Luke

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…”

Listening for You (Luke 10:3842)

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Our world is a busy and chaotic world.
So many different things compete for our attention.
It can be hard for us to hear our own thoughts,
to take a moment to just be.
And, sometimes, we spend more time
dealing with day to day tasks
than we do in daily prayer and meditation.

In the morning, when we first wake,
before we think about our first to-do,
help us to give you thanks for a new day and a new beginning.
Help us to be present with you in the early morning quiet.
Open our hearts to your will in our lives.

During our day, as we cross items off our to-do list,
remind us to spend time with you again.
Open our ears to those we encounter during our day,
especially those who we may not know well or
who have different life experiences than ours.
Help us to be present with them and to truly hear their story,
and help us to hear the words that they leave unspoken.
What are they afraid to share with us?
Remind us that the gift of our attention is sometimes
the most valuable gift we can give to someone.
Help us to be present with you in the busy of our day.
Open our hearts to your will in our lives.

As we spend time with our friends and families,
remind us that this time is precious in our lives.
In what seems like moments rather than years,
children grow and become teenagers and then adults,
spouses and our relationships with them evolve,
and parents age and require assistance.
Help us to be present with our family,
to truly listen to their story and to know them fully.
Remind us that our time and our attention is worth more
than any material gift.
Help us to be present with you within the love of our family.
Open our hearts to your will in our lives.

As our day draws to an end, remind us again
to hear your voice in the quiet of the night.
As we think back over our day,
help us to hear when you spoke to us throughout the day.
Help us to be present with you in the stillness of the night.
Open our hearts to your will in our lives.

Ever-loving God, you are always present with us.
As we support each other, we ask that you be with those among us
who need some additional support and strength.
We name ___
And, while we seek out your voice in our daily lives,
we lift up our voices using the words Jesus taught us,
Our Father…”

Seeing From the Viewpoint of the Other (Luke 10:25-37)

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God of Compassion and Mercy, you have always been with us
challenging us when we need to be challenged,
and sending to us your Son who modeled your love in his teachings.
Be with us now and help us to see the world from the viewpoint of the other.

As we sit here in this sacred space, open our hearts and our minds.
Open our eyes to see a different world than what we usually see.
As we look at ourselves, help us to imagine ourselves as different people.
Our skin is no longer white, but instead different shades of brown.
Open our eyes to notice how others may now treat us.

As we look at ourselves, help us to imagine ourselves as different people.
Our salary level is now lower than it was when we walked into this sanctuary.
Open our eyes to notice how others may now treat us.

As we look at ourselves, help us to imagine ourselves as different people.
Our country of origin is different than the US and we have recently moved here.
Open our eyes to notice how others may now treat us.

As we sit here in this sacred place, and later as we move from here out into the world,
open our hearts and our minds.
Help us to listen to the story of those who are not like us.
Help us to listen without trying to defend ourselves and our behaviors.
Help us to listen without feeling guilty or accused.
Help us to listen without judgment and without reservation.
Help us to just listen, to hear the story from the view of the other,
and to accept the truth of how they see their life and their experiences.

Gracious God, you created us in your image, each of us your beloved child.
Help us to see your image in the face of those we encounter.
Help us to share the love you have generously provided to us,
to those that we meet in our daily lives.
Help us to accept the differences between us
and even to celebrate those differences.
Help us to stand up for those who are different
and to fight for those without a voice.

Gracious God, we are your children.
You have been with us always, and we ask that you especially be with ___.
The teacher that you sent us, your son, Jesus,
championed the cause of the other.
He showed us how we should live.
And he gave us the words we should use in prayer,
and we use those words today,
“Our Father…”

Our Lives are Messy (Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32)

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
A Messy Life

We make choices in our lives.
Sometimes we choose wisely and
sometimes our choices land us in the muck,
maybe not literally rolling in the mud with the pigs,
but we can get pretty messy, Lord.

Remind us that we can find you in the messiness of life.
As children, we learned about the world you gave us by getting dirty.
We jumped in puddles, rolled in the autumn leaves
and picked dandelion bouquets we gave to our mothers.
Sometimes we played together nicely and
sometimes we refused to share our toys.
You were with us during those times of exploration.

Teenagers, Lord, can be really messy creatures.
As teenagers, we struggled to find our place in the world
and to understand the messiness of adult responsibilities and relationships.
As parents of teenagers, we struggled to find the words
to connect with our children in ways that brought them closer
and didn’t push them away.
The teenage years were full of exploration and angst.
We may not have had dirty clothes, but we were often deep in the muck.
You were still with us, Lord, during those years.

And then we became adults, Lord, perhaps with children of our own.
And even then, our lives were messy and we knew that we were not always in control.
Families are really, really messy, Lord, no matter how old we are.
We hurt each others’ feelings. We borrow things that don’t belong to us.
We think our family members should know what we want and what we need.
We expect things from our family that we would never ask a stranger to do.
Our children may not have the same dreams we want for them.
Our parents lose their independence and we find our roles suddenly changing.
Remind us, Lord, that we find you with us in the messiness,
and the joy, of family life.

Jesus, you taught us the value of forgiveness and acceptance.
Help us to see these truths in the messiness of our lives.
Open our eyes to the barriers we may be placing between ourselves and others.
Open our hearts to forgive when we feel unappreciated or less valued.
Use our hands to support each other and
to celebrate each other’s gifts and talents.
Remind us of the joy of childhood and help us find in our lives today.
You taught us the value of community and family.
We know that you are with us always, even in the muck,
and we ask that you especially be with __.

As your family, as your loving children,
we use the words Jesus taught us, by saying,
“Our Father…”

I Believe in Salvation

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Lord, as children, we were brought to your church and learned your ways.
As parents, we have brought our own children to your church
and taught them your ways.

We are still your children, Lord, and each of us have much yet to learn.
You have given us your Son, Lord,
a child born to a destiny that was unimaginable to Mary and Joseph.
But can any child live up to the dreams and hopes of their parents?
Have we lived up to your dreams and hopes?

We are still your children, Lord, and each of us have much yet to learn.
We ask for your grace and for your wisdom.
Open our eyes to your dreams and hopes for each of us.
Show us our destiny, the plan that you have designed for each of us.
We ask for your strength so that we can live up to your dreams and hopes.

We are still your children, Lord, and each of us have much yet to learn.
All too often we still act like children.
We squabble with each other and refuse to share the gifts
you have given so freely to us.
Remind us, Lord, of the hopes and dreams that surround the birth of a child; the anticipation of a new beginning.
We lift our lives up to you, Lord.
Like Jesus, Lord, help us to grow, to become strong.
Fill us with wisdom and grant us your grace.

Transform Us (Luke 9:28-36)

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We come to this place every week
for many different reasons.
Some of us were born into a church family
and we know no other way of life.
We cannot imagine a life without you, Jesus.
Others came to this church later in life.
We had a life before that may not have included God,
or maybe a life with a God that was minimized
and only called upon in times of crisis.

But we are here now, Lord, here in this sacred place with you.
We ourselves have been transformed by your love,
by your grace, and most especially by your teachings.
Jesus, you have been our role model and
showed us how we should live our lives.
You showed us how important it is to pray,
to allow that quiet time between ourselves and God.
You showed us how to include everyone,
and to treat everyone with respect and fairness.
You showed us how to live in a way that fulfills God’s plan on earth,
even when we may not feel we have the courage to do so.
You showed us how our lives will change when we live not for ourselves,
but for others.
You showed us how to live in peace with each other,
and how to support each other.
You showed us how to enjoy life and to celebrate God’s joy in this world.
You did this in actions, not only in words.

Transform us today, Lord, here in this sacred place,
and in every place we may find ourselves.
Transform us. Make us more receptive to prayer and
to hearing the call of the Holy Spirit.
Transform us. Make us more willing to accept and to seek out diversity.
Transform us. Make us peacemakers who work for equality and fairness for all.
Transform us. Make us more generous with our talents and our treasures.
Transform us. Make us a community who builds each other up
and supports those who may need help.
We ask that you also be with ___ who are in need of your healing touch and strength.
Transform us into a stronger body of Christ,
a community who celebrates the joy of your love
and enjoys and nurtures the gifts of the earth that you have given us.

We come to this place every week.
And, we leave this place changed by your presence.
We follow your teachings as best we can.
We ask that you walk with us on our journey and transform us along the way.
And, we use the words that you taught us to use,
“Our Father…”

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Help Us To See Each Other Clearly (Luke 4:14-30)

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You have made us in your image,
but we wear many masks to those around us.
We are the child, the parent, the friend, the boss, the stranger.
We change depending on our circumstances.

We are your children, Lord.
You have anointed us with your spirit
and have sent us to do your work.
You have made us in your image,
but we see each other through the lens of our lives,
through our experiences.

Help us to see each other clearly.
Help us to see the face of God in the faces of those around us.
Help us to recognize when you are among us, to see those God moments.

You have made us in your image.
You have sent your Son to teach us.
As we look at those among us in this sacred place,
we see our brothers and sisters in Christ.
In this sacred place, we see the hands that do your work.
In this sacred place, we hear the stories of our ancestors and the teachings that you have shared.
From this sacred place, we move out into the world
to use our backs to carry the load of those who are the weakest among us.

Help us to see each other clearly.
Help us to see the face of God in the faces of those around us.
Help us to recognize when you are among us, to see those God moments.

We are your children, Lord, and we know that you are with us always.
Be with those among us who need your strength and healing grace the most.
We name___
You have made us in your image and sent your Son to teach us these words,
“Our Father…”

Making Mistakes (Luke 15:11-32)

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We make a lot of mistakes in our lives.
Some of our mistakes hurt only ourselves.
Some of our mistakes hurt those we care the most about.
Some of our mistakes hurt You
even as You love us as Your children.

We ask your forgiveness even as we celebrate your loving embrace.
You know us better than we know ourselves.
You have accepted our apology before we have voiced the words or thoughts.

We make a lot of mistakes in our lives.
Fear makes us harden our hearts and builds barriers between us and others.
Ignorance allows us to make bad decisions.
Hurt feelings cause grudges that widen the gaps between us.
Pride prevents us from forgiving those around us.
Jealousy says words that build ourselves up by tearing others down.
Greed encourages us to take things away from others.

We ask your forgiveness even as we celebrate your loving embrace.
You know us better than we know ourselves.
You have accepted our apology before we have voiced the words or thoughts.

Remind us that we are your children.
Remind us that we are your children, equally loved and uniquely cherished.
As we love our children, despite their mistakes, you love us.
We do not take your acceptance for granted and raise our voices in apology and thanksgiving.

We are far from perfect, Lord, but we know that you are with us always.
We know that you are with ___ who need your extra support and care today.
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, you have been and will be with us,
even if we have not been with you.
As your children, as your disciples, we use the words that Jesus taught us,
“Our Father…”

Year of the Jubilee (Luke 4:14-21)

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This is the year of the Lord’s favor,
the year of the Jubilee,
when captives are released,
and debts are forgiven.
Help us to see, Lord, where we are held captive.
Where in our lives are we feeling bound?
*silence*
What debts do we owe to others?
What debts do we owe to ourselves?
*silence*
Are we able to forgive ourselves
as easily as we forgive others?

*silence*

This is the year of the Lord’s favor.
What would he say to us today?
As we look at our lives,
are we living our lives the way we should be living?
*silence*
Are we walking in your
footsteps, Lord?
Are we making this world your world?
*silence*
Help us to see, Lord, where we are held captive.
Help us to see when we choose not to act
because we think that we cannot make a difference.
Help us to realize that we can make that difference.

*silence*

This is the year of the Lord’s favor
the year of the Jubilee.
Forgive us our debts as we forgive others.
We start afresh from this point forward.
As we move into the world feeling free from our burdens,
how will we change the world?
As we forgive those among us,
how does that free us?
*silence*
Help us to see that freedom.
Help us to use that freedom.

*silence*

This is the year of the Lord’s favor.
The Scripture has been fulfilled in our hearing.
We are your people, Lord.
We gather here each week to fulfill your promise.
We make up the body of Christ and carry out your teachings.
As the community of believers we support each other in our trials,
and we ask that you be with ___in particular as they need your healing grace and strength.
Remind us that in most cases, the chains that are holding us prisoner were created by ourselves.
Give us the strength to free ourselves,
give us the strength to achieve your plan.

This is the year of the Lord’s favor.
As your people, we listen to your teachings.
We follow your teachings, and we use the words you taught us,
“Our Father…”

Stories of Faith (Luke 1:26-38)

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We sit here in this holy place,
a place in which we hear stories of wonder.
In this season, we hear of a teenage girl
who will become the mother of your son,
and of an older woman who also will
give birth after many empty years.

We have stories of wonder in our own lives.
The birth of a child,
the recovery from an illness,
the brilliance of a sunrise over a field of snow,
the love we thought we would never find,
or the warmth of forgiveness after a quarrel.

We sit here in this holy place,
a place in which we hear stories of faith.
In this season, a teenage girl says let it be with me
according to your word.

Let it be with us, Lord,
according to your word.
Open our hearts to the possibilities within you.
Free our imagination to dream of what we could be
and what we should be.
Give us the faith to accept what you place before us.
Give us the wisdom to discern our purpose in your plan.

We sit here in this holy place,
every week.
Send us out into the world to share those stories of wonder,
those stories of faith.
Send us out into the world to fulfill your possibilities,
to actualize the dream of what we should be,
and to set your plan into motion.
Let it be with me, according to your word.

We sit here in this holy place,
looking at the faces of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
We are your children, Lord,
and we ask for your strength and healing grace for those among us who need you the most.
We name __
We have heard your stories of wonder and faith.
We have also heard how your son taught us to pray,
“Our Father…”