September 6, 2009 - Prayers of the People

We are here, LORD … once again we are here, by grace and by mercy, with faith, hope and love … coming from the four corners of the world, north, south, east and west – Westchester and Culver City, Inglewood and El Segundo, Manhattan and Venice Beach … as different as night and day, yet all the same, LORD.

We all hunger and thirst for life.

We all yearn for meaning and purpose.

We want to be real.

We want the last chapter of our life to be well-written.

We don’t want to be mean-spirited, LORD, though sometimes we are.

We don’t want to be selfish, O God, though self-interest is always sitting next to us, whispering its beguiling advice.

We don’t want to be small in spirit.

We don’t want to be little in love.

We want to be big in faith, O God.

And for that, we need you.

We need your love.

Your world-embracing, life-transforming, love.

The love of Jesus of Nazareth.

His compassion and wisdom.

His vision and virtue.

His love and his mercy.

Remind us, O God, that we CAN have these things.

We can be more like Christ than we dare imagine.

Here in this place, O God,

Covenant on the Corner,

We renew our vows to you.

We pledge anew our lives to the ways of Jesus our LORD.

We surrender to him.

We put our lives on the line for him.

With Jesus our Lord, we take up our cross.

We go to work.

We make this a better world …

We will not rest, O God, until the work be done.

We will not lay our heads down until what’s needed is finished.

We will pay the price.

Give above and beyond.

Go the extra mile.

We will be yours, O God, a city set on the hill, a light that no one can hide …

LORD, make us great, we pray.

Great in the ways of Christ.

Great in our vision and great in our love.

Today, O God, some simple prayers:

For firefighters in the mountains.

For police offices on the street.

For governors and mayors.

For the President of our Land.

For judges and legislators.

And all whom you have called to public service.

Your blessing be upon them all, we pray.

And our regard and our respect.

Today, O simple prayers:

For health and strength in the days that remain.

Wisdom and courage for the tasks at hand.

Employment and opportunity.

Enough food to satisfy.

Friends to enjoy and families to love.

Enough laughter to cleanse the soul.

Sufficient safety and comfort, O LORD.

For us, and for everyone else, too.

Because you’ve made the pie big enough, LORD.

Big enough for everyone to have enough.

So we pray, O God:

Never let us rest.

Never let us be entirely satisfied.

Until everyone is safe.

And the world be at peace.

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 …