It is good, O God, for us to be here this morning, our sabbath time … to mimic the pattern of pilgrimage – to your House we go, with friends and family, new friends, growing in our faith.
It is good and right for us to do this, O God …
To step out of ourselves … to confront and confess the relentless self-interest that threatens to overwhelm our thoughts, our homes, our work and our lives.
Because of your great love, O God, we are not consumed, but consecrated … we are not overwhelmed, but overcome with hope!
We pray, O God, for our youth in Big Bear this weekend, for their leaders, Mikal Kartvedt and Deondra Morris – we pray that your Spirit will abide with the children and youth of this church, perhaps calling some to be pastors or missionaries … bless their time together, O God.
Help us, we pray, as parents and friends, as adults around them, to bear witness to them of the best things of life and to surround them with our prayers – to show them our love, and our faith, and our hope in Jesus Christ.
We pray for our Presbytery and its staff … for our churches and pastors … for Elders and Deacons … for Sunday School teachers and musicians – for faithful members and for those who need to be more faithful … help us all, O God, to deepen our understanding of the Gospel, to walk more closely with Christ, to be glad servants of his, bearing the cross and lifting high his name.
We pray for CLUE and LAANE, for La Mikia and Rabbi Alli and for everyone who seeks justice in our land …
We pray for the nations of the world, O God – for leaders and legislators, for judges and for juries – we pray for democracies and we pray for the dictators – we pray for everyone who holds power, that power will be used to promote peace and prosperity for the peoples of your world.
We pray for our president and his family, for those who wield the reigns of government – those who guide the engines of our economy … we pray for editors and journalists and talk-show hosts – anyone who uses words to persuade and to empower.
May we all choose our words with care, to honor Christ, the living Word – your Word to us, O God – a faithful and accurate word leading to life, liberty and love.
We pray for those who’ve lost job and home … for families living in cars and shelters – we pray for retired folks who’ve seen their income drop precipitously and wonder how they’re going to pay the bills.
We pray for the spiritually confused … for those wandering from one idea to another, chasing the latest fads and fancies, trying to figure out what life and love are all about.
We pray for the digital generation – wired with every gadget, but hard-pressed to know why and what and who and where …
We pray for the embittered and the resentful … for those with anger and those with anxiety …
We pray for those in whom the faith has grown cold and senseless, or hard and dogmatic… for those who worship without wonder … who sing without joy … who pray without compassion … for those to whom the face of Christ has grown dim … and so we pray for renewal, O God; that your Holy Spirit will light the fires of faith anew … that hearts will burn bright with the energy of Christ … that love will be revealed far and wide.
In all of this, O God, we give thanks, for it is good and right for us to do so – we are grateful for our families and our friends, and we count our blessings, both great and small.
Sustain, we pray, the spirit of gentleness and the mind of Christ – that we might have his thoughts and do those things that build up and encourage.
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 …
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