you are the way.
We are to make this world like your kingdom.
Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
The kingdom you sought to make here on earth
was not a violent world.
You taught us peaceful resistance.
You taught us to speak for the powerless and
to love the unlovable.
You taught us to care for the sick,
to strengthen the weak, and
to always speak the truth in love.
In your teachings, you showed love at all times.

Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us the courage to stand up for those without power.
Give us the wisdom to see the plans you have for us here on earth.
Give us the strength to follow your teachings and
to open our hearts to your love.
We have come together to make this your community.
We support each other and we know that you are with us always.
As your children, Father, we ask that you be with those among us
who need your support and healing grace the most.
We name __.

Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
This is your world, this is your kingdom.
Help us to make this world your world.
Help us to truly be your people,
to be your church in this world.
We use the words that you taught us, Jesus,
the words that make us your followers,
“Our Father…”