A Prayer for the Second Sunday after Pentecost

Luke 10

He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” 10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

But say the word, and my servant will be healed

We don't know how to act, Jesus

We're not sure we deserve your grace

We try to do our best

We strive to make it on our own

run our businesses

take charge of our lives

raise our families to be winners

better, stronger, smarter, richer

You come, Jesus, and turn us upside down

by your gift of grace

reminding us that not by our efforts

or successes or achievements

but through your grace that we have life

and life abundantly

But say the word, and my servant will be healed.

We don't know how to act, Jesus

We're not sure we deserve your forgiveness

We make so many mistakes

mess so many things up

we confess that we fail to do our part

in healing the world's pain

too often focusing on our own hurts

remaining selfish and greedy

You come, Jesus, and turn us upside down

by your acts of forgiveness

You take away our sins and debts and trespasses

and wipe our blemishes

giving us a life free to live

and live abundant

But say the word, and my servant will be healed.

We don't know how to act, Jesus

We're not sure we deserve your love

We really don' know how to love

love others or love ourselves

We know how to use and abuse

manipulate people for our rewards

We build walls to hide behind

letting no one and nothing

You come, Jesus, and turn everything upside down

You love us unconditionally

wrapping your arms around us

instilling your Spirit with us

freeing us to live life to the fullest

and live it abundantly

Thank you, Lord Jesus

Thank you for your grace

Thank you for your forgiveness

Thank you for your love

Amen

A PRAYER FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

1 Kings 17 (NIV)

8 Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9 “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” 10 So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” 11 As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.”

17 Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. 18 She said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?”

19 “Give me your son,” Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. 20 Then he cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” 21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him!”

22 The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. 23 Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!”

24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth.”

Do you hear us, O God?

In the night when sleep comes not

and worries dance

and fears fill the hours

Do you hear our desperate cries?

When we have sat by the bedside

of a sick and wounded friend

When we have visited and had another conversation with a parent who cannot respond

Do you hear our mournful sighs?

Do you hear us, O God?

When our cries for safety are answered with more war, more violence, more terror

When we bury too many brothers and sisters

when too many parents become childless

and too many children are orphaned

Do you hear our pleas for peace?

When our children cry out with empty stomachs

cupboards are bare

the refrigerator empty

money gone

local pantry closed

Do you hear our hunger pangs?

We pray to you O God

knowing and believing

You hear

You listen

You love

You act

We know and believe that your Spirit stirs in our slumber and greets us each morning

We know and believe you are present with us in our living and in our dying

We know and believe that your Kingdom of peace and justice will reign forever

We know and believe that we will all feast at your banquet and dance in your sunshine

We pray to you O God

knowing and believing

You hear

You listen

You love

You act

Amen

A PRAYER FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Psalm 5

1 Listen to my words, Lord,

consider my lament.

2 Hear my cry for help,

my King and my God,

for to you I pray.

3 In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;

in the morning I lay my requests before you

and wait expectantly.

4 For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness;

with you, evil people are not welcome.

5 The arrogant cannot stand

in your presence.

You hate all who do wrong;

6 you destroy those who tell lies.

The bloodthirsty and deceitful

you, Lord, detest.

7 But I, by your great love,

can come into your house;

in reverence I bow down

toward your holy temple.

8 Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness

because of my enemies—

make your way straight before me.

Hear us, O God

for we are surrounded by enemies

They are all around us

hemming us in

threatening our happiness

grabbing at what we have

wanting our good and rewarding life

They are all around us

wanting to do us harm

hurt us

leave us wounded

unable to walk or run or move

Hear us, O God

for we are surrounded by enemies

They are all around us

we cannot escape them

we cannot flee them

they follow and stalk us

wherever we go

They are all around us

we cannot hide from them

we cannot protect ourselves from them

no fort is strong enough

no bunker deep enough

Hear us, O God

for we are surrounded by enemies

They are all around us

because we are our own enemies

Our arrogance presumes we can do anything

build

create

conquer

defend

All we have

Yet our arrogance leads only

to our self destruction

Builds us up

for a great fall

and we lose all we have

They are all around us

because we are our own enemies

We do wrong

and call it right

We bomb to keep evil away

We cheat to keep poverty away

We abuse to satisfy our needs

Yet our wrong

turns back upon ourselves

Our bombs hurts us

Our cheating robs us

Our abuse scars us

Forgive us, O God

and lead us in the paths of righteousness

Teach us the humility of the One

who bore the cross in humble obedience

Show us how to follow your teachings

and love and cherish and forgive each other

Give us the strength to choose right over wrong

and learn the ways of peace and justice

May we cease being our worst enemy

May we love ourselves

and love each other

as you, O God, love us

Amen

A PRAYER FOR THE FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Galatians 3:23-29

23 Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. 27 As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring,[a] heirs according to the promise.

Let us be one in Christ

Too often we work hard to separate

Us from Them, Lord

Just look at Them

They smell

dress funny

drive rust buckets

take up a whole pew

To be honest

We are not sure They belong here

Just listen to Them

They pray too loud

They are always swaying and clapping

talking and chattering

hugging and back slapping

To be honest

We are not sure They belong here

Just hear what They believe

They think creation took only six days

believe only They are going to heaven

Their Bible is the only Bible

interpreted their way

To be honest

We are not sure They belong here

Forgive us, Lord Jesus

for wanting Your church

to just be our church

Forgive us, Lord Jesus

For wanting all Christians

to be our kind of Christians

worship as we worship

believe what we believe

pray as we pray

Forgive us, Lord Jesus

Give us grace to know

Everyone who follows you

Everyone who loves you

Everyone who believes in you

are yours

are your church

Amen