Love – Page 4 – Uniquely Cherished

A Place to Call Home (Deuteronomy 26:1-11)

February 9, 2016February 25, 2016cmkenlinLeave a comment

Each of us longs for a place to call home,
a place that we are safe and cherished.
Home is a place where when we walk through the door,
we can drop our public face and become who we truly are.

Lord, we ask you to be with those in this world who have no home,
no safe place to live, who may not feel welcome,
and who feel alone and helpless.
We ask that you open our eyes to the needs
of those who live in war zones,
of those who live in underdeveloped countries,
and those who live in poverty within our own country.
Remind us that our public policies and our private choices
have contributed to their situations.
Remind us how fortunate we have been to be born
in this place and in this time,
how fortunate we are
to have the opportunity to improve ourselves and our situations.

Each of us longs for a place to call home,
a place that we are safe and cherished.
As we come here each week to this sacred place,
we feel your presence and we know that we are cherished.
This place, this home, is always here for us even as our lives change.
Your teachings and your grace are always here for us
even as the world changes around us.
No matter where we travel in this world, no matter where our home may be,
you are with us always.
We know that you walk with us on our journey and
we ask that you make your will known to us.
We ask that you be with those among us
who especially need your healing touch, and we name ___.
As the world changes too quickly for us to comprehend,
we ask that you be with us and fill us with your peace.

Lord, there are far too many people in this world
who have no place to call their home.
There is too much violence, too much economic uncertainty,
and too much political upheaval for any of us to feel comfortable.
Remind us that we are your children.
Remind us that as your children,
each of us is deeply loved and uniquely cherished.
Remind us that as your children,
as your followers, we are to support one another.
Remind us to help each other find their home, their safe place.
Remind us to share our fortune with others,
and especially to share the good news of your love and your teachings.

Each of us longs for a place to call home,
a place that we are safe and cherished.
If we cannot find our home in the earthly world,
we know we have a home with you.
We know that we can be ourselves with you
because we are your children.
You know us completely and you love and accept us.
In this sacred place, in this home, we use the words that your Son taught us,
“Our Father…”

Love Each Other (Romans 12:9-21)

February 3, 2016cmkenlinLeave a comment

Creator of Love and Light,

Your lesson to us has always been love.
Love each other as we love ourselves.
Three easy words, Love each other.

Giver of all things,
Your lesson to us is to hate evil and cling to love.
Remind us to lift up in prayer, even those we do not care for.
Love each other as we love ourselves.
Three easy words, Love each other.

We are the children of God.
As children, we may not comprehend the meaning of all your teachings.
Three easy words, Love each other.
Your teachings come down to these three words.
As we are cherished and loved as your children,
we, too, also need to love each other.

Compassionate One,
As we are loved, we know that we are to support one another.
We lift up __ in our prayers and know that while You are also with them,
we need to show them our love and our concern, in our words and in our prayers.
As the body of Christ, we cherish each other as you cherish us.

Lord of Peace,
Remind us that by loving one another, we create peace in our world.
Love each other as we love ourselves.
In love, you sent to us your Son.
In love, He taught us these words,
“Our Father….”

What Good Can Come Out of Nazareth? (John 1:43-51)

January 30, 2016cmkenlinLeave a comment

We look at something or at someone,
and we make assumptions about what we see.

We watch the woman in front of us at the grocery store using food stamps,
and we evaluate her purchases.
We critique her clothing, the fact that she has a cell phone and how many children she has.
What good can come out of Nazareth?

We see protestors in the streets.
Some of us relate to them and celebrate their presence.
Some of us think to ourselves that those people have too much time on their hands,
and don’t want to take personal responsibility for themselves.
What good can come out of Nazareth?

We are a divided people, Lord.
We view the world through our biases, our assumptions, and often, through our judgments.
The big picture escapes us, it is easier to believe the soundbite, rather than ask why.
We live in a world of us versus them.
What good can come out of Nazareth?

We are supposed to be a people of love.
Remind us that we are all interconnected,
that our energy interacts with the energy of those around us.
Remind us, Jesus, that you made no judgments about those around you.
You accepted those you encountered,
regardless of the reaction of those who considered themselves to be socially correct.
You reached out to those who were powerless and marginalized,
and empowered them with your love and acceptance.
What good can come out of Nazareth?

We are the people who come from Nazareth.
We heard your teachings,
we follow you with our lives and our deeds.
We are the good that comes from Nazareth.
We are a strong community, gathering strength from each other,
united in our faith even while we debate with each other the best way to create your world here on Earth.
It is us to us, Jesus, to make this world as it is in heaven.
Help us to do that. Give us the strength and the wisdom to make it so.
Open our eyes to your plan and open our hearts to do your bidding.

We are the people who come from Nazareth.
And, we know that you are with us always.
We ask that you be with ___, our members in the body of Christ who need your added strength and healing grace.
As your people in love, we know that we need to spend time in prayer and contemplation.
You modeled the need for prayer and you gave us the words to start with,
“Our Father….”

Because We Believe (John 3:14-21)

January 16, 2016January 16, 2016cmkenlinLeave a comment

Like you, Father, we understand the love you have for your children.
Until our children were put in our arms, we had no idea how much love we could feel.
We are your children, Lord, each of us uniquely cherished and deeply loved.

You gave your Son to us, not to condemn us but to save us.
Help us to truly follow his teachings.
He taught us that we should act as one body,
to treat each other as we would want to be treated.
Help us to freely love one another without reservation.
He taught us to love the unlovable,
to comfort those in pain or illness,
to speak for those who have no voice,
and to value those who have no power.
Help us to realize it is not enough to say we believe,
help us to understand that our actions truly define our beliefs.

We cannot say we believe in your teachings
if our actions tell a different story.
We believe in your Son, and that he is the way to your light and your love.
And, because we believe, we act in ways that uphold those beliefs.
We cannot say we love your Son
if we do not freely love our brothers and sisters.
We cannot say we love your Son
if we do not seek out opportunities to make this earth as it is in your heaven.
We cannot say we love your Son
if we do not love ourselves completely.
We cannot say we love your Son
until we are willing to sacrifice our needs and wants for those around us.

Give us the strength to carry out your plan on earth.
Open our hearts to share your love freely with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Help us share your message of love and healing to those we encounter in our daily lives.
Be with those among us who need your healing touch and your sense of peace.
We name ___.

We are your children, Lord. As your children, we know that you are with us always.
We are comforted by your love and we use the words that you have taught us,
“Our Father…”

Love Joy Choice (John 15:9-17)

January 16, 2016January 16, 2016cmkenlinLeave a comment

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….”

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

January 16, 2016cmkenlinLeave a comment

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…”