Prayers of the People - February 1, 2009

Prayers of the People – Sunday, February 1, 2009

We are grateful, O God, for the delight of life and its many, many, joys … while there are plenty of things to test our spirit and try our soul, we take pleasure in family and in friends – the simple things of life: a good dish of pasta with meatballs, a salad with crisp lettuce, a fine glass of wine – and the laughter of the soul.

O LORD our God, in times as these,
Help us keep our balance.
Though fear is in the air,
Help us remain close to you, trusting you in all things.

Keep us steadfast LORD, determined to make a difference … to uphold the values of love … to become all the more engaged in projects and programs to keep our nation faithful to the vision of our founding mothers and fathers – a nation wherein all the world can find a home, where justice is never rationed, but given freely for all, and everyone has a chance to pursue their own dreams of happiness.

Help us, as those who follow Christ,
To embody the love he gives.
The love for which he died.
And the love that breaks forth from the empty tomb.
A love that cannot die again.
A love pure and bright.
A love that builds up and restores,
And makes all things new.

We thank you for the heroes of our faith, great women and men who swim against the tide, who march to the beat of heaven’s drummers …
But more than heroes, we give thanks for a million deeds of kindness done everyday by a million people who make life better for us … every word said with kindness, every prayer uttered, every deed well done, every bit and piece of love offered up to make life good and beautiful.

For those who work in soup kitchens and food pantries,
For those who gather up used clothing and furniture and get those things into needy hands and needy homes.
For a wife who faithfully cares for her ailing husband.
For parents who anguish quietly and faithfully for a child having a hard time of it.
For a man who goes to work anyway, to support his family.
For preachers and pastors, for missionaries and Sunday School teachers … for singers and musicians … for millions of folks who keep the faith and love one another.

The faithfulness of millions who do it well, even the smallest of things, when they don’t feel like it, when they don’t want to, but they do it anyway.
Who lead with vision.
Who serve with humility.
Who inspire and encourage.
Who appreciate the co-worker and put up with the difficult.
Who sew and sell, who make and manage, with graceful dignity and patient endurance.

All the small deeds of good, O LORD - the love that builds up the whole world.

Thanks be to you, O God …
For Jesus and the church.
For this table and the bread and drink of communion.

Tomorrow, LORD, another day.
We’ll do our best.
We’ll love and try again.
We’ll seek your counsel and rely on your mercy.
We’ll keep on growing and keep on going.
We’ll not give up.
We’ll not be persuaded by materialism.
We’ll be persuaded by the eternal things of faith, hope and love.
By your grace, we will be,
The salt of the earth,
And the light of the world.

In the name of our LORD Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray, saying, Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done …