2.2.25 Prayers of Church & Community, Scout Sunday, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pasadena, CA

 Prayers of Church & Community, Feb 2, 2025

Westminster Presbyterian Church

Holy God, Eternal Light … 

We pray for those who lost loved ones in the Potomac plane crash … our hearts are broken, our minds awhirl with sorrow … 

We pray for the families and friends who lost homes to the fires, and those who lost loved one … we’re mindful of our Scouting Family, dear God, many of whom lost their homes - all the things of life: mementos, the bits and pieces of memory … souvenirs … awards and trophies, childhood toys, and good books.

On this day, O God, we lift up our Scouts - we give thanks for all who have taken up the mantle of Scout leadership, to help our youth find their way in life … we thank you, O God, for the great values represented in the program … patriotism, honor, decency, and faithfulness.

Bless our Scouts, we pray, with your Holy Spirit … bless their families and see them through the challenges and crises of the moment … give to them, we pray, the solace of your mercy, the guidance of your wisdom, the courage of your love … to face forward and to look upward … to reach out to help others, and from others, to be helped  … to maintain the human bond, the commitments and loyalties that keep us connected and working together … help us all, we pray, to be good Scouts, good citizens of this land.

We pray for our nation … caught up in political distress … help us, we pray, with the light of Christ, to discern what is true and what isn’t … to cling to the ideals we all share … to help one another, to level the playing field, to confront bigotry, racism, discrimination - all the ways, O God, we have of hurting one another … help us, we pray, to rise above the evils of nationalism to find true patriotism, to seek justice for all, and peace for the world.

Bless, we pray, the churches of our land … bless synagogues, mosques, and temples … communities of faith and prayer … may the light of truth shine brightly … may the lies of pride and power be exposed … may courage be the hallmark of faith … may open arms be our life …  

In the name of our LORD Jesus Christ who taught us to pray, saying:

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.

1.26.25 Prayers of Church & Community, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pasadena, CA

 Prayers of Church & Community, January 26, 2025

Westminster Presbyterian Church

Eternal God, light of the world, comfort us, we pray, in our time of need and loss …

We pray for our nation … and those who govern us … 

We pray for Wall Street and Main Street, we pray for businesses, large and small … we pray for the captains of capital and America’s working women and men … save us, one and all, from the gods of greed; that we might embrace the wisdom of true wealth, that in giving, we receive … in receiving, we learn the great truth of life - to find what we want, we must give what others need.

We pray for the frightened … folks deemed unworthy by misguided politicians, and fanatical preachers … we pray for those who proclaim hate, and call it good … we pray for those who claim the name of Christ and reject their sisters and brothers.

We pray for writers and historians, journalists and podcasters … who search for the stories behind the stories, the truth of the matter, to help us see clearly. 

We pray for our universities and colleges … professors and administrators … those who touch the minds of the young, who stir the conscience … and awaken the best kinds of dreams.

We pray for houses of worship and prayer … we pray imams and priests, rabbis and pastors … we pray for spiritual leaders and their congregations … for elders and deacons, Sunday School teachers and choirs … 

Especially we pray for those who speak truth to power, who lift up the cross of Christ, who hold forth the hands of mercy … we pray for the Rev. Mariann Budde, and the National Cathedral … 

We pray for Westminster, O God, here on Lake Avenue … fill this building with your glory, fill our hearts with your love, fill our minds with your thoughts … help us, to love justice, to do good, and to walk humbly with you, our God and Savior.

We pray for our own souls, dear God … that we might possess the integrity of Christ, the vision of your salvation, the strength of the gospel … that we might never give up on our journey with Christ … that we might have divine strength, to bear the cross and follow Christ where e’er he lead.

That we might be the light of the world, the salt of the earth … 

By mercy untold, and grace ever bright, the Tower still stands, dear God, a beacon of light, a tower of hope.

In the name of our LORD Jesus Christ who taught us to pray, saying:

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen. 

1.19.25 prayers of church & community, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pasadena, CA

 Prayers of Church & Community, January 19, 2025

Westminster Presbyterian Church

In the smoke of our sorrows …

In the winds of our lament …

In the ashes of our tears …

O LORD, our God, creator of the heavens and the earth, we cry out for your mercies and your guidance … for your love and your strength … for the comfort and consolation of your Holy Spirit, for the gentle touch of Christ … to take our hand and lead the way … the way forward, the way through it all …

With heavy hearts, we pray for those who’ve lost their homes … and those with damaged homes … communities lost to us forever … the stores and the shops, the gatherings places of commerce and conversation … schools and churches and a billion memories …

We are, dear God, creatures of this earth … we are material through and through, and to the material things of life we belong, and in their loss, our lives are depleted … from tooth brushes and toothpicks … to cars and clothes, to pots and pans … and screwdrivers and scotch tape …

We pray for those coming to our aid … government agencies and private organizations, and personal generosity from all around the nation, the world …

Bless our nation, we pray … as we transition to a new administration … may the better angels of peace and goodness sound the trumpets of hope … may wisdom and mercy prevail.

For the Middle East, O God, we pray … may the peacemakers be heard, may arms be laid down, may justice be done …

We pray for our troubled world … we pray that humanity will find its way … we pray for all houses of worship … for imams and priests, for pastors and rabbis … for all lift their voices in song, who fold their hands in prayer …

Holy God, Eternal Light, teach us of Christ … help us, we pray, to bow the knee in humble prayer and faithful love … guide our footsteps along the difficult pathways of life … when we’re weak, O God, you are our strength … when we’re sad, O God, your love remains our joy.

In the name of our LORD Jesus Christ who taught us to pray, saying:

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen. 

1.12.25 Prayers of Church & Community, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pasadena, CA

 Prayers of Church & Community, 1.12.25

Westminster Presbyterian Church

Holy God, Eternal Light … the comfort of your people … speak tenderly to us, we pray, in these days of great need and bewilderment …

Save us from darkness of soul …keep us focused on your goodness, and the love of life … help us to mourn and shed our tears, dear God, but do not let us get lost in our sorrows … when we’re angry, help us to be careful … when we want to blame, help us to find constructive pathways … save us from the bitterness of soul that only makes things worse.

Dear God, we are mindful of our losses … the destruction of our communities, our neighborhoods, all the familiar places that makeup the character and goodness of life … we are shaken to the core … our spirits tremble, tears come unbidden, emotions wander in the wilderness of confusion.

Bless those who have come to our rescue … organizations and government agencies to work on our behalf, to help us find new homes, new ways of life, new arrangements … we pray for insurance agents, and we pray for the resources of our nation.

In this moment of worship, dear God, touch our hearts with the great love of Christ … he stands in the river of life, in the mud and the hurt, in the sorrows and the pains of loss and death and loneliness; he stands in our hearts and minds … he stands by the ruins, and he stands with those whose hands and love will help us rebuild … 

In the renewing of our baptism, dear God, wash away the grit of anger and fear, bless our sorrows, inspire us in this time of great need, bless our tears, as we turn to the future and seek a new day … see us through, O Lord, with patience, and with the love of others … with good memories and bright hopes.

In the name of our LORD Jesus Christ who taught us to pray, saying:

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen. 

12.15.24 Prayers of Church & Community, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pasadena, CA

 Prayers of Church & Community, Dec. 15, 2024

Westminster Presbyterian Church

Teach us how to pray, O LORD … we want very much to do it well … 

Give us the courage to pray … to bow our hearts before your glory … to open wide our minds to your will … 

Give us eyes to see those moments in our daily journey when prayer is needed … give us pause in the midst of our busy lives, to breath the words of thanksgiving … give us ears to hear the songs of life … songs of sorrow and songs of joy … make us sensitive to the ebb and flow of your Holy Spirit, we pray … 

We can do so much on our own, O LORD, but only so much - we need your grace to complete the day … to finish what we begin, repair what we break, heal our wounds, cleanse our souls, restore what is lost, refresh our resolve.

Today, O God, we celebrate Mary … you gave yourself unto her, and through her, you were born into this world … she walked with you when you took your first steps, she fed you in the middle of the night, she bathed you with tender care … she heard your first words … she and Joseph took you to Jerusalem, and there to see the Temple, your Father’s house … your beloved mother wasn’t always sure what you were up to … but she stayed the course, and in the end, she stood by your cross and watched you die … she was at the tomb on the day of your Resurrection … and in glory, she shines with you and all the Saints.

Blessed is her name, O God … and blessed is her courage, and her faith … by her example, teach us how to say “Yes!” to the great things of life … teach us that it’s ok to be afraid, to be uncertain … helps us to see the angels who visit us, the moments of opportunity for life and for love … and within the womb of our own soul, dear God, come and make a home with us … and help us, then, to birth your love into the world.

This day, O God, as Mary prayed for her world, so we pray for our time and place … mindful of Syria, Israel & Palestine, the Koreas, Ukraine and Russia, the nations of NATO, and our neighbors to the north and south … may the vulnerable be respected … may the powerful be mature … may goodness and peace be the highest priorities … may the church be faithful to Christ.

In the name of our LORD Jesus Christ who taught us to pray, saying,

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.

12.8.24 Prayers of Church & Community, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pasadena, CA

 Prayers of Church & Community, Dec. 8, 2024

Westminster Presbyterian Church

Oh LORD our God, in your mercy, we find our hope, in your love, our peace … deliver us, we pray, from the fears and worries that so easily grow out of hand … help us, we pray, to engage with our world, but not to be swept away in the chaos of the day.

We offer up our prayers, O God, in faith - that every prayer uttered anywhere, by anyone, adds to the welfare of the world. 

Our prayers, feeble as they are, rise to heaven’s gate, and there, our prayers, and those of all humanity, are well received.

We pray for South Korea, O God … for the people of that great nation and their democracy …

We pray for the city of Manilla … may your love comfort the bereaved … may your Holy Spirit prompt an outpouring of assistance.

We pray for Syria in the throes of civil war … we pray for the State of Israel and the Palestinians … we pray for Ukraine and Russia … we pray for the nations of Africa … may your Holy Spirit strengthen the church in all of these lands … may the gospel be proclaimed with joy and courage, integrity and mindfulness … may the right hand of fellowship be extended to all … may the works of compassion and the deeds of mercy be amplified by your love … may the church be the church of Jesus Christ, dear God … never the church of a nation, nor ever to bow down before the idols of wealth and power … but the church of the resurrection, rising to a new day of hope and peace … giving unto others the treasures of faith, forgiveness, and fortitude.

Bless us, now, we pray, in the remains of the day … see us into a new week … lead us upon the pathways of righteousness … remind us, we pray, that we never walk alone … you walk with us in the wind, in the rain, in all the storms of life … you are the silver lining in every cloud, and the rising sun of every day.

In the name of our LORD Jesus Christ who taught us to pray, saying:

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen. 

12.1.24 Prayers of Church & Community, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pasadena, CA

 Prayers of Church & Community, Dec. 1, 2024

Westminster Presbyterian Church

Holy God, Eternal Light, creator of the heavens and the earth … we give thanks for the gifts of life … to love and be loved, to learn of new things, to grow in our faith … to have friends and be a friend … to be followers of Christ … to know his grace, and see his glory.

Give us new hearts, we pray, every day … hearts fit for his grace … and give us good eyes, we pray, to see his glory - the radiance of his goodness and mercy … and ears to hear his words …  

In these moments of worship, O God, move mightily within our souls … that we would leave here with a fresh sense of purpose and everlasting hope.

With hope, dear God:

We pray for our nation and those who lead us … 

We pray for the city of Manilla … for those who lost their homes to the fires, and those who lost loved ones … 

We pray for the city of Aleppo … we pray for the nations of the Middle East.

We pray for loved ones near and far … we pray for our children, and grandchildren … we pray for our parents and grandparents … and all who came before us … you loved them through and through, and through them, O LORD, the energy of life was sustained … 

We pray for Westminster …

Bless us, we pray, as we carry the torch of life in our time and place … may we not fail you, O God … when we are weak, give us your strength … when we are afraid, give us your courage … when we stumble and fall, raise us up to walk again.

In the name of our LORD Jesus Christ who taught us to pray, saying:

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.