Prayers

We Are Loved (Mark 12:28-34)

cmkenlinLeave a comment

We believe that you love us, Creator God.
Help us to really and truly understand that love.
Fill us, from head to toe,
with the overwhelming and awe-inspiring knowledge
of that love.
Open our hearts to the truth of that love.
Tear down the barriers we place between ourselves and you.
As a tidal wave washes everything away in its path,
let us see the waves of your love crash
against the walls we have built with fear,
against the gates we have locked with self-doubt, and
against the obstacles we have created with pain.

Let us see that we are enough.
We are good enough.
We are your children.

Believing does not always mean knowing and understanding.
If we truly knew and understood your love,
how would our lives change?

If we truly knew and understood your love,
would we have less fear in our life?

If we truly knew and understood your love,
would we treat each other differently?

If we truly knew and understood your love,
would we prioritize our time in different ways?

If we truly knew and understood your love,
would we chase different dreams?

You love us completely and unconditionally.
You formed us in your image and yet, as humans, we are flawed.
But you love us anyway.
You love us and we should be dancing in the streets with that news.
But we confess sometimes we barely move,
even here in the pews with our fellow believers.
Fill us, from head to toe,
with the overwhelming and awe-inspiring knowledge of your love.
Open our eyes to ways that we can share that love with others.
Show us how to trigger the excitement of your news within ourselves,
and then with others.
Use us as your hands in this world and
give us the strength to make this world, your world.
As we support one another, we ask that you especially be with __ at this time.

We believe that you love us, Creator God.
We ask that you help us to really and truly understand that love.
As a symbol of your love, you sent to us your Son.
He taught us the words we use today,
Our Father…”
style

The Lord’s Promise (Hebrews 10:11-25)

cmkenlinLeave a comment

We know we can count on your promises, Lord.
Your promises and your teachings bring us here each week
and we keep you in our hearts every hour of every day.
You came to us and shared our humanness
and in doing so, you have given us direct access
to our Father, to You and to the Holy Spirit.

Fill our hearts with the truth of the assurance of faith.
Help us to hold onto the confession of our hope.
For we know that you are with us always,
when we are alone and
when we are with other people.
We know that you are with us
in our celebrations
and in our trials.
As your people, we come together in this holy place.
We come together to learn your teachings.
We come together to support one another and
to build a community of believers.
Help us to encourage one another.
Help us to show love to one another.
Help us to be your people.

We know we can count on your promises, Lord.
As your community of believers,
we come to you with open hearts and open minds.
We ask that you be with those among us who need
you the most. We name ___.
As we move through our lives,
we celebrate our relationships with one another,
we celebrate our relationship with you.
We know that you are with us and we ask for your guidance.
Help us to fulfill your plan here on earth.

We know that we can count on your promises, Lord.
We use the words that you taught us,
“Our Father…”

The Lord’s Prayer (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…”

Turning Our World Upside Down (Luke 1:26-45, 56)

cmkenlinLeave a comment

Father, your love for us knows no bounds.
Your grace is freely given to us,
no matter our failings.
In your love, you sent the angel Gabriel
to an ordinary teenager living in the middle of nowhere.
Do not be afraid, said Gabriel.
Fear not, but I am going to turn your world upside down.

Father, today we are feeling like our world has been turned upside down.
In this Advent time of joy and preparation,
we are faced instead with events
that make us fearful,
that divide us, and
that cause us to question our very core.
We are a fearful people, at times.
We’ve heard your message: Fear not, for I am with you.
And yet, in the dark of the night, when all is quiet,
those worries and fears can echo loudly in our ears.
When we read the news and watch the pain and devastation in real-time,
we can allow our fear to overwhelm our sense of balance.
We let fear harden our hearts against those who need our help the very most.

Father, your love for us knows no bounds.
We are your children, each of us precious in your sight.
Each of us is deeply loved and uniquely cherished.
And in your love, you sent us your Son.
In this season of Advent, we wait and prepare,
for the gift that brings us closer to you.
As we wait, walk with us on our journey,
remind us that you are with us when our thoughts turn to worry,
unclench our hands when our fears make us anxious and angry,
open our eyes to the power of your love in our lives,
allow us to hear each other without judgment,
show us your truths,
and teach us to work together for the good of all your people.
As Mary said, Let it be with me according to your word,
open our hearts so that we also say, Let it be with me.

Father, your love for us knows no bounds.
In this season of Advent, help us to replace our fear with the joy of your love.
Let it be with us according to your word.
In this season of Advent, help us to show that love to others.
Let it be with us according to your word.
In this season of Advent, help us to teach your word to others.
Let it be with us according to your word.
In this season of Advent, help us to lift up those around us.
Let it be with us according to your word.

And, in this season of Advent, as we wait for the renewing celebration of the gift of your son,
we use the words he taught us,
“Our Father…”

You may have the congregation respond using the words in bold text.

We Have Choices (Matthew 1:18-25)

cmkenlinLeave a comment

Father God, you gave us free will
which means we have choices to make in life.
Choices that are made publicly and sometimes in private.
Choices that make the world a better place
and choices that cause others pain.
We ask that you be with us, reminding us of your way,
as we make our choices in life.
Open our eyes to the impact that we have on others.
Remind us that our choice to act
and our choice not to act both have consequences.

Mother God, you give us love and grace freely.
We know that we are your children and that.
together we make up your church.
We join together here as one body, one people.
We make the choice to be here this Sunday
so that we can hear your word together,
so that we can support one another,
and so we can learn from each other.
As your children, we ask that you be with those among us
who need you the most. We name ___

Lord, we are waiting for your arrival.
As we wait, we are reminded that you came to us
to share in our lives, to be with us and to be one of us.
Open our hearts to your love and guidance.
Help us to see in your teachings the choices that you made,
the love that you acted out in deeds more than in words.
Help us to be more like you as we enter into the Christmas season.
Remind us of what we are truly waiting for and
what our celebration really means.
As Joseph and Mary followed God’s plan,
we ask that you use us to also fulfill that plan.
As we wait for your arrival,
we lift our hands up in anticipation and praise,
and we use the words that you taught us,
“Our Father…”

Looking for a Sign (Luke 2:8-20)

cmkenlinLeave a comment

We often ask for a sign that we are doing the right thing.

We want to see things in black and white, but often our world is full of grays.
The answer so often is, “It depends.”

You may not send us a multitude of angels in song,
and, yet, the signs of your presence are all around us.
We know that you are speaking to us
when we find ourselves in a position to help someone else,
when we realize a recurring theme in our daily encounters,
when we meet those who make the biggest difference in our lives,
and, when our ideas crystalize in ways we did not initially imagine.
We see your face in the people that we meet.
We hear your voice in the backdrop of our conversations.
We feel your touch as we embrace our family and friends.

We often ask for a sign that we are doing the right thing.
Remind us that we already know what you want us to do.
Remind us that you have given us the gifts and talents
we need to make your plan come to life here on this earth.
Nudge us when we go astray and help us see the signs you have given us.
You are with us when we open our eyes in the morning’s light.
You are with us as we make our way through our day.
You are with us as we close our eyes at night.
As you walk with us, we ask that you make your signs to us more visible.

The shepherds received your sign and glorified in what they saw.
They were wanderers, making a community among themselves.
We are your church, your followers.
We have made a community with each other.
We come together to support one another, knowing that you are with us always.
We ask you to be with those among us who need your healing touch.
We name __.

We often ask for a sign that we are doing the right thing.
We want to see things in black and white, but often our world is full of grays.
The answer so often is, “It depends.”

And yet we know that we can depend upon you.
We know that we are your children, deeply loved and uniquely cherished.
As we wait for the arrival of the infant Christ,
we use the words he taught us,
“Our Father….”

Created in God’s Image (Mark 10:35-45)

cmkenlinLeave a comment 
We call ourselves your followers, Lord.
We are your children, we call ourselves Christians.
Remind us what that really means.
We were told to love one another as we love ourselves. 

We are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
But who do we consider to be our neighbor?
The person who looks like us, talks like us
     and shares our common experience?
Or is our neighbor a different color?
Does our neighbor make less money than we do?
Does our neighbor speak the same language that we speak?
Does our neighbor have more kids than they can afford to feed?
Did our neighbor drop out of high school?
Has our neighbor escaped a country full of violence
     to find safety in the United States?
Take our judgmental views from our thoughts, Lord.
Help us to see each other as you see us, without bias and in love.
It can be easy for us to look down upon others in an attempt to build up
     our own status and self-importance.

Help us, Father, to treat each other as your children, as our brothers and sisters in Christ.
We do not choose our starting point in life,
     and each of us makes both good and bad choices as we travel
     through life's paths.
Our wealth and comfort in this life is not our right,
     nor is someone else's poverty their penalty for a failed life.
Remind us that none of us are better than another,
     and remind us that we may see each other through biased eyes.
Help us to see your image in the face of those around us.
You created us in your image,
     we are each your children, regardless of what we look like,
     regardless of our talents and skills.
You created us in your image.
We are your children, each of us deeply loved and uniquely cherished.

As we look at others, it is natural for us to classify others, to compare
     ourselves to others.
Remind us when we do that, we will give in to either envy or
     disappointment.
These are not feelings that you want us to experience.
God, you are love, light and grace. That is what you want us to experience,
     to be.
We are unique, created in your image, and each of us possess gifts and
     talents given to us for a purpose.
As your children, we know that you are with us always and we ask that you
     be with __
We know that you have reached out to us in love, and given us your son to
     share your teachings.
For those of us in need of healing, we ask that your Holy Spirit flows
     through us, healing us, strengthening us, making us whole.

As your children, we know that we are equal with one another,
     we know that we were each created in your image and that each of us
     fulfills your particular plan here on earth.
As your children, we celebrate that you gave us your Son to teach us,
     to share your love and grace, and to build a community of believers.
As your followers, we use the words given to us by your Son,
     "Our Father..."

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

cmkenlin1 Comment

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…”

God Loves Us (Mark 12:28-34)

cmkenlinLeave a comment

We believe that you love us, Creator God.
Help us to really and truly understand that love.
Fill us, from head to toe,
with the overwhelming and awe-inspiring knowledge
of that love.
Open our hearts to the truth of that love.
Tear down the barriers we place between ourselves and you.
As a tidal wave washes everything away in its path,
let us see the waves of your love crash
against the walls we have built with fear,
against the gates we have locked with self-doubt, and
against the obstacles we have created with pain.

Let us see that we are enough.
We are good enough.
We are your children.

Believing does not always mean knowing and understanding.
If we truly knew and understood your love,
how would our lives change?

If we truly knew and understood your love,
 would we have less fear in our life?

If we truly knew and understood your love,
would we treat each other differently?

If we truly knew and understood your love,
would we prioritize our time in different ways?

If we truly knew and understood your love,
would we chase different dreams

You love us completely and unconditionally.
You formed us in your image and yet, as humans, we are flawed.
But you love us anyway.
You love us and we should be dancing in the streets with that news.
But we confess sometimes we barely move,
even here in the pews with our fellow believers.
Fill us, from head to toe,
with the overwhelming and awe-inspiring knowledge of your love.
Open our eyes to ways that we can share that love with others.
Show us how to trigger the excitement of your news within ourselves,
and then with others.
Use us as your hands in this world and
give us the strength to make this world, your world.
As we support one another, we ask that you especially be with __ at this time.

We believe that you love us, Creator God.
We ask that you help us to really and truly understand that love.
As a symbol of your love, you sent to us your Son.
He taught us the words we use today,
“Our Father…”

We Can Count on You (Hebrews 10:11-25)

cmkenlinLeave a comment

We know we can count on your promises, Lord.
Your promises and your teachings bring us here each week
and we keep you in our hearts every hour of every day.
You came to us and shared our humanness
and in doing so, you have given us direct access
to our Father, to You and to the Holy Spirit.

Fill our hearts with the truth of the assurance of faith.
Help us to hold onto the confession of our hope.
For we know that you are with us always,
when we are alone and
when we are with other people.
We know that you are with us
in our celebrations
and in our trials.
As your people, we come together in this holy place.
We come together to learn your teachings.
We come together to support one another and
to build a community of believers.
Help us to encourage one another.
Help us to show love to one another.
Help us to be your people.

We know we can count on your promises, Lord.
As your community of believers,
we come to you with open hearts and open minds.
We ask that you be with those among us who need
you the most.  We name ___.
As we move through our lives,
we celebrate our relationships with one another,
we celebrate our relationship with you.
We know that you are with us and we ask for your guidance.
Help us to fulfill your plan here on earth.

We know that we can count on your promises, Lord.
We use the words that you taught us,
“Our Father…”