November 7, 2010 - Prayers of the People

Holy God, where do we begin with our thanksgiving and praise?
For you come to us in billions of saving ways:
Through prophets and playwrights and poets.
Musicians and dancers and artists.
Parents and teachers and counselors.
And with your Holy Spirit deep within.
And through Jesus Christ your Son.
All of this and more, to save us.
To save us from ourselves.
To raise our conscience from the dead of sin, and form our souls in the image of Christ.
That we might be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
That we might be truly good for something!

We pray today for your church, O LORD.
Its sins are many and grievous.
The church, O LORD, has not always preached your gospel.
We have built buildings and kingdoms more than we have built love.
And we can only confess these sins with sorrow and humility:
Be merciful to the church, dear God, the church for which your Son died, the church created by the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Day.
In your mercy, restore your church, that the church might have authentic life, and be a beacon of real hope.
Raise up in our midst, we pray, women and men of great faith and vision. Thanks be to you, O God, for elders and deacons who lead the way, and for pastors who teach us your Word and challenge us to think.

We pray today for our newly elected officials.
Upon their shoulders, O God, the heaviest of burdens, and the greatest of challenges.
May your Holy Spirit bless our nation with a great conscience for the poor and the oppressed, and grant to us a high determination to wage peace rather than war.
And for the nations of the world we pray.
For our neighbors to the south and to the north.
For kings and queens and prime ministers and presidents.
For all who govern and lead.

We pray for our children, dear God.
For our families and our friends.
And for our beloved Covenant on the Corner.
We pray for those in sorrow.
Those who are near unto death.
Those who wonder what it’s all about.
For marriages challenged by the stresses and strains of the day.
For lonely hearts.
Bitter spirits.
For souls arid and dry.
For anyone discouraged and fearful.

O LORD our God, be merciful to us all.
We need your grace.
Your peace.
We need your Holy Spirit.
To infuse our hearts with a fresh lease on life.
And a deeper devotion to Jesus Christ our LORD.

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 …