6.26.22 Prayers of Church & Community - Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pasadena

God of grace and God of glory,

on your people pour your pow’r;

crown your ancient Church’s story,

bring its bud to glorious flow’r.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage

for the facing of this hour,

for the facing of this hour.

Eternal God, creator of the heavens and the earth, give us, we pray, the deeps of faith, the heights of hope, the strength of love … that we might carry the cross of Christ, the burden of care.

Eternal God, give us this day our daily bread … courage for the facing of this hour … a hour of tumult and strife, a world of war and a bundle of lies … families divided, friend against friend … a religious landscape blighted by false promises and abuse … too much greed, too much power, too little conscience, and not enough love.

These are the times, O God, and we are the people … we wish things were different, dear God, but we’re willing to face this hour, even as Christ had to face his time. Every generation, O God, has to choose, in the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side.

You have called us to follow Christ, and you have made it possible … your Holy Spirit creates within us, day-by-day, a readiness to serve, a willingness to say Yes … the desire to make a difference. 

You have called and created Westminster Presbyterian Church, a tower of truth, a beacon of hope, a place of safety, a fountain of love, to refresh a weary world.

With gratitude, O God, we pray for our family and friends … 

We pray for our communities and neighbors …

We pray for our churches, synagogues, temples, and mosques.

Wherever faith is proclaimed.

Wherever questions are asked.

Wherever love is practiced.

All of this, 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. 

6.19.22 Prayers of Church & Community, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pasadena

We have prayed so often, dear God, the words of your Christ, “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name” … the words flow easily, and we ofttimes forget what a gift it is - to have faith in your goodness, to trust your love, a love at work in all things, for good. 

On this day, especially, dear God, we give thanks for your closeness to us, in the ups and downs of our daily walk … your love for us, when we’re up and bright and full of life, and in those times when we’re ho-hum in the doldrums, going nowhere fast … and when we’re weighed down with depression and dark thoughts, when we can hardly find our breath. 

You are a loving presence, in all times and pleaces, constant in mercy. We can’t always see you, O God, and that’s ok … we have learned, even in the darkness moments, you are present … your hand is upon us … your providence at work, to guide and to guard.

We give you thanks, for the gospel that saves, the wisdom that instructs, the mercy that sustains … we vow all the more to be faithful to you, to be the light of reason, in an unreasonable time to strive for the truth in a season of many lies, to love greatly when others hate, to seek justice for all … to practice the ways of Christ.

Grant to us this day our daily bread … watch over our loved ones … bless our nation.

Watch over our beloved Presbyterian Church, and our General Assembly … may your Spirit rest mightily upon the church, giving us a vision of your Kingdom, and what needs to be done. On this Juneteenth, O LORD, give us the wherewithal to keep on running the race of life, reaching for the best and the brightest of human aspirations, filled with your divine purpose, led by the Holy Spirit.

All of this, 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. 

6.12.22 Prayers of Church & Community - Westminster Presbyterian Church Pasadena

Eternal God, ever-present to your world, we give thanks for this day of worship, a time to remember one of your servants, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - you called and gifted him, O LORD, to awaken our nation’s conscience to the evils of racism, and to the hope of our Democracy.

On this day, O God, remind us that much work remains to be done … racism remains a part of our nation’s narrative, with Confederate flags and racial epithets.

Help us, O God, in this church, to proclaim the truth of justice, to honor the memory of Dr. King, to bring to bear upon our communities the gospel of our LORD Jesus Christ, the gospel of welcome and inclusion, the gospel of peace and hope, the gospel that liberates and sets us free, free to be fully human, to enjoy the gifts of your world, O God, and to insure that all of your children will enjoy the gifts and goodness of life.

In our worship this day, O God, bless us with the fullness of your Holy Spirit … awaken and refresh our courage and faith … bless our preacher of the day, Pastor Harlan Redmond … bless his wife and children, his work, his soul - grant to him, we pray, the eternal vision of a redeemed world, a world faithful and true.

We pray, today, for our loved ones - their wellbeing, their hopes and dreams, whatever physical needs and emotional distress may darken their days … financial worries … employment cares … family conflict, personality disorders - life is complex, O God … we’re always a mystery, even to ourselves … yet in your grace, you provide a way through, pathways to walk upon, and daily encouragement.

We give thanks for doctors and nurses and medical staff - for research facilities and the scientists who seek solutions to the diseases that plague our world. Bless all who strive every day to deliver health care the nation, to meet every need, regardless of of class or race or location. 

Bless us we pray, in the remains of the day - whatever comes our way, O God, you are already there with grace, mercy, and peace. Thank you for calling us to Christ, for redeeming our souls, and giving us the highest of all possible purposes - that of loving you with all that we are, and with all that we hope to be, loving one another.

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. 

6.5.22 Prayers of Church & Community, Westminster Presbyterian Church PasadenaL

LORD God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, we give thanks for the gift of Christ, and the

work of the Holy Spirit … your goodness at work all around the world … in time and in space; in the bright avenues of life, and in the shadowy corners and darkened alleys of disappointment and sorrow … you are present, with grace, mercy, and peace … no place beyond your reach, no life beyond your touch, no sin greater than your forgiveness, no sorrow too vast for your kindness … no time or place surpassing your all-surpassing love.

Our world, dear God, has trouble aplenty … give us the strength, we pray, to live in this world, honestly, creatively, patiently, to yet see the good that remains: the cup of blessing and our daily bread - friendship and faith, folks who care … the love that remains.

Strengthen those who uphold the best and the noblest of the human story. 

Help us, we pray, to carry the cross of awareness, the cross of care and concern, the cross of love … yet give us rest, O God - when we’re tired, troubled, and tested … when we cry out and weep … you stand by us when we can no longer walk; you lay down with us when we cannot rise.

This day, O God, we pray especially for the children of Ukraine - little hearts and tender minds, impacted by unimaginable savagery … the sounds and smells of war - scarring their souls. Be merciful to the little ones, O LORD, for they are so utterly vulnerable to the sadness and misery of war.

Bless our church, we pray, that we might know the love of Christ all the more, that our church would remain a safe and welcoming place, a sanctuary of healing and hope … ready for a new day, a new era of mission, a new chapter to be written.

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.